4 Emerging Brisbane Artists You NEED To Hear
Feeling like your music isn’t enough anymore? Skipping through your songs over and over again on your phone ’cause you’ve got nothing juicy? Well, there’s no more need to search and search for music because here’s 4 under the radar artists hailing from Brisbane you NEED to hear!
O.J. Mengel
There are days when a nice cup of O.J. just isn’t enough to quench your thirst, but Brisbane pop-rock quartet O.J. Mengel can! Their debut EP ‘You Do You’ into 2015 thrust them onto Brisbane’s new music radar, and they’ve since become one of the most exciting yet underrated local rock groups.
O.J. Mengel’s sound and unique musical talent are showcased through the EP, steeped with infectious tracks of grooving yet haunting gospel melodies, mixed with lyrics that take you to a whole other realm of pop culture – sounding like a primary school crush, a trembling hand, and a stranger’s smile all at once.
“Being true to the Bris-core movement is a real mantra to the band. I think that comes from real desire to be who we are, and not to pretend to be an ultra-hip indie-rock band from the states, or from Sydney or Melbourne.
Being from Brisbane defines the band in a lot of ways, because we are so up against it here. Although we don’t get beat up in the streets like we used too, we are still fighting for recognition of our culture, and we sure as hell aren’t gonna do that by conforming to what’s going on in other places around the country, around the world,” says vocalist Oliver Mengel.
Their latest work is a widely vivid project by O.J. Mengel and directed by Sam Kitchen. With a sense of vapour-wave and vivid colours the clip is centred around Mengel singing and being his happy, awkward self with a background of an old lady’s holiday photos. The video perfectly matches the single’s happy and vibrant tune.
Asha Jefferies
Asha Jefferies is a force to be reckoned with in the Brisbane music scene! This flying-under-the-radar artist is making some serious moves within the industry and nothing is stopping her from making it to the top.
At only 14-years-old Jefferies won the Mullumbimby Music Festival youth mentorship competition in 2013, and in 2014 she received a standing ovation for her performance at the Woodford Folk Festival Bluestown Stage. Jefferies doesn’t just keep to the big events either, as a young developing artist she also takes her time to perform at local events such as West End’s WhynotSt.Op.
As a singer-songwriter on her own, this young artist has climbed some serious heights with her musical talent. She is well beyond her years within her work all the while completing her studies in her final year at the Music Industry College.
Her latest work is her upcoming ‘Solstice Series’ project with the first half released late last month, Winter Solstice – Part 1: Honey, Save Me From My Falsehoods. Her powerful yet silky vocal melodies mix perfectly against its dreamy lush backdrop of soft guitar strums. The single, although simple, is breathtakingly beautiful.
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Tree and Ray
If you’ve ever needed a ‘pick me up’ more than ever look no further than Tree and Ray. This Brisbane born-and-bred quartet formed in 2013. With Kirby Elmsly on guitar, Nick Bailey as drummer, and Tylor Elmsly on keys, these guys formed a band that shoots warm joy right into your soul.
‘Spectrum’ is their latest work, featuring two beautifully composed songs. The first track titled after the EP, Spectrum, hits with you its vibes and light tunes bringing a smile to your face no matter how bad the day has been. With buzzing guitar riffs and light, flourishing sounds, they bring life back into your surroundings.
Universe takes a different pace compared to Spectrum as Bailey’s faster drumming matches the quick guitar strums by Kirby Elmsly. The quickened pace gives an energising lift making you want to dance and jump around to Kirby Elmsly’s rough vocals and energetic bass strums. The result of their music showcases a juxtaposition of gritty rock and peace punk rhythms with dashes of light folk and dark psych beats.
After hearing them, you need more don’t you? Don’t fret, the band plan to find a new bassist and begin recording a new single and music video to be released later this year!
The Comfort
Working in a completely different music scene in Brisbane is alt-rock duo The Comfort. They’re just two guys looking to create something honest, emotive, and powerful for this world.
The Comfort released their debut EP ‘Ghosts’ in early 2015, receiving praise for their singles Fair-Weather and Tongues, with welcoming attention from triple j and other community radio stations across Australia.
To give their fans a taste of their upcoming sophomore album ‘Love’, the duo have delivered an intense new single Everstone with an energetic music video. The single releases the pair’s intense and rough harmonies between bassist Dominic Harper and guitarist Liam Holmes.
The video brings out raw power of the single as it shows the duo in a small makeshift room, jumping about, playing, and singing with all they’ve got. The video showcases the dedication these two have not just a band, but for each other as friends. This track brings out a new outlook for The Comfort and how they’re growing and changing.
“Everstone is a song about growth and change intertwined with past relationships. It’s also a good starting point for the rest of our next release ‘Love’,” says Harper.
Their album ‘Love’ will be out in mid September, with the duo will be touring late July – tour dates below!
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The Comfort ‘Everstone//Slowburn’ Tour
FRI 22 JULY
The Basement, Canberra
SAT 23 JULY
Wrangler, Melbourne
SUN 24 JULY
Bald Faced Stag, Sydney
SUN 31 JULY
The Foundry, Brisbane
Get Tickets HERE
