New To The Scene - Streamer Bendy



Streamer Bendy!


If there was ever a time for a new Australian act with commercial pop appeal to make an impact at home and abroad it's now. With Gotye and Kimbra dominating charts worldwide with 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' the eyes and ears of many music fans will be focused on what else is coming out of 'straya. All we need is a couple of singers/bands to release something big and we just might have an Australian invasion on our hands. Kimbra (yeah, I know she's from NZ... but if she can win an ARIA I'll pretend she's Australian like everyone else) is putting the moves on the US, wowing critics and fans with performances at SXSW and her supporting slots for Gotye and Foster the People will only add to her growing buzz. The Veronicas, the last group from home to chart in the top 20 of the US and UK charts, have been away from the spotlight 4ever (see what I did there), but will always be a strong contender for international success with their catchy tunes and pseudo-lesbian behaviour. What? It worked for Tatu. Anyway, there's this one band right. A newish one from Brisbane. They exude a certain confidence and charm that makes me believe there's the potential for them to attract the attention of the world. They've found a fine balance between pop and rock and their lead singer's a bit of a babe. I'm talking about Streamer Bendy... and they just might be the next big thing.

Incredibly long introductory paragraph over, let's examine this Streamer Bendy. Fronted by former Nina May vocalist Erinn Swan and Matt Newton from Repeat Offender, this six-piece have apparently been, "channelling all the bad things you wanted to do in high school since they were in kindergarten." So says their Facebook. James See, Damon Whiteley, Alex Woodward and Anthony Mathews make up the rest of the band, matching Swan's evident enthusiasm and proving themselves to be more than bit players despite the difference in experience. These crazy kids have been hard at work on their debut album over the last couple of years, moving between Brisbane, Stockholm and Sweden for recording and writing while building a reputation for being a world of fun throughout their live performances. The quality of their work isn't being overlooked, with nominations at last year's inaugural Queensland Music Awards in the categories of Pop ('You're So Cool) and Urban ('I Wantcha Number'). Urban? Yeah... Swan can pull off a Ting Tings inspired urban performance when required. What of it?

There's this massive opportunity for an Australian act to seize the moment and step into the spotlight right now and I feel like Streamer Bendy could do it for a couple of reasons. They've got the right attitude; not taking themselves too seriously, while still being very good at what they do. Check out any interviews with them, their YouTube videos or even their Facebook info. They're having fun and it makes them likable. I'm a bit questionable of their obsession with being party rockers, given my disdain for LMFAO, but we'll let that slide. For now. Erinn Swann has all the qualities needed in an awesome frontwoman. Attractive, nice voice and in her element live on stage... can't go wrong. Most importantly for their future success, Streamer Bendy have a certain universal appeal. Kids that like Miley Cyrus will like them. Rough as guts Mums that like P!nk will love them. Tweens that like The Veronicas will like them. Home and Away viewers who enjoy Kate Miller-Heidke will like them. Guys will like them because there's a pretty blonde singing and the band look like they're having a fun time. Everyone wins. Hopefully it's Streamer Bendy that are the biggest winners. Keep your eyes and ears on these guys!