Reservoir Records launches with four-act showcase

Image: Max Jackson, Greg Gould, Gem McCormack (founder) and AVA

Sydney-based Reservoir Records, the wholly independent label taking on gender and artist inequality in the industry, had its launch last night.

Held at The Star Sydney’s Rock Lily venue, the launch featured a four-act showcase of each of the artists signed to the label: Max Jackson, pop artist AVA, Australia’s Got Talent runner-up Greg Gould, and Grammy winner Printz Board.

L-R: Greg Gould, Gem McCormack, Max Jackson, AVA, Board Members’ Lucy Graves and Printz Board

Max Jackson, who recently returned from a writing trip in Nashville, opened the night. She performed her tracks Saturday, I Love You / I Hate You and Time Machine.

The label’s Founder and Head of A&R GemGem McCormack introduced each act, noting the launch marked Reservoir’s one-year anniversary. Those in attendance included McCormack’s father Rod McCormack, the country music artist with over 30 #1 country hits, along with her stepmother and Australia’s Queen of Country Gina Jeffreys. The pair are both involved with Reservoir Records; Jeffreys is the label’s songwriting mentor and Rod helms production out of his studio on the Central Coast of NSW.

AVA, who signed to Reservoir Records shortly after finishing high school, took the stage dressed in line with her dark pop sound: in leather and fishnet. The singer was backed by a live band and two dancers as she unveiled a two-track taster of her music, performing Armour and Chosen Ones.

Greg Gould performed Get Out and his anthem for love,Run To You, the first single ever to be released by Reservoir Records. The single’s release last year marked his re-introduction as a gay man following the suppression of his sexual identity by producers on Australia’s Got Talent.

Gould also performed his co-write with Max Jackson, I Want You, a provocative vocal force that stayed at boiling point from end to end.Lifted from Gould’s upcoming EP, I Want You has already clocked up 50,700 views.

Gould took a moment during his set to thank McCormack: “She’s changed my way of thinking about the industry and brought me back to life,” he said. “I would not be here if it weren’t for you.”

Closing the night with three rousing arena-primed tracks was US rock artist Printz Board. The producer, songwriter and musical director for multi-platinum selling group Black Eyed Peas fired immaculate vocals over hammering guitar lines. Keyboardist Lucy Graves of his famed Board Members band kept up with his feverish pace, and as he ditched the microphone to play trumpet, the crowd were already his chorus line.

Naturally, the shiny rock-pop assault Who’s That Girl, the mountain-climbing sing-along Fuckin’ A, and the expansive Rock n Roll would all sit perfectly on the world’s stadium stages.

The launch of Reservoir Records stood out in stark contrast to many of the industry events held locally. With the crowd packing in tightly on the dancefloor and the most zealous attendeesdancing shoulder-to-shoulder, this is one label which continues to break the mould.