Nancie Schipper

Talented teen has it covered
Published in the Warrnambool Standard May 28th 2015
Killarney  singer-songwriter Nancie Schipper is wasting no time in building up a back catalogue. At just 15 years of age, the talented Emmanuel College student is only months away from releasing her debut album. The first single, Haunted House, has been released on iTunes nd Spotify along with an accompanying film clip shot by Warrnambool director Steve Miller. Schipper said she loved working on the video. “I was really nervous that I would have to pose and that’s so un-me, but Steve was lovely to work with,” she said. “I really enjoyed the acting side of it — I’m not good at drama at school but I enjoyed doing the film clip. “It was awesome (and) it turned out better than I expected.” The clip has already picked up about 1000 views since going online this week. The song is the first taste of the album, which is receiving its finishing touches at Pete Bird’s Yelp Studios in Warrnambool. “I’ve thrown myself into the deep end,” she laughed. “Most people have a long time before they do an album, so it’s been hard not even knowing the basic things, like having to get used to (recording to) a metronome. “But I wanted the experience. I know music is something I want to do so I wanted to just record my music — I felt like I was ready. “I’m super-glad I’m doing it now.” Schipper had previously recorded as part of the Kool Skools program and won the award for best acoustic track with female vocals at last year’s Kool Skool Awards. But the experience of working with Bird at Yelp Studio and alongside guest musicians such as Tom Richardson, Heidi Gass, Ben Croft and Jayden Galbraith was already proving to be more rewarding. “It’s very different (to recording with Kool Skools),” she said. “With Kool Skools you have two-and-a-half hours and you can’t do any more because everyone has to have a go, so this is much more flexible and allows for more creativity.” The album will feature 11 originals and two covers, and Schipper said she had been throwing her originals into the setlist for the cover gigs she’s been doing at venues around the region. “I love singing the originals live,” she explained. “A few people have said I get into singing the originals more — I guess singing covers is sort of acting, but with the originals you know what it’s about and feel the emotions carrying them more than the covers.” You can next catch Schipper live at The Last Coach in Warrnambool on June 5 (2015)

Article on Ben Russell's Silver Ball records

Bands turn the table on music and return to vinyl By  MATT NEAL Warrnambool Standard May 19, 2015

THE best new music the south-west has to offer will soon be making its way to your turntable.

“The aim is fairly low key — it’s just to create a bit of infrastructure for local bands to get out their music on vinyl,” Russell explained. “We won’t be signing bands. It’s more of a collaboration with the artist.” Russell said he hoped to release about half a dozen records a year with the focus being on the bands that have stayed in Warrnambool rather than those that make the move to Melbourne.

The first seven-inch to be released will be from veteran blues band Blue Heat, who will release the songs Traded In and Chicken Shop from their most recent album One Day Too Long on orange vinyl.

It is expected the limited run of 150 records will be ready for a special launch at The Loft as part of the annual Arockalypse music festival. The launch event on Saturday, June 6, will feature iconic Warrnambool trio Piffen Yonnies playing their first gig in 15 years. “I want to keep a link with the past too,” Russell said. “I’m hoping twice a year to get old iconic acts to reform, so new artists coming through get to see these bands and see where the music comes from and the strong history of music in Warrnambool. “There’s a strong timeline and bloodline of pioneering bands that created the unique culture of Warrnambool music.” While the initial focus will be on releasing new music, Russell said that if things went well he hoped to put together compilation releases of classic Warrnambool music. Inspiration for the label stemmed from seeing the work that F Project was doing to raise the profile of south-west artists, he explained. “I thought we could do something for the musical side of the arts as well,” Russell said. Following on from Blue Heat’s Traded In, Silver Ball Records is planning to release a split 7” featuring new tracks from Red Eagle and Crossfire Hurricane, as well as a new EP from Blackwood Jack. Records will be stocked in some stores in Warrnambool, Geelong and Melbourne, and will also be available through a soon-to-be-launched

website.

Silver Ball Records’ Ben Russell is starting a vinyl-only local record label, which will release new music from local bands. Warrnambool band Blue Heat will be the first to release a record later this year. Picture: LEANNE PICKETT