Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The Great Escape Artist Preview :: SKIES




Continuing our Great Escape festival artist previews, today we take time out with SKIES.

Australian synth-pop three-piece from Adelaide - Dusty (Lee) Stephensen (vocals, guitar), Micah Cearns (keys), Michael Zabolocki (bass) - formed in 2014 when they
recorded and released their debut single 'Flames', which
saw them exceeding 30,000 plays on Soundcloud. Self-produced and using a mix of electronic and organic instrumentation to create their sound, SKIES layer striking synth melodies, harmonic vocals and mixed tempo beats, with the incorporation of live drums, percussion and analog synths. Lovely stuff.

1. First time at TGE?
Sure is, can’t wait.

2. Are you a seasoned Escaper as a punter, or a first-time newbie?'
We’re TGE virgins.

3. Will you be a Brighton day-tripper or staying for the whole event?
We will definitely soak up all the TGE vibes that our schedule allows us. A good few days will be spent there. Getting out and seeing as many bands as possible is my mission.

4. The highlight of your set will be...?
For us, playing a couple of new songs, we’ve re-vamped the set quite a bit leading up to this trip.

5. Where will we be likely to find you after your set: at the bar, on the beach, stuffing fish 'n' chips, or other?
If it's as cold over there as people tell me, I won’t be at the beach. Fish and chips, we have at home, so I won’t be rushing to try them. Although seeing as England is the original fish and chip nation and Australia’s mother city, I might have to try some for patriotic purposes. You’ll most likely find us at the bar drinking some sort of spiced rum and pondering life’s biggest problems, like who’s going to drive the hire car the next day when the hangovers kick in.



6. Aside from building sandcastles on the beach with your little bucket and spade, what else will you be up to in Brighton?
I think it will be a very music based trip. Soaking up as many vibes as possible and drawing inspiration from what we see. I think it will be a good source of lyrics for our next EP, actually. If there’s some local touristy stuff outside of TGE, that we absolutely have to do. I’m sure we’ll hear about it and get around it!

7. Who else playing at TGE are you hoping to see yourself, or would recommend others should put on their must see list?
I’m super proud of the Aussie line-up representing this year, so for any locals checking out the vibes I’d recommend seeing North East Party House, Horror My Friend, Gang Of Youths, Slum Sociable, City Calm Down, Safia, Grenadiers, Methyl Ethel… and many more. That list is ridiculous! As far as other international acts, the line-up on the website is so excessively huge that I’ve decided I’ll play it by ear when I get there. I’m sure we’ll stumble on some acts that will blow our minds.

8. Where and when can we catch you at the festival?
We're playing Thursday 19th at Komedia Studio Bar, 12:10pm and North Laine Brewery at 7pm.

9. Any tips for festival goers?
If it’s outdoors, don’t wear suede boots. Actually even if it's indoors, it’s just a terrible festival shoe choice! Don’t call out “play Wonderwall,” even if you’re actually watching Oasis. If you’re 6ft+ tall, don’t wear a fedora and stand in front of a group of short people. Most importantly, research the bands so you don’t miss something incredible.

10. Complete this sentence: "You must see us at The Great Escape because..."
Because we put everything we have into our live shows, and we translate our tracks and step it up from the records to give our audience the best visual and audio experience we possibly can. This includes playing different tracks that are unique to the live show, and not on the record. I don't want to say much ... but trust us when we say, it's worth the wait.

Track SKIES on FACEBOOK

The Great Escape takes place at various venues across Brighton between May 19 - 21. Click here for further information.


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