Ruckus is out now!
Image: Taylah Chapman.
Wollongong-based artist meadowhip has delivered her debut EP, Ruckus. To celebrate the release the singer has shared with MILKY her guide to Wollongong's music scene.
“Ruckus is a snapshot of some of the phases of my process of evaluating my life. I'm documenting my regrets, my hopes, the things I'm grateful for, the people I love, and the questions I was asking myself at the time.” meadowhip shares.
“When I wrote these songs, I was writing music and poetry pretty much everyday, and pushing myself to work with different themes and genres, really trying to challenge myself to come up with distinct and self-contained pieces. But amidst everything I had written in that period, I had a feeling that these six songs belonged together. I actually think that they each carry so much more meaning when they’re part of the whole.”
LIVE MUSIC VENUE: LALALAS
Lalalas is the preeminent venue for live music in Wollongong, filling a much needed space after the closure of Rad Bar. It looks small from the outside, but it punches well above its weight in terms of the acts it books - some of the best gigs I’ve attended have been at Lalalas. It’s also one of my favourite places to play. I recommend ordering the chilled red wine.
PRODUCTION STUDIO: DROP
DROP is a new studio space in Wollongong that has been coming to life over the past year. I’ve recorded a bunch of vocals there, and the equipment and engineers are top-quality. Plus, the atmosphere is always so friendly and relaxed. Like, everyone is smiling, and not in a creepy way? That’s great energy for losing your inhibitions and getting creative.
RECORD STORE: MUSIC FARMERS
We love an independent record store! I’m not much of a vinyl aficionado (I simply do not have the patience to be flipping shit over), but these guys are connoisseurs. They’ve got new stuff, second-hand stuff, and as much knowledge as you could hope for. And if there’s something you want and they don’t have it to hand, it’s my understanding they’ll see if they can track it down for you.
MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER: TAYLAH CHAPMAN
Taylah can do magical things with light, and her creativity is boundless. The energy and emotion that she captures in her live music shots is actually life affirming. I’ve had my photo taken by a lot of people, and I’ve always hated it. (I’m awkward.) But Taylah makes it a joy to do shoots. She is such a comforting presence, gives great direction and is always willing to take the plunge into my strange ideas.
ARTIST: ANGELO THE POET
Wollongong’s signature sound tends towards surf rock and punk, which is great, but which can make it tricky for a soft-singin’ girly with many feelings and a childhood dream of becoming Erykah Badu to find her footing in the scene. But thankfully, Angelo the Poet has been laying a path with his dreamy, jazzy hip hop, and it’s been awesome seeing the Gong scene embrace it! Breakfast in Bed is on high rotation in my house, and his 2022 releases have been all time. I can’t wait to see what he gets up to in 2023.
Ruckus is out now!