Enerate Transit Lounge Interview

Good Times Airlines

In a first for Australia, and quite possibly the world, colourful Sydney indie video poppers Enerate, have today announced they will be releasing their anticipated debut full-length as an interactive visual album - an app containing interactive music videos for each and every song. Titled Good Times Airlines and featuring recent single Half Asleep, the interactive album will be available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The music will be available on all the usual platforms, but there is no doubt the most immersive and exciting way to consume this album is through the Enerate app. Out on November 16, the album and app release coinsides with the release of their new single Transit Lounge.

Transit Lounge is the perfect name for this track; the most accurate title for the midway between moving on and dwelling on hard times. Everything feels softer here – synths aren't razor sharp where they might normally be, and the percussion is driving, determined, but understated. Subtlety is key, and Enerate are masters of it. There's a taste of synth-pop auteurs Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Alpine, but the resounding effect of Transit Lounge is entirely unique. Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, singer and synth Therese Watson says, 'It's about the want and the willingness to go and do something new, but you know it kind of frightens you, you know that you're a bit inhibited. But, you understand those feelings and you just kind of go for it anyway."

The clip for Transit Lounge is appropriately transient. The viewer follows a young boy who begins his journey in a light-filled airport and continues through a number of different worlds; a city street, a prehistoric land, indetermined time and space. It's simple, but meditative and effective. In the app, the viewer chooses where the boy explores – again, a modest touch, but one that works perfectly alongside the song. Describing the video, lead singer and producer Josh Graham reflects, 'We see this young boy walk through an airport terminal, and this is his reality. While the viewer watches him, they can swipe left or right, and take him into different worlds. These are his dream worlds. It's like we can see inside his daydream, imagining who and where he wants to be in his future. This ties into the -Be who/what you want to be, just go for it' messaging of the song. The worlds get pretty surreal at some points too."

Enerate's debut album Good Times Airlines is an extremely considered release, absolutely soaked in fun and interactivity. The app and all the videos it encompasses were directed and masterminded by Josh Graham. Their previous single Half Asleep shines amongst Transit Lounge and the sparkling Unstoppable. Each song has a video, and each video has an integrated interactive feature, whether it be a game, or another way to personalise the content. As Josh explains, 'Art is becoming more multidisciplinary, and music is becoming more visual. The album is as much video as it is music. This is not a marketing tool for the album - this is the album! We wanted to make a physical release, that you can touch, feel, effect.. that was multi sensory and completely digital… we tried to one-up Beyonce haha! She did a video album, so we thought -let's do an interactive video album'!"

Enerate is made up of Josh Graham, Therese Watson, Matt Niciak and Ben Fitzpatrick. New single Transit Lounge and debut LP and interactive Enerate App Good Times Airlines will be available on November 16.

Stream: TRANSIT LOUNGE            
Watch: App Teaser               
Watch: TRANSIT LOUNGE                             
Stream: GOOD TIMES AIRLINES

 

Interview with Josh Graham

Question: How would you describe Enerate's music?

Josh Graham: Delightful colourful video pop.

Question: What inspired Transit Lounge?

Josh Graham: Transit Lounge is a song about feeling stuck between two places, metaphorically. But it's a positive twist on that. It's that moment of realization, when you're like, I'm ready to move on, I'm ready to chase something new. It kind of frightens you, you know that you're a bit inhibited. But, you understand those feelings and you just kind of go for it anyway.


Question: Can you tell us about filming the video for Transit Lounge?

Josh Graham: Therese saw this little kid dancing in Hyde Park whilst listening to an early demo of Transit. It just fit to the music so perfectly, so we found a kid who could rock it and filmed him in front of a green screen. At the same time we came up with the concept for the interactive visual album. So we made it so you could transport this kid into many different worlds. These worlds represent his imagination and hopes and dreams which tie in to the be who/what you want to be message of the song. Go forth and be you.


Question: What can we expect from the upcoming album, Good Times Airlines?

Josh Graham: A vibrant, colourful interactive experience! The album centers around themes of change, growth and distance, but it's wrapped up in a happy little package. I guess it's pretty uplifting. This lighthearted feeling carries across to the videos as well. It's a little genre bending, but it mostly sits in the realms of synth pop. We all love pop music and it shows in the music!


Question: How is Good Times Airlines an interactive visual album?

Josh Graham: Our debut album Good Times Airlines is released as an app for your phone. It contains interactive music videos for every song on the record. For example. One has a video game you can play to take you to the next part of the video. In Home you can change our age in real time. And in It's Ok you can follow interwoven storylines through multiple security cameras. It's released as the interactive video album on the app, but it's also available on all the usual streaming services.


Why did you decide to create an interactive visual album?

Josh Graham: We were really just trying to make some fun multisensory art. It's 2017, and pretty much everything you can think of is possible in storytelling. Music videos are my favourite storytelling medium, and I've always had an interest in interactive tech. Inspired by some of the likes of Arcade Fire, Gorillaz and even Beyoncé. We wanted to create a completely new format for an album. Every song has an immersive video, and the album is packaged up as an app. It's the idea of making the album tangible again. It's purely digital, but you can hold it, touch it, affect it. As far as we know we're the first to do it quite like this.

Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Josh Graham: We love playing Transit Lounge at the moment! It's just such a big tune! I personally like it because I get to play electric guitar and bust out with a bit of a big 80's solo. So that is always fun!


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend your show, who would it be?

Josh Graham: Hmm, I'm going to say, one of my all time inspirations.. Damon Albarn. I've been obsessed with Gorillaz forever, and Blur before that. As a songwriter he is a massive influence on me. I would love to perform for him. So many of our digital ideas would.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Josh Graham: That's such a great question! So tricky to pick one! They are my two favourite things to do. I kind of see them as one. It's like you write the song, record it, that's the first half of the process, and then it's not entirely finished until you go and perform it live. It's amazing thinking from that initial idea in the studio, and seeing it translate to how it effects an audience at a show.


Question: What is the story behind the name, Enerate?

Josh Graham: I came up with it many years ago in high school in the Blue Mountains. I was attracted to the beauty of a word, that actually wasn't a word… that sounded like a word! Haha! We like leaving the meaning open, so every listener can apply whatever meaning they want to it. Like a lot of things we do, it's dynamic and transformative. It's a new word, that can mean anything you want it to. That's how we look at it anyway.


Question: How did the band come together?
Josh Graham: Enerate started as a solo project for me, growing up in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, west of Sydney, Australia. I was playing in a few fast punk bands, and heavier rock bands, and there was just this whole other side to my palette of music that I wasn't getting to explore. So I took some time, learnt how to record and produce music, and it turned into the kind of sounds you hear in our record today. When I moved to Sydney I got Matty Niciak on bass guitar. I sort of knew him through mutual friends, but not well. We got together and really clicked. Therese was also a friend of a friend. We used to hang out and listen to music for hours, and that's how our friendship started, and she just had to be a part of the band. Ben we actually met by putting an ad out for a drummer in the Drum Media!!! Haha! I can't believe it! In actual print media street press (when it was large format) We had one jam with him and it was like we had been friends for years. At the core of it, we're just a group of good friends, who happen to make music together.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Josh Graham: Whatever's going on in my life at the time, and also the constant goal I give myself of trying to carve the perfect pop song. Every time I write a new song I learn new things, but I'm constantly chasing that perfect song. It's never the same process twice. I just love the challenge of pop music. Writing music that will make people move, or sing along, or put a spring in their step at exactly the right time. I love it. It's my favourite thing to do.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Josh Graham: The Babe Rainbow, POND, the new Jonti record, Julien Mier, Winston Surfshirt, Oliver Tank, Always lots of Connan Mockasin, The new MGMT, Bowie, Yeezy, The Beatles, Francis and the Lights, DEVO, Tyler the Creator, Phil Collins, Calvin Harris.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Josh Graham: My dad was always playing guitar around the house growing up. I remember playing piano with my mum as well. There was always music on. We were always drumming on the table. Listening to music loud. And it didn't stop from there! My uncle, Matt Tonks was always playing in bands and I remember being super inspired by him as well. I remember the night before going to see a gig he was playing, I was about 5 years old, and I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I knew around that time that I wanted to make music forever.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Josh Graham: Oh I've always wanted to collaborate with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett on Gorillaz. Both musically and visually. I feel like that project has just been such a huge influence on how I see music. Just the fact that they just did pop music in a different way. They were a massive inspiration for this record. I feel like technology is not a limitation any more. If you can dream it, you can make it. Like we did with the interactive visual album. And Damon and Jamie are creatively just out of this world. I think we could do some amazing things! I'll make a call! Haha!


Good Times Airlines is out now for iOS and Android. You can download the app free at www.enerate.com.au/app/ or search -Enerate' in app stores.


Interview by Brooke Hunter