Project Description
Interview with
DRMNGNOW
Interviewer – Dave Bruce
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Where did it all begin and how did you initially decide to make this music business your lifelong adventure?
I began playing guitar in 2005. I spent a bunch of years so in love with that instrument and dreaming of things such as becoming a travelling Blues Solo artist, or maybe even just maybe developing some other genre altogether. Over that time I would say I was very much a student though, studying alot of the masters of the craft , Eddie Hazel, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Jimmie Hendrix , Devendra Banhart, Ravi Shankar, Missisipi Fred Mcdowell. Over that span of time I spent alot of time on the road living out of car , tent, and similarly close to country places. Guitar was very much a central point of alot for me at that point. there was a deep sacredness in that for me, very deep. I Spent so many days sitting alongside so many beautiful body of water and similar places across this sacred land just vibing playing for hours. Stunning times. Committing to music as a serious professional thing really came up for me in 2015 after having played music for over ten years to that point. My first involvement in the Music community of Narrm/Birraranga was at the Evelyn hotel as part of a dope residency at the time led by my now dear brother Dominic Wagner aka Cazeaux Oslo. Alot of talent was involved in those nights and have gone on to do formidable things in the music world of this land since in the past 5 years now such as Socrates (Underground Hip Hop Royalty) Billie Davis , Claudia Jones, and a bunch of others . Was dope times , Funk /Soul Hip Hop Jams, and vibing to some of the dopest classics from 2pac, to De La Soul, De Angelo, Erykah, Roy Ayers, Funkadelic. truly classic times.
Which music did you grow up listening to? How did it influence you as a songwriter, and how does it influence your currently?
I grew up on a pretty heavy Dose of Hip Hop courtesy of my Big Brother. We grew up in Mooroopna on Kaieltheban land , Yorta Yorta Country which is part of the Shepparton Area. It is a rural centre 2 hours from Melb. We weren’t really blessed with a bunch of stuff out there musically, but my big bro Graham made sure that wouldn’t have to be the case. He hustled hard tracking down all kinds of great content . We were exposed to so much for example from 2pacalypse now , Illmatic, NWA, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest , Da Brat, Das Efx, Craig Mac, Jodeci,Slick Rick, , A bunch of Def Jam classics, and other random different compilation records that gave me and my littler brother as well a crazy dope diverse dose of things . I was always really intrigued by the ultra lyrical mysterious artists particularly i.e Killah Priest, Jeru tha Damaja , Afu Ra, Wu Tang, Deltron 3030, Last Emperor . At a young age I didn’t really know what drew me to these type of artists . Particularly a lot of NY underground artists of the time. The golden Era of hip hop is definitely deep inside me somewhere. It’s kind of hard to determine how that really influences me. I honestly feel more inspired by country/land , and smell of eucalyptus, smell of dust after rain, and things like that, the sandhills back home in the middle of redgum forests. But definitely Golden Era esoteric intricate lyricism is stuck amidst me somewhere in it all.
I think one thing a lot of these great lyricists did do was inspired my desire to go deeper into understanding the poetics of it all which lead me to becoming quite a literature fiend and intense student of literature to the point I was all into poetic study’s going back through hundreds of years of poetic literature. For a good while my sole artistic expression was poetry. Poetry is still super important to me and I know I will most definitely come back to it again in the future, which excites me.
I’m alos inspired by a lot of songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Gil Scott heron, Erykah Badu, truly great lyricists.
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How would you describe your sound?
My sound is Eucalyptus rustling in the over a hazy fog covered redgum forest, it is the dance of spirit attempting to shake of a dulled shell dipped in post apocalyptic smog, It is a land, seeding from plants thousands years old, just hoping and waiting soon to be utopia again, reclaimed by sovereign song that is the sun setting knowing that the journey is nearing completion. it is resolute, it is a Pulse of resilience that won’t let up, that is bigger than me, or anyone, it is sacred, and I am blessed to be in contact with it.
Why do you think people have resonated with your music so far?
I don’t know if this is accurate, but I do feel that the world is craving truth. The world is sick. And thus is society. We have been made so separate from truth that when we are struck with it we don’t even know what it is often anymore, but we know that it can have value even if we don’t even know how to convey it be the one to express it. Maybe for some this music expresses that which is just lingering on the surface. the truths that many want brought to light but can’t be the one to express it or are not enabled to do so, just yet.
What one of your songs is your overall favorite track to play, and what event that you have played is the standout as your most favorite and creative as a muso and performer?
I would say Ancestors, the feelings I have had performing this track have on a number of occasions been some of the most overwhelming feelings I have had in my life. It reminds me that this music is so so much more bigger than me and I am truly a mere vessel for this work. I truly feel that to the very fullest extent. Also performing Australia does not Exist and Indigenous Land to rooms full of peoples singing the lyrics especially First Nations peoples, wow. That’s truly what this music is about. Lighting people up with empowerment.
My favourite event to have performed at I would say is anything that is apart of something that has involved Custodians of an area inviting me to share on their land. So not necessarily on a stage even. I have been blessed to be invited into some pretty special spaces to do what I do with my music and share in spaces I would never have dreamed of. its truly surreal. I have stood in front of fire and been asked to share words and things like that , wow, I never thought music would land me in those types of spaces.
What new music do you have out at the moment? How does it differ from your earlier works?
I just released a song ‘Survive’ this year prior to Invasion day. It differs from previous work in that it is definitely a lot more upbeat and triumphant which was really important to me to do on this one. there are so many shades I eventually would love to share with peoples and this was one I had yet to which I feel really grateful to have now gone through. I am in amidst all, a very optimistic person in ways. We have a lot to celebrate in terms of Indigenous survival and what that can lead to in the future as bleak as the world is right now, I have so much hope for a stunningly wildly incredible Indigenous led future that we all could only ever dream of. Survive is a piece for me that is a piece for that time. My music is not necessarily written for the now but in ways written for what I imagine we might listen to in a world where Indigenous Sovereignty exists.
The Grampians Music Festival is coming up? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I truly look forward to sharing music on such a sacred area of land out at Gariwerd. What a blessing to be able to do so on such sacred land. People can expect a highly charged performance that I hope they carry with them for the rest of the year. 2020 is the year for remembering and sitting with that then committing action.
If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
In this moment Im going to say, Jimi Hendrix. I wouldn’t be playing music at all if it wasn’t for him. Basically All alone the Watch tower kind of saved me at point when I was young and vulnerable many moons ago.
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What’s next for you in the near future and what are your longer-term aspirations?
Finishing my debut album! I want to keep connecting to Audiences that are engaged with the messages of my work, I want to connect with those peoples as people. My music is ultimately about societal transformation. If you see me on a stage and like the music and want to build, I’m here to understand why and what we can do together to build the new world we all desperately need.
What is the best thing about performing to a live audience and how does performing at a festival differ from what you experience at a venue? Is it different or do you basically do the same things every time you perform?
Performing music live is a powerful spiritual experience for me. Sharing that experience with a group of first nations peoples and artists in their own right, my brother Paul Gorrie, Amy Dowd aka Bumpy, and Kee’ahn is just incredible to me.So much power on stage amongst them three alone. Every event is different for me. My music and how I deliver it is always about truly connecting with an audience and providing an exchange . I see each show as a legitimate journey and I love that about performing live. Festivals are particularly special particularly on land that is still in tact to some degree. We need to remember that these shows are happening on sacred land.Sacred sites of Indigenous nations much of the time. that is such a privilege and I am so grateful for that. it definitely takes over me sometimes in a very emotionally impacting way that is very otherworldly.
FAVOURITE:
Album – Outkast Aquemini/Common Like Water fro Chocolate/ Flying Lotus Los Angeles/ Thelma Plum Better in Blak
Artist – Flying Lotus/ John Coltrane , All Indigenous Artists
Movie – Charlies Country
Place to visit – Where Indigenous peoples have leadership
Venue to play –Anywhere on country, or In Fitzroy,which is where my ancestors first walked back into forming pathways for mob in so called contemporary Australia as part of the early civil rights movements of this country.
Food – Avocado/Native spices and herbs
Drink – Tea
Person in History – Nora Nicholls (great great grandmother)
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) A coolamon perhaps
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