2015 Offbeat Awards

The 2015 Offbeat Awards By MATT NEAL
Warrnambool Standard Jan. 1, 2016,

THE Standard's weekly music section – formerly known as Offbeat – is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the original music and talented musicians produced in this region.



Anyone can play covers, but to write, record and perform your own music takes true talent, skill, dedication, guts, and determination. We acknowledge that every year with the Offbeat Awards.

Without further ado, here are the winners of the fifth annual Offbeat Awards.

Best Act

Blackwood Jack

Already a great band, these guys got even better in 2015. After finishing 2014 strong with the Pessimist EP, they maintained the momentum in 2015 by recording and releasing an even better EP, stealing the show at Kennedys Creek Music Festival, and playing a heap of great gigs in Melbourne and Warrnambool.

Honourable mentions:Dr Colossus released a bunch of great singles and got signed to a booking agency, Foley toured nationally on the back of a solid debut album, The Alamo improved every time they played thanks to the addition of Clint Williams on guitar, Tank Dilemma, Red Eagle and Kashmere Club remain three of the region’s best live acts, Nancie Schipper and Cooper Lower arrived, and Entitlements set the benchmark for local heavy bands with a national tour.

Best Release

1. Blackwood Jack – Triggers EP

Eerie yet groovy, edgy yet hooky, this collection of five songs set the bar pretty high for south-west recordings. The band’s production work (spearheaded by bassist Daniel Paroissien) makes it even more impressive, taking their awesome live sound and killer songs to another level.

2. Shane Howard - Deeper South

Probably Howard’s most eclectic album to date, this is a sprawling, all-encompassing record that captures perfectly the vibe and sound of sitting in a loungeroom listening to Howard and his virtuosic buddies John Hudson and Ewen Baker jam on some great tunes.

3. Gums - Better Out Than In EP

Former Kashmere Club bandmates Bill O’Connell and Jono Colliver got together and smashed out this self-recorded gem like it was no big deal. But it’s a magical little EP showcasing the pair’s stirring songwriting sensibilities.

4. Leah Senior - Summer’s On The Ground

A beautiful record driven by Senior’s incredible voice and poetic words, awash in lush reverb and intriguing little flourishes, creating a wonderful debut album from this former Warrnambool folkie.

5. Aika – Aika EP & Everything You Wanted To Know About EP

Six atmospheric songs spread across two EPs that sound like gorgeous soundtracks waiting for a movie to happen. Fascinating ambient collaboration between Blackwood Jack recruit Liam Barling and songwriter/producer Joe Gardner.

6. Foley - Ascot Vale

A boisterous, raucous, energetic, humourous and passionate record from a wonderfully ramshackle punk band, two-thirds of which are from Woolsthorpe. An LP that’s fun and should be played loud.

7. Nancie Schipper - Haunted House

Impressive debut, stunningly produced by Heidi Gass and Pete Bird, which perfectly showcases Schipper’s burgeoning talents as a songwriter. A great studio band brings the songs to life and lets Schipper’s talent shine through.

8. Áine Tyrell - Queen Of Swords

This Killarney resident pulls all manner of sounds together to craft a classic-sounding collection of gorgeous folk songs, each of which has her beautiful Irish lilt nicely draped over the top.

9. Cooper Lower - Just A Thought EP

A charming introduction to a young songwriter destined for big things, showcasing him as both a remarkable vocalist and a deep thinker.

10. Brendan Hoffmann - Phoenix Rising

Sweet little bunch of songs from an under-rated musician who quietly produces and releases quirky home-recorded albums most people don’t hear. This is one of his best, capturing a sensitive and largely acoustic vibe.

Best Song

1. Blackwood Jack - Gravity

A haunting ear-worm that pulses, grooves, twists and turns in unexpected ways. But this EP is so good it was hard to pick the best song – this one wins because it was the first single.


2. Dr Colossus – Excellent

This Simpsons-themed stoner rock band should have been little more than a one-note joke, but tracks like this proved these Portland exports know how to make a genuinely awesome doom metal tune, all jokes aside.


3. Red Eagle – Sudden Attack

After releasing their awesome debut last year, this great band was comparatively quiet in 2015, but still managed to drop this killer rock single, which featured perhaps the best chorus of the year.


4. Gums – Better Out Than In

Landing in the sonic and lyrical terrain between Paul Kelly and The Go Betweens is this classic-sounding collaboration about saying the things that are hard to say.


5. Leah Senior - Fisherman’s Daughter

One of the many lyrical gems off Senior’s debut album, buoyed by the lush production and Senior’s stunning vocals.


6. The Monaros – The Flume Pumps At Night

After nearly 20 years, The Monaros can still crank out a pub-rocker like nobody’s business. Quintessentially Monaros and quintessentially Warrnambool.


7. Hyperdrones – Tangled

Released way back on January 1, 2015, this groovy space-rocker is one of the best songs this trio has done.


8. Aika – Docile

The best of a great bunch of beautifully produced tracks across the two EPs, this is strangely melancholic and uplifting at the same time.


9. Nancie Schipper – Slaughterhouse

Inventive groover that not only shows Schipper’s skills but is boosted by guest spots from Matt Hewson, Cooper Lower and Jacob Pugh, with the latter delivering a rap interlude that works surprisingly well.


10. Crossfire Hurricane – Not Again

The best is yet to come from this Cobden trio, but this bluesy rocker is a great place to start.


Best Film Clip

The 80 Aces – Lose Control (directed by Jade McLaren)


I always keep my own music out of these lists, but as I had absolutely nothing to do with making this film clip I feel I can get away with breaking my rule this one time. The song’s not even that good to be honest, but the film clip by Jade McLaren, painstakingly composited over six months, is a cracker. Featuring an animated lion’s head and a bunch of iconic Warrnambool musos and locations, it’s inventive and quirky (and way better than the song).

Honourable mentions: Hyperdrones – Tangled (Pixel Kitchen), Foley - Friends Who Are Lesbian, Blackwood Jack - Sandbags & Some Kind Of Love, Nancie Schipper - Haunted House (Steve Miller), Banjo Worm’s many videos, Entitlements - Calloused Hands, Dr Colossus - Excellent (Banalarama), The Monaros - The Flume Pumps At Night (Tom Walter).

Best Gig

Kennedys Creek Music Festival


Every year, this festival delivers. It’s a gem – low-key, fun, easy and packed with excellent bands, both local and national. Every music festival should aspire to be this enjoyable and casual.

Honourable mentions: The Back To The Bay and Tarerer concerts at the Aus Music Festival were a hit, the Folkie is always great, but we would truly be lost without The Loft. There were so many great gigs at Warrnambool’s last bastion of original music – from Blue Heat and Frenzal Rhomb at the start of the year, through the awesomeness that is Arockalypse, right up to Dallas Crane in December.

Special Contribution Award

Ben Russell

Russell helped out plenty of bands when he was running The Loft and has long been a passionate supporter of local music, but he really put his money where his mouth is by launching Silver Ball Records in 2015. With releases from Blue Heat, Red Eagle, Crossfire Hurricane and Blackwood Jack, the vinyl-only label is helping take our region’s best bands further afield.

Honourable mentions: Lynny Mast for her local music pop-up shop, Russ Goodear and the team that provided Warrnambool with its own music festival, and Jarrod Hawker for his tireless efforts at The Loft.

Rising Star Award

Nancie Schipper & Cooper Lower

Both are talented beyond their years, as evidenced by their debut releases and many gigs in 2015. What’s even more exciting is that their best music is still ahead of them. Schipper and Lower both earned a lot of fans in 2015, all of whom can’t wait to see what they do next.