WIth her epic performance at Splendour In The Grass now in the rear vision mirror (and also below for you to have a gander), Woodes is ready to take on the country with her upcoming Change My Mind national tour. To mark occasion, and being the wonderful human being she is, Woodes has opted to shine a light on some of the excellent supports she will have on the upcoming tour instead of talking about herself. So if you needed any extra motivation to make sure you get down and early support the supports, why not meet them first below:

GRETA STANLEY

Your live show! Could you walk us through what you’re putting together? Do you have any favourite instruments or pieces of gear?

My live show when I am solo is quite simple, it's usually just my acoustic guitar and myself and the songs I've written. Sometimes I play with a full band, where I sport an electric guitar as well, and it' a completely different energy on stage with everyone else up there too! I think both have their own unique perks. 

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Do you think that shaped you/your music?

I'm from a little, very green, country town named Mena Creek, although I was born in Townsville I spent most of my life in Mena Creek so that is where I call home. I think it had an influence in the sense that I had a lot of time and little distractions, it was a 30-minute drive into the nearest shops/schools and we didn't have many neighbours or friends nearby, so me and my brother both found things to kill the time - for him it was dirt jumps and motorbikes, for me it was music! I like to write about where I am from and the changing seasons and how it shapes the people and environment, so I suppose that's something too!

What made you want to pursue music as a career - were there any moments in particular that pushed it into being a reality/something you needed to do?

I had always had an interest in music, I loved to sing since I was little, and I've always been quite an anxious over-thinker, so writing was an outlet, as cliche as it might be! I love writing and I love the feeling of being able to share my songs on a stage, I love listening to music and I love how it can change your thoughts, make you feel okay or less alone, or it can make you dance, smile, cry, fall in love! I love what music does for me and to me when I hear something that resonates, so to be able to do that for other people feels really special.

What would your dream studio/workspace look like?

A dream workspace would be a big old treehouse style home with stained glass windows, lots of natural light, persian rugs and timber floors, lots of colour and plants, somewhere in the hills where it's never too cold but not but cold enough to have a fireplace, and when you look out the windows you see the ocean! When I picture it my dog is there too and I can't hear the traffic, just the nature!

What’s been one of your favourite moments of performing?

Oh there's probably a few too many, I've met some really incredible artists along the way and people too! My favourite shows to play have been the house concerts, I played one with my friend Davy in Melbourne, and with Didirri in Cairns, and hosted one myself recently too! I love the intimacy and seeing everyone so relaxed on their little rugs with people they cherish, truly enjoying the music and listening, second to those, playing Groovin the Moo with the whole band was really fun, seeing people dance and sing along was so AWESOME, because I've been in that crowd for so many years and always dreamed about being on the stage since my first Groovin in 2010! I'm almost certain I'll make some new favourites with these upcoming shows with Woodes. :)

RO

Your live show! Could you walk us through what you’re putting together? Do you have any favourite instruments or pieces of gear?

My live show is punchy, wry, lyric driven. I play as a dashing three piece at the moment. My axe is a custom made Wise guitar, made of Australian woods. My father made it, I helped design it. The weird shape and twangy pick ups makes me feel like a badass elf queen when I play it.

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Do you think that shaped you/your music?

I grew up three hours south of Perth, in Margaret River. It’s a beautiful tourist town, but not a lot happens around there. So I got out and did a bunch of travelling with my family as a family band. We drove across Australia in a vintage international dodge truck to play gigs in the east, where the music festivals are. So my upbringing to early adulthood was steeped in music. Growing up in a small place, I had a strong sense of music being both an insular concentrated thing, as well as something worth travelling thousands of kilometres to share with others.

What made you want to pursue music as a career - were there any moments in particular that pushed it into being a reality/something you needed to do?

I’ve waited tables, poured beers, handed out leaflets, dressed people up in custom fit jeans. Music has been my dream under all of it. The moments I realise I want to pursue it as a career are more of a day to day thing than one big epiphany. It’s listening to my favourite bands, it’s the musical crush on certain songwriters. Going to gigs where the room is buzzing with awe and appreciation for the tune. From blah to fanaticism. I love the connection people have with music, whether it’s a brief elevator pleasantry or the electric reverence that sparks a soundtrack to their lives. Just wanna contribute to that, be a part of it properly. Plus I suck at every other job.

What would your dream studio/workspace look like?

For recording, a old analogue desk with some massive couches and a scruffy guitar hanging round. For writing, a tram or the streets of Brunswick. One day maybe I’ll work from bed with  virtual reality goggles / a decent mic.

PRISCILLA

Your live show! Could you walk us through what you’re putting together? Do you have any favourite instruments or pieces of gear?

Well, on stage there’s three of us. Luke with his Nord/Moog stack, myself on Vox with a Juno and one of our best pals Giane killing it on drums. When putting the live set together both Luke and I really loved the idea of having the least amount of people possible on stage, still pumping out that MASSIVE sound we love. Hopefully that’s what we got going on!

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Do you think that shaped you/your music?

Luke grew up in country Victoria, I grew up from a bub in old Perth town and moved to Melbourne when i was about 3, but I like to claim I’m from Melbourne when trying to be cool and such... This is not the case. Luke moved over to Perth quite a few years ago now and we both love getting back over east to see all our old mates and family, plus it’s where we recorded all our latest tracks!

What made you want to pursue music as a career - were there any moments in particular that pushed it into being a reality/something you needed to do?

For me personally I’ve loved music all my life, it’s been a big part of me since I was born, and I studied it after high school and everything. It wasn’t till I started working with Luke maybe four years ago now that I think I really decided to knuckle down and create something of my own to share. Then at the start of last year we decided to stop letting life get in the way and actually bloody create something!

What would your dream studio/workspace look like?

We have a pretty sweet set up at the moment in Luke’s granny flat. It’s a nice little place to write, rehearse and the odd band sleepover party. I’d LOVE a little studio of my own I can fill with lots of little plant babies and decorate with Kmart homewares, most likely... (not sponsored, however K-Mart hmu if you keen). Maybe add in a couple of kittens for good measure… or that might be a bit distracting… plus Luke’s allergic.

What’s been one of your favourite moments of performing?

Probably the best support show we’ve done was for EDEN on his recent world domination tour. We were really nervous about it because we, this hell baby Perth band ended up playing for a pretty massive crowd who didn’t know us… But they were so wholesome and really dug what we were doing. I think that was a pretty affirming moment for us, and we knew Priscilla might be onto something pretty dope.

SAYAH

Your live show! Could you walk us through what you’re putting together? Do you have any favourite instruments or pieces of gear?

So my live show consists of me, my drummer Jack and keys player Novak. As my line up is small, we run some playback to incorporate the heavy production elements but still try to keep it as organic as possible. I like my shows to be in the moment, so no two performances are the same. Jack plays a hybrid drum setup that incorporates samples from the record and runs the playback. Novak uses a Prophet 8 for the synths and pads and a Juno 106 for the bass. Forget gear, my secret weapon is these two. They are serious musicians and have a way of bringing a whole new level of vibe to my songs.

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Do you think that shaped you/your music?

I grew up in Western Sydney, but I don't think that influenced my sound as much as my parents. Both parents are Lebanese and my mother didn't migrate to Australia till she was 27, so she brought a strong sense of that culture with her. I grew up listening to Lebanese singers and wasn't really exposed to ‘western’ music til way later on in school. That's when the R&B, soul, pop influences started to filter in.

What made you want to pursue music as a career - were there any moments in particular that pushed it into being a reality/something you needed to do? 

Music has always been my choice of career. The hardest part was trying to get my dad on board - he wanted me to be a lawyer or doctor or something haha. I do not have the emotional strength for that dad (And I definitely don’t wake up early enough)!

What would your dream studio/workspace look like?

I’ll have a studio space that teleports to anywhere in the world, at any time, to any producer of my choice. Please and thank you.

What’s been one of your favourite moments of performing?

When I’ve seen people sing my lyrics back to me (my mum included haha!) Thats the best feeling in the world.

WOLFJAY

Your live show! Could you walk us through what you’re putting together? Do you have any favourite instruments or pieces of gear?

I recently played my first show with my new live band so I'm still exploring all the new things I can do that I couldn't when I was playing live on my own. I played in a bunch of different bands growing up, so it's so lovely being back playing alongside other musicians after taking a break for a few years to work out what I wanted my music to sound like! I've got Jared Grimm from Pemberton playing drums, and Ira Gontcharov from Champion The Boy playing bass. I sing, and play guitar and synth. I'm playing guitar live for the first time in a few years, so that's meant diving back into the world of pickups and pedals and amps, but my favorite piece of gear at the moment is the Elektron Octatrack. It's an 8-track sampler and sequencer designed specifically to be used in live performances. I run my backing tracks off it, click for my drummer, and to fire off one-shot samples — but I’m barely scratching the surface with what it can do. There’s still so much to learn about it, but it’s totally changed how I interact with the more electronic elements of my live setup.

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Do you think that shaped you/your music?

I grew up in the suburbs of Adelaide, which I guess is a lot like growing up in a country town compared to other capital cities around Australia! I don't think my immediate surroundings have impacted my music that much — music for me has always been a way to get away from the outside world, not something to reflect it. Almost all of the media I love is deeply rooted in escapism, which has definitely carried over to my own work. That’s not to say I don’t love living in Adelaide, though; its more laid back-pace has granted me a lot of flexibility to experiment and grow as a musician and artist. We have an amazing local music scene here.

What made you want to pursue music as a career - were there any moments in particular that pushed it into being a reality/something you needed to do?

I made the decision to seriously pursue music a few years ago while I was studying a degree in Design & Marketing. I grew up playing music and being in bands, but it never seemed like a viable career option — I'd never seen anyone I knew actually do it before. Fast forward to the midpoint of my degree and I'm struggling to motivate myself to work on course work instead of writing songs. I did my placement in a local design studio, and I did an overseas work experience program in Tokyo and Bangkok, and realised that I'd never be satisfied just doing music as a hobby. I got back to Adelaide, increased my study load so I could graduate early, and within a month of finishing my degree I finished writing the first Wolfjay EP.

What would your dream studio/workspace look like?

As a mostly DIY artist my workspace has to be pretty flexible to facilitate all the different roles I look after. One day I’ll be in a recording session, the next making props for a music video, and the day after that taking video calls with collaborators while putting zines together. I'd love a big, light-filled room, with tall ceilings, and black-out blinds that I can pull down when I need to focus. It would have a large desk suspended from the roof that I could retract up and out of the way for when I need more room, like rehearsals, or meetings, or listening parties. There'd be a long bench with a wet area running the length of the room, with drawers and cupboard underneath for storing synths, and gear, and paints, and other resources.

What’s been one of your favourite moments of performing?

I opened for Giraffage earlier this year while he was touring Australia, and it was the most perfect show. It was at Rocket Bar, probably my favourite Adelaide venue - it has this wild rooftop bar that’s the perfect place to catch your breath and have a drink after a set. I played She Calls To Me for the first time that night, and I was really nervous about it, but it just landed perfectly and it felt like everyone understood it straight away. Those moments where you’re just perfectly in sync with a crowd are so special. Giraffage was the nicest guy as well, and hanging out with him and chatting about the scene in Austin was amazing. He played Coachella a few weeks after that show, so it was huge having the opportunity to just talk with an artist of that caliber. Such a big night!

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