Australian band Floodlights play The Grand Social, Dublin on Friday, 1 November. We asked Sarah Hellyer (keys, trumpet, synth) of the band the BIG questions . . .
Tickets from €18.00 including booking fees are on sale here.
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Floodlights released their EP, Backyard, and their critically acclaimed debut album, From a View, in 2020 and played shows and festivals across Australia, performing alongside the likes of Amyl and The Sniffers and Arctic Monkeys.
In 2023, Floodlights supported Pavement and Black Midi on their Australian tours and also featured at SXSW in Texas.
Their most recent album, Painting of My Time, was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize in 2023.
Since the beginning of their career, Floodlights have explored themes of "personal turbulence, national identity and the Australian landscape as a form of escapism."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I am the only member of the group who doesn’t surf. On tour I will always have a dried fig to offer you, just ask. I mostly say "do you know what I mean" instead of saying what I actually mean.
How would you describe your music?
Our songs are journeys that reflect what happens when you put five different people in a room each with their own taste, aesthetics and musical philosophy. At the same time, there is a consistent thread that runs through our music that probably originates from our shared experience of growing up together and a healthy appreciation for rock.
Who are your musical inspirations?
As a band, we love icons like Geordie Greep, Amy Taylor, Billie Nomates, Caroline Polacheck, Lou Reed, Sinéad O’Connor, Kim Gordon and Dean Blunt. The list is ever updating. We tend to get pretty obsessed with artists we love and draw inspiration from their stories and lore.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
The first gig I can remember going to was Sound Relief in 2009, a benefit show to raise money after the Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria. Quite a few legends of the game were on the line up: Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil, Augie March, Hunters and Collectors, Jet, not to mention Kylie Minogue. This was music I had grown up listening to on my Dad’s CD player and to see them all in one place was pretty epic.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I don’t really buy records (bad muso). The first CD I bought was probably a So Fresh compilation, if I’m honest.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Australian Dream by the Pretty Littles. A seven-minute deep dive into the dark and the eery aspects of Australia’s 'she’ll be right’ culture. In September we did an incredible tour through the Australian central desert with Jack from the Pretty Littles, as well as the James Range Band. Hearing this song ring out each night against the backdrop of the desert was powerful and will be a forever memory with the track.
Favourite lyric of all time?
"Too young to think about quitting. But too old to make any difference, oh well." - Too Young to Quit from Good Morning’s album, Barnyard. This beautiful album came out in 2021 lockdowns, a pretty random era of life in Melbourne/Narrm with a lot of unknown and some nihilism getting about, for sure. I found a lot of comfort in these lyrics. It’s good and healthy to embrace this place of not really knowing what you’re meant to be doing.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Spells by Jenny Hval. This song gets me absolutely realming in a world that I wouldn't mind living in full time. I love her vocal arrangements.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Spotify, Bandcamp, Instagram and our website! We are also trying to get our TikTok off the ground.
Alan Corr
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