Reeling in the Years - ConnectFM 100.9 Artists chat - Sydney NSW Australia- Podcast

Dean O'leary is an Award winning Sydney Musician , for the last 10 years he has been based in L.A. He Join John on the Phone to talk about his Music , Career , and lock-down in Los Angeles , plus we hear his latest single " Brave Souls" - check him out on all Digital Platforms

Dean O'Leary is an Australian born, award winning guitarist, singer & songwriter from Sydney. Growing up in Australia with a musical family, Dean's first professional gig was at aged 15, when he began playing Guitar and touring with his late father, Jack O'Leary, who was a successful and well loved Australian singer, comedian and actor. Dean grew up on a healthy musical diet including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Prince, The Eagles and Steely Dan, amongst many other musical influences. All these wonderful artists and influences add to the ingredients which make up his own sound of what he calls 'Roots based Rock'. He's lived in Los Angeles for the last ten years and during that time he has performed with Sergio Mendes, Maxine Nightingale, Connie Stevens, Joely Fisher, Hudson Thames, Fisher & Thames, The Twilight Lords, Band of Liars and many other artists locally. Coming up on July 2020 will bring Dean's first release in the USA as a solo artist. This first single was produced and mixed by himself at his home studio, where he sang all vocals, played all Guitars, Bass and percussion. 'Brave Souls' was written during the Quarantine lockdown and during the protests for Racial change in Los Angeles. The Song is a reflection of these experiences, and a song of hope. Musically, Brave Souls is a Guitar driven song, which is very Roots based Rock with a hint of Country, and driven by a memorable uplifting chorus. The outro section really highlights Dean's tasty Guitar work. Dean was excited to have good friend and amazing drummer, Jeff Bowders onboard for Drumming duties. Jeff Bowders is a touring, recording and educating drummer in Los Angeles. Most notably recognized as playing drums for some of the greatest guitarists of our time such as Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, Joe Satriani, Larry Mitchell, Kim SeHwang, Richie Kotzen, Justin Derrico, Mike Keneally and Michelangelo. Jeff has also performed/recorded with Puddle of Mudd, Shakira, Stu Hamm, Nelson and Graham Bonnet. Jeff brings so much fire and feel to the table with his solid and incredible playing. This is the first single, which is one of many more to follow in the coming months, that Dean has planned for release in 2020. Brave Souls will be released through CD Baby and available on all streaming and download platforms. www.deanoleary.com

Gordon from Josh Orange joined John on the Phone to talk about the latest single " Little Miss Orange"

Band Members -

Gordon Burke (Vocals/Acoustic/Keys) Andrew Wass (Vocals/Guitars) Shane McLaughlin (Guitars) Alex Miller (Drums) Blaine Munnings (Bass Guitar)

Little Miss America is by Sydney, Australia's Josh Orange, a folk-rock group with just a dollop of Dublin, Ireland in lead singer and songwriter Gordon Burke. The line-up rounded out by guitarists Andrew Wass and Shane McLaughlin, with Alex Miller driving the drum-kit.

As Burke tells it, Little Miss America came about after he spent a night in Kris Kristofferson's old Nashville apartment during a trip to the US late in 2018. "I couldn't sleep. I'm in this tiny one-bedroom apartment with all kinds of guitars on the wall, and I'm going through the pictures painted by Kris in his song Sunday Morning Coming Down... the closet, the bathroom, the walk down to the street. The vibe in the place was just electric, and I spent the night writing the song. I finished the lyric in New York after having breakfast in the West Side Avenue diner Miss America. The waitress in the diner very much inspired the lyric. I hope she forgives my never getting to ask her name. The experience was incredibly powerful."

Josh Orange already have several albums under their collective belt and are proud to have won a rock category prize in 2015's The Great American Song Contest. Little Miss America is the first single off their forthcoming album, Midnight Lights, scheduled for release in August and distributed through Believe Music.

Shayne and Katey joined John on the phone , to discuss the band and music , including the latest track - Tell me it's over

Scarlet's Way have already travelled a long way to carve out their name. From Western Australia to East Nashville, and many stops along the way, they have done some miles recently. But given their hunger to perform, this journey has a long way to go!

The super-smooth duo is made up of the talented Katey Gabel (Lead Vocals) and highly regarded Shayne Savic (Guitar) and they are creating new fans at every turn. Their trademark southern, roots-inspired brand of music brings lashings of Americana, accompanied by polished overtones synonymous with modern day Nashville.

Since releasing their first single No Fire, No Flames which reached #7 on the iTunes Country Charts in 2017, they have taken their music to the world. They released their second single Simple Life in 2018, accompanied by their debut music video. This video attracted over 30,000 views in just the first week and was quickly added to Foxtel's Country Music Channel (CMC) demonstrating the group's growing popularity. This was followed by their third single "Let the Devil In", this seductive track went onto receive impressive radio support, staying in the AMRAP top 10 for two straight weeks.

While the online and television attention is great, like all seasoned musicians, these guys do their best work live on stage. The act has been invited to play on multiple stages at Tamworth Country Music Festival and obviously made an impression. These performances opened doors to Nashville's Americana Fest and the Gympie Music Muster. Highlights of the duo's performances include performing at the world-renowned Bluebird Café and completing a national tour performing at theatres and venues throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. They also took out the Emerging Artist Showcase and performed on Main Stage in their first year at the Gympie Music Muster in 2018. They were then promptly invited back to be a part of a massive line-up in August 2019. Recently the band was awarded "Independent Group of the Year" at the 2020 WA Country Music Awards and were invited to close the Saturday night of Boyup Brook Country music festival with an electrifying set.

If this is what Scarlet's Way can accomplish in such a short amount of time, what will the future bring! Aren't you curious to see what all the fuss is about?

Jack Rodgers joined John on the phone to talk about debut song he is a pop, jazz and country singer/songwriter from Sydney (Eastwood) who currently performs independently and also in cabaret shows with SixPak Productions . Jack's first single 'Still' Can't Wait' is a pop/jazz blend capturing the angst of love driven by a catchy hook. It is now available on all major streaming platforms. You can follow Jack on Spotify or find him at @jackrodgersofficial on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

About Still Can't Wait

Still Can't Wait was written towards the end of 2019. It was a co-write between Jack, Stephen Kiely and Roxanne Kiely from ScoopFM music and recorded at the ScoopFM music studios at the beginning of 2020.

- Jack's second song 'Mona Lisa' will be released in approx. two/three months and is a pop/country track which will coincide with an EP launch.

- Jack is the current NSW chess champion and competes and coaches professionally (always a 'different' angle)

- Jack performed in a dancing troupe aboard Carnival Cruise ships and at Disneyland at the age of 16 briefly.

Ben joined John to talk about his latest single 'Golden Age' , we also spoke about some of his other tracks , Ego , Next Time and Shiver.

Award winning songwriter Ben Evolent lives up to his namesake. The Northern Territory folk/reggae/blues artist fills his songs with a healthy dose of raw emotion, relatable truths, loveable melodies and lively hooks. And this generous style makes him one of the Northern Territory's most loved songwriters and live performers.

His spirited songs about exploration, kinship, loss and acceptance warm the heart and inspire adventure. They've also won accolades with a prestigious NT Song of the Year Award in 2016 and numerous nominations.

As a live performer Ben Evolent is down to earth, energetic and engaging. And he's a compelling force when he's back up by his band. His charming style has seen him support national touring acts such as Kingswood, the Backsliders, Boo Seeka, Benny Walker, Caravan Sun and All My Ex's Live in Texas and secure spots at Darwin Festival and in TourismNT campaigns.

In 2016 he won the NT Song of the Year with 'Next Time' a country/folk anthem for the life lovers and adventure seekers. This track is being re-recorded and released in 2017 with a Territory-inspired music video. And his song "Saltwater Seadog" released in 20

Vauus in a solo project of Mark Day , he Joined John as a Bonus Aussie Artist on the show , we talked about his Music and how he produces his Music. Also heard " Deep " and his Latest " Boy"

Boy is the new single by the upcoming indie-dance artist Vauus. The song is a youthful anthem celebrating love and the yearning felt by questioning millennials with neon synths, 80s guitars and a bouncing groove that keeps you dancing all the way till the end.

The song was recorded and produced by Vauus in his bedroom and mixed and mastered by Malcolm Besley of Northeast Party House giving it that signature punch needed for a dancefloor. Of the song's context, Vauus says "Boy is about a time when I was going out a lot to this Melbourne club, Revolver, and when a girl I was in love with came home from overseas and we shared a crazy weekend together. It's about being young and in love and overthinking everything. It was a time where I was filled with a lot of self doubt, but also a lot of love."Steph Hughes of national broadcaster TripleJ reviewed Vauus' first single Deep by saying, 'Loving/needing this glitzy introspective moment.' Deep is just the beginning of the journey Vauus has planned for 2020 with Boy being the next of many releases to come.

Vauus draws inspiration from the late 2000s indie rock Brisbane scene to the pounding deep house/techno clubs of Melbourne. His new brand of self-produced bedroom music was written for those lonely glass-ofwine nights at home and for a ruckus neon drenched dance floor.

Vauus "Boy"'

At 17, Vauus moved to Melbourne attending the Victorian College of the Arts to study film while playing in a band until he turned 20. After the band broke up, Vauus turned back to his roots, self producing music on Ableton. For the past 5 years, Vauus has put his main focus towards making films, with a short film of his, The Suburbs Go On Forever, a feature film The Age of Imitation and a web series Everything's Going To Be Fine playing at a total of over 23 festivals around the world. Music has always been an important component to film making for Vauus, as he scored most of the music in The Age of Imitation and Everything's Going To Be Fine totalling in over 70 compositions. As a filmmaker, Vauus directed his own video, creating a shimmering neon collage of being young, reckless and in love.

With this love of so many genres of music, Vauus started writing what would become a 17 track album, written as the soundtrack for his new television series, Somewhere Else, currently in development. Until then, Boy is the the shining sound of a young man on the rise

Steve from the band Joined John on the show , to discuss the band and the latest single " My Town" ,

The English Rain is a Brisbane based band, co-founded by Steve Boom and Neil Steward. Their

influences of bands like The Beatles, The Jam and Tom Petty distilled into a sound similar to indie

pop bands like The Shins, DMA's and Astral Drive. The goal has always been to try to write songs

with strong melodies and hooks and we love jangly guitar driven pop songs

The band was named after Steve's favourite Beatles song, and that the rain in England could be

both depressing and joyous, which covered the feeling of the songs. During 2019 the pair decided

to finally record their forthcoming debut album Echoes of You and start the project with the first

single My Town.

'The idea was to invite people we respected and were fans of, to form a collective that could

evolve and morph depending on the song' said Steve.

For My Town they asked Alister Bell of speedstar to provide vocals, and the results were so good,

he is going to handle quite a few songs on the album. Jason Millhouse from the Sean Sennett/

Rob Hirst band plays multiple instruments on the track as well as producing the single and album

The first single My Town is both a tribute to the city of Brisbane as well as to the memory of Grant

McLennan of The Go-Betweens. Steve said "I was lucky enough to work with, and get to know

Grant during my time at EMI, until his sad passing in 2006. I received a call the morning after, and

instinctively picked up the guitar and started writing the song.

The band will be back in the studio mid year to finish the album. 'We have the luxury of having a

catalogue of about 140 songs so the first album track listing is mostly settled. I have had the

demos in a playlist of the album for awhile now and originally concerned with the different styles

of songs on the record' said Steve. ' My fear was that would going from a jangly pop song into a

trip hop song then to a rock song be too much for the people, but ultimately they all sound like

The English Rain, so that gives it a consistency.

Whilst the debut single is a breezy jangle pop song, The English Rain play a variety of styles

including guitar pop, rock, country and electronica.

Max C Bud is a Sydney musician , he joined John on the phone to discuss his new EP " Human Things" .

Max C Bud has settled into a songwriting temperament of integrity and open-eyed appreciation, the Sydney-based writer has crafted a body of work that places his thoughtful approach to storytelling amongst gentle country tones and soft rock reveries. This EP, Human Things, has a compassionate embrace of the self and community.

Max's first two releases Temptress and Relevance garnered promising reviews via bloggers AAA Backstage and Happy Mag as well as both tracks being added to the mood media playlist. Both tracks can currently be heard in stores such as Myer, Woolworths, Harris Farm, Levi's to name a few. The film clip for Relevance was also aired on MTV's Upload program in June 2019.

After the success of his previous releases Max was ready to jump back in the studio. This time working alongside young producer Ben Saler. Their first release working together Straight from the Heart was an early glimpse into the direction of Max C Bud's maturing sound, moving further away from the Indie acoustic pop towards a larger band dynamic reminiscent of the classic folk rock sound made popular by bands such as Australian favourites Paul Kelly, Boy and Bear as well as UK juggernauts Mumford and Sons.

Human Things is the debut EP release for Max C Bud. In his own words "It's my most accomplished work to date and one that I truly feel proud of". With a reoccurring theme throughout Human Things explores the realities of living in a world where mental health issues have never been more prevalent than it is today. Lead single Jaded documents that first step in becoming the best version of yourself and facing the challenges that have hindered your personal growth up till now. Sung with an extra sense of angst not yet heard in Max's repertoire, his honest and earnest approach to song writing is once again at the forefront of this powerful and uplifting folk-rock tune. Moody guitars accompanied by a pulsating backline create an energy that is reminiscent of a pop Springsteen vibe.

The recording process was an accumulation of numerous weekend recording sessions out of the Viking Lounge in Ultimo Sydney followed by some late night and often emotional vocal takes in the confines of Max's workshop. Mastered by Paul Stefanidis out of The Viking Lounge Mastering.

Having taken the songs on the road and trialled them in front of crowds at Tamworth Country Music Festival, Max has found that his song's resonate widely. His stories of struggle and love vibrate intensely with a homeland rock connection and an experienced spirit.

Walter from the Band joined me for. chat and to enjoy some of the bands music, the band has allowed the racks to stay as part of the interview

MAN CITY SIRENS are not your typical Australian indie rock!band.!

Here's the thing...Man City Sirens, the 4-piece Melbourne indie rock band, is like 90s/2000s Brit rock meets 17th/18th century Italian arias... Question is: how do they bridge that duality? Why 60s lyric pop, of course! Who'd have thought, right? It's a real point of difference. And there's the rub for the mainstream. Where to do with it? We say: "Let 'em listen to it!" It's not folk, electronica, dance, rap, blues, pop, jazz, not rock, soft or hard. My God, it's none of that! That's right... maybe it's just bold, new & fresh. It does its own thing. It's got artistry but not conceit, looking at the ordinary extraordinariness of life, confounded by horrors but celebrating wonders. Like all good art, it embraces the times it's born into, reflecting them and simultaneously rebelling against them with all the sonorous emotionality of a child: the child in everyone. Thus, musically and melodically, it's full of human highs and lows, drawing to it not a specific demographic but audiences of all ages, when they're allowed to attend.

Walter has to prima donna sing his stories as if it's all about him; Davide shreds his poor guitar like a gym junkie on steroids, because it is all about him; man mountain Rick would never slap a bass - cruelty does not become him - but still dictates firmly like a director on song/in songs and behind the cinematic camera while Mauro is the sly Casanova of the group who makes love to the skins, keeping rhythm and tempo just right: "Don't overcomplicate it, mate..."

The band has released two EPs, in the last three years:

"Avalanche of debutantes", 2016/17 and "Exodus of Dreams", 2019/2020, both released through Areasoinca Records, an Italian boutique label based in Bologna.

It is currently preparing its first full album.

Walter Musolino (vox, guitar, keys)

Davide Musolino (vox, guitar, keys)

Rick Vaveliuk (bass)

Mauro Trentin (drums, percussion, harmonica).

Brooke Joined John as a bonus Artist , we spoke about her music and wonderful songs.

Melbourne born singer/songwriter Brooke Reuss stamps her own unique edge to the sound of pop luminaries such as Sara Bareilles and Delta Goodrem; using her influences and musical platform to write about political change, social commentary and heart wrenching personal impact stories.

Brooke's clear voice cuts through the noise and carries her message directly to the heart of the listener; at once subtle and compelling, the next moment soaring and powerful.

Brooke's forthcoming debut EP features songs which combine her experiences of events that have influenced and affected her life, including a collaboration with Australian Idol winner Damien Leith on the stunning protest song - "Sometimes".

Brooke's EP and debut single "Stand Up" - an inspiring and empowering anthem about fighting for your rights - is co-written and produced by Lee Bradshaw for Bradshaw M