Lead singer of Brisbane-based band Hemingway, Brad Hemingway is keen to get onstage this weekend to celebrate the eighth birthday of Sunshine Coast music venue Solbar.
Hemingway consists of brothers Brad and Christian Hemingway, their drummer Brad 'Animal' Williams and their bass player Cheyne Starkie.
After getting their start in 2015, the boys built their reputation through fairly traditional means. “Social media, using publications like scenestr, playing with like-minded bands or similar sounding bands to try and showcase our music to their fans,” Brad explains.
Hemingway describe themselves as a smorgasbord of sounds. “It sounds cliche to say and I've heard so many bands say their sound is undefinable, but it's funk, reggae, a little bit of hip hop, a lot of psychedelia in there as well.”
This weekend, Hemingway will partake in Maroochydore venue Solbar's extensive celebrations, which is like a second home for the boys. “It's always a really good reception up there, we have kind of played there enough that the following is self-sustaining,” Brad says.
Hemingway have preformed all over Australia at various festivals and gigs. But when it comes to their favourite show of all time, they don't stray far from home.
“The best vibe would have been at the Stones Corner Festival [in Brisbane] because it was a ten-thousand strong crowd and the energy was quite high.”
But with good shows come the bad ones, and Brad has some horror stories to share. “When we were on tour one time playing at a place called El Topo at Bondi Beach and I had a drunk heckler just continually trying to sing nonsense into the mic.
“I asked him a bunch of times to get off stage and he wouldn't... so I ended up giving him a slight push, but because he was so drunk the slight push turned into a dramatic fall and him cracking his head on a bar,” Brad says.
The crowd had his back however, with the heckler kicked out of the venue. But Brad admits he felt like the bad guy.
With regards to songwriting, Brad takes the lead within the band. “Hemingway's signature sound is kind of when I write the lyrics and the structure, and take it to my brother and he puts his guitar over the top,” he says.
Brad studied music at JMC Academy in Brisbane; he has finished his degree and is grateful for the ongoing assistance it provides him. “I attribute it to if the light switch was a song.
"Knowing and having the musical theory is looking for the light switch with the the light already on. So without having the theory, you will still find the switch it will just take a bit longer.”
Like all young bands, Hemingway dream of self-sufficiency and one day making enough money to have music as their primary source of income.
But they have short term goals as well. “A major tour circuit would be nice; you know Bluesfest, Splendour In The Grass or Groovin The Moo, that type of thing,” Brad says.
Hemingway, who are currently writing an album that is set to be released at the end of this year, will continue to play gigs wherever they can.
