Page 53 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • MUSIC

Sounds of summer

Live music is coming back to our city in a big way.

Across a few big weekends in The following
February, Cairns Performing weekend will
Arts Centre (CPAC) will host four bring former Tones and I
superstar Australian musicians in Powderfinger frontman Bernard
its new series of events, Cairns Fanning and his country folk-tinged
3 Summer Sounds. charm to two shows across February
Legendary artist John Butler, who’s 20 and 21. Finishing off the series
been helping us get our groove on for on February 26 and 27 Cairns will
over two decades, will kick off both welcome eight-time ARIA award-
Meet Jelly Oshen Summer Sounds and his national solo winning Amy Shark. The singer
tour on February 4 and 5. songwriter became a household
How old are you? I’m 19 but mentally Tones and I will then take over the name after releasing her hit single
I might be 12. What instruments CPAC stage on February 13 and 14. Adore, clocking over 100 million
do you play? So far I’ve got decent Her smash single Dance Monkey streams and second place in the 2016
knowledge on the piano, guitar, bass/ reached No. 1 in 20 countries and Triple J Hottest 100.
double bass, drums, and a little bit clocked up over two billion streams
of steelpan drums. We’ve heard you – making it the most played Spotify
learnt to play instruments by ear? song by a female artist globally MORE: ticketlink.com.au
Yeah, I think I just started figuring last year.
out simple melodies from riffs to
whole songs on the piano and then
I used the same process with other
instruments until I could make my
own songs. What influences your
music? I guess the struggles and
beauties of life and stuff, like sharing
how I feel about what’s happening to
me in a way that anyone can relate
to. When did you start performing to
a crowd? My first gig was Kuranda
Roots Festival, then Cairns Festival,
Ecofiesta, and my first single launch
was at Bar 36 in 2018 on my birthday.
Favourite live music venue in the
Far North? Kuranda Amphitheatre.
What’s your favourite live music Mountain Kauri Studio
memory? Probably the first time I Studio scene
got the audience to really sing along
with me during an original song at Mark Myers – known in the music world as a member of The Middle East –
Wallaby Creek Festival. Name some has been rather busy since the Townsville band broke up in 2011.
artists you’ve played with? Last year I After ten years spent running Big Sister Studio in Brinsmead, Mark has recently
opened shows for Greta Stanley, Dami renovated and opened a new recording studio in the Tablelands.
Im and Emily Wurramara, and I’ve Built from scratch and with salvaged materials from his old space, Mountain
jammed with Kid Heron, Katchafire, Kauri Studio sits on a 20-acre plot of mostly uncleared forest.
Kooii, Nicky Bomba and Jemere The studio has a 24 m² control room, a 38 m² live room and 3.5-metre-high
Morgan. What’s the last album you ceilings, which Mark describes as sounding “beautiful on the inside and
listened to? The Adventure Time non-existent on the outside.”
soundtrack. Who would you most As a producer, Mark has recorded over 200 bands and won four QMUSIC
like to collaborate with? The Gorillaz awards (including Best Album and Best Song), a musicNT award, and has been
or Steven Universe. What’s in store nominated for an ARIA.
for 2021? Loads of new music and He’s recorded music for many renowned artists, with names like Emma Louise,
hopefully touring! Tim Hart of Boy & Bear and Greta Stanley among them.

MORE: @jellyoshen MORE: @mountainkauristudio

53 • tropicnow.com.au