Hailing from Austinmer on the Coal Coast of NSW, Shining Bird are a collective of musicians, scholars and swimmers who came together over their mutual love of music, poetry and the sea. They have been FBi Radio’s Unsigned Artist of the Week and named triple J’s Unearthed Pick, and will release their debut full length album ‘Leisure Coast’ on Spunk Records this spring. We caught up with them for a chat ahead of their upcoming release.
Interview with Russell, Alistair and Dane by MusicNSW intern Hannah Jester.
Describe Shining Bird in just 3 words.
A Birds Nest
Besides recently signing with Spunk Records, what else has Shining Bird been up to this year?
Working on the new record, drinking copious amounts of tea and searching ‘shining bird’ on Pitchfork.
Speaking of signing with Spunk records, what kind of opportunities will this open up for you as a band?
Playing with bands we love.
You are planning to release your debut album later this year, what can your fans expect from this record?
Expectation generally leads to dissapointment.. But seriously, expect big things.. then be disappointed. Maybe valium pop and a little psychedelic Australiana in there.
You recently released the music video for your single, ‘Distant Dreaming’. Can you walk us through the creative process of making this video?
A lot of shit talking over coffee. Set fake deadlines.. past them.. set real deadlines.. past them.. more shit talking, followed by copious amounts of tea, then stress, then searching Pitchfork.
What other Sydney artists inspire you?
R.L. Jones (ex the middle east), Kirin J Callinan, Jack Ladder.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Australian music scene at the moment and how has it affected your work as an artist?
Cultural cringe. Being Eno-vative and looking locally.
How important has community radio been to you in your journey to success?
Super important. That’s where it all started for us. You bunch of legends!
Based on your previous experiences, what advice can you pass on to any emerging bands trying to break into the scene?
Put the business hat on, except wear it backwards “Stay in school…. to the extreme!”
Since your album wouldn’t be coming out until Spring, are there any shows coming up to tide your fans over?
Our next show is at Carriageworks Sydney for ‘At First Sight’ on the 20th July.