Nova & the Experience

Five finalists were selected from a large pool of hopeful entrants who submitted their sounds the annual 'Discovered' band competition at Sydney's iconic Marble Bar. From those five, one emerged a winner: indie-pop darlings Nova & the Experience.
The fan-voted group of finalists each competed in front of a panel of expert judges as a special grand finale, which was held in the gorgeous underground bar. The judges panel consisted of: Singer-songwriter Mahalia Barners; Rolling Stone Australia Editor Rod Yates; music marketing guru Chris Moss; and News Editor at themusic.com.au Scott Fitzsimmons. Award-winning broadcaster and presenter Jason 'Jabba' Davis was on-board to MC the event.
After a fantastic showcase of local talent, Nova & the Experience took home the ultimate prize - a two-month residency at Marble Bar, worth $10,000. The innovative band will now play at the venue every Wednesday night throughout April and May.
Take a look at what Nova & The Experience are all about on YouTube HERE
Marble Bar
Address: Underground, 488 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Contact 02 9265 6072
Website: www.marblebarsydney.com.au - The AU Review

Nova & the Experience
We Are The Children
Release Date: Out Now
Review by Jana Angeles
Having the influences of bands such as FOSTER THE PEOPLE, OF MONSTERS AND MEN and JINJA SAFARI, it’s clear that the Sydney Pop/Indie band NOVA & THE EXPERIENCE put an epic showdown with their latest single ‘We Are The Children’. The band have only made a name for themselves in the last two years with their infectious and wild-taming music and surely enough, they have gained well-deserved recognition as a result.
Playing by ear, one can delve into the sweet and commiserating essence of the pleasantry sounds of bongo drums, well-played out indie riffs with a hint of summery nights of much-needed fruitful cocktails by the ocean. The eclectic and joyous chorus brings a mark of enthusiastic wannabe rockstars, waiting to be exposed to the world of rhythmic drum beats and echoing phrases of ‘we like to rock and roll, we like to take it slow, we are the children’ as a match of integrity and soulful lyrics, having the adrenalin rush of an athlete, waiting to cross over the finish line. The triumphant sounds of the crowd bring an uproar of excitement whilst they watch the events unfold as a way of feeding their delights on the winning victory. - SF Media

My first encounter with Nova & The Experience was at a tiny venue in Newcastle. They were supporting Aussie favourites Jinja Safari and I remember being slightly sick and tired that night. So when the support act walked on stage, I initially feigned attention because I was under the weather. But all of that was alleviated as the band gave the crowd undeniably gooey pop sounds with a few bonuses. Never in my life have I seen an act hand out paper hats for the crowd or cover the ‘Arthur’ theme song, but these guys managed to make a complete spectacle without detracting away from their talent as musicians. Needless to say that I was excited to hear about the release of the Where We Go EP and the indie pop radar inside me was buzzing.

The EP opens up with an extended version of lead single ‘Jennifer Lawrence.’ Much like its namesake, the song is feel-good, irresistible and so damn beautiful. Whether it’s The Wanted’s ‘Walks Like Rihanna’ or Jerry James’ ‘Lana Del Rey’, I’ve always found that songs that are directly tributed to celebrities are a bit tired and overwhelmingly corny. However, these guys have produced a gem that still has vulnerability and honesty. It talks about a yearning for a true relationship, a relationship not without its faults. “We’ll be honest like Jennifer Lawrence,” stands as an admittedly adorable tribute to Hollywood’s biggest star present in the song, and the light vocals perfectly compliment the occasional squeaks in the guitar.

‘We Made’ opens with some Jinja-inspired drum beats before morphing into a slightly heavier song than its predecessor as the chord progression fuzzes out the brother/sister duo of James and Anna’s vocals, but still encapsulates the fun that the band is quickly becoming known for. Anna takes the reins in ‘The Island’ as the band takes us on an exploration of their musical talents. The centrepiece of the EP, it manages to build you up, chill you out and explode above you in the space of 4 minutes. “Time is running slowly after all” the band preaches as the importance of enjoying yourself is showcased to the full extent.

A walking bassline introduces us to ‘Spidercrabs’ as the waves of ambience carries us through “Well I found you worlds apart.” The EP closes with the slightly ill-chosen ‘Paper Mache Planes’, a ballad that shows the fragility of the band, as the waltzing guitar chords perfectly match the beautiful quiver in James and Anna’s vocals.

If one thing’s for certain, Nova & The Experience are the closest thing we have to Peter Pan in music. The band is all about adventure, eternal youth and endless fun. ARIA nominated producer Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, The Vines) worked his indie pop magic and managed to help craft the band’s most anticipated EP to date. Whether it’s the poppy Jennifer Lawrence, the funky We Made or the vulnerably Paper Mache Plans, the band has showcased their ability to not only make honest music, but to be versatile into what’s becoming a very standard genre.

Score: 7/10

Standouts: Jennifer Lawrence, We Made, The Island - Sticky Trigger

Nova & The Experience are a fun band. This became apparent almost as soon as they took to the stage, where half the band were dressed in sailing attire and the other half were dressed up with their best dopey grins. Throughout their performance they urged people to put on sailors hats that they created from newspapers they had brought along. They play a very bubbly, dancey brand of pop, which would be at home on any summer festival circuit stage. Watching them play was a refreshing break from many of the bands playing the Sydney scene at the moment. They clearly don’t take themselves too seriously, despite their obvious musicianship; their primary concern is having a good time, and all accounts would indicate they accomplished this mission. - themusic.com.au

One of Sydney’s most exciting upcoming Indie-pop bands Nova & The Experience have had an impressive year, from receiving the inaugural First Break Development award from Commercial Radio Australia and the Mushroom Group, winning Marble Bar’s ‘Be Discovered’ competition as well as beating 100’s of bands to open for Stonefield and Amy Meredith at the Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema Charity Launch.

When they weren’t busy winning competition and accolades the four piece wrote their most anticipated EP yet. Titled Where We Go the EP sees the band once again with ARIA nominated producer Lachlan Mitchell (Jezabels, The Vines) to develop a new progression in their musical direction. In celebration of the release of the EP (out digitally Sept 1st) James Buckingham the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist gave us a track by track rundown of this indie-pop delight. Check it out below.




WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE
“Look, let’s be honest. This track is really just the intro to the next track. Like candles and Barry White, it helps set the mood.”

JENNIFER LAWRENCE
“This song is about eloping with a lover to try and save what you have lost. I started writing it in the aftermath of a few big days over new years eve. The band finished it with me. People always ask why we chose to call it this name. There are a whole bunch of reasons. For one thing, it’s a line in the song. I think her name is going to become a ‘classic actress’ kind of name. I liked the ring of it.”

WE MADE
This is about all the awesome friends we met and plans we made since moving to Sydney. Warehouse parties. Experimental music nights. The Inner West has a lot to offer.

THE ISLAND
Roll yourself up a nice spliff and listen hard to the lyrics. That’s all I am saying. That and we don’t condone taking drooogs.

SPIDERCRABS
This is about the creatures we find on the island we journey to in the previous song. It’s also our tribute to the drunk masses that come out of their hiding places every weekend and stumble around. We are all the spidercrabs.

PAPER MACHE PLANES
We actually had another song that was supposed to be on the EP but the week before we started recording we half wrote this song, and couldn’t not put it on. So happy we found it. - TONEDEAF

Straight on after "The Owls' was another Newcastle indie pop band 'Nova and the Experience'. I just have to commend these guys and girl on their show. They are so amazing I really suggest liking these guys on Facebook and visiting one of their many national shows. So much energy and love for what they do and there songs are just so damn catchy! Cannot fault them, they were so remarkably great to watch, well done 'Nova and the Experience' keep up the great work! - ultimatefestivalguide.com

Through receiving the inaugural First Break Development award from Commercial Radio Australia and the Mushroom Group as well as winning the "Be Discovered at Marble Bar" Competition, the band have capitalized on the momentum they started last year with the release of their EP, There's Something Here. This release saw the band's music get Triple J airplay as well as be featured on numerous Australian, US & Canadian music blogs.

This August sees the release of their most anticipated EP to date – Where We Go. It sees NATE working again with ARIA nominated producer Lachlan Mitchell (Jezabels, The Vines) and has resulted in some exciting new material that is more complex and mature but still encapsulates the fun loving and playful vibe that the band is known for.

For the new EP, the band wanted to write something that represents a natural extension of their last few singles, but still is new and indicative of the direction they are heading. Many of the tracks are inspired by the band's move from Newcastle to Sydney's Inner West just over a year ago and the new lives, great people and adventures they have had since then. This new material is a perfect blend of the old and new, but still with brother and sister front vocalists Anna and James' beautiful harmonies at its core.

Nova and the Experience continues to focus on enhancing their live shows, and constantly infuse each show with their infectious energy, giving their fans a new and original "experience" each time they come to see them play.

To date, the band have recently performed at Mountain Sounds Festival and the sold out Red Deer Music and Arts Festival featuring The Grates and Kingswood as well as supporting Jinja Safari, British India, Stonefield and Glass Towers. These highlights combined with an exclusive album released in Japan through Thistime records and their upcoming 6 show East Coast EP tour, kicking off with a sold out show at Sydney's Brighton Up Bar, shows that Nova and the Experience are making the most of what 2014 has to offer. - Art News Portal

"...The set was like opening a nice big bag of crisps – rewarding and delightful." - Get Shot Magazine

In our 14th instalment of "Stumbled Upon", we meet Sydney 's latest indie pop offering Nova and the Experience, and chat about being mistaken for drug dealers in New York.
Band Name:
Nova and the Experience
Website / Social Media:
www.novaandtheexperience.com
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Genre:
Pop / Indie
Members & their roles:
James- Singer, guitar, teller of dad jokes
Anna- Singer, keyboardist, crazy character
Jake- Bass, looking like a turtle
Laurie- Drums, arguably the best looking guy in the band (this actually isn't him answering this)
What music or artists inspired you?
Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Pink Floyd (not that you could really tell)
How did you/the band get started?
Laurie and James both used to volunteer at an animal shelter in Newcastle, saving mainly abandoned domestic animals. James knows Anna because they came out of the same lady at their time of their respective births. Jake we found wandering the street.
How would you best describe your live show:
Like opening a fresh, completely full, bag of chips.
What shows do you have coming up?
We have a bunch of Sydney shows in Jan.
Tell us about your latest release:
We released a song called We Made. We shot the film clip of just us running around New York when we went there last October. There is a part during the last chorus where u can hear a guy come up and ask us if we are selling weed while we were in the middle of filming. Not sure why he thought we were the best people to ask..... - The Au Review