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Born Joy Dead is the new project of Brisbane musician Ben Dalton, best known as the bassist for Hungry Kids of Hungary. After the national sensation that was HKoH split in November 2013, Dalton put on a frontman/songwriter’s hat and formed the new band, cultivating a sound that runs “a little bit more experimental” and that has less of a classic guitar-pop slant, focusing on grittier but equally as catchy riffs and innovative song structures. Clearly it’s paying off, with all three singles that Born Joy Dead have released since forming last year having received triple j airplay and widespread praise. The newest addition, Stones In My Shoe, is also the namesake for the band’s debut EP, which launched in Brisbane on May 8th and launches in Melbourne 16th. Ahead of the Melbourne launch, Ben Dalton took the time to answer our Savvy Seven questions…
The best live music venues in my area are…
Wow, there are almost too many to choose from nowadays in Brisbane. My two favourites would be the Triffid in Newstead and the Brightside in the Valley. This is purely based on the high quality of their beer gardens and attached eateries.
The music scene in my hometown is…
Exploding in a way… So many artists are emerging from around these parts and they’re all releasing quality music. The Brisbane music scene is also quite diverse and it’s not uncommon to share members of bands or have friends fill in or lend gear in an emergency. Brisbane muso’s are a helpful bunch.
My top business tip for new artists is…
Buy low and sell high? I’m still working on the business side of things myself as we’re only in our 11th month of Bandship. I think it is important to watch how much you spend on recording, car hire, promo etc… If you do a bit of leg work and ask around you’ll always find someone willing to help you out. Concentrate mainly on writing a shit load of good music. I think that is still the most important business tip for any artist.
In my opinion, the most important issue facing the music industry is…
It would be easy to say sales but then again I don’t have any solutions to offer. It is more important for the music industry to stay ahead of the curve and create solutions and work with the music community itself (independent artists, labels etc…). It’s hard for everybody at the moment. Fortunately, there already seems to be a lot of people with great ideas to offer on the subject. As long as the industry remains open and helpful to those of us that are independent then I’m sure it will continue to flourish.
When on the road, my favourite pit stops are…
Good cafes! Oh and cheesy tourist attractions are a lot of fun.
My biggest career mistake has been…
It would definitely be eating too much garbage on the road. It’s important to eat properly and keep your energy levels up; as peaceful sleep is a rarity in any musician’s life and a lack of sleep and energy can lead to many regrets. Whether it’s drinking too much or yelling at a stranger on a crowded flight, eating right and feeling rested is super necessary.
My best advice for emerging artists is…
Keep on truckin’. If you really want to do this then keep it up and try your hardest to explore the depths of your talent. If it doesn’t work out, then try harder and give it another shot. Also, get out and talk to people and make connections.
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Listen to Born Joy Dead’s Stones In My Shoe EP in full here.
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