Initiate yourself with the acts of Doubleslack!!
On this Friday, September 19, three acts descend on Double Whammy for Doubleslack!! – A Fundraiser for Newzician Magazine. Put on by the good people at the Slack Agency, this gig aims to do what it says on the tin; bring together a stellar lineup of amazing musicians and raise a few dollars for Newzician Magazine ahead of the release of Issue 4.
Who, you may ask, are these three acts?
Half/Angel toe the line of alt-rock, psychadelia, and indie. They unpredictably juxtapose intimate, soft, vocals and delicate instrumental passages with raucous, high-energy outbursts. They’re exciting to listen to, and their single ‘Debt Collector’ will have you struggling to put them in a box and itching to hear what’s next.
Awning takes beautifully written songs and builds a slick world of tight arrangements around them. Vocally, Christian Dimick’s performances are unique, and their debut self-titled album brings De Steven’s midas touch to the work of a band you’d be forgiven for thinking had been together forever. It’s a beautiful sounding album and it does justice to Dimick’s broad-reaching, vivid songcraft.
I first came across the work of Oscar Dowling as the songwriter behind New Gum Sarn and their 2015 album New Mountain Gold. This found me at a crucial moment in the development of my music taste, and as such it’s one I often fondly revisit. Oscar has hinted at new music in the works, so ten-ish years on from his last release his sound is bound to have developed, and Doubleslack offers a peek behind the curtain.
For those already intimately acquainted with Awning, Half/Angel, and Oscar Dowling, this is a pretty easy sell. So, in order to try and further acquaint the uninitiated we’ve decided to venture into parts unknown; light journalism and softball questions.
Awning by Isaac Sims | Half/Angel by printwife
Tell us about an NZ band who has been an important influence.
Awning: Hard to choose just one, but I think Bailter Space have been significant to me over the last couple of years. I don't know if that influence is really present in our recorded music, but I think when we play live, it comes through a little more. Trying to walk the line between being really melodic and heavy and discordant and brittle.
Half/Angel: It’s tricky for us to pin it down to just one, but for us a huge inspo is Fat Freddy’s Drop. Although they’re quite different to our sound, they were a gateway into showing us what’s possible for music in Pōneke.
Oscar Dowling: I recently revisited Dave Dobbyn’s Twist which is the first album I ever actively listened to and it really is great. I think my four year old self had better taste than my fourteen year old self.
What is the best song for someone who hasn’t heard your music yet to listen to?
Awning: Moth & Fly
Half/Angel: That would be Debt Collector. It’s our only song currently out, but we also feel like it’s a pretty good summary of our sound and musical capabilities.
Oscar Dowling: I haven’t released anything for nearly a decade. I’m at the back end of recording an album which fingers crossed will be out this year, keep your ears peeled.
*Note: We think this song is amazing and you should go listen:
Have you got any pre-show rituals?
Awning: Not really, just being nervous and drinking one beer.
Half/Angel: Since our first show, we’ve always done karakia before we play. Tikanga Māori is something which really grounds us, and karakia are a way to set intentions and help calm our pre-show nerves. As for food - shout out to Satay Kingdom!
Oscar Dowling: No rituals.
What would be your dream gig lineup?
Awning: I am sure every member of Awning would have a different idea, but mine (Christian's) would be: The Replacements, Stina Nordenstam and maybe finish the night off with some Orbital.
Half/Angel: Half/Angel, Bar Italia, Just Mustard, Elliott Smith (Rest in Paradise).
Oscar Dowling: I don’t want to tell everyone my dream line up. But I’m very excited to see Brian Jonestown who I have not seen before.
We are so grateful to Ben and Dylan from Slack Agency for organising this amazing gig. We can’t bloody wait!
Tickets from undertheradar here!
