Annemarie Failla and Michelle Palmer of Slinkee Minx reflect on their musical journey, the evolution of the music scene at large and plans for their 20 year anniversary.
Melbourne-based mainstays of Australia’s dance-pop and EDM scenes, Slinkee Minx, have just released their second comeback single of 2023, I Can Feel U.
The track features tonally bright pop melodies guided by velvety vocals and luscious synths, juxtaposed against carefully crafted dance-floor-ready breakdowns and a thumping house beat to culminate in a club-ready song infused with the essence of summer.
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The duo worked alongside producer James Ash on the track, where they set out to “create a positive, uplifting track … that saturates your soul instantly, elevates your mood, and beckons you to dance.”
Both Failla and Palmer have backgrounds as dancers, and this experience is reflected in their sonic decisions. “Any music or beat that could get us up and moving, we’ve always been drawn to.”
Initially crossing paths while mutually pursuing careers in media, the duo soon discovered that they both possessed a shared passion for music.
“We started singing together for a bit of fun,” they recall. This eventually led to performances with cover bands, recording and sending demos to industry professionals, and the fortuitous debut of their 2004 single Summer Rain.
The Gold-certified track catapulted them into Australian mainstream success, allowing them to secure a record deal with Central Station Records and set the stage for a remarkable career that has spanned almost two decades. Reflecting on their genesis days, Slinkee Minx shares a glimpse of the Y2K party scene.
“It wasn’t unusual for us to pull an all-nighter after a show, stay back and mingle with the crowd afterwards, a quick pitstop to our hotel, then jump in a cab before heading onto the next gig and doing it all over again the next day.”
This hectic, club-focused atmosphere has since changed, bringing in unique challenges for the pair.
“The super clubs of that time are gone which can make it tougher for artists to have a performance platform… The market is also way more saturated and the lack of opportunity to be seen on bigger platforms like TV has made it tougher for artists to cut through some of the noise,” they lament.
The duo also recognise the advantages that come with this fluctuating musical landscape, pointing out that “there are so many more sub-genres of dance music… and festivals are so much bigger too.”
What allows Slinkee Minx to continue thriving and sets them apart from their contemporaries almost twenty years after bursting onto the scene is their commitment to originality.
“From day one, we never tried to mimic or emulate the sound of any other artist.” Their contrarian approach, as well as possessing a keen ear for pop melodies and catchy hooks distinguishes Slinkee Minx from their contemporaries, continuing to evolve while staying true to the sound that their loyal fan base has come to love.
“Uplifting vocals are a natural for us,” they add, reinforcing the distinctive elements that contribute to their longevity. The duo have also revisited demos that were created as far back as 2020 during recent recording sessions.
“This past year we’ve kept rewriting and recording and revisiting tracks that we worked on during Covid” they claim, highlighting their faithfulness to crafting high-quality music.
“There’s never been a better time for us to continue to release new music which is all underway and we’re very excited about.”
With their official 20-year anniversary on the horizon, Slinkee Minx is gearing up for a year filled with new music releases and touring, teasing that they “Cannot wait for this summer and … 2024 European summer!”
With two singles released in the past year, We Can Make It and I Can Feel U, Slinkee Minx ushers in a new era of their musical journey, pulling from familiar sources of inspiration but taking care to avoid being derivative.
Slinkee Minx’s comeback year so far has been fuelled by creativity and an unwavering dedication to hone their sound. Armed with a strong legacy, fans are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in their artistic journey.
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This article was made in partnership with Boss Fight PR.
