Sarah McLeod || Rocky Diner Tour

Sarah McLeod is one seriously busy lady. The ARIA award-winner is in the midst of her Rocky Diner Tour, hitting Australia in nearly every place possible. McLeod's self-confessed "short attention span" is perhaps the reason fans have been waiting, patiently, twelve years for this latest solo record. But with time comes the obvious growth that is showcased on Rocky's Diner. "With every song I write I learn so much more, it's like I teach myself as I go.  It feels like I learn something new every day, which is really strange at my age. This record was a really big step in a good direction for me."

Plucking her studio hideout straight from Craigslist was a gamble that paid off. It was there, holed up in New York City, that the new album took shape. "I needed to write it all in one hit," explains McLeod. Her self-established isolation opened the musical floodgates and crafted Rocky's demo tapes. The love is evident in her tracks, with McLeod enthusing, "I'm so glad I took the care with the lyrics. I'm feeling every word".

While it's been a long time between drinks for her solo career, McLeod hasn't been sitting around in bed socks watching the world pass her by. Her band The Superjesus, and reason for her ARIA win, released singles in 2015 and the Love and Violence EP hit listeners in August 2016. Always experimenting and honing her craft, Mcleod surprised her audience with a light dose of EDM in songs He Doesn't Love You and Hurricane. Alongside her bandmates, she was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame earlier this year. It's all in a day's work for this homegrown talent.

McLeod is currently on the road, alongside her beloved dog Chachi, playing as many stops as possible. While it's been a long time coming, McLeod is ode to why growing up doesn't mean stepping out. After all, talent like hers never goes out of style.

SARAH MCLEOD ROCKY’S DINER TOUR - UPCOMING DATES

FRI 3 NOV | WARATAH HOTEL, HOBART, TAS | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

SAT 4 NOV | CLUB 54, LAUNCESTON, TAS | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

SUN 5 NOV | JIVE, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

WED 29 NOV | THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

THURS 30 NOV | THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA, ACT | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

SAT 2 DEC | THE FOUNDRY, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

THURS 7 DEC | THE HEN HOUSE, BADLANDS BAR, PERTH, WA | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

FRI 8 DEC | THE ODD FELLOW, FREMANTLE, WA | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

SAT 9 DEC | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY, WA | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

FRI 15 DEC | HERITAGE HOTEL, BULLI, NSW | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

SAT 16 DEC | THE LANSDOWNE, SYDNEY | 18+

Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

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RYA PARK || Billy

RYA PARK is the indie new comer ready to name and shame a past lover with her sultry new tune Billy. Rya Park is ready to make her mark and she's unapologetic in her road to getting there. Dropping the track on October 6, Rya holds her own in the accompanying video - perched alone and singing direct to camera. It's personal and direct while meaning a whole lot of business. 

With new shows ahead in November, Rya explains her passion for live performance say "[it's] definitely one of my favourite things about making music...to be able to share the music you've been working on live with fans is just such a unique experience".

Billy is a song that leaves you wanting just a little bit more; much like Rya Park herself.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat! How’s 2017 been treating you so far?

This year has gone so fast and has been an absolute blast. Being in the studio recording my EP with Peter Farnan, was such a fantastic experience and I seriously loved every moment. I’ve been performing lots with my band around town and am really looking forward to going on tour in November!

Your debut track Billy is an entrance that pulls no punches, how has it changed over the writing and recording process?

It hardly changed at all. Normally I pull apart my lyrics but for Billy it all just came out very organically onto the page and I just really liked the way I could say exactly what I thought without holding back. Within the recording process it changed slightly in some sections. Peter and I were definitely on the same page with the recording process as we didn’t want my music to be overproduced at all. Some parts of the song he would just press record and say “do something”. That’s what actually formed one of the sections in the song!

It’s clearly written with someone in mind, did knowing they might hear the song affect it in any way?

At the time of writing it, it had actually been a few years since I’d spoken to that person and in a way I did really want to grab their attention. I thought about changing the name a lot because I was nervous about it being so direct but in the end I just loved the concept of it being so raw and honest and about a real person. 

With this being your first official single, were you nervous about the best song for the job? Were there others in the running or was Billy always going to be the debut?

There was definitely another song in the running, however I think Billy painted the best picture for the vibe that I wanted to put out there as my first song. It’s dark, it’s moody and knowing that it was slightly left of field made me want to release it first. I like to think of it as a bit of a teaser into my musical world rather than my “best song”. 

I’m a huge fan of the video for this track: straight to the point and unashamed to take up space, kudos! How did you find the process?

Thankyou! Dan Howe was the director for the film clip and we had an incredible time planning the shoot. He’s seen me perform so many times so he knew exactly what I meant when I said I wanted to create a mood and vibe for the video rather than depict a certain storyline. The process was very simple but still very well and clearly thought out. I was so excited to get behind the camera though! I loved it.

How has it felt so far to perform this track live and to get feedback straight away from the audience?

It was amazing to be able to perform the song live. The feedback I have received for Billy so far has been incredible. It’s really humbling when you can feel that people are just rooting for you!

Saturday 4 November | OXFORD ARTS FACTORY GALLERY, SYDNEY | 18+

   Thursday 9 November | THE EVELYN, MELBOURNE | 18+

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