When you think about it, there are various reasons why Australia is the lucky country. You’ve got your sport fanatics who are always able to get their fill throughout the year, however, in terms of talking the music scene of Australia, we are pretty bloody lucky in that respect as well. Despite the poor effort of the AFL to include Australian artists in the grand final entertainment, there are increasingly a number of bands out there smashing it at the moment. Having supported the Foo Fighters earlier on in the year at Etihad Stadium, one of the major success stories of 2015 is The Delta Riggs. Now it is no secret that probably the majority of Forte readers have heard of the boys that are more commonly referred to as Les Riggs, however, if not, you should definitely check them out.
I remember fondly the first time I saw the Delta Riggs, and this is going back quite a few years ago, to when they were playing at the Queenscliff Busking for Kids in support of the Good Friday Appeal. Over the years, there were many great acts that played on the bill, however when the Riggs hit the stage, I knew that this small-time Melbourne indie rock band, were bound for big things. I’m not going to waffle on about how I got to see them before they hit the big time, but everything that they did in those early days was so inspiring as a local up and coming musician myself. From the way the band presented themselves on stage to their highly energetic stageshow, to the totally irresistible pop rock gems that the band were showcasing on their early EPs, they have well and truly made it after touring around Europe and the US and supporting the Foo Fighters.
Another great band that have really taken off over the past 12 months is DMAs, who after so much time travelling around the world and producing a knockout EP are about to drop their debut record in early 2016. Influenced by ’90s Britpop kings Oasis, the sound that the trio creates is very delectable and easy to indulge yourself in. ‘Delete’ is a song that I am sure will definitely be on end of year lists as one of the greatest tracks of the year. Courtney Barnett will probably take out all of the awards, however, this is definitely a band that is on the rise. By the time you are reading this, it will probably be too late to jump on the bandwagon, however their simplistic song writing style and easy somewhat carefree nature is something that is sure to make you swoon and your heart melt.
If you’re a fan of laidback chilled out Jack Johnson-esque surfy kinda tunes then you could do no wrong checking out Finn. I don’t really know a hell of a lot about this Australian artist however he did come across my Facebook feed saying that he is compared to the likes of John Mayer and Donavon Frankenreiter. Releasing his debut album Art and Espionage earlier this year, it is the kind of music to put on when you are trying to come down from a big night or just smooth silky tunes to indulge in. Opening with ‘City Living’, it is very easy to hear some comparisons to Mayer’s Heavier Things record which saw the birth of ‘Bigger Than My Body’ and ‘Daughters’. Although I hadn’t really listened to it much after I bought it, the past few months I have definitely been getting around it. ‘Capella Jam’ is a short minute interlude into the final track and showcases that the live shows of Finn are set to be both intimate and captivating with lots of energy along the way.
Of course, there are many other great up and coming Australian acts and 2016 is sure to be a massive year. There could probably be a few months of keeping your ear to the ground on fresh talent, but once again, we are so blessed with the amount of home-grown talent. Matt Corby is set to release his debut album next year so that will be definitely worth getting behind too.
Written by Tex Miller