interview – Page 11 – TINSEL and TAP SHOES

An interview with Harrison Craig

Harrison Craig, the winner of the second series of The Voice, is one of the top performers set to perform Surfers Paradise LIVE – a free three-day musical event celebrating a diversity of genres on the Gold Coast – it really is set to be something spectacular. Currently hard at work on his third studio album, I spoke to the 21-year old about the new record, Mother’s Day, Josh Groban and all things Disney.

You’re performing at the Surfers Paradise LIVE – what can you tell me about it?

We’ve been rehearsing now for one month and it’s just been an absolute blast! I’ve got a big band coming up with me and we’re going to be doing tracks off my last two albums, and some tracks from my new album that I’m just recording at the moment. It’s a really good place to have this kind of three day event and everyone behind it, the teams, are just great, so I’m just really pleased to be there.

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An Interview with Mickey Cooper

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From his humble beginnings rewriting songs from the radio as a youngster, and touring with bands during his late teens – there was never any doubt that Mickey Cooper was destined for a career in the music industry. Now, set to release his debut solo album, Hit The Ceiling; I spoke with Mickey about songwriting, recording and Randy’s Apartment.

So, tell the people a little bit about yourself to start with.

I left school when I was 16 to play guitar in a rock band, crazily toured up and down the coast, [and] drove around playing gigs of varying success for a lot of years. That’s kind of how I grew up playing in bands – music’s been the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. And the solo thing came about, because I was in New York last year for a few months and living in this apartment. [I] just had just a microphone and a little recording space and had all these songs that I wanted to get down and it turned into an album.

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An Interview with musician, Matt Cornell

hY0QhPiz Matt Cornell is an singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and one fifth of Adam Brand and the Outlaws. Having just released his new single Feels Like Yesterday, off his 2014 self-titled album, I spoke to Matt about Texas, tattoos, musical influences, growing up in a showbiz family, and the future of the Outlaws.

Congratulations on the new release and music video for Feels Like Yesterday. What was the concept behind the video and how does it relate to the lyrics of the song?

Paul Stefanidis, the guy who shot and directed the clip, came up with the idea. He’s been wanting to do a video with me for some time. He said to me, “I’ve got this idea, let’s do this video overseas”, and I wasn’t really sold on the idea. Everyone who hears “Feels Like Yesterday” [will] think it’s a song about going back home and when you hear the lyrics, it talks about that and it is – but it’s also about being in a familiar place – a place you feel a connection with.

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An Interview with Damien Leith

MI0003406690 Damien Leith has had a busy decade since taking out the title of Australian Idol. He’s recorded eight studio albums, written two books, and penned a one-man cabaret. This April marks what would have been Roy Orbison‘s 80th birthday, to celebrate Damien reprises his successful Roy – A Tribute to Roy Orbison tour!

Hi Damien. You’re bringing back your show Roy – A Tribute To Roy Orbison this April. You did this show back in 2011, what was the idea behind bringing the show back?

It would have been Roy Orbison’s 80th birthday in April, so it’s really to celebrate his 80th birthday (and) to return to a collection of songs that I just love performing. We don’t do this run of shows very often at all and even this one, it’s only six shows in total, so it’s a very limited run – it’s only in the month of his birthday. Six shows and then unfortunately, we put it away for a while. But I love these songs, I love performing them, it’s just great to get an opportunity to hit the road with them again.

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Interview: Actor Tim Draxl

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Tim Draxl has been enchanting audiences both onscreen, for his roles in A Few Best Men, Swimming Upstream, A Place To Call Home and the new tele-movie, Molly – as well as on stage, with his one man shows, Freeway – The Chet Baker Journey and Cabaret, since the tender age of 16. Now at 34, he returns to the stage with his new show, Once Upon Another Time.

You recently returned from America – what were you doing over there?

I try and go over once or twice a year. I have a green card, so I have to keep it active and I have lots of friends over there, because I used to live in (Los Angeles) – I lived in LA for seven years. I went to LA for a couple of days, then Aspen, then New York and then back again. It was a bit of a quick trip. I was only gone for two weeks, but it was good fun.

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Interview with musician, Adam Brand

Firstly, congratulations on the success of The Outlaws. Everyone seems to be really embracing the idea. I read that you’ve had this idea in your head for ten years or so – why has it taken so long to finally make happen?

It’s one of those things, to get five guys all with a little bit of a break from their schedules all at the same time, it’s a pretty big ask! I suppose it just had to wait to the point where it happened all very naturally, where everyone was like, ‘Yeah, I’m free, I’m free…’ That’s how I kinda knew that okay, it must be the right time.

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An Interview With Musician Jason Kerrison

New Zealand musician, Jason Kerrison recently completed his first solo tour around Australia, debuting songs off his first album #JKEP1 and showcasing his past hits. I spoke to Jason about this exciting year and what’s to come.

Jason, you were recently toured in Australia for the first time. How was your Australian gigs go?

Yeah, it was my first tour. I don’t know why it’s my first tour – I guess, being in bands in the past, it’s a lot more expensive bringing bands over. [So] it’s kind of nice to be able to be mobile and be able to be at a whole bunch of places over a couple of weekends, so it was good. Gosh, I can’t remember the name of the guy who played before me, but he was so good. He was ridiculously good! You know, when you see people so good, and you’re like, “why am I bothering to get up now?” Ego steps in, “I told you you shouldn’t have turned up”. [laughs] But I had a ball. It was really cool. All good people there.

Teneriffe Festival in Brisbane was fantastic! And then I played at a place called The Triffid, that is owned by one of the fellas from Powderfinger. [It’s] a great venue. I saw a band called the Church play in there that same night.

[The Yarra Hotel] was interesting. Sydney was interesting, as well – it was really bizarre, but there were [some] really cool people [there] I played in a lounge, like I played in someone’s lounge. It’s called Live n’ Lounging, apparently there’s a bit of a home circuit thing going.

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Interview: Actor Ben Nicholas

You may recognise Ben Nicholas from his days playing Scott “Stingray” Timmins in Neighbours 10-odd years ago. Ben just recently finished the mock-reality web-series Footballer Wants A Wife. I spoke to Ben about this exciting new project, reality television and the death of Stingray.

You’re currently working on Footballer Wants A Wife. Where did the idea come from?

Well, after a really bad trip to LA in search of work, I decided to take matters into my own hands and write my own show. Naturally, I wrote myself as the lead [laughs].

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Interview: Musician Simon Gibson of ‘The Coolites’

a2664581741_10 Singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer – Simon Gibson is a well rounded performer. He returns to Australia, after living/performing in Vietnam, with the newly-formed band The Coolites and brings you their debut album Caravan Park Summers. I spoke to Simon about living overseas, performing, summer memories and the new album.

You just got back from Saigon. How was it? I’ve never been.

Saigon’s a great place. It’s pretty wild [and] it wears you out. It’s [also] very busy and noisy but it’s an interesting place to live – particularly when you first go there. In the first year or two, it’s actually really really good, but I’ve been there for over 7 years. Having said, I will be going back there in a while for a couple of weeks because I still have a lot of stuff over there. It’s a good place, it’s fun, it’s interesting. It’s another world really.

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