Tempus Sun Owls Interview

Tempus Sun Owls Interview

Newcomers and last year's Bank of Melbourne -Melbourne Music Bank' winners, Tempus Sun have announced their debut single Owls, an unstoppable powerhouse that is built to embolden listeners and encourage them to discuss their struggles with others, out June 23. The accompanying clip encompasses this completely, making the journey through hardship to come out stronger on the other side. To celebrate, Tempus Sun will be launching the single with a show at The Toff on June 30.

Owls is just one of those songs; it hits you immediately, and doesn't leave you until long after it is finished. From the gentle acoustic opening, to the crescendo that roars into the final chorus, Tempus Sun have conceived a living, breathing entity, one which offers earnest guidance to the listener: 'Speak up, my friend, the time to be heard is now." Helping to interpret the colossal anthem, lead guitarist Ed Borromeo offers, 'Owls is about speaking up about our struggles. It's a tune relatable to anyone with troubles, be it in the past or ongoing. It was created with mental illness in mind and the intention of influencing people to just have a chat about it with someone. Coming from personal experience, something as simple as having a chat is very easy to disregard as helpful, or is easy to procrastinate on, but I found it to be the first step in combatting almost anything."

Side by side, the video and track work seamlessly, anchoring the message of Owls assuredly and elegantly. Directed by Edwin Tedjokusumo (Eskimo Joe), the clip boasts epic scenary and stunning underwater shots. Keys player and vocalist from the band Grant Hardisty reflects on the making of the clip, 'Our team has really gone to town in producing something visually beautiful, to match the depth and colour in the single. We had a ton of fun driving around the Yarra Valley and searching for filming locations and eventually settled on the beauty of Redwood Forest in Warburton. Combined with a couple of other locations, the story details the positive progression of mental health through the help of something as simple as speaking out."

Well-deserved winners of 2016's Melbourne Music Bank competition, Tempus Sun have gratefully reaped the rewards which have enabled them to propel their careers forward like they never could have imagined. Out of hundreds of entries and thousands of public votes, the group took out the top prize which included the EP recording and mixing process, press photos, publicity, radio plugging and much more. Grant enthuses, 'Winning Bank of Melbourne's Melbourne Music Bank was the most exhilarating experience of my life. We entered it on a whim, with an optimistic -why not?' attitude, but we never honestly considered that we'd be a shot. I remember the call so vividly, where I had to leave class to answer and hear the ridiculous news that we had made the Top 12. I replied to Laura on the phone, -are you kidding?' to which she said, -that would be a pretty sick joke'!"

The band are set to wow audiences with Owls and much more at their single launch show at The Toff in Town on June 30.

Tempus Sun is Andrew Wortes, Rya Park, Grant Hardisty, Ed Borromeo, Sean Close and Liam Purser.  

FRI JUNE 30 | THE TOFF IN TOWN, MELBOURNE | 18+

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Interview with Tempus Sun

Question: How would you describe your music?

Grant Hardisty: Our music is infectious, uplifting and lush; with a focus on warm vocal harmonies and emphatic melodies. We love the idea of dual lead-vocals and that is what you get with Rya and Andrew's powerful male and female unison lines that bloom into harmony. Our tunes ooze with energy and persuade you to dance in both a recorded and live setting.


Question: What was the main inspiration behind Owls (isten here)?

Grant Hardisty: The main guitar idea came to Ed mid-sleep and he woke up to record the idea and return to bed! From there we had heard of a songwriting competition, -Listen Up Australia' hosted by Ali Taylor and the charity The Official Top Ten Night, and the song was written to encapsulate the ideas of being heard and speaking up about struggles. Whilst it directly references mental health and the positive effect something as simple as chatting to a friend can have, the song is reflective of the struggles we all go through, whether big or small, and how a person's companionship can change the course of a life.


Question: Can you tell us about filming the clip for Owls (watch here)?

Grant Hardisty: We had a ton of fun sussing out locations for the music video, eventually settling on Redwood Forest in Warburton and also using Ed's pool for our underwater scenes. The scenery in the clip is absolutely stunning and helps to convey the emotion of the storyline, captured so beautiful by the dedicated Saiyon Phelan and Rowan Hills. We put them through some crazy conditions, the cold of the forest at all hours and the hypothermia of the water scenes – they were absolute troopers! The clip represents the lyric of the song, however not too literally, using some supernatural elements whilst providing another


Question: What was it like working with Edwin Tedjokusumo?

Grant Hardisty: Edwin is one of the most energetic people we've met, whose unwavering enthusiasm and passion is totally infectious! We shot at some pretty crazy hours and in some testing conditions, but he always had a smile and found something to have a laugh about. He is a creative genius and brought such a unique world of thinking to this clip. It details the progression of mental health from a state of negativity to hope and positivity, however not too literally. Using some supernatural elements, Edwin was able to add extra depth to the story of the lyric with some brilliant subtlety that gives more and more upon each watch. I'm still picking up more every time I view it.


Question: How did winning 2016's Melbourne Music Bank competition help your success?

Grant Hardisty: Winning Bank of Melbourne's -Melbourne Music Bank' competition last year has really thrown us into the heart of the industry in such a short period of time, catapulting us to a point it would have taken us years to reach on our own. It has put us in touch with some of the most wonderful mentors who have taught us so so much – things we would have never before considered. From the outside I think we may have glorified the industry a little, but now we are everyday realizing just how much hard work is involved and how it is never ending, there is always more to be done! We are constantly guided by our team, Emily Cheung and Fiona Peacock at On The Map PR, Frank Varrasso at Varrasso PR, producer Tom Larkin at Studios in the City, manager Matt O'Connor of The A&R Department and so many others who are pillars of the industry. It is a very tough industry as many aspiring artists discover, however these people have given us so much knowledge and their passion is astounding. We are truly grateful for their guidance and to call them friends.


Question: What should we expect from the upcoming single launch show at The Toff In Town on June 30th?
Grant Hardisty: We aspire to have our dual lead vocalists blow you away with their power and commitment - their unique blend being too captivating to peel your eyes away. At the forefront are our vocals and luscious harmonies, underpinned by colossal instrumental warmth that fills you to the brim with euphoria. We write and play feel-good music matched with an infectious live energy that will persuade you to move!


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Grant Hardisty: We absolutely do and that is at the heart of what we are about. The material originates from Rya Park, Andrew Wortes, Ed Borromeo and Grant Hardisty, teaming up in different combinations of pairs to produce different sounds and play to different strengths. This allows us to have variation in our tunes, but we then take the ideas into a full band setting and communally shape them to become the full works they are. Combined with our many differing musical backgrounds, this helps to create our individual sonic fingerprint that can be heard on our debut self-titled EP. We are inspired by so many things, but usually the feel of the instrumental idea dictates the lyrical content. From here, we simply write about whatever is consuming us at the time, or what simply needs to be written about as a point of emotional expression.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Grant Hardisty: We all have such varying musical backgrounds and listen to such an array of genres, but amongst us we love the works of Holy Holy, Sticky Fingers, Boy and Bear, Mumford and Sons, Of Monsters and Men and London Grammar amongst many others. They all have things we gravitate towards and draw upon in our own work; simplicity, commitment, explosive harmony, persuasive melody and emphatic power.


Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Grant Hardisty: Absolutely not. We are still so young, having been formed for under a year and so much has happened in that time – luckily mostly positive too. Of course there are tough times, disagreements, roadblocks and moments of negativity, but when one of us is struggling we bond together to pick each other up. Our songwriting sessions can sometimes get heated as we are so passionate but at the end of the day we leave as close friends and understand the reason of our frustration is a desire for perfection.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Grant Hardisty: Nothing can beat the buzz and energy of performing live and that is absolutely what we aim towards. We are so happy to have our self-titled debut EP ready to launch and are very much looking forward to showing that music to the world. In saying that, recording is a very fun process and so rewarding to see the end result of months and months of ideas and imaginings.

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

Grant Hardisty: I think the inspiration doesn't come from any one particular person or group but from simply a love and passion for music and the feeling it gives you when performing. I suppose writing is an expression and an outlet for all of us and the inspiration is sharing that with as many people as possible, hopefully the world one day! We'd love to play a sunset slot at a massive festival, I think there is a fair bit of inspiration in that, or supporting/playing alongside one of our heroes – Holy Holy or Boy and Bear!


Question: What's a typical day like?

Grant Hardisty: We are all university students at The Australian Institute of Music in Melbourne and so when we are not in class or studying, we are using the spare time perfecting our live performance in the practice room and writing and creating new material to push ourselves further. And answering emails. A lot of emails. There is a ton of admin now that needs doing, so we do spend a lot of time organizing gigs, doing all we can to get our music in the right places and… answering Q and A's!


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Grant Hardisty: It would have to be both playing live in some great venues, but also being in touch with some of the best contacts in the industry. It's amazing the work they all do, from publicity to production, and it has been mind-blowing in terms of how much it has taught us in a small space of time. And to hear of the people they have worked with really inspires us and gives us a huge amount of excitement in going forward into the music world!


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

Grant Hardisty: For me it would have to be Coldplay without a doubt. But I am the keys player, so I am a little biased, being swayed by their driving piano rhythms and melodies. They have been my biggest influence since day dot and my first song I learnt on piano and sung was -What If' off their album -X&Y'. I love their energy and simply how much they seem to love what they are doing – would blow my mind to collaborate with someone like them!


Question: What is the story behind the band's name?

Grant Hardisty: Ed was fueling his alcoholic tendencies as usual and found himself drinking a bottle of red, called Tempus Two. He loved the name idea and put his own twist on it to come up with the name Tempus Sun. It was just an idea at first but has now stuck. 'Tempus' also refers to tempo and time so it is very apt and we hope we can be enjoyed as copiously as a good red.


Interview by Brooke Hunter