Sydney’s own Lo Carmen and Dominic Breen will perform this Thursday night at the Australian Institute of Music’s Treehouse stage to celebrate The Hills Are Alive, our Sydney Solstice twilight concert series. These June long weekend shows are all about recognising the incredible talent Sydney is incubating. Get ready for an early evening session of earthy, soulful, genre-bending music that tugs at the emotions in all the right places. Get tickets to Lo Carmen & Dom Breen here.
What do you think is the most exciting part of Sydney music right now?
Lo Carmen: I love how the air feels full of possibilities and people trying to make them happen. I feel like the pandemic has made people appreciate the important role of music in uplifting, comforting, distracting and connecting us.
Dom Breen: There seems to be a sort of collective return from hibernation. COVID acted as a standby button for everyone all at once and now, in some sense, it’s turned on again. Everyone’s getting back on the horse at the same time, so I guess it’s exciting to see a lot of new music being released.
What song would you use to introduce someone to your music that is the most accurate reflection of your sound?
Lo Carmen: “I Cut My Own Hair” – even though we recorded it a couple of albums ago, it seems to be the perfect COVID era anthem, and is a great showcase for the brilliant band I play with.
Dom Breen: I just released a song last week called “Under Your Sorrow.” That’d be a good start.
What do you think Australian / Sydney musicians do differently to the rest of the world?
Living outside of Australia for so long really brought it home to me how individual Australian musicians are, and much less genre-specific, cookie cutter artists in general. Less performative and more genuine.
What’s next for you?
Dom Breen: I’m releasing my debut album titled ‘Blue Volume’ on August 20.
Lo Carmen: We’re about to record a new album, so we’re currently working up new songs which is immensely satisfying.
What have been three critical things you’ve learned as a musician?
Lo Carmen:
1. To surround yourself with players and people you love and let them do their thing.
2. To always chase the joy in every song – if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing its obvious and boring for everyone involved.
3. To listen to your own instincts – every time I compromise on something I don’t like and try to convince myself I can live with it, my disdain for it just grows.
Dom Breen:
- Don’t look too far ahead, or too far behind.
2. Don’t mistake networking for friendship.
3. Everyone has something worth listening to.
Instagram: @LoCarmenMusic & @DominicBreen
Tickets: Via Eventbrite
More information about the AIM’s Hills are Alive concert series is available here.
