Push Records unveils first five signings [exclusive]

Victorian youth music organisation The Push has unveiled the first five artists signed to its Push Records.

Singer Jim AKA Jessie Hillel has a style that takes fluid jazz, soul, R&B, pop and classical forms and injects them into more modern moulds.

Private Mountain make their live return after a year at The Old Bar on April 6, previewing new material penned during lockdown.

Espresso Depresso is Emma Clark from the small town of Yackandandah, named for her crippling coffee addiction and heavy heart.

Benjamin Trillado was raised in a Filipino household where karaoke was family religion. By 12, he was writing songs on his father’s guitar and was mentored in his tertiary days by singer/songwriter Ainslie Wills and Killing Heidi’s Jesse Hooper.

Madi Leeds is an indie pop singer-songwriter whose influences include Chairlift, HAIM and Sky Ferreira. She taught herself guitar, studied piano for six years, and also plays flute, violin and trumpet.

Presented in partnership with the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), Push Records is a youth-led label delivered as part of Creative Victoria’s Victorian Music Industry Recovery program – a Victorian Government initiative.

The six-month learning program provides both industry and artist participants the chance to gain practical experience and establish their networks within the industry, while being mentored by record label professionals and other experienced artists, recording engineers and producers.

Thirty young people aged 16 – 25 will lead the planning, development and execution of a tailored release campaign for these five emerging artists who will each release one new single and music video.

Music industry executives will provide specialist advice in how to effectively setup, distribute and promote new music. The team will also learn in areas such as visual design and branding, photography, video production, label management, distribution, media and communications, audio engineering and artist development.

For over three decades, The Push has delivered frontline music programs that helped keep more than 700,000 young people connected and creative within their communities.

Its program alumni includes Courtney Barnett, Alex Lahey, Alice Ivy and Angie McMahon.