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News October 27, 2015

Q&A: Unified discusses new heavy music gathering Unify

Former Editor

The local independent music company, which has had incredible ARIA chart success this year with artists like In Hearts Wake (#5), The Amity Affliction (#1) and Allday (#3), has officially announced its music festival.

Melbourne-based label Unified has teamed with boutique NYE festival The Hills Are Alive for camping festival Unify: A Heavy Music Gathering.

Taking place over two days at South Gippsland in January (10-11), Unify will feature all local acts. The Amity Affliction, who just finished up their sold-out national tour, and Northlane, whose frontman Adrian Fitipaldes just announced his departure will headline. Also on the bill is Byron Bay hardcore outfit In Hearts Wake, 2013 ARIA nominees and ARIA chart history writers Thy Art Is Murder (who were the first extreme metal band to ever reach the Top 40) and 2012 ARIA nominees Buried In Verona.

The event is the brainchild of Luke Logemann, Unified’s Head of Recorded Music. TMN chats to Logemann about the concept of the event and why it won’t compete with Soundwave.

How long has Unify been in the works?
Almost 18 months to the day of coming up with the concept!

How did the team-up with The Hills Are Alive come about?
I originally had the idea back in March 2013 when we did a viral campaign for Northlane’s album, and I believe it was Tone Deaf that first speculated that it was going to be a festival. Everyone kinda went apeshit and it made me think “Wow people really want a UNFD Event”. A few months later Aidan and Rhett from The Hills Are Alive got in touch with us for a meeting. We both walked into the meeting with the exact same concept in mind, and we struck up a friendship and business relationship almost right away. Since then we’ve been basically planning this all out.

Although the festival features local heavy music artists and it has been branded a ‘gathering’, were you conscious about tapping into Soundwave festival’s audience?
We love Soundwave – I’m pretty sure everyone in our office attends every single year and our artists love playing it and going to check it out. So it was always on my mind that I’d never want to do anything that competes with Soundwave or attempts to move into that space.

Our concept is to have all-Australian lineups, one stage, camping and a regional/country vibe. I feel like everyone that goes to Unify are the kinda kids that live and breathe this music, and there is no way they’d ever miss Australia’s premiere music event – Soundwave.

Were there any international events which inspired Unify?
Absolutely. Every year bands we work with like Deez Nuts, The Amity Affliction and Northlane head to Europe and play these awesome camping festivals like Download, Groezrock, Sonisphere, Rock Am Ring etc. and I always thought Australia would love something similar. But we also love Meredith and The Hills Are Alive, and there is Falls and Pyramid, but nothing for the best kind of music in Australia.

Not all of the bands are signed to UNFD or are Unified-affiliated, why is that?
It’s not meant to be just UNFD bands. We just wanted to rep the whole heavy scene and the bands that are doing well and drawing crowds. Most importantly, it’s bands we like and that fans of our brands like. The name is pretty similar to UNFD/UNIFIED, but we just really like that word haha. And I love the Operation Ivy song Unity too…

Why did you decide to include camping at no extra cost?
It just made the most sense. Never even thought about charging extra to be honest. The camping area isn’t powered, same as Meredith and The Hills Are Alive.

Will Adrian Fitipaldes perform Unify with Northlane?
Northlane will have a new vocalist in place in time for their tour with Parkway Drive & Heaven Shall Burn in Europe starting November 29, so I can only assume their new vocalist will be performing at Unify too.

Unify is an 18+ festival with tickets being sold for $99 + BF at the label’s official merchandise website 24Hundred. Tickets include free camping and the site features both BYO and Licenses areas, plus live DJs, mini golf, a sports field and a late night cinema.

See below for the full lineup:

THE AMITY AFFLICTION
NORTHLANE
IN HEARTS WAKE
THY ART IS MURDER
DEEZ NUTS
BREAK EVEN
CONFESSION
BURIED IN VERONA
HAND OF MERCY
ANTAGONIST A.D
HELLIONS
STORM THE SKY
ENDLESS HEIGHTS
AVERSIONS CROWN
STORIES
ELECTRIK DYNAMITE
EARTH CALLER

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