Project Description

Interview with

SCOUT and OLIVE

from

EGOISM

Interviewer – Vicky Hebbs

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Sydney-based Dream Pop duo, EGOISM released their third single, “What Are We Doing?” on the 9th August 2019. Through bittersweet lyrics, always-sweet harmonies, and a massive chorus, Scout Eastment and Olive Rush navigate growing up together, making peace through admitting imperfections, and taking things as they come.

EGOISM formed from the teenage connection of Scout Eastment and Olive Rush when their heated discussions about music became a drive to create something together. Introspective lyrics, pristine pop melodies, and Shoegaze-influenced guitar textures quickly became the duo’s distinctive sound as they cut their teeth in Sydney’s thriving inner-west scene playing house parties and local venues. In 2018, after years of packed DIY gigs and home recordings, EGOISM released their debut single “Sorry”. The sparkling and driving indie pop anti-gaslighting anthem landed the duo their first Triple j plays as well as high rotation on triple j Unearthed and Sydney’s FBi Radio.

After steadily gaining a reputation supporting bands such as Last Dinosaurs, I Know Leopard and Phantastic Ferniture, EGOISM began 2019 with their unmistakably assured follow up single “Enemies”.  Self-recorded and produced in a single bedroom, “Enemies” is lush, catchy guitar pop at its best and an ode to existential dread and isolation. The single was quickly added to triple j rotation and garnered an ‘Independent Artist of the Week’ accolade from FBi radio. 

What’s been said about previous singles –

“I like it when the guitars make me feel woozy. Sign of some top-notch shoegaze.” – Gemma Pike (Triple j)

“I had already left a review for this but i’ve deleted it because I had to go back and give it 5 stars. I love this song.” – Max Quinn (Triple j)

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When did making music become a serious concern for you? Have you always wanted to be a musician?
Scout: Well when I was a kid my life goal was to be a singer. But in an adult way, I’m gonna say it’s been a slow progression towards allowing myself to really believe that I am ‘good enough’ to be a serious musician and really put the work into it. I’m gonna say this last year is when I’ve decided I need to put my all into it.
Olive: I pretty much decided at 13 that I wanted to be a musician and I started teaching myself guitar, but it was only at around 17 that I really started writing songs and getting involved in the local scene.

What makes your sound unique? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
Scout: I don’t hear many bands with two lead singers who have such different voices. Last year we really embraced it and I think it’s a really unique quality.
Olive: Not a huge amount of aus artists are making like “dreamy emo pop” haha, I’m pretty proud of it.

How did you meet and decide to form a band?
Scout was already making music with another friend in high school who invited her to a 9 people ukulele group that Olive had organised. Soon it was just us 2 left and we started playing guitar instead.

Who are your music idols?
Scout: I’m gonna say when I was a kid it was Missy Higgins and Nirvana who made me wanna play guitar and sing. Recently I’ve been super inspired by lots of local bands and musicians. We’ve seen them blown up after they’ve put in the work and start to really make great music.
Olive: Elliott Smith is huge for me, just from a songwriting perspective. I also love the 1975 and the sheer amount of personality they project through their music, it really feels like the absolute peak of fan interaction haha.

“What Are We Doing?” is your new single, out now! What inspired you to write the song?
Olive: I just wrote it about the sheer terror of being young! Everything can feel like the wrong decision and it’s overwhelming, but there’s like a real comfort to realising that absolutely everyone feels like that in their 20s.

What has the reception to the single been like so far?
Scout: kinda overwhelming, especially being the unearthed feature artist and going into the studio were the Like A Version videos were filmed!
Olive: Soooo manyyyy emailssssss. Plus a lotta people at my work telling me they heard it on the radio and recognised my voice hahahaa.

Are you touring at all this year?
We’re playing Bigsound in Brisbane in the first week of September! Then we’ll coming round to the other states later.

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Can we expect even more new EGOISM music in the near future? Perhaps an EP…?
We are sworn to secrecy hehe.

If you could record a track with any artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
Pretty happy just recording with eachother to be honest haha.

Where do you see yourselves in two years time?
Hopefully, alive and making better music.

Do you have any longer-term goals or aspirations for your music career?
We wanna make an album, go international, take over the world, all that jazz.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience?
Seeing and hearing people sing our songs back to us, no greater feeling haha.

What’s been the career highlight so far?
Olive: I still think the highlight is everytime we write a new song and feel that excitement… 

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album –
Olive: Impossible to say, I like the new Clairo album tho
Scout: idk depends on my mood. But same as Olive, this week it’s been Clairo

Artist –
Olive: Also impossible to say, been listening to heaps of Darcy Baylis this year though
Scout: all time favourite I’ll say Radiohead 

Movie –
Olive: A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Scout: School of Rock lol

Place to visit –
Olive: Würzburg
Scout: so far I’m gonna say the rainforests I’ve been to in the NT and Nth QLD

Venue to play –
Olive: Any venue with like a 20 person capacity
Scout: Lansdowne 

Food –
Olive: Banh Mi, never let me down
Scout: Aunty Cheryl’s hazelnut tort

Drink –
Olive: Water obviously
Scout: fresh pineapple juice

Person in History –
Olive: Some happy Neanderthal living their best life
Scout: Sophie Scholl (had an undercut in the 1940s and stood up to the Nazis)

Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?)
Olive: The face tat I’m yet to get
Scout: The flower pattern on my arm (my only tattoo haha)

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Check out EGOISM below
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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AMNPLIFY – DB