Do you need a dynamic emo rock duo to get into? Yes you do! Meet Brisbane/Meanjin’s Upsetter, an outlet for audio engineers Emily Hopley and Jasper Webb for big feelings and a cathartic avenue for venting. Having found themselves working within the music community for nearly half their lives, the duo decided to put their sonic knowledge and know-how to work for themselves for a change.
Read on to find out more about your potential new favourite band.
Introduce yourselves! Who is Upsetter?
Hello! We are Jasper and Emily from Brisbane. Upsetter is our sob rock project that is our emotional outlet for our personal lives and careers within the music community.
You just released your debut two-track ‘Blossom/Hate Me’, could you tell us a bit about your new tunes?
Jasper: For these songs we were so fortunate to record with our close friend Cody McWaters (who managed to snag three ARIA awards last year), he’s a dear old friend that I grew up with and it was such an amazing experience. Working with someone so close to us personally really allowed us to open up and give everything to these tracks.
‘Blossom’, lyrically, is a song about the foolishness I had fallen into of comparing myself to others, it’s a pattern I found myself in quite a lot and it only brought pain. It’s all about growth and the time it can take before you’re ready to blossom.
‘Hate Me’ is about self-disdain and looking for safety by thinking all the worst things about yourself. It was the last track we had written for the studio and I’m particularly proud of how the guitars came out. Not to mention the sneaky blast beat in the outro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi1zAiDgZyY
Will we hear more from Upsetter this year? What’s your plans moving forward?
Em: We have other releases coming in the next few months in the lead up to our EP release, which we’ll celebrate with our launch gig (details on that to come soon). We are also pretty keen to hit the road next year on some support tours with friends!
Jasper: We’re doing more recording later in the year to finish off some music we’ve been working on with Chris Lalic, in between the tour dates for Windwaker’s headline run.
What’s your dream piece of musical gear, if money was no object?
Em: Hard to choose just one if we’re honest! It’d be neat owning an SSL 4000 E mixing console.
Jasper: I definitely have to go with Emily on some sort of gratuitous studio mixing console. Maybe a Neve Genesys or an SSL Duality. Something worth the price of an apartment in the CBD.
If Upsetter could write the soundtrack to any movie, what movie would you choose?
Em: The Titanic could use some sob rock.
Jasper: I want to write some hella sassy pop punk for something like Mean Girls.
What song do you wish you had written yourself?
Jasper: ‘Gauze’ by Gleemer. That song has been an absolute ear worm for me for years and I cannot move past the vulnerable way Corey Coffman brings lyrics to life. Amazing timbre.
Who would be on your ultimate tour package (alongside Upsetter)?
Jasper: Delta Sleep and Gleemer can flip a coin to see who headlines, all my tech, media, and tour manager homies are there, and we all get an hour long soundcheck and there’s lots of catering. Surely not too much to ask?
What’s the highlight of your music career so far, across all endeavours?
Em: I ran a 3 day workshop for women in audio engineering with award-winning producer Anna Laverty as the lead educator, it was a super rewarding experience.
Jasper: It’s really hard to pick just one, but last year I got to do 21 shows in 23 days in Europe, mixing for my friends in Stepson, who were opening for Polaris and Alpha Wolf. We had a bandwagon with a kickass driver, and opening the door to a new city/country every day was absolutely mind bending. I’m used to going without hot meals for days and doing stupid overnight drives seated upright in a van while I’m touring Australia, so having a bunk and amazing catering every day was such a treat.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Em: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ or ‘Master Exploder’.
Jasper: ‘Freak on a Leash’. I didn’t spend my teenage years scatting along with my boy JD to not demonstrate it to others.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Em: A lot of ‘The Chariot’ or ‘Sweet Pill’.
Jasper: I’ve been out on tour with Sly Withers and Bec Stevens for the last two weeks so lots of them. In my own time I just can’t move past Delta Sleep most days of the week. Red hot band.
Words by Ebony Story @ebonyrose.s
'Blossom' and 'Hate Me' are out now. Stream your copy here.
You can find Upsetter on Facebook and Instagram.
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