Every year Australia’s next big things head to New York for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. Think of it as X Factor of the indie world, where buzzy new acts play before music industry bigwigs (and not-so-bigwigs) in the hopes of scooping up US management or distribution deals.
Some of the Australian acts heading over this year for the 13-17 October festival include Sunbeam Sound Machine, Sui Zhen, Tuka, the Jungle Giants and Methyl Ethel.
Joining them will be Melbourne rockers Good Morning, with their official showcase on 13 October at Cake Shop. Altogether the duo (former high school buddies Stefan Blair and Liam Parson) are playing eight shows over just six days, including the Aussie BBQ on 17 October.
Guitarist, singer and co-writer Parsons says they’re excited to “play shows to people that haven’t seen us before in a brand new city, and to drink lots of beers and eat lots of pizza with some friends we haven’t seen for a while”.
Unlike your average X Factor contestant, he comes with a slightly wry attitude to the whole thing: “We’re playing plenty of shows in a small space of time, which is good because we won’t have time to stay around and talk to people about how much they love being in the music industry.”
Their new song, Time to Try Again, combines the sounds of 60s surf pop – complete with Hawaiian guitar slides – with lo-fi psych rock and slows it right down so it’s as loose and unkempt as beach hair.
Parsons describes the track as “quite malleable” and says the pair often rework it in a live setting. “We don’t play it anything like the record any more, which is good. We play it in this kinda dissonant garage way now.”
- Good Morning are playing shows in New York, 13-18 October
