We’re excited to announce that the next two artists to be highlighted as part of Apple Music’s Up Next Local series are Pink Matter and Forest Claudette.
Apple Music’s Up Next Local series is dedicated to identifying and showcasing up and coming talent across Australia and New Zealand, hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world.
Izzy, Kerry and Libby make up Pink Matter and the women are working to re-define the stereotype that’s commonly associated with all-female bands. The three-piece are a unique mixture of neo-soul, jazz and dance genres and found great success with their single ‘You’ll Never Know’.
Though relatively new to the music scene, the trio have already played at some of the nation’s biggest festivals, including Splendour In The Grass, Laneway and Pitch. They’re set to play at the southern hemisphere’s biggest music industry gathering BIGSOUND next week.
Pink Matter will be joined at BIGSOUND by fellow Aussie musician Forest Claudette. While Forest Claudette is a unique sound of his own – the best similarities that could be drawn is a smooth and sophisticated Frank Ocean vibe.
Forest Claudette’s talon which shines through his debut single ‘Creaming Soda’ is impossible to miss. And, the Australian-American RnB musician has followed it up with a heartbreaking, yet invigorating second track, ‘Gone Without a Trace’.
We spoke to both Pink Matter and Forest Claudette as part of our Apple Music Up Next Local series to get their thoughts on everything from the global pandemic to the driving force behind their music and much more.
Love Hip Hop?
Get the latest Hip Hop news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Pink Matter
Check out ‘Can’t Start’ by Pink Matter:
Pink Matter’s artist page on Apple Music.
What is one thing that has helped keep you going during the global pandemic?
Each other! We were so lucky to be able to keep writing throughout the pandemic – it really strengthened our friendship as a band and inspired us to persevere.
Take us through how you developed your music style?
We originally met at uni, and our earlier influences included Koi Child, The Internet and Hiatus Kaiyote. As we grew older our style evolved with us – we started wanting to experiment more with the use of synths and samples, and we fell in love with dance music as a form of escapism throughout 2020. We’ve always loved sharing music with each other (we always start each rehearsal/writing session with a little show and tell of our favourite song at the time!), and as a result our music has kind of always been an amalgamation of whatever we were feeling at the time.
What do you see as your secret weapon when it comes to your music?
There’s always been a genre-defying, shapeshifting element to our music and our songwriting overall. Nobody ever really knows what to expect from us and it’s a really liberating thing to not feel like you’re being constantly put in a box.
Tell us about your latest single; how it started, what it’s about, and anything else you’d like to share about it.
We started off wanting synths that felt like they pushed and pulled the groove around, and once we’d laid down the chords the bassline came pretty naturally. Can’t Start was produced by Harvey Sutherland and we love working with him because he brings so many fun elements into the production. Lyrically, Kerry wanted it to be more of a love song because in the past she hadn’t explored love as a topic. In the end it’s one of our most upbeat, optimistic songs yet and we couldn’t be prouder.
What are five attributes you think an artist needs to have in order to have career longevity in this music industry?
Resilience, passion, to not be an asshole, an openness to learn new things and upskill, the ability to communicate your own personal needs (whether it’s in a group setting, at shows or professionally! Communication and knowing how to look after yourself in the industry are so important).
Why do you make music? What’s your great big ‘why’?
We couldn’t imagine ourselves doing anything else!
What’s something that you’re really excited about right now?
We’re really excited about upcoming shows and releases. We can’t wait to show people what we’ve been working on.
If we gained access to a few songs you have on repeat at the moment, what would we find?
Missing You – SG Lewis
Picture In My Mind – Pink Pantheress & Sam Gellaitry
All Made Up – Squidgenini
What’s something your fans don’t know about you, but you want to share with them?
We don’t take ourselves as seriously as people think we do. We’re so humble and fun and silly xD
What does Apple Music’s support through Up Next mean to you?
It means the absolute world to us! Apple Music has been so supportive of us since we released our very first EP and we couldn’t be more thankful. So wild!
Forest Claudette
Check out ‘Gone Without a Trace’ by Forest Claudette:
Forest Claudette’s artist page on Apple Music.
What is one thing that has helped keep you going during the global pandemic?
I think the answer has to be the idea that eventually I would release music. I’ve been waiting for this for a while, so for it to finally be happening is really wild. Aside from that I started skating again and got back into reading which has been really awesome.
Take us through how you developed your music style?
As a preface, I’ve been influenced by so so many different artists over my life and I think all of that plays a real part as a collective bank.
That being said – I’d say my style started rapidly developing coming out of high school. I started co-writing and was exposed to so many different approaches to production, as well as people from different musical backgrounds. It really opened everything up for me because up until then I’d pretty much been writing with a guitar by myself. I explored so much sonically for those first two years and I guess I still do, just with a bit more purpose now.
What do you see as your secret weapon when it comes to your music?
I would say my lyricism. It’s not a really a secret I don’t think, but I care about lyrics a lot. It’s gotten me stuck quite a few times but I love it when everything exists with purpose and meaning.
Tell us about your latest single; how it started, what it’s about, and anything else you’d like to share about it.
Hologram started with myself and Chris Hartz at his home studio back in 2019. I had been in LA for maybe a week and a half but I hadn’t finished many songs and I just wasn’t feeling very confident in my writing. So maybe a day or two before I had the session with Chris, I wrote that first phrase “none of this is real to me, this is just a hologram”. I brought it in and built everything from there. The meaning really plays off of these feelings of inferiority and a bit of imposter syndrome vibes I was stuck in. It also touches on the theme of waiting vs wasting time.
What are five attributes you think an artist needs to have in order to have career longevity in this music industry?
Ok so in no way do I feel qualified to answer this question hahaha. For me though I think about things like I want to keep learning. New instruments, new production, vocal techniques whatever. I also think about how to maintain my relationship with music and not get burned out, like sometimes taking a break from listening. Or only listening to new music or old stuff I know real well. And then lastly I think about what else I can do and for me that’s co-writing for others. I’ve only had a few opportunities to do that so far but I’m sure it’ll be apart of my future.
Why do you make music? What’s your great big ‘why’?
That’s an interesting question. It’s probably a bunch of reasons and wild cross section of how I was raised and what I was exposed to growing up musically – but I think all of that has resulted in music just being the only thing that really makes sense to me. Like I think about it all the time whether I want to or not. I think it’s probably the form of communication I feel most comfortable in.
What’s something that you’re really excited about right now?
For sure the EP coming out is huge but if I’m being honest I’m most excited to play some shows be able to interact with folks who are feeling the music.
If we gained access to a few songs you have on repeat at the moment, what would we find?
Ooh ok right now it would be “I love you more than you know” by bLAck pARty and Childish Gambino & the new Lava La Rue Ep “Hi-Fidelity”.
What’s something your fans don’t know about you, but you want to share with them?
So over the pandemic I discovered Bob Ross for the first time in my adult life and I got really into doing his paintings for a while. I’ll get back into it at some point I’m sure.
What does Apple Music’s support through Up Next mean to you?
It feels kind of cliche to say but this is everything you know? My dad is low-key an Apple fanatic so we grew up with only Apple computers and then eventually phones too hahaha. I remember when it was just iTunes for music and I would tell everyone to give me a gift card for my birthday or I’d beg my dad to buy me whatever Usher’s latest single was at the time. Their support means the world to me and I can’t thank everyone over there enough.
For more on this topic, follow the Indie Observer.
