News May 17, 2019

Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla to keynote at The Melbourne Sessions

Influential US producer, songwriter and founding member of Death Cab for Cutie Chris Walla will be delivering the ‘In Conversation’ keynote at APRA AMCOS and Creative Victoria’s The Melbourne Sessions.

His production work was the template for US indie rock and Death Cab for Cutie’s albums including the landmark Transatlanticism.

Walla’s extensive credits include the Postal Service’s Give Up, and releases from The Decemberists, Nada Surf, Sydney’s Youth Group, Tegan and Sara, and last year’s acclaimed album from indie band Foxing.

The Melbourne Sessions take place on Friday, July 5 at Kindred Studios, in Yarraville between 9am and 6pm.

The inaugural event sold out last year, and this year’s early-bird discounted tickets were exhausted quickly.

Limited full-price tickets are available now at themelbournesessions.com.au

Following on from his keynote, Walla will move to the recording studio as curator for SongHubs Victoria, guiding five days of intensive songwriting and production with hand-picked participants.

He said: “I’m so looking forward to being involved in all of the songwriting, creativity and collaboration that happens at both The Melbourne Sessions and SongHubs Victoria.

“There is such an abundance of songwriting talent in Australia at all levels.

“Australia’s recorded music history is vast and absolutely unique in our world, and I can’t imagine my own musical life without the fresh and necessary perspectives of generations of Australian artists.”

He went on to explain, “I was inspired a great deal by the last SongHubs event I attended in 2017.

“It’s clear to me how much these programs offer the artists, writers, and producers who attend them; the connections that come out of them are invaluable – and we all are better for the fantastic music they facilitate.”

A music business panel has been added to The Melbourne Sessions program.

It will feature triple j Unearthed’s Dave Ruby Howe, songwriter and festival promoter Dallas Frasca, Matthew Rogers of UNIFIED Music Group, and artist manager and label founder Lorrae McKenna of Our Golden Friend.

The speaker list for the day’s 90-minute masterclass session includes Cash Savage, composer Amy Bastow, Jan Skubiszewski, rising Singaporean singer-songwriter Linying, and former Toro y Moi guitarist Jordan Blackmon, who has shifted to producing and collaborating with the likes of A$AP Rocky and Tkay Maidza.

Additional speakers added to the small group workshops, including Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson, producer and singer-songwriter Woodes, and hip-hop artist DRMNGNOW.

First announcement – workshops

Alexander Gow
Angie Hart
Anna Laverty
Ash Grunwald
Bertie Blackman
Cezary Skubiszewski
Charles Jenkins
Darren Middleton
Gian Slater
Hannah Crofts
Jess Ribeiro
Jimi Maroudas
Joel Quartermain
Joelistics
LANKS
Mark Seymour
Miriama Young
Nkechi Anele
Pip Norman
Ryan Riback