INTERVIEW: Dusty On Their Debut EP ‘Glitter’
Interview by Ciaran ‘Nixy’ Nix
Dusty are the newest band from Meanjin stamping their unique style on the music scene. They’re focused, extremely fashionable and full of energy. If you haven’t caught Dusty live yet, the release of their debut EP ‘Glitter’ will be the perfect opportunity.
Spending the last year and a half on the road and in the studio, sharpening their teeth and trying out a variety of styles, this project will be the culmination of all their hard work, and we’ll most definitely be there to reap the rewards of their musical discoveries.
We caught up with Annie Newcombe for the backstory on the journey behind ‘Glitter’ and where they’re going from here?
Hello Dusty! I had the pleasure of meeting you guys at the Big Weekend in Coolum earlier this year and I was absolutely blown away by your performance. How are you all feeling today?
Hey Ciaran, thank you so much! We are feeling so awesome! We have been working on this EP for a really long time and to be able to listen through on Spotify feels so surreal. We are so so proud of this body of work, especially the visuals we have create to match.
You’ve been building up a lot of momentum in the past year playing lots of live gigs and establishing your name as staples of the Brisbane music scene, why was now the right time to release your debut EP?
Before Annie asked Harley, Willow and Tannum to join Dusty, Annie and our manager Jade had been working together. They made a 1.5-year plan in February of 2021. The EP was the final goal for the 1.5 year plan, so everything we have done leading up to this has been with the EP and Debut Headline show in mind.
What have some of the most memorable moments and character building experiences of the past year been for Dusty?
Our hands down best Dusty memory was The Big Weekend Festival in April this year. This was our second tour and we had the absolute time of our lives. We met the most incredible people and made life long friends with the bands we toured with!
We played Spaced Out Festival recently and had the most amazing time! We have really been focusing on levelling up our live show lately, so every show we play is an opportunity to try new things!
There seems to be a recurring theme across the EP of taking shitty situations and feelings and embracing them. What’s the importance of having a creative outlet in life and when do you guys feel most inspired to make music?
Having a creative outlet is everything to me! I have recently realised how the visuals we create to match the music are as important as the songs themselves to me. I have so much fun planning outfits and dacam videos. I think this is what really inspires me to create music. When I start writing I can really visualise the whole scene and story that I want to tell.
In what ways did your sound develop while making this EP which you weren’t expecting?
I think the most unexpected part of the EP’s sound is how the songs are all so different but work so well together. I was a little concerned Easier wouldn’t completely fit the EP. When I listened to the whole body of work for the first time, I knew that Easier needed to be there. It felt really full circle, as I released the solo version of ‘Easier’ before Dusty was officially a band.
A lot of your tracks travel through stages and are made up of so many different components. Do you storyboard your songs from the start or do they come about organically?
Over the last year we have really fine-tuned our writing process. Normally I (Annie) will write a verse, pre-chorus and chorus and take it to the band. We always arrange the songs together and brainstorm where we think we could take each song. For our next body of work I would love to try and write some songs from scratch as a whole band.
The EP is fantastic, diverse and has a little bit of something for everyone. What genre could Dusty tackle next that would blow people away?
Thank you! I look at genres like different fashion styles. I think if you force yourself to pick one you just feel so exhausted and conflicted. Moving forward with Dusty, we know we will always keep our indie/rock roots. We take inspiration from all music and I never want to feel like we can’t do whatever we want creatively because we are trying to fit inside a genre.
When people finish listening to this EP for the first time what messages and emotions do you hope they walk away with?
The songs on the EP are all quite short; I think the longest song is 3:30. I (Annie) have a really short attention span, so as a songwriter I never write long songs, my friends definitely laugh about how all my songs are very to the point, and that is very much a reflection of who I am as a person and a storyteller. After listening to the EP I would love for people to feel like they want more! I also hope that listeners hear the music and want to see us live. Our live show is definitely how I feel most connected to listeners. When I meet fans that have heard our music before coming to our show, it is always the best feeling!
What are the things Dusty bring to the music scene which are missing at the moment? A girl band with one boy.
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