Lakyn
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Lakyn

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Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"EVERMORE, LAKYN HEPERI, RUBY FROST, THIS SANCTUARY"

There is a growing trend of popular bands playing smaller venues in Sydney; something we should all be excited about because it means that we can see some of our favorite musicians more intimately and perhaps even schmooze with them before or after their set (oh happy days!). The Standard is one of such venues and last night offered up Kiwi legends Evermore.

Thinking that the first bands wouldn’t begin to play until at least 8:30, this schmuck strolled into the venue to catch the last 10 seconds of local Sydney band, This Sanctuary, whose lead singer was perched on top of an amp singing (screaming?) into a siren red megaphone on my arrival. My apologies to the band, they looked like they would have been very entertaining.

The second support act was Ruby Frost who graced the stage with her male counterpart, drummer, Jimmy Mac. Two years ago I had the good fortune of seeing Ruby Frost play the infamous Viper Room on a tour of Los Angeles where the lovely lady stole the hearts of the 10 people that had come to watch. Tonight they played to a bigger, yet less enthusiastic crowd, because, lets face it, Hollywood locals are just that little bit crazier.

With so many keyboards, switches, buttons and knobs the singer didn’t have one spare limb to move to her spacey synth-pop tunes, but freed one hand for the popular track Moonlight Shining, swaying it around in the air with liberation. Closing the set with her 2011 hit Odyssey, Frost thanked the growing crowd and exited, not to be seen again for the rest of the night.

The third support act Lakyn Heperi, unaware of the artist by name, my ignorance subsided when the 19-year-old The Voice contestant took to the stage solo, acoustic guitar in hand and smiled that killer smile. Girls exclaimed “He’s on!” rushing to the front of the stage and for the first time in my experiences of gigs at The Standard, I was unable to politely find my way to the front for a photo opp.

Wooing the young crowd with his soulful voice, Heperi bared his soul singing his original and heartfelt songs, proving to the room that he may very well be the next Angus Stone. Asking the audience to guess his next song, Heperi played an acoustic and stripped back cover of Call Me Maybe that had everyone quite amused. The singer humbly thanked Evermore for having him on the tour and departed, leaving behind and audience of girls who now resembled the hearts-for-eyes emoticon.

After a half hour interval, I returned to the room to find that I probably shouldn’t have given up my spot. Ready and rearing were a crowd, tightly packed, at the front of the stage, bouncing and squealing in anticipation of the headliners. The most impressive of these people would have to have been the guy on crutches jumping with excitement and one die hard sightless fan that found his way to the centre front of the stage and waited patiently to hear the pop rock sounds of Evermore.

The Hume brothers strutted their way through the crowd, smiling at fans who giggled as they passed by. Adorning the stage in checks, stripes and on-trend block colours, the smartly dressed group bee-lined to their positions, cozied up to their microphones and harmonised their way into the first song.

It’s easy to forget how many hits Evermore have produced, they’re one of those bands that have had so much airtime that you’ll know every word to their song. This became apparent to me when they ripped into their second song, It’s Too Late, a tune that had everyone jumping and fist pumping with enthusiasm in recognition of a song that shaped our summer some two odd years ago.

Almost paralleling the excitement of the audience, the band was in a stellar mood, with keyboardist Peter gushing, “It really is so great to be back on the road!”, while lead singer Jon promised the crowd that, “Next time it won’t be so long”, between tours.

The boys got into their new release Follow The Sun to which most of the crowd already knew the lyrics. The impressive drumming from Dan had the collective moving in closer to the stage and dancing in what seemed to be slow motion. I began to expect coloured powder to fly through the air and a camera to pan across the room as we mimicked the film clip.

The band consistently delivered songs the crowd came hoping to hear, playing Light Surrounding You, Hey Boys, Hey Girls, and finishing their set of epic empowering youth anthems that they’ve come to be known for, with one of their first hits Running. Leaving their fans satisfied and energised, the band waved goodbye and the crowd dispersed content that they got to sing along to almost every song. - TheMUSIC.com.au


"Birdy Announces Australian Tour April 2013"

ARIA Chart topper Birdy has just announced she’ll return to Australian in April 2013 for a national tour.

The teenage English singer-songwriter Jasmine van den Bogaerde - AKA Birdy – became an ARIA favourite this year after her cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ went to #2 on the ARIA charts. Her self-titled album hit the #1 spot and has now reached double platinum sales.

Birdy will also be supported by two acts at all shows, 20 year old UK singer/songwriter, Lewis Watson, and local Australian act Lakyn Heperi.

Be the first to get tickets through the www.livenation.com.au pre-sale, which begins at midday, Thursday the 6th December.

Tickets for Birdy’s first-ever Australian shows go on general sale at 9am Wednesday December 12. All shows are all ages.

Dates:

BRISBANE THE TIVOLI WEDNESDAY APRIL 3 (all ages, GA standing)
PERTH RIVERSIDE THEATRE SATURDAY APRIL 6 (all ages, reserved seating)
MELBOURNE PALAIS THEATRE MONDAY APRIL 8 (all ages, reserved seating)
ADELAIDE THEBARTON THEATRE WEDNESDAY APRIL 10 (all ages, reserved seating)
SYDNEY SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE FRIDAY APRIL 12 (all ages, reserved seating)
- Aria Charts


"Nova presents Birdy's first-ever Australian tour"

Britain’s youngest pop sensation is heading our way next year.

The talented UK songstress is coming to Oz for a highly anticipated national tour next April.

Birdy, aka Jasmine Van den Bogaerde, won over the hearts of fans across the globe with her cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love". She backed up that Aussie love with the release of a cover of Cherry Ghost’s “People Help The People”.

After wooing over fans with a brief promo visit earlier this year, the UK songbird will delight Aussie fans with a handful of special shows through her first-ever Australian tour.

“Skinny Love” peaked in the second-top spot on the Aussie music charts and has since achieved 3 x platinum-selling status.

“People Help The People” reached the #10 spot on Aussie music charts and has achieved gold-selling status.

Birdy's Australian tour dates and details:

Wednesday April 3 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Saturday April 6 – Riverside Theatre, Brisbane
Monday April 8 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Wednesday April 10 - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Friday April 12 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Saturday April 13 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney

*All shows are all-ages events

Birdy will be joined by special guests Lakyn Heperi and Lewis Watson. - Nova FM


"LISTEN: LAKYN HEPERI'S EP BETTER THAN THAT"

Remember Lakyn from The Voice? He was the one you were absolutely in love with, and we’ve got his EP right here for you to listen to.

The EP features everything that you loved about Lakyn on The Voice, and showcases his incredible voice.

“I only want to make the music I want to make,” Lakyn said. “That’s what this EP is all about: being genuine.”

Better Than That is out November 16 – definitely make sure you get a copy! - The Hot Hits


"LISTEN: Lakyn 'Better Than That'"

At the start of the year Lakyn Heperi was just another singer-songwriter uploading videos to youtube…10 months down the track he has starred on TV show ‘The Voice’, was signed to a major record label and now released his first EP ‘Better Than That’.

Lakyn’s style sits between Mumford and Sons mixed with Matt Corby, and the singer was quite adamant that he stuck to his own style on his first studio recording, “I only want to make the music I want to make,” Lakyn said. “That’s what this EP is all about: being genuine.”
- Aria Charts


"Album Review: Lakyn - Better Than That (2012 EP)"

If you were a fan of The Voice, the name Lakyn Heperi may ring a bell for you. If you shun such musical reality TV shows, don’t hold it against him. Just like Lisa Mitchell and Matt Corby rose from the ashes of Australian Idol to become indie darlings of the Australian scene, Lakyn is set to follow in similar footprints, with his debut EP Better Than That giving us a sample of just what the 20 year old can do.
Filled with beautiful acoustic songs, the five track EP opens with the defiant, acoustic guitar driven song ‘Don’t Tell Me.’ The song is a good warm up to what we can expect from the EP – a catchy tune with thoughtful lyrics, and simple guitar that makes the song more poignant. Lakyn’s cover of ‘(I just died) In Your Arms Tonight’ shakes up the original track by Cutting Crew, and opens on a soulful note, reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley, with the falsetto in the song, also sounding slightly similar to that of Matt Corby’s.
Better Than That is a strong EP, with a maturity and depth in the music that’s not easy to find in an artist, let alone one making a debut at the tender age of 20. EP’s of an acoustic nature, can sometimes take on a boring sound, but different arrangements and Lakyn’s soulful voice stop this from happening, and there isn’t a bad track on the EP. Whether it’s the whistle and soft falsetto opening of ‘With The Water’ or the faster drum beats and harmonies at the end of ‘Cold Winters Breeze’ (the song exuding a Boy & Bear vibe) Lakyn manages to shake things up enough to keep them interesting for the listener.
If he manages to shake off the sometimes unfair stigma and ‘curse’ associated with reality TV shows, I have no doubt Lakyn will continue to make his mark in the music world. And he’s made a strong start with his debut EP showing he is indeed better than that. Fans of Boy and Bear, Matt Corby and any kind of acoustic jams will dig this.
Review Score: 8.5 out of 10 - The AU Review


Discography

EPs

'Better Than That' - 16/11/12

Photos

Bio

Honest and evocative: Better Than That is the debut EP from 20-year-old Melbourne singer/songwriter Lakyn. Released November 16th, it’s an impressive first step for this talented songwriter, who’s taken two decades of inspiration (tattoos of Bon Iver and Bob Dylan adorning his arms) to create a sound all his own. Better Than That announces Lakyn as one of the country’s most promising new acts – no secret to the 35,000+ Facebook fans who’ve been following his career so far.

Born and raised in Auckland, Lakyn’s taste for good music came early, his guitarist dad spinning discs by Led Zeppelin and local heroes Split Enz at home. A cassette tape of the Beatles’ Help! was his first musical love, followed over the years by Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang Clan, Frank Sinatra and Bon Iver. “I’m a music appreciator,” Lakyn says, of his disparate tastes. “If it’s good music, my ears like it.”

However, there was another passion in Lakyn’s blood early on: skateboarding. The amateur clearly remembers the first time he shook the hand of vert hero Renton Millar, or skated a 12 foot ramp at NZ’s X Air games at just eight, a nearby Tony Hawk exclaiming, “Whoa, he’s tiny!” as Lakyn found air.

“When I was growing up I thought, ‘I want to do this forever,” laughs Lakyn, who relocated to VIC at 12. “I do think there’s a correlation between music and skating: it’s freedom. I’ve always tried to stay close to freedom – not be suppressed by the way the world is meant to be. They’re both a way to get away. My parents never babied me: I take risks, and they always supported that.”

A screwed ankle at 16 meant Lakyn was out for at least eight months. (Don’t worry: he’s still skating plenty.) Instead, he picked up his guitar, a recent birthday gift from dad. Taking on Zeppelin’s cover of “Babe I'm Gonna Leave You” and Kings Of Leon (“Taper Jean Girl”, “Day Old Blues”) tunes, Lakyn scrawled each song learned on a list under his bed covers, embracing picking techniques from watching Dylan (Lakyn’s favourite number: “I Shall Be Released”).

A year or so later, and Lakyn was writing his own material, demoing on GarageBand and uploading originals and covers to YouTube. “At the time I wasn’t thinking about a career; I just wanted to write,” he remembers. “I attempted a lot of styles at first, to try and find my own road, my own path.” Music was about showing emotion, and being honest. Each of his YouTube clips quickly gained popularity, both for his choices as well as his interpretations, views growing in the tens of thousands. “I did an acoustic Biggie cover [“Juicy”] because that song meant a lot to me. People were saying, ‘You should cover Katy Perry, you’d get a lot more views!’, but that just wasn’t me.” (A cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, however, was intended to “make the song listenable,” Lakyn jokes.)

With the fan momentum behind each clip growing exponentially (several now reaching 300,000+ views), producers working on a brand new TV production sat up and took notice. The following day was the final round of auditions for their program: could Lakyn make it to Sydney? The show was “The Voice”. Mentored by Joel Madden (Seal wanted him too), Lakyn made it through to the semi-finals covering MGMT and Youth Group, suddenly thrown into a whirlwind of TV production, record labels, management and media requests. “Before ‘The Voice’ I’d only done about four gigs that year,” he admits. “I was a bit hesitant at first, but what I wanted to get out of it is exactly what I’ve been given – I had to learn to make the right decisions.”

With the rollercoaster ride of “The Voice” behind him, it was time for Lakyn to get back to doing what he does best: making music. He enlisted Evermore’s Dann Hume on production, and in July the pair headed to Dann’s studio, the Stables, in Gisborne, VIC. Over the next three months they recorded tracks like the recently penned “Better Than That” alongside early song “Cold Winter’s Breeze”.

Lakyn wrote the EP’s opening track “Don’t Tell Me” with one message in mind, “The track is about how people expect you to be a certain way or act how they think you act or say what they think you should say, but there is only one way to get the most out of life, that’s being yourself and acting on your instincts.”

The whistle and falsetto led “With The Water” strips Lakyn’s talent right down to the bone, a bare it all ode about freedom, strength and courage. “If all this didn’t happen I’d still be playing music. When I play this song it helps me appreciate what I’ve got.”

The title track “Better Than That” Lakyn explains, is about “Not minimising your possibilities by settling with second best, there is always something better. This song means a lot to me because it's what I believe in.”

And then there’s Lakyn’s cover of “(I Just) Died in Your Arms”, by ‘80s English rockers Cutting Crew. Not recorded for any sentimental reasons, he admits; rather to see if he could invigorate an old hit with new feelin