July 10, 2019
“Infectious” only just begins to describe Sydney pop outfit Georgia June.
Formed in mid-2017, this five-piece plays a bit of pop and a bit of rock – all backed by some really funky guitar licks. And Georgia up front has such a strong, natural Australian voice. She’s not one for a homogenous delivery, gives it everything on stage and reminds me very much of Chrissie Amphlett.
Georgia sings about self-esteem, relationships, dud boyfriends and other angst. Not much different to pop lyrics of any era.
But this is the all-pervasive age of social media and metadata – when nothing can ever truly be unsaid or deleted.
I’m glad my formative years were spent before “likes”, “influencers” and “unfriending”.
Regardless of your age, the best way to deal with stress / anxiety is to talk about it, write about it, sing about it. Get it off your chest.
And that’s what Georgia June do.
Their latest release “Prove Myself” is a tight, jaunty number that kicks everything into gear. In it, she sings: “The stakes are high, expectations are higher” and “I gotta prove myself, cos I’m never gonna be good enough for you.” Neatly sums up the intertwined millennial stress of modern dating, university demands and social media.
Other tracks such as “Pressure”, “Broke” and “Cool” echo those sentiments, while “Your Jumper Looks Better on Me” can be read both ways: a subtle but triumphant put-down to the beaten competition, or a matter-of-fact rebuttal of the status quo.
They now have a really solid 40-minute set full of charging guitars (Jack on lead and Lewis on rhythm), exciting melodies and a relentless rhythm section (Joe on bass and James on drums).
Georgia June spent most of 2018 recording their debut body of work and have more in the mix.
There’s an honesty in their work that grabs you straight away and just won’t let go. Gongscene caught up with Georgia this week to discuss all things musical.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your gap year in New York. Why NY? What was the aim? What did you learn?
A: To be completely honest, going to New York was always a goal of mine, I wanted to immerse myself in a place which seemed so vibrant! I made some incredible friends, recorded some music from an earlier music project of mine and came back a different person. I’ve wanted to go back ever since.
Q: How did you hook up musically with the band members?
A: Lewis and I met at school, and I met Joe, Jack and James through friends and university. We all just started rehearsing and writing together and it fell into place pretty quickly.
Q: Are you doing any solo work (I really liked the track Awkward filmed at NY City Winery, for example)? Or playing any guitar? If not, why not?
A: Definitely not any time soon! I like writing on guitar, but this band is a collaboration and I feel most myself with the music we are currently making together.
Q: Your early songs (Cool, Broke, Pressure) seem to be your influence, perhaps coming off the New York experience. But your recent songs strike me as being more of a team effort, with the band contributing more towards the sound. Is this accurate? Or has your sound just morphed organically into a more dynamic, “dance-y” feel?
A: I think (and hope) that our music will constantly evolve based on our influences, location, friendships and life experiences. The early tracks that have been released are songs which I view as a complete different musical point in my life, and moving forward, the music that will be released and written, will be a reflection of the growth of the band. They might be upbeat or they might mellow out – you’ll just have to wait and see!
Q: Your lyrics reflect a lot of millennial angst – will the supply ever run out?! 😎
A: Certain emotions and struggles I believe are transcendent of time, and individual experiences, some are simply innate to the human experience. I hope that my personal relationships with people and places transcend age even though I am technically a millennial, I hope that non-millennials can also relate!
Q: Your voice has a strong Australian flavour. It sounds fantastic. Have you made a conscious decision to keep the Aussie ‘twang’ instead of a more American or international accent?
A: Never really thought about it! I’ve been singing my whole life, so I sing the way I sing I guess!! Glad you like it 🙂
Q: What’s in store for the next 6 months? EP? album?
A: We have an album in the works- not sure when it’ll be released, but soon!! Stay tuned!
Triple J Unearthed reviewer Dave Ruby Howe said: “There’s this classic working-class indie sound here that’s grounded in studied musicianship and with an electric front-person. As good as this band sounds on record they do it EVEN better live.”
Get out and see them soon.
CONNECT WITH Georgia June
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