Whitecitylight

Forget the latest trends, front cover fashions or next big things – WHITECITYLIGHT cuts through such superficial concepts with a music experience that’s as authentic as it is exhilarating. “Once more with feeling!” frontman Jon Elms declares on ‘For Dear Life’ and it’s a philosophy that drives the band’s self-titled debut album.

Early comparisons may lead to Birds of Tokyo, Muse and Coldplay, but this Sydney group follow their own musical path, defined by meaningful songwriting and a firm disregard for boundaries.

“I love the sense of being limitless in that regard and exploring whatever we want to explore,” explains Elms. “As individuals, we experience so much every single day, so many different emotions and we’re not as alone in this as we’d think. Through music we connect, we can relate to each other, so why limit that.”

Wrapped around the creative nucleus of singer Jon Elms and guitarist Damian de Boos-Smith, WHITECITYLIGHT’s story began some years ago when the pair crossed paths on Sydney’s live circuit. They started trading song ideas over beers and within a month, the spark of collaboration had ignited a new, red-hot music project.

Born in the UK, hailing from Christchurch New Zealand, Elms is a natural-born frontman. Reared on years of singing that began back in primary school, he’s evolved into an instinctual songwriter with a voice that’s both resolute and reflective. “He was so capable and unique with the sound of his voice – the sense of respect and amazement was instant,” says de Boos-Smith about the first time he saw him on stage.

Aided and abetted by bassist Dario Bortolin and drummer Mitch Farmer live, the band are ready to reveal it to audiences in Australia and beyond. Welcome to WHITECITYLIGHT.

Kids at Risk:

Having just returned back from their debut tour of the USA, Sydney-based indie rockers, KIDS AT RISK have had a busy few months. They rocked the world’s largest comic convention in San Diego, blew the walls down at Johnny Depp’s live music venue, The Viper Room in LA and won the hearts of many in New York. In just 18 months the quartet released a self-titled EP (which saw them unearthed by Triple J), collaborated with folks such as Jonti (formerly known as Danimals), and were commissioned to write and record the much lauded soundtrack to feature film, Griff The Invisible (featuring Ryan Kwanten from True Blood). The KIDS are alright.