Wednesday 9th October 2013

• Christians are well placed in the finals of the MusicOz Australian Independent Music Awards to be held next month
• Aussie Christian singers endorse a campaign to raise funds for a documentary film on God Squad founder John Smith
• Young & Free’s national and international chart success

MUSICOZ AWARDS

Compliments of Gus have four songs up for an award

October’s hardly begun, and the race to the MusicOz Australian Independent Music Awards is well underway. This year’s a little different, not only because there’s an unusual number of serious contenders for the awards particularly in the Christian category, but because several are also finalists the pop, rock, video and dance categories.

MusicOz is Australia’s premier competition for unsigned musicians. The first awards were in 2000. Late last week, organisers announced the finalists for this year’s awards to be held in Sydney on November 7. The hopefuls in the Christian/Spiritual category include Cindy-Leigh Boske [BOSS-key], Compliments Of Gus, SilverCities, Jade Diary, and Judah Call.

Cindy Leigh has six songs in the category including My Genesis and Deeper In You; and Compliments Of Gus has four with Meteors and Yahweh being the best known. The band’s current chart hit On A Day Like This is a finalist in the pop category and their song Underground has been commended for Rock. Silver Cities’ song Lights is a contender in two additional categories – pop and video, while the song Seasons by Judah Call is listed in the video finals. Jade Diary’s Cold Hearted gets a nod in pop finals, while the Will Darling Remix of the song and Silver Cloud are in the Dance/Electronica category.

Silver Cities

Tim Dixon from MusicOz says the awards are a significant vehicle recognising, exposing and rewarding Australia’s independent and unsigned music acts. “This year, the awards are in the same format and venue as the ARIA awards (but four weeks before),” Mr Dixon says. “Australian Independent and Unsigned artists are first class with Australia’s Gotye getting the top global sales last year as an independent artist. We celebrate and recognise independent and unsigned artists’ songs. The major labels artists can’t enter.

“Our awards recognise the amazing songs of artists, and this year, as in many other years, we have a very strong Christian category. Past successes include New Empire that are one of the best bands and song writers in the world. Cindy-Leigh Boske is always a strong regular finalist with a knack for songwriting. Seeing bands like Silver Cities cross genres and be represented in other categories is not surprising, but inspirational,” he adds.

SMITHY CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

Smithy

Australian Christian singers Steve Grace, Vita Adam, David Willersdorf, and Rivertribe’s Mike Lane have joined U2’s Bono and The Edge to create a series of online promotional videos supporting a new documentary about John Smith – the charismatic founder of the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club.

“I think Australian Christian artists have got behind the making of the film because John Smith has impacted their life in some way,” Mr Campbell says. “For some, he’s been an inspiration. For others, he speaks about music and the arts quite often in seminars. So they’ve responded to something in his teaching, preaching or speaking that has motivated them to help us get to our target.”The film – Smithy: Something In Every Hue – is in the early stages of production in Melbourne. Assistant Producer Vic Campbell says it’s highly significant that musicians would get behind Smithy.online promotional videos supporting a new documentary about John Smith – the charismatic founder of the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club.

The filmmakers aim to raise $50,000 by October 17 through Pozible.

YOUNG & FREE TOPS THE CHARTS

Hillsong’s latest

In the past week, Young & Free, the new electro dance/pop band from Hillsong has hit #6 on the ARIA chart with its debut album, and peaked at #1 on iTunes in Australia, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; #2 in New Zealand, Switzerland, and Colombia;  Top 5 in the US, Canada and Finland; and Top 10 in Germany, Denmark and Spain! An incredible effort. Young & Free’s song Alive has been atop TRAA for the past eight weeks.

Listen to this edition of TRAA with Cam Want: