IT HAS taken Newcastle talent Lu Quade many years to find his voice as a singer, but his debut EP is testament to his talent.
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“I am a bit of a late bloomer with singing,” Quade said. “It’s really only the last three of four years that I hit my stride with it, mainly from not caring as much.
“It might sound funny, I still care about it.
“I want people to like it, but I used to get stage fright to the point that the one little spot in the song where you get a moment to breath and swallow … I couldn’t.”
The five track recording 20,000 Leagues Under the Bed is a whimsical ode to 90s indie-pop.
Quade said it was difficult to describe the sound in terms of genre. Instead he has invented his own: electric freak folk.
“It’s folk because I think I have a folk voice, but then I feel like it’s a bit punk in terms of attitude,” he said.
“It’s lyrical; it’s story telling … I do a lot of talking when I play, so I contextualise the songs when I perform.”
In terms of subject matter, some of the songs are about dealing with anxiety.
“There is a lot about failing university which was a major cause of my anxiety,” Quade said.
“I think it took me nine or ten years to do a four year degree. I left a couple of times.”
You will be glad to know, he eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Education Studies.
The songs are more like personal stories.
“The first song is about my partner at the time, she had a tea pot collection,” he said.
“She was drying them and putting them up and the cupboard flew open and these beautiful and very sentimental teapots … they all smashed onto the floor.
“The song is about our relationship and how I’m trying to get her to laugh about it and she just wants to cry about it.”
Another tune, Tiny Little Boat, was written to poke fun at a friend who was being “super melodramatic” about a relationship break up.
The songwriting was going well until Quade’s own relationship ended, and he found himself joining in on the sorrow.
“Suddenly it became a bit close to home,” Quade said.
20,000 Leagues Under the Bed was recorded by Byren Sawell. Quade will be joined on stage at the EP launch by Sawell on drums, Alyssa Salamon on bass, and Mia Peters on guitar.
The EP will be launched at Softy’s, 20 Maitland Road, on August 25.
Also on the bill is India and the Journey to the East, and The Hedonists.
Entry is $10. Doors open at 5pm with live acts kicking off at 6pm.
The Ep is available free on Bandcamp: luquade.bandcamp.com/releases