bluejuice interview
With one of the biggest singles of 2007 — Vitriol — and consistently amazing live shows, bluejuice are bright sparks on the Sydney music scene. With their Australian tour beginning soon, we put some questions to Stav, one of two vocalists in the group: Tell us about how you guys got started? ‘Jamie, Ned and Jake all went to school together and the former two had played in bands together before. Jerry is a killer keys player from the Blue Mountains and was looking for bands to play with as he’d just moved to Sydney and I kind of fell into the band. We started off as a five-piece playing free Sunday night jam sessions at the Three Monkeys in Sydney until we got replaced by a Neil Diamond covers band. Ick!’ A bad bluejuice show is like Santa or the Easter Bunny. A myth. How do you guys manage to deliver killer live sets every time? ‘Well, I don’t think we quite do killer shows every time, but we certainly give all of our guts every time. We’ll go as hard as possible until we’re basically about to sweat to death. But if it does go wrong, there’s every possibility that a guy called Scott from Glebe will write a spiteful letter into [local free music magazine] Drum Media calling you “possibly the worst and most pointless band Australia has ever produced”. Finally, some passionate people!’ Vitriol was one of the biggest songs in Australia during 2007. Did you know all along it would be so well received? ‘I knew it would be a single from that album but I had no idea it would go nuts for us like that. It’s pretty insane’.
Tagged: Bluejuice, Hip Hop, pop music, Sydney band
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Microphones that don’t work; a bass with broken strings; musicians that can’t hear what they’re playing; the set gets cut short when a large amount of people storm the stage (myself included). One would assume all the above elements would contribute to one of the worst shows you’ve ever seen. However, when the musicians in question are Sydney’s bluejuice, it doesn’t matter. Put simply: bluejuice are the best live act in Sydney at the moment. And what’s more, their debut album Problems is out now and has just been shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize. Check it.
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The paintings of my wife and collaborator Erica Ryan Stallones are always a source of inspiration, as their unassuming subject matter recedes to reveal subtle moments of disjointedness, breaks from perspective, linear motion, and narrative. Read more
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A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
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The Arquebus Clothing Brand, based in Brooklyn, is dedicated to designs that are self-expressive and meaningful through imagery or typography. They are bold, positive, inspirational, motivational, witty, philosophical and very wearable. We love these pieces inspired by nature, history, and everyday living. Some favorites can be found in the Lost At E Minor store.
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