The Western Trend Festival (WTF) happens on Saturday, March 14, at Canefire Gardens in the Swan Valley. September Sun are stepping up.
The Western Trend Festival is a new start-up event for Perth live original music. Given the recent discussion re venues how important do you think this event could be?
In our eyes, the Western Trend Festival is shaping up to be what could very well be the future of live music in Perth. Given the recent closing down of The Bakery and Deville’s Pad, you start to wonder what sort of effect that is going to have for local musicians. You could say, the city is somewhat being sucked dry of its live music culture.
A music festival setup such as the WTF is a great opportunity for young, up and coming bands to come together, and collectively show case their talents to a large crowd in a professional setting. Festival set-ups allows for exposure to greater numbers at once, which is essential for any up and coming band to get noticed in the public eye, but also for local sponsors, such as Canefire, to promote their products to a new market.
It also brings to light the importance of supporting live music and venues, it’s great to see a promoter putting on such an event to benefit the local music industry.
Have you as a band had much in the way of outdoor/festival experiences?
September Sun have not had the benefit of playing an outdoor festival as of yet, but look forward to being involved with WTF and future outdoor music festivals. We’re most excited about performing to a festival crowd, as we can introduce our music to people from all sorts of musical backgrounds in a fresh atmosphere.
Describe the evolution of your band, how it was at the start and what it is and is becoming…
Producing a sound that creatively expresses maturity, emotion, and compassion is what September Sun stand for. It all started back in 2011, when cousins Grant Turner (guitar), and Brett Norman (drums), were done kidding around with unmotivated and untrustworthy band members, and set to put together a band that they could be proud of, taking a more holistic and stern approach to producing music. 2012 saw the joining of vocals from Pete Knott, who brought a harmonious edge the band was looking for, and adapted a new sense of songwriting. Later joined by Andrew Cipriano on the bass guitar and Peter Helfgott on guitar and keys the band has goals in site, and a clear mind of where they would like to go in the music industry.
In the four years that the band has been together, we have continued to write and perform across many venues in the metropolitan area, as well as several regional shows. 2014, saw the release of the debut single titled, Solace, launched at Amplifier Bar, and written and recorded using West Australian producers, and facilities. The aim was to introduce their music to a wider audience to gather interest, which would be used to spawn the creation of their debut EP. This was followed closely with a music video for the track which produced a great online response via YouTube and Facebook.
2015 see’s September Sun transition into a more matured sound with exuding confidence. That confidence becoming very apparent in their live performances, which has seen the band captivate and engage crowds across WA. The evolutionary process of the band has seen them step away from the heavier factor, and step into more of an experimental rock/pop/alternative vibe, which we are crafting with care incorporating many influences and styles with a taste of the new, and a hint of the old. September Sun is, and will always continue to evolve, as the members continue to do what they are all most passionate about; making music.
What’s your gameplan for the rest of the year?
2015 brings a strong focus on writing and collaborating of ideas. We continue to develop existing and newly formed tracks in order to formulate their debut EP later this year. We plan to release and launch a new single mid-year in the lead up to the release of the EP alongside a new music video. As we step into 2016, we plan to take our music further, with regional and national tours on the cards.
