Aussie pop band hits big
By Tatat Bunnag
Photos courtesy of Universal Music Thailand
Did you know
Sheppard played at last year’s Sonic Bang festival in Bangkok.
After releasing the hit singles “Let Me Down Easy” and “Geronimo,” Australian pop band Sheppard have began attracting plenty of attention internationally.
Hailing from Brisbane, Sheppard are six-piece group made up of brother and sisters George, Emma and Amy Sheppard, along with their friends Jay Bovino, Michael Butler and Dean Gordon.
With their fun, upbeat tunes and light-hearted harmonies, Sheppard have become hugely successful since their smash hit, “Geronimo,” spent more than three weeks at the top of the Australian charts. The band also recently released their debut album, Bombs Away, which is currently climbing the Thai pop album charts.
With some help from Universal Music, Student Weekly recently had an opportunity to interview singer George Sheppard about his band’s music and influences.
Student Weekly: Can you tell Thai listeners who are new to your music a little bit about Sheppard?
George: We’re a pop band from Australia and we write and perform our own songs. Our music is fun, catchy and energetic. We try to mix different styles together.
Student Weekly: What’s the story behind your hit song, “Geronimo”?
George: The song is about doing something that you really want to do, even though you know it might not work out. If you’re brave and take chances, you will eventually succeed.
Student Weekly: We heard that some of your main influences are Kings of Leon, Coldplay and Fleetwood Mac. What do you like about those bands in particular?
George: We really love their songs. Coldplay and Kings of Leon are our favourites because they’re such good performers on stadium stages. The atmosphere they create when they perform is absolutely amazing. Fleetwood Mac have several lead vocalist and great harmony singing.
Student Weekly: Where do you find inspiration for writing songs?
George: It’s not so much about inspiration. Songwriting is more like an expression of emotions, like heartbreak or love. When you feel that something is a struggle, you can write a song to get it off your chest. I get inspired when I feel emotional about something like love, war or peace.
Student Weekly: Is it hard having two lead vocalists in your band?
George: No, not at all. On the contrary, it’s actually pretty good. We can share lead vocal lines, and each singer can also have a break onstage. With two singers, we can also have great vocal harmonies and more dynamics in our music.
Student Weekly: What can Thai fans expect from your album, Bombs Away?
George: It has a mixture of different styles of pop music, like pop jazz, pop rock and indie pop. It’s quite eccentric. I hope people enjoy it!
Student Weekly: Do you have any advice for young bands trying to make an impact like Sheppard?
George: It’s very important to be true to yourself and not to copy music from others. It’s good to have influences, but it’s also important to find and develop your own unique style. Make music that reflects who you are and that you can be proud of. Finally, keep practising and performing!
Vocabulary
- hail from (phrasal v): to come from a particular place
light-hearted (adj): cheerful and without problems
inspiration (n): the process that takes place when somebody sees or hears something that causes them to have exciting new ideas for creating something
struggle (n): a hard fight in which people try to obtain or achieve something
dynamics (n): changes in volume, speed and texture in music
eccentric (adj): considered by other people to be a bit strange or unusual, in a likeable way
impact (n): a powerful effect that something has
Idioms
get something off your chest: to talk about something that has been worrying you for a long time so that you feel less anxious
on the contrary: showing or proving the opposite
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