Seven Victorian acts benefit from Quick Response Grants, head for North American and European tours

Seven Victorian acts get the chance to travel overseas as a result of the Victorian Government’s Quick Response Grants.

Part of its $22 million Music Works package, the latest funding is worth a total of $65,000.

The acts are:

STONEFIELD, $8,600

Stonefield are playing at the Levitation Music Festival in Austin, Texas and a series of Monday night residency shows in Los Angeles through April in theatres like the Bootleg.

The psychedelic-rock band have generated a following especially on the West Coast where they’ve played with the likes of Meat Puppets and Fleetwood Mac.

In America particularly they have a reputation for live shows that are tougher than their records, although band member Amy tells TMN that “the next album is going to be a lot more interesting than what we’ve done before.”

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE, $10,000

The Melbourne duo made up of Takiaya Reed (sax, guitar, live effects) and Sylvie Nehill (drums, live effects) emerged making some heavy sounds and indigenous political lyrics.

Their debut Basic won Best Heavy Album at The Age Music Victoria Awards.

They drop their second album Abomination on February 16 via Dero Arcade before they head off to South by Southwest (SXSW) and then tour the US with synth pop band Policia.

THE GRIGORYAN BROTHERS, $10,000

The Grigoryan Brothers are to take on a 21-date US run opening for kd lang, for whom they also supported on Australian dates last year.

Current album Songs Without Words sees them tackle the works of Bach, Elgar, Dvorak, Rachmaninoff, Faure, De Falla and Ponce, arranged for them by their father Edward.

Their past forays to the US has seen them gain critical acclaim: “Guitar playing of uncommon originality and authority. Musicality, expressivity and daring,” said the New York Times.

YIRRMAL MARIKA, $5000.

Yirrmal Marika and manager Cam Begg travel to Kansas City for the Folk Alliance International Conference (Feb 14—18) where he’ll play nine sets.

He was spotted by the Folk Alliance’s international rep, Sheena Keane, at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland two years ago, and promptly invited.

He then heads to Canada for two weeks of shows with Shane Howard.

Manager Cam Begg tells TMN there’ll also be some business meetings in Los Angeles, mostly with festival promoters, to set up a 2019 North American tour while Marika will focus on recording and releasing his debut album for the rest of this year.

HARLOTT, $10,000

The Melbourne thrash metal band who first toured through Europe a few years ago, return to that part of the world behind their third album Extinction.

This time they do 23 dates between April 5 and 29 opening for US bands Havok, The Darkest Hour and Cephalic Carnage.

LOOSE TOOTH, $11,400

The garage band who created waves with the killer single ‘Everything Changes’ and the album Saturn Returns, are off to support Courtney Barnett on the European leg of her album tour.

JADE IMAGINE, $10,000

The Melbourne band fronted by singer songwriter Jade McInally released their debut EP What the Fuck Was I Thinking on Milk! Records last year, and are currently putting the finishing touches on their first album.

Jade Imagine’s management company Our Golden Friend has been fielding a number of label offers, so six shows at SXSW will also be book ended with club dates in Los Angeles and New York.

One of them is a March 19 Our Golden Friend showcase at Rough Trade in Brooklyn alongside label mates RVG, Totally Mild and Jess Ribeiro –‘ all of whom are also playing SXSW.

In May Jade Imagine are also confirmed to play Canadian Music Week.