Silly Talks Music

This is the second episode in the special 'Silly Talks Music' Aussie hip-hop edition.

⁠DEVAURA⁠ is a Kiwi-born, Western Sydney-based singer/rapper who calls herself “a good citizen with bad habits”. 

Her background is in singing, but she never really had any formal education in music. That didn’t stop her from making waves in the Aussie hip-hop scene. 

Except for the dope beats, her rising popularity has everything to do with her lyrics and the relatable, authentic stories she tells in her rhymes. 

But does she think she’s a better rapper than a singer?

Find out from this episode. 

Check out DEVAURA's channels:

⁠https://linktr.ee/DEVAURA⁠

Browse more Silly McWiggles content:

⁠https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles⁠

This is the first episode in the special 'Silly Talks Music' Aussie hip-hop edition.

Emerging singer/rapper DEVAURA burst onto the Aussie music scene in 2023… and she’s already stirred things up considerably in the hip-hop realm. 

Despite being named one of Triple J Unearthed 2024 Draft Picks and knocking two showcases at BIGSOUND out of the park, she still humbly calls herself “a student of rap.” 

Find out how crossing paths with other amazing creatives from Western Sydney encouraged her to pursue a new avenue in music. She also breaks down passionately why storytelling and world-building are key to engaging listeners.

Check out DEVAURA's channels:

https://linktr.ee/DEVAURA

Browse more Silly McWiggles content:

https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles

Silly McWiggles is back with a new theme, new guests, and a new attitude. 

Check out some format changes introduced this season, and stay tuned for the first chat coming in November 2024. 

Browse more Silly McWiggles content:

https://linktr.ee/SillyMcWiggles

Welcome to a new segment on the pod!

This time, I'm shining a light on different regions of the Land Down Under through the eyes of a local act. 

⁠Newgate Crowd⁠ might be a young, up-and-coming alt-rock band. But they know the Adelaide scene inside out. 

Find out about their favourite venues, who has the only vinyl copy of their "Auditory Processing" EP, why they prefer to rehearse in a pilates studio and which character from the Muppet Show inspired one of the members to learn to play an instrument... which he ended up hating. 

Give Newgate Crowd some love and watch their latest music vid to ⁠"Change of Mood"⁠ - the single we talked about in the show.

Also, be sure to check out the ⁠playlist with local South Australian acts⁠, started by the band. (A correction here - it's now over 11 hrs long and counting.)

I have the band's permission to use their song in the interview.

Generally speaking, the heavier music genres don't top music charts these days. And if they do, most of them are all male outfits.

Is Australia different on that front? What does the heavier scene look like in The Land Down Under? And what is it like to be a woman in that broad genre?

All these topics (and more) are the focus of my chat with Sam - the singer of the Sydney alt-metal band Fifth Dawn.

Find more content like this on the sillymcwiggles.blog.

Despite what you might think, not every musician or band in Australia is from Melbourne or Sydney. BELLA DEER is based in Geelong, Victoria, for a change.

She talks to me about all the great opportunities she's had in the music business so far, including being a finalist in the prestigious Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.

But everyone knows the music industry is not a bed of roses. So Bella also sheds some light on the challenges independent musos still face, not only in the Land Down Under.

Hands up if you know any Aussie country artists.

Fanny Lumsden is one of them. And she's taking me on a journey through the country music scene in the Land Down Under. We're also talking about Fanny's breakthrough album and the signature tour she's been running in rural areas for over a decade.

Last but not least, check out this playlist with Australian country artists curated by Fanny.

More content like this on my ⁠sillymcwiggles.blog⁠. 

Season 5 opens with a chat with an international guest.

Pilani Bubu is a singer/songwriter from South Africa. Her recent multi-part project, "Folklore", is a selection of stories about her land and a personal journey. Pilani talks about discovering her role in preserving her ancestors' knowledge and wisdom and what it's like to sing in her native languages.

This chat is a great lesson on South Africa's history and current affairs. Hence, here's a list of all the important people, places and events Pilani has mentioned throughout this interview, with a few personal notes from her as well:

* Where she is from: Transkei / Wild Coast / Mpondo People / Eastern Mpondoland

* Where she currently lives: Gauteng / Pretoria (The Capital City) / Johannesburg.

* Activist musicians: Mirriam Makeba / Brenda Fassie Dorothy Masuka Hugh Masekela

* Post-Apartheid Genres: Afropop / Kwaito

* African Renaissance Artists: Malaika / Mafikizolo

*Dance Movements / Post-colonial freedom of expression: Ama Piano / Ggqom / Moonchild Sanelly / Sho Madjozi / Tyla (nominated for Grammy now for Water) / Musa Keys (also nominated)

* The languages she speaks: Xhosa / Sesotho / Setswana / Zulu / Afrikaans / English

P.S. Shakira sang the 2010 World Cup song in collaboration with a group called Freshlyground, with the lead singer Zolani Mahola.

P.S.2 Jazz improv and inspiration for singing in Joburg was a diverse area before the Group Areas Act (A law passed by the Apartheid government to separate us by racial groups in terms of where people could live) called Sophiatown.

More content like this on my ⁠sillymcwiggles.blog⁠. 

Silly McWiggles is back on air.

Are you ready for more chats about the (Aussie and beyond) music business?

This is a special March 2024 edition dedicated to females in this tricky industry. #girlpower

Find out why it's taken Silly this long to release another round of interviews and who her amazing guests are this time.