INTERVIEW: Willow Beats (Take 2)

We caught up with WILLOW BEATS a bit earlier in the year before the pair got offered spots at 2012's PARKLIFE festival and our very own EARLY HOURS NYE party featuring FLUME. We thought we'd sit down with them again to see what's been up over the last couple of months and how they're preparing for our December 31st extravaganza (more info on our New Years Eve event HERE)

You've gained a lot of exposure through Triple J's Unearthed, and your track 'Grom, The Betrayer' even made their Ausmusic Month Unearthed Mixtape for 2012. What do you feel is the best aspect of this well-worn path to success within the industry for unsigned Australian artists?

Well the most exciting aspect would be the surprise factor. When we uploaded our tracks we had no idea we’d get so much love from the triple J crew. The first time we got played a friend called to tell me and I couldn’t believe it. I was in the city doing cartwheels and jumping off stuff!

Are there any drawbacks or downsides to the Unearthed beast?

Honestly I can’t see any drawbacks. I’ve read some articles of people complaining about it but its been nothing but awesome to us! Even if you don’t get J play, it’s still an incredible means of networking. I’ve met and played alongside some amazing artists through unearthed before Willow got any radio attention.

'Grom, The Betrayer' is a pretty dark track, and indeed, the name suggests pretty ominous tones. What is the inspiration or 'story' behind this tune? Are there any notable samples used?

Yeah actually. Kalyani had drawn this little goblin face in a sketch book. I was making Grom and recording the “SHIINNGS” and “SHAAS” with my voice and I kept picturing the sketch she had done. It was like the goblin was poking his head around the corning going “SHAAAHH!!. I finished the track and decided his name was Grom. I recon he’d be a betrayer as well!

As far as samples all the “FOL LOW WIL LOW” stuff is Kalyani singing harmonies that I then chopped into arpeggios. “SHINGS” and “SHAS” are me. Everything else are Synths.

'Sawtooth' has a more ethereal mood, with a looped sample used throughout of a Kalyani singing in her pretty head voice. Kalyani also sings on 'From Under The Ground'. Do you prefer to use vocals of your own or samples?

I much prefer to use Kalyani’s or my own vocals. We haven’t actually made any tracks were we sample anyone else! I feel like Kalyani’s voice and lyrics are this incredibly unique instrument that no one else gets to use! So why not take advantage!

At the tender age of 15, Kalyani presumably has school commitments to balance with the music career. How does the electro scene fit into high school life?

Yeah it’s abit nuts. She’s heading into year 12 next year (she skipped 2 years) so its gonna be difficult. We’ve decided I’ll play most of the shows solo (with pre recorded vocals) and Ill fly her around sometimes as a bonus. She’s flying down on New Years Eve for our show supporting Flume.

You won a spot on the Parklife lineup through Unearthed. How was that gig?

Yeah it was insane. We were first on the bill so we were expecting to play to virtually no one but there was a big turnout! It rained all through our set so there was a sea of yellow ponchos.

What's the best gig you've played? And what is it that makes a good gig?

Hmmmm Parklife was pretty rad. Playing alongside such dope artists was pretty special. Some of the smaller more intimate shows are just as fun though. I played a solo set at the workers club recently and everyone was vibing pretty hard.

The electronic production business is booming at the moment! As a Melburnian, do you feel the scene is better here than in Sydney, where the likes of Flume and his ilk have exploded? Or is the space between the East Coast cities negligible?

I think Melbourne’s art scene is pretty undeniable. There’s definitely a buzz in the air. Everywhere you look is some new sculpture or an amazing graph. A lot of the bigger electronic names are coming out of Sydney at the moment. It’s a little more underground in Melbourne but I think there’s a lot of talent here. To be honest I haven’t really spent enough time in Sydney to compare the two.

Social media is the primary marketing tool for musicians these days – true or false?

I would have to say true. It definitely is for us anyway.

What's the best online platform for DJs and artists? (i.e. SoundCloud, etc.)

As far as sharing music I’d have to say soundcloud although the new layout is flipping with my head abit! As far as promoting gigs and communicating with fans its definitely facebook. The most people use it so it’s the obvious choice.

Tracks such as 'Franky' feature obvious Dub influence. What do you think it is about this obnoxiously chunky style of beats that makes it so popular?

Chunky dubstep screams at you to listen. It’s kind of like “HEY YOU!!!! LISTEN TO ME! IM MASSSIIIVVVEE!!!” It’s one of the newest sounds to come out in the 2000s and despite the grudges some people hold, it’s had a huge huge influence on electronic music in general. I do think a lot of Dub artists these days are making it filthy for the sake of being filthy which is just annoying really.

I’m definitely steering away from the hectic hectic side of dubstep. I’d rather make something beautiful that you can get lost in while your skating home from work. At the same time we wanna keep it funky and danceable. That’s the challenge really!

Words by Rebecca McCann

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