Homegrown hit maker
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Flume has already won ARIA Producer Of the Year and has been nominated for seven other gongs for this Sunday’s event. Picture: James Croucher.
Source: News Limited
HARLEY Streten’s award account has already enjoyed some hefty bonuses. The artist known as Flume has already won the prestigious award for ARIA Producer Of the Year and has been nominated for seven other gongs at this Sunday’s event.
It was wholly deserving – and appropriate – that last week he added the J Award for Album Of the Year for his self-titled debut record.
Take out the nominated artists who have been offering their musical wares for a decade or so and some industry observers have nicknamed the 2013 awards the Triple J and X Factor ARIAs.
Despite its ratings, The Voice did not have any impact on the ARIA voters.
Flume, alongside Tame Impala, Matt Corby, The Rubens, Vance Joy, Seth Sentry, Abbe May, Emma Louise, San Cisco and Boy and Bear will compete for gongs against television artists Guy Sebastian, Samantha Jade, Justice Crew and Timomatic.
Somewhere in the middle of the Triple J and commercial pop divide are the artists who maintain their loyal fanbases regardless of whether or not their latest wares make it on to radio playlists.
Nick Cave, Keith Urban, Missy Higgins, Sarah Blasko, Birds Of Tokyo, Bob Evans, Josh Pyke and Bliss N Eso are among those who will figure in the ARIA nominations most years by virtue of consistently strong albums.
Flume credits Triple J’s support for taking his self-titled debut album to a wider audience but insists the social media strategy of his independent label Future Classic started the ball rolling.
“There really is no other radio station in Australia that backs Australian music,” Streten says.
Flume at the NSW Art Gallery in Sydney after being nominated for 8 ARIA awards. Picture: Croucher James
Source: News Limited
Flume’s success has been even more remarkable because of its fierce independence, also recognised at this year’s AIR Awards. His album is predominately instrumentals with a handful of tracks featuring previously unknown vocalists including Chet Faker, Jezzabell Doran, Moon Holiday and George Maple.
“We spent hardly any money with the album but we were smart about how we spent it,” he says. “It’s cool to point out to other labels that this music was created in my bedroom and cafes around the world with a laptop and a set of headphones, and marketed by a smart social media strategy.
“It’s an album full of instrumental tracks so the idea of winning ARIAs was not a thing but to get the producer one was pretty special.
“I am down for winning as many as I can get.”
Relentless touring has also had a huge impact on Flume’s album sales with the record enjoying chart spikes after major festival appearances and his own run of shows.
Triple J also kept the homefires burning for another ARIA multiple nominee, Tame Impala, and their world-conquering album Lonerism.
It finished top of almost every critic’s list in 2012 (it was released in October) and won last year’s J Award.
Frontman Kevin Parker seems equal parts bemused and excited for their homecoming at the ARIAs on Sunday.
“No one makes a record to win awards, otherwise it would make you analyse it even more than you already would,” Parker says.
“But things like the WAMis and the ARIAs have been things that bands I really looked up to won.
“I remember Silverchair won something and I remember thinking that was the pinnacle.”
Both Flume and Tame Impala have been flying the flag for Australian music overseas alongside a host of other breaking bands including The Rubens and Sheppard.
Parker says overseas musicians are jealous of our Triple J.
“It has been completely vital for us,” Parker says. “They are the main artery for distributing alternative music throughout Australia. I am pretty sure nothing would have got started without airplay.”
Promoter Michael Chugg, back into the local band business with Chugg Music, representing Sheppard, Deep Sea Arcade, Lime Cordiale, The Griswolds and Hey Geronimo, bemoans the lack of airplay support from commercial radio for Australian music.
He believes the ARIAs would have more relevance if more artists were played on the mainstream airwaves of the 2Day and Nova networks.
“Australian music is getting attention overseas but we can’t solve the puzzle of why they aren’t played at home,” Chugg said. “It’s pretty sad and ridiculous really.”
SEE: The 2013 ARIA Awards, Go!, 7.30pm Sunday.
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SAMANTHA JADE ON ARIAS’ X FACTOR
Samantha Jade is in the “just happy to be nominated” camp at the 2013 ARIA Awards. While she sheepishly admits to practising award acceptance speeches into her hairbrush as a little girl, she abandoned any dreams of accolades when her first attempt at a pop career ended in tatters.
Then she won The X Factor, and like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry who suffered defeat with their first shots at pop success, Jade got a rare second chance to realise her ambitions.
She went to the ARIA Award nominations in October to support Australian music. She left with nominations for Best Video and Song Of the Year.
Jade said she was shocked to hear her name called out because it was her first year back in the game. The surprise was compounded by the knowledge that there is a section of the Australian music industry who have long snubbed the talent unearthed by TV talent shows in the past decade.
Samantha Jade won X Factor last year and has a new album out and will play Kylie Minogue in INXS drama next year.
Source: News Limited
Throw in the fact she will open the awards on Sunday with a performance on the red carpet and Jade is finally feeling the love from her peers.
“Well, it is just enough for me to be nominated because I have been trying to crack into this industry for so long, to have people give me a chance and to listen to me,” Jade says.
“A lot of our new artists – and some of our best artists – have come from TV shows including Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy. And even looking further back, Kylie Minogue and Delta Goodrem.
“That’s how you get into people’s homes and how people come to feel like they know you, that they can trust you to give you a shot.”
She will contest the Song Of the Year against her X Factor mentor and mate Guy Sebastian, who has often been ARIA’s bridesmaid. He has again been recognised with several nominations for the 2013 ARIAs, including in the “worthy” categories of Album Of the Year and Best Male Artist.
The artist himself and his supporters remain frustrated about the lack of wins.
“I honestly don’t understand that, I really don’t,” Jade says. “He is a musician, he is a writer, he is a producer. It’s not like he just puts his name to a track.
“I think it is really, really unfair because I feel he is one of our finest artists and after 10 years of slog, he is beyond deserving.”
