Shadow Queen is one of a growing number of female fronted rockers, which include the Quadbox, Rocket Queen and Sharaya to name but a few.

Singer Robbi Zana has a mighty powerful voice, with just the right amount of “husky”, and by all reports she also has a mighty powerful stage presence. The rhythm section here is particularly outstanding.

They play a tight flawless rock, melodic yet raw enough to appease any aficionado. If I had to describe Shadow Queen in one word, it would have to be “powerful”. From the first listen, they grab you and don’t let go. In a just world they would be filling the rock stadiums of the world.

Band Members
Robbi Zana – Vocals and bass,
Si Hopman – Guitar,
Alex Deegan – Drums

Visit their Myspace page to hear more great home grown rock.

Visit Shadow Queen
Myspace
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You can hear the song as it was originally recorded on their Myspace page

You can catch Red Ink at The Hi Fi bar in Melbourne on October the 22nd where they will be officially launching their new EP.

Errant Venture are one of the new breed of high energy rock bands coming out of Melbourne. They join Fastrack, Heartless Vendetta and tribal elders Electric Mary among many others, in breathing new life into classic rock delivering high octane guitar driven thunderous pure rock.

Singer Darren has a voice that tells of a thousand smoky bars and yet oozes the vitality that only comes with youth.

They are doing remarkably well for a band not far from 2 years old with regular gigs and their debut EP (most of which you can listen to right here right now), nearly ready for release.

Errant Venture are further proof, as if any were needed, that Melbourne Australia is the rock capital of the world.

Band Members
Darren – Vocals,
Jerry – Bass & backing vocals,
Ben – Guitar & backing vocals,
Joel – Drums

Visit Errant Venture
Myspace
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Hi Casey, thank you so much for giving some of your time to the Only Australian Music website. One of the most satisfying aspects of running this site, is getting to communicate and interact with some of the best talent in the world, it is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to ask you a few questions.

O.A.M….You were the youngest person to ever win Australian idol at the time. There have been previous contestants who were not able to capitalise on their initial success and have become somewhat bitter, how do you view the experience?

Casey….The whole experience is still a bit of a blur for me, but what I can say about Australian Idol is that, it has helped me in good and bad, it has shown me the good by being able to get out into the world and show case my music and my abilities to people all over Australia, but it has also shown me the dark side that I wasn’t aware of…. So I look back now and im glad I was 16 when it all happened otherwise who knows where I would be…

O.A.M….You have been an inspiration to untold numbers of teenagers I can’t help but think that you are still inspiring people, albeit in a different way. People see you, the definitive “girl next door” achieving success, and they think “I don’t have to be a waif to succeed”, is promoting a positive body image part of the idea behind the new song “Big Beautiful and Sexy”?

Casey…..The idea behind Big, Beautiful & sexy is about learning to love yourself and accept who you are, it about getting that confidence to be happy within yourself, it has taken me 6 years to get to the place I wanna be, and I’m loving where I am and who I am!

O.A.M….Did you write it?

Casey…..Yes I did write BB&S I co-wrote it with a good friend of mine Beau Golden

O.A.M….Do you get nervous before a show?

Casey…..I sure do… I think If I don’t have nerves then I shouldn’t bother going on…. Its what drives you and I love it.

O.A.M….That beautiful voice of yours, is it natural or do you have to work hard at it?

Casey….I have recently just had my tonsils out…. So everything is different so I’m teaching myself new techniques on sound and clarity… bit of hard work but I don’t mind hehehe

O.A.M….When I hear your voice, I think grace, elegance, power. It conjures up images of red velvet lined opera houses where the audience sits in stunned silence. Is the Pop music direction one that you feel suits your ability, or is it the area you enjoy the most?

Casey…..I really enjoy pop music…. Although I see myself singing all kinds of music styles, I love big ballads, I love pop rock, I love jazz, and the list goes on

O.A.M….Do you come from a musical family?

Casey…..That I do… on my dads side they are all very musical.

O.A.M….If you had a choice of any singer alive or dead to sing a duet with, who would it be?

Casey…..Mama Cass

O.A.M….Do you see yourself still doing this in another 10 years, or do you have other ambitions you would like to fulfill.

Casey…..Music is my life and I intended to be doing this till my very last breath

O.A.M….You made the move from a huge international music company, to being an independent musician, do you feel this gives you more creative freedom, and/or more control over your career choices?

Casey…..Definitely more control, its much more work but at the end of the day… I can say “ I did this” “We did this” with a great team of people around me all going in the same direction its so much fun and hard work, I love it!!!!

O.A.M….I know it can be very hard to succeed in Australia, especially in the long term. Have you had any offers of work overseas, and would you consider them seriously if you did?

Casey…..It is hard in Australia, if the opportunity came along sure I would go and test the waters….

O.A.M….The last question is always the same for everyone, what is your all time favorite Australian song?

Casey…..My Island home/ Christine Anu

If you liked this interview, you might like to check out another Casey Donovan interview “10 questions with Casey Donovan”

Telstra sponsor one of the greatest talent searches in Australia called The Road To Tamworth.

For more information visit
Official site
Myspace
Facebook

There are 12 heats, held around the country, the winners of each heat get to attend a two day music mentoring workshop in Sydney, where they will get to spend time with local legends who will talk them through the industry.

Overall winners in each category will get a return trip to the global home of country music Nashville. The winning Songwriter will work with some of country music’s best songwriters. The winning Performer will perform at a leading country music event and receive a professional photographic session and music video.

This is a priceless opportunity for our talented young musicians to get out there and been seen, Telstra is to be applauded for sponsoring such an important event.

I urge all site readers to follow progress of the entrants and winners and support local musicians.

Currently the competition is up to heat 6, which is being held on Thursday the 2nd of September at the Toowoomba Show Grounds, Glenvale Road, Toowoomba, QLD.

The winners of the 5 heats so far are

Heat 1

A self-taught musician, Beau picked up the guitar for the first time just over 12 months ago and is drawn to the real life stories the country genre centres around. He juggles his passion for music with school studies, currently completing Year 11 at Marrara Christian College where he is also a Prefect.

Heat 2

Kelsie, supported by her family, travelled down from the Sunshine Coast to perform at the Brisbane event and said she’s always been drawn to the country music genre as it brings people together and she feels part of the country music family whenever she’s on stage.

A self taught musician who grew up with country music around her, Kelsie performs regularly around the Sunshine Coast but was a little stunned when her name was called as the Brisbane heat winner.

Heat 3

A graduate of the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) College in 2007, Brett has lived and breathed country music since as young as he can remember. A Tamworth local, he has been a regular at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and one day hopes to make it up on stage to collect the coveted Golden Guitar.

Brett has previously entered the Telstra Road to Tamworth in 2007 where he qualified for the finals. He has gained valuable experience since 2007 and he can’t wait to perform in Sydney.

Heat 4

As a year 10 student, Codee-Lee already has an impressive musical resume. She is a 2010 Academy of Country Music Graduate, 2010 WA junior songwriter and teenage artist of the year and has met and played with the likes of James Blundell, Felicity Urquhart, Kasey Chambers and The McClymonts.

Codee-Lee admitted to being a bundle of nerves throughout the competition. The crowd and the support from her family really helped and Codee-Lee credits them as being an amazing force behind her ability to follow her dreams of a career in the music industry.

Heat 5

Originally from the Gold Coast, Nikki (or Nikki J as she’s known when performing) moved to Cairns a few years ago to take up a role as a sports journalist at a local television station. Whilst she combines her love of sport as her full-time job, Nikki’s other passion in life is centered around her music, having studied music throughout school on scholarship.

Nikki has grown up with music her whole life. She took a break after finishing school before getting back into writing and performing about nine months ago. Nikki saw the Telstra Road to Tamworth as a potential opportunity to grow as a musician and was stunned, but excited to have won the Cairns heat.

Heat 6

He performed two originals songs, ‘The Ground on which I’m standing’, written about his arrival in Australia and the long distance from his hometown and family, and ‘New York’. Both tracks feature on his EP, Oxygen, which he released independently earlier this year.

Boyle was inspired to enter the Telstra Road to Tamworth after attending the APRA Song Summit in Sydney earlier this year and meeting current TRTT songwriting winner, Luke Webb.

Heat 7

Brook Newton, 18, from Arno Bay has won an Epiphone acoustic guitar and a trip to Sydney to participate in an intensive two day music mentoring “Boot Camp” after winning the Adelaide heat of the Telstra Road to Tamworth talent development program.

Brook qualified for Boot Camp after impressing the judges at the Royal Adelaide Show on Sunday.

A keen surfer and musician, Brook grew up on the beach in Arno Bay and has lived there with his family all of his life. He was committed to having a go at the physical heat of the Telstra Road to Tamworth and decided to make the 12 hour round trip to the Royal Adelaide Show to compete after encouragement from family and friends.

He performed two classics that suited his laidback and casual nature – ‘Jack’ by Xavier Rudd and ‘Steal My Kisses’ by Ben Harper. The judges were suitably impressed and Newton was excited by the win.

”Twelve hours is a long way to travel to perform, but I love my music and thought it would be a great opportunity to just get in front of a crowd, which I love doing. I never expected to go through to the semi-finals in Sydney. It will be an amazing experience and one that I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from!” he said.

Queenslands Moons Of Jupiter blend together a mix of classic rock and grunge, with great affect. Their music is alive with great riffs, thundering drums and tearaway solos all topped off with wonderfully expressive vocals.

The band is barely a year old, but has already earned a reputation as a terrific live band. They are in a good position to make themselves heard on a national level sooner rather than later.

Band Members
Scott Gellatly, Vocals
Damian McElwee, Guitars
Phil Ryan, Guitars
Cam Roydhouse, Drums

Visit Moons Of Jupiter
Myspace
Youtube

Although currently based in London, Lauren is an Aussie girl through and through. Her music is emotional and delicate, her voice is remarkable. Lauren is captivating to listen to. Think Linda Perry’s “In Flight” album and your in the right ball park.

Lauren Bruce… a lone but powerful voice of sincerity – she wears her heart proudly on her sleeve and we are better off for it. ‘My music reflects everything that moves inside me’ Daughter of a musician, Lauren spent her childhood travelling around rural Australia, in and out of a range of venues, earning a music education the best way possible. Part of her strength arises from observing and now living that simple, but heartfelt interaction between artist and audience. Showing promise at a young age, Lauren was swept into classical vocal training with a David Helfgott scholarship at the Conservatory of Music – Coffs Harbour. She developed her folk guitar playing and performed self-written acoustic songs on the Australian Folk Festival circuit, writing and recording with top producers in Sydney. She has won the Canberra and Woodford Folk Festivals’ best young original artist award and recently recorded her second E.P. Lauren once fronted rock unit Gravity Live, who toured the N.S.W. coast with 80’s pop outfit nineteen 27 and whose E.P. topped the garageband.com charts in 2005, but now concentrates on her solo music.

Info taken from her Myspace page

Visit Lauren
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Burn’Collect dance a fine line between thrash and hard rock. Their songs have a modern feel yet old school influences can be detected. They have been compared to System Of A Down.

The four members bring four different influences to the mix, making Burn’Collect one of the more original and exciting bands currently plying their wares.

They pride themselves on their uncompromising live performances and are carving out their very own niche which threatens to spill over into the mainstream.

Keep an eye on these guys.

Band members
Dr Apple/Bass,
Jimmy Axe/Guitar/Vox,
James Animal/Drums,
Dan Devilchild/Vox/Guitar

Visit Burn’Collect
Myspace
Facebook
Twitter

Melbourne based singing sisters Rezzalp are about to embark on a tour to promote their new album “In My Dreams”. You can catch them at the following locations.

September

3rd Time to Dine Café, NHILL, VIC.

4th Wesley Performing Arts Centre, HORSHAM, VIC

5th Oasis of Wellbeing, HORSHAM, VIC

11th Café Muzyka, BALLARAT, VIC

11th The Palais, HEPBURN SPRINGS, VIC

17th Thornbury Theatre, THORNBURY, MELB, VIC

18th The Front Gallery, CANBERRA, ACT

October

1st The Ravál, Surry Hills, SYDNEY, NSW

2nd The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, NEWCASTLE, NSW

8th The Promethean, ADELAIDE, SA

10th Tahbilk Winery, NAGAMBIE, VIC

The ladies are also giving you a chance to win an I Pillow, and lets face it, who wouldn’t want one of those?

All you have to do is visit their website and tell the girls in less than 100 words, your dreams.

Tell us YOUR dreams! Intriguing, weird, random, scary, fun, exciting, surreal, prophetic…

We’ll choose our favorite, turn it into a song and record it for you! It must be between 25 and 100 words though. The top two entries will receive an iPillow and a copy of our new album In My Dreams so you can listen to our music while you sleep!

So if your dream involves four beautiful blonde girls dressed in white, go let them know!

Visit Rezzalp
Myspace
Official Site
Facebook