Sound as Ever is an Australian Music Vault podcast series produced by young content producers and radio makers from RMIT University interested in exploring stories and issues in the Australian music scene. The six episodes of Season 2 were produced by Music Industry students in collaboration with Journalism and Digital Media students, and focus on one Australian song per episode.
The Sound as Ever logo was designed by Hannah DeBuhr.
These podcasts contain language which may offend some listeners.
Episode 1 - The Presets: My PeopleDance music with a social conscience
Music Industry: Jack Cross, Ethan Bryant & Jameson Clarke
Journalism: Spencer Fowler Steen, Edward McLeish, Steven Otani
Digital Media: Angelina Crutchfield
This episode of Sound as Ever explores why My People by The Presets represents a watershed moment for Australian electronic music. The song was extremely successful on the charts and had a large crossover appeal, impacting the Australian music scene heavily and delivering a strong message to the world.
Episode 2 - Peter Allen: I Still Call Australia Home
An Iconic Australian Song
Music Industry: Maree Pearson, Brontë Pitcher and Madeline Kerns
Journalism: Stephen Jauw Waludin, Annie-Mei Forster and Rio Davis
Digital Media: D.A. Calf
This episode of Sound as Ever explores the elements that contributed to the long-lasting legacy of the iconic Australian song I Still Call Australia Home by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen. The song is discussed in terms of its impact and influence on the Australian culture and the idea of national identity.
Episode 3 - Hexdebt: Bitch Rising
A New Wave of Feminism in Australian Punk
Music Industry: Kingsley Siejka, Adrienne Arnot-Bradshaw and Hayden Ryan
Journalism: Catie McLeod, Jonti Ridley and Madi Chwasta
Digital Media: D.A Calf
This episode of Sound as Ever explores the song Bitch Rising by Hexdebt, a Melbourne-based intersectional feminist/non-binary punk band signed to Poison City Records. In contextualising Hexdebt in the Melbourne/Australian music scene, we’ll explore how the music scene is changing in terms of inclusivity, and how the conversation around gender and neurodiversity has shifted over the years.
Episode 4 – Regurgitator: If this is the Blues, Why do I Feel so Green?
The Band in a Bubble
Music Industry: Jasper Bradley, Dan Walkeden and Juan Piflow
Journalism: Katie Colston, Linda Liem and Hussan Jama
Digital Media: D.A. Calf Framed by this iconic Regurgitator song, this episode of Sound As Ever explores the creative merit, failures and ultimate succeses of the Band in a Bubble project, an experimental project that was a blend of reality TV and interactive media that resulted in Regurgitator’s studio album Mish Mash!, released in 2004. Whilst a typical blues-rock song at its core, contextualised within the album and reflected against their other works, this song epitomises the genre-defying, innovative and often characteristically unique characteristics of the unorthodox musical group.
Episode 5 – 30/70: Nu Spring
The Creation of new music scenes
Music Industry: Henry Lucas, Philippa Conlon, Zak Boardman & Lucy White
Journalism: Rhiannon Down, Samuel Richards and Hamish Lindsay
Digital Media: Israel Carter This podcast explores the genre-bending world of Melbourne’s jazz/rap/soul/hip hop fusion scene, specifically its innately free and collaborative nature as displayed by the 30/70 collective and their song Nu Spring. Genre-defying music defined because of its community rather than solely the final product has paved the way for innovative acts and fresh scenes to find their way into the public eye.
Episode 6 – Sampa The Great: Black Girl Magik
Exploring stories from new voices in Australian Hip Hop
Music Industry: Gabriel Gleeson, Stephanie Rickards, Rielly Haberecht & Jake KerrJournalism: Mariam Isa, Carla de la Paz, Ashna Bharkhada
Digital Media: Angelina Crutchfield This episode of Sound as Ever began with a focus on the themes of identity and belonging, using Zambian born artist Sampa the Great’s track Black Girl Magik, which draws attention to a lack of non-Anglo representation in the culture of her new home of Australia. The story became one of immigration and cultural representation, with a window to the music and stories of African-Australian artists. We highlight the changing direction of domestic hip hop while celebrating a wave of new talent garnering major label attention.
