Project Description
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Interview with
GERMEIN
(January 2021)
Interviewer – Vicky Hebbs
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When did you start making music as GERMEIN? Have you always performed music together as sisters?
As sisters, we have always been playing together for as long as we can remember – it was always such a big part of our lives growing up. Under GERMEIN we have been making music together since 2018 with the release of our single ‘Talking’.
What was it like growing up in your household – what kind of music did you grow up listening to, and how has that shaped you all and the music you produce today?
Growing up together was loud and lots of fun. Living on a bushland property there was a lot of space an no neighbors close by so we could make as much noise as we wanted. There was always music playing like Ella Fitzgerald, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, BB King, Fleetwood Mac – and singalongs around the piano would bring us together as a family. Our Dad played trumpet in a local New Orleans style Rhythm & Blues band, and we especially loved going to his gigs. We’re all self-taught on the instruments we mostly play today, which I think comes down to enjoying the freedom of being creative & learning by doing. All of this has definitely influenced our approach to making music today.
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Your ‘Sister Sessions’ series was originally posted on Instagram and Youtube. How did they inspire you to go on to make collaborative covers?
The Sister Sessions came about during the early stages of COVID and all our gigs and tours had been cancelled. It was a way for us to connect with our fans and collaborate with other artists who were all experiencing lockdowns, and bring everyone some music in these tough times.
Where can we go to listen to your latest Sister Sessions?
We have a Spotify Playlist of all the sessions below. Otherwise you can listen to all the tracks on your favourite streaming services via our website www.germeinsisters.com
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You have collaborated with many international artists, including some big names! Can you tell us which musicians you collaborated with, and how you decided who you’d love to work with?
On the Sister Sessions series we’ve loved collaborating with artists we’ve met over the years including Rachael Fahim (AU), Zeek Power (AU), Dennis Mansfeld (Spain) Chloe Elliot (UK), HUX (UK), Chloe Leigh (UK), CAii (UK), Mikhail Laxton (Canada), & Marshall Williams (Canada). In regards to touring, we’ve been grateful to open for artists including Little Mix, Jess Glynne, Phil Collins, and Ronan Keating. There’s been a number of artists who have reached out to be part of the series, and we have more coming for you in 2021!
Have you found it more difficult to record music in 2020? In what ways have you had to adapt your creative process this year?
We have been touring almost nonstop for the past few years, and so having to remain grounded this year was quite strange for us! But on the plus side we’ve enjoyed being able to spend a lot of this time wholly focusing recording and working on new material, without the distraction of being on the road.
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How did you decide which covers you wanted to record? Did you all immediately agree on your song choices?
Usually we chat with the artist to see if they have any favourite songs they’d be keen to work on, and then go from there. If there’s any disagreement re. song choices it’s usually between the 3x of us haha, but being siblings we’re pretty good at being open with each other and eventually making a decision that everyone is reasonably happy with!
Is there a cover you can share with us that you were particularly excited to record? Or perhaps a cover that you were especially proud of?
Honestly we love all of these covers and the vibe each artist brings to the tracks. We hope everyone enjoys listening to them as much as we enjoyed recording them!
What is next for you in 2020? Do you have any upcoming gigs planned?
We re-booked all of our 2020 gigs for 2021 (Australia, UK & Europe), so fingers crossed these will all be able to go ahead. Either way we are excited to be releasing new music, as well as continuing collaborating with artists through the Sister Sessions series. Stay tuned!
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Check out GERMEIN below
Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter
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About GERMEIN
Australian sister band GERMEIN – Georgia, Ella, & Clara Germein – grew up jamming together on their family farm in Adelaide. Raised on the records of B.B. KING, VAN MORRISON, & CAT STEVENS – their Dad played trumpet in a New Orleans rhythm & blues band, sparking the girls love for loud, feel good music they could dance to.
The sisters spent a majority of their childhood outside exploring their family’s bushland property, looking after animals, as well putting on little concerts for their parents, grandparents, and friends when they’d come visit. The trio enjoyed busking together on the main street of their local town – Georgia on violin, Ella on cello, and Clara on piano or saxophone – while their younger brother handed out bunches of lavender to passers-by, and later on joined them on the trumpet.
Georgia, a gifted songwriter, won her first of seven Young Composers Awards at the age of eleven. In high school, as her calibre of songs increased, she sought after creating a band to tour her songs. She taught herself the guitar, while Ella taught herself the bass, and as nobody played the drums yet – Clara – who was working as a surfing instructor at the time, taught herself the drums.
Inspired by the harmonies of bands like QUEEN and FLEETWOOD MAC, the trio began playing local venues and crafting their own unique brand of indie pop. Taking the lead from strong female artists including HAIM, CHVRCHES, and TEGAN & SARA their energetic and charismatic live show started turning heads.
Germein recorded their debut single ‘Talking’ in their home studio, produced by Georgia Germein. The song was launched on Triple J Home and Hosed, and went on to enjoy airplay on both Triple J and the Hit Network across Australia.
“The energy put into this song has paid off – with style, plenty of sass, edgy guitars, & a soaring chorus shows off a range of influences. Their tight harmonies show off how perfectly their voices work together & prove that they have musical finesse to be reckoned with” Line of Best Fit (UK)
‘Talking’ touches on the importance of speaking up in times of conflict, and has been described by UK Press as having “an almost therapeutic value” to it. Georgia describes her songwriting process as “a way of expressing my emotions, by getting the feelings I have out of me and onto paper and into music. It’s always been a very freeing experience.”
Since the release of ‘Talking’, Germein have enjoyed playing to a range of audiences from small clubs to crowds of up to 35,000 people. They won Most Popular Pop Artist in the 2019 South Australian Music Awards.
Throughout their career they continue to be supporters of charities including Sea Shepherd, Animals Asia, and Australian mental health program Headspace; with Georgia having also written songs for the Red Cross and World Vision Australia, and cared for orphaned kangaroo joeys through Fauna Rescue South Australia. As part of the recent bushfires in Australia, the girls hosted a Bushfire Benefit Concert at their hometown show on March 1st raising funds for the South Australian Country Fire Service and Fauna Rescue SA.
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Info HERE
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