Friday Five: TH'FIKA - Hemingway - Júníus Meyvant - Colorworks - Mokita x Kaptan

TH'FIKA - Stranger.

Background promo - ‘Stranger’ is the debut single from upcoming Gold Coast band TH’FIKA. The track as the name suggests, talks about the emotions related to becoming a ‘stranger’ in somebody else's eyes. ‘Stranger’ is a creative response of disappointment and anger to a one sided relationship. Originally It was never meant to be a song for the band but an emotional vent to gain closure. When Michael heard Lily sing stranger in its raw essence he could feel her pain. They re-wrote the song from two perspectives; a back and forth argumentative song. This being one out of the two Alt/Rock songs on their EP, it really came together when drummer Mitch Clark got involved. Stranger is the harsh reality of growing apart which you get to hear from the vulnerable exchange of vocals.

Rewind to 2010, two high school students, having never met before are auditioning to study music at university. They meet, they sing together, they bond over mutual influences and both leave the audition without nothing other than the exchange of first names. A few months on with both of them being accepted into their degree, they look over mid lecture and spot each other. That’s when Lily and Michael officially became friends, not long between that time did they start writing music together.

Fast forward to the end of 2013. The pair take a contract to perform in Japan for 4 months, it is then where the first idea of TH’FIKA (fee-ka) was born. Over the winter season in Japan's busiest ski village, the duo took to writing in their breaks (~Fika; Swedish for coffee break) and finding a sound of their own in between performing 6 nights a week. Becoming socialites amongst the lifestyle and intake of travellers from around the world, working as paid musicians, the duo found themselves living in nothing other than a surreal 4 months…in the village that never slept.

Drawing influences from such artists as The XX, London Grammar, The Naked and Famous and The Temper Trap. Alternative indie rock band TH’FIKA eagerly await their debut release and the future sounds to come.

Now, 2016. With the arrival of drummer Mitch Clarke, the trio are set to release their debut EP later this year, with their ‘Stranger’ single to drop April 15th.

'Stranger' may have some similarities with the above mentioned artist's, however it stands on it's own as a fine and refined song, with bags of melody and atmosphere.

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Hemingway - Unified.

Background promo - Popular Brisbane band Hemingway will release their new single “Unified” on May 6th through The A&R Department shortly before taking off on an Australian headline tour in July.

Brothers Brad and Christian Hemingway have been making music together since they could hold an instrument, a “do or die” pact to make a career out of the music they love to write. Sourcing bassist Cheyne Starkie and drummer Brad “Animal” Williams from their circle of friends to form Brisbane four-piece Hemingway, a unique blend of Alternative-Rock, Funk and Reggae in January 2015.

“Unified” was recorded locally at the Tanuki Lounge studio in Brisbane’s West End, co-produced with and mixed by Paulie B, mastered by Jack The Bear Deluxe Mastering in Melbourne.

“I don’t think we have had an easier time in the studio than we did recording this song, all the tracks seemed to be done in one or two takes and the vibe of the song was just there from the start. Paulie really helped us spill everything onto the page with this song and capture the essence of our sound.” – Brad Hemingway, lead vocals & rhythm guitar.

The first release of their upcoming EP in 2017, “Unified” is a bold new release with a strong political message questioning negative propaganda being fed to the public through the media. The lyrics are a message directed at the growing number of individuals recognising the issue and uniting against fear to choose positivity and compassion. “Unified” by Hemingway will be released 6th of May 2016.

With a funky reggae feel 'Unified' mixes up the styles and with bold dynamic vocals, can't help but be noticed. That it has a message as well, just feels right.


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Júníus Meyvant - Neon Experience.

Background promo - Westman Islands singer-songwriter Júníus Meyvant has recently caused big waves in Scandinavia after being the star of the Icelandic Music Awards-winning Best Newcomer and Best Song as well as being nominated for Best Male Singer and Best Song this year.

From relentlessly touring and selling out halls and venues across Europe, Júníus has been receiving a lot of recognition from his unique soulful folk-pop sound. This lead to plays on Radio X, BBC Radio London and Amazing Radio. Impressively, his debut single Color Decay caused quite a stir in his homeland-reaching number 1 on National Radio and then being chosen by KEXP’s Programming Director Kevin Cole as Song Of The Year. Moreover, Júníus’ fascinating guitar playing has left him compared to the talented Ben Howard.

Júníus Meyvant is back with his new single Neon Experience. By incorporating various fragments of soul, folk, pop and indie together, the result presents his creative abilities of the highest order. There’s depth, there’s feeling and intricacy, which the listener can wrap their ears in. The Aloe Blacc-style vocal performance with the Graffiti6-esque hooks, despite being 6 minutes long, can be heard repeatedly whilst retaining its magic. Oh, and there’s a mid-tempo sonic surprise in the middle…

Neon Experience is now available, very much increasing the appetite for the LP Floating Harmonies, out 8th July.

Musically 'Neon Experience' is crisp, soulful and precise, providing just the right backdrop for Junius Meyvant's super cool vocals. There is a classic soul feel running through the song, that magnetically pulls you into the groove.

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Colorworks - Daydreams.

Background promo - Colorworks intuitively indite hyper-melodic pop creations driven by swooning harmonies and sun-chiming guitar orchestration. With shrewd co-action, the quartet features the impressive skills of songwriters and vocal duo Bret Dylan (guitar) and Nick Myette (bass) alongside percussionist Andrew Ginn and guitarist/keyboardist David Easton.

The band has made many elated live new music fans in the NW with its high-voltage shows in support of their 2015 debut Joyla Red EP, looking forward to their upcoming 2016 releases. At their fun and generous shows, their sound is so powerful they add to their ear-popping originals cover medleys featuring the zest of the Zombies, the tonality of the Byrds, and the retro kick of the Kinks.

The new double A-side release Dreams of Mangoes features two super-tasty brand new songs, “Daydreams” and “Pears and Mangoes.” These are vivid meditations on riding bikes, daydreaming, and buying fruit from the farmer’s market — reflecting the joyous thrills of the band. Two older fan favourites round out the EP as well. Videos are finished for three of the tracks, to be released over the coming weeks. Stay tuned, in full color, of course.

Upcoming Live Shows:
4/21 @ The Central with Echo Ravine and Fian
4/23 @ The Rendezvous with P.S. and Plaza
Presented by PAC NW - Colorworks are going to film and multitrack this show.
4/30 @ The Metta Room in Port Angeles with Bryan John Appleby and Goldbones.
This is the second instalment of Metta Madness; Colorworks’ monthly Port Angeles residency/Seattle showcase.
5/6  @ Blue Moon w/ Pastel Motel and Heptagon
5/7 @ 107.7 The End's Taco Truck Challenge w/ New Beat Fund (Southern Cali) and Naked Giants

The new double A side single includes the featured track 'Daydreams', and an equally pleasing 'Pears and Mangoes'. It's upbeat feel good vibes can't help but get under the skin, if melodic pop is your thing, then Colorworks are well worth checking out.


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Mokita x Kaptan - Dreamer.

Background promo - There exists a clear distinction between a musician and an artist. Take one listen to producer Mokita and you are introduced to the difference. A true triple threat, the multi-instrumentalist who plays from the heart has a gift for capturing melody, channeling ambience, telling compelling stories, and putting his brooding pop touch on each song that you’ll soon recognize as signature. 

Further demonstrating Mokita’s boundless ability to draw upon ‘near to the bone’ emotions and wrap them perfectly in an infectious indie-pop sheen, Dreamer brings fellow Nashville producer and singer-songwriter Kaptan’s pop sensibilities to the forefront. The result is pacifying to the ears.

“I’ve played some shows with Kaptan earlier this year and we've talked about doing a collaboration for a while. The idea of the song is pretty simple. It's just call to keep going no matter what the circumstances. There are so many elements in life that can easily drag you down, but you just have to dig deep and keep on keeping on.” - Mokita.

This is a great melodic song. Mixing genres a little adds to the interest and the overall production is spot on. Vocals really are the icing on the cake!

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