SUNSET JUNKIES
Interview conducted May 23, 2021
By Dan Locke
Brisbane’s Prog-Metal Sensations Sunset Junkies announce their sophomore album ‘Darkness Visible’ and release their crushing new single ‘Pentagram’. Mixed by Grammy Award-Winning Heavyweight David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) and Ryan McCambridge, this composition showcases soaring melodies and rich choral arrangements, courtesy of dual-vocalists Ellie Jane and Byron Short, underpinned by energetic riffs and complex rhythms, maintaining accessibility through brilliant songcraft and daring, experimental production.
What is your upbringing?
I grew up in Far North Queensland, Australia. My Dad owned and operated a tall ship so I spent a lot of time on the water
How did you discover music?
Elvis was probably my first love, before I could even articulate it. Then there was a little half sized acoustic guitar under the Christmas tree when I was 5 and my cloth was cut. I also studied violin growing up
How did you start to write music?
At a piano, funnily enough. I worshipped songwriters like Bob Dylan and John Lennon and although I could play hundreds of songs on the guitar, when I started writing in my early teens it was on the school piano
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I still have the one from under the Christmas tree. It doesn’t play so well anymore but I’ll always treasure it
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
Acoustic – Gibson Blues King, Electric – Gibson Les Paul
You are a Brisbane Prog-metal band. How did your band form?
I spent a decade as a solo artist, releasing all kinds of different music. When this particular group of musicians came together, I was inspired by their talent and enthusiasm. So, I began to write music without boundaries – Progressive music, I suppose.
Describe your music.
Music without boundaries. Pure freedom of expression
What was your first performance together like?
Every time I share the stage with this band, it’s an honor. Our first performance with this lineup was no different. Ellie is a phenomenal vocalist and performer and all the boys in the band are wonderful musicians and it’s always a pleasure and an inspiration to perform together
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
APRA – the Australian Performing Rights Assoc.
What makes a good songwriter?
Bravery.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I think it was called ‘Walls’ – never recorded
What is the process of writing your music?
I’ve written all the Junkie’s music on the first two records. A lot of it comes together in the studio, where I’m surrounded by my instruments and books and when it starts to flow, I just follow.
Tell me about your new album “Darkness Visible”?
The new album is me exploring myself, my inner workings, unpacking my past, trying to make sense of my present and figuring out how to move forward.
How was it to work with Grammy Award Winner David Bottrill (Tool, Muse, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and Ryan McCambridge?
David is a world-renowned producer and mixer and it’s been a dream to have him mix two of our albums. He and Ryan make a wonderful team and they really appreciate and understand my work as a writer and producer. Their input has been invaluable
Tell me about your new single “Pentagram”?
It’s the first taste of ‘Darkness Visible’ and it’s perfectly indicative of our new direction. It’s an exploration of what true freedom means and at what cost it may come. It’s dark and complex and epic and we’re all very proud of it
Out of the 9 tracks on the album, which one is your favorite track on your album?
They’re all beautiful children. I honestly can’t say. They all belong together as a whole.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
It’s an unfortunate reality of the digital age.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
The symbol has multiple meanings. I don’t think it was necessarily appropriated from the musical realm to be reused as a hashtag. I guess there’d be a lot of people out there who wouldn’t recognize it as a musical symbol, sure.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
‘Thunder On The Mountain’ – Bob Dylan. He’s 80 years old today. I think the song paints a wonderful picture of what personal freedom might look like
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Yes, I think everything has changed and we’ll have the Covid cloud over our heads for a long time yet. But we’re an adaptable lot, we’ll be ok
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
No
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Finishing the album, cooking, exercising
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I struggle with that. Haha.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I love reading. But with all the album release stuff happening, it’s hard to find time
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Facebook is great at making stupid decisions that alienate its users. They just keep shooting themselves in the foot. I wish it wasn’t a necessary tool for music promotion.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
Online presence is more important than ever. And good old-fashioned public relations. We have to get creative
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
The industry is rife with it. There are just so many artists jostling to make it now. It’s sad that money talks in an artistic landscape. But it’s always been the case one way or another.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Hilarious
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I’d be a well-read hermit and full-time cat Dad
What is your happy place?
The ocean, the forest, in bed with my girl
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalog to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay, and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Sure, hook me up. I’m only precious about the creative process. Once the song is released it doesn’t belong to me anymore
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
I had no idea about that. I don’t see how they would be able to do that, if the independent artists had paid to have their music hosted on Spotify. Maybe the artists who were removed had failed to renew their subscription
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
No
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival For July 23-25 Event In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
We’re always keen to play for an appreciative audience. As long as it’s in a safe and welcoming environment
