The Big Splash: The Final Countdown

The 2015 iteration of The Big Splash Band Competition is just about over!

Only two events remain: the Second Semi Final at the Rosemount Hotel this Friday, August 7, and the Grand Final at the same venue on Friday, August 14.

Shit Narnia and Psyched3elic Porn Crumpets have already made it through to the final fight, but out of semi-finalists The High Learys, Jacob Diamond, The Southwicks, FOAM and Figurehead, only two will survive to take their shot at the ten thousand dollar grand prize. We reached out to the combatants to see what their plans for the big splash of cash might be...

JACOB DIAMOND

What's your genre? Like an odd singer-songwritery-jazz-alt-folk meet 'n' greet that has heaps of party pies and a great vibe, but also the general feeling that the world is completely and utterly meaningless.

If you win, what do you plan to do with the money? I'm part way through recording my first album. I want it to be really great, which is, in my case, is becoming directly proportionate to cost? So this would really help me out with studio time and pressing. Not that I'm completely opposed to working full time till 2020 either, but this way is just totally glam.

FIGUREHEAD

Answered by Matt Murphy

What's your genre? To keep it simple we say indie pop/rock, though people have said they also hear bits of Britpop, dream pop and shoegaze.

If you win, what do you plan to do with money? Well much to our friends surprise we would not be splitting it four ways! Instead we would put this towards promoting the band and set up a development fund, enabling us to promote our debut EP, planned for release later this year. We have worked with some great people and used all our door money from gigs to record and produce the EP, so it would be great to be able to promote this with a well funded release campaign and that costs big money.

THE HIGH LEARYS

Answered by Jamie Turner

What's your genre? Psychedelic pop rock.

If you win, what do you plan to do with money? If we win the cheque we plan to invest in some recording equipment to set ourselves up to record our future tracks. The money would also be invested in a national tour towards the end of the year.

PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS

Answered by Jack McEwan

What’s your genre? An assortment of colourful time hoping grooves fused with sirenic psych rock

If you win, how do you plan to use the prize money? East coast tour, music videos, vinyl, merch, mastering our album & we’ll have about $47 left over which should cover the coopers carton.

THE SOUTHWICKS

Answered by Hannah Fredriksson

What's your genre? Indie/folk.

If you win, how do you plan to use the prize money? If we win we'll use the prize money to start work on recording a new EP, and maybe even do a national tour.

SHIT NARNIA

Answered by Albert Louis Brittan Pritchard

What's your genre? We've been described as "shitty, unintelligible gutter-punk" which is true at times but we also dabble in post-hardcore, math rock and alt rock. We try to change it up between punk bangers and longer, moodier songs.

If you win, how do you plan to use the prize money? Geez, $10,000 dollars would go a very, very long way. We would finish off the next EP if that needed more dough but mainly we would put it towards putting that EP out and touring the eastern states. 

Originally published in X-Press Magazine