Amity is a Brisbane hip hop artist who has recently released his new EP 'As Above'.
Some 18 months since he dropped his debut album 'Assorted Nonsense', the new release is the first part of a two-part conceptual project and includes the single 'All Good'."I wanted to make a song that stated my intention while kind of putting big egos in their place and encouraging people to be themselves at the same time," Amity says of 'All Good'.
"It just felt right that the beat matched the ambiguous message by being cruisey as well as something you can get down to."
Who is Amity... I'm a Brisbane hip hop artist making honest and passionate music with eloquent storytelling and comical wordplay. My songs consist of personal reflection and social commentary over a contemporary update of boom-bap beats.
I sound like... Illy, Horrorshow and Pez walked into a bar.
My first gig was... A small festival called Scorcher Fest in 2015 at New Globe Theatre in Brisbane.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... I lived on a street called Amity Drive at the time, so I didn't have to look very far for inspiration.
I also liked the association with the beach from 'Jaws', and a very distant relative settled in the area on a ship of the same name – hence the street.
In the studio I usually... Spend a lot of time workshopping the songs so they flow well right down to the syllable, and laugh with my engineer Rico about the dumb things we say and do a few hours into a session.
If I could tour with anyone... I'd probably have to say my main man Illy. He was my first introduction to local hip hop, apart from a few hits by the Hoods and BnE, and my obsession with the scene really started from 'The Chase'.
Social media is... Both one of my biggest tools as an independent artist and intellectual wasteland as an empathetic person. I very much have a love-hate relationship with it.
My favourite app at the moment is... Probably Spotify or Genius. I invest far too much time into carefully curating massive playlists that the algorithm won't even play half of and I love reading about other people's interpretations of the meaning behind certain lyrics.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... I forgot the words to my own song when hyping it up for an encore at the end of a show.
Life on the road can be... Disastrous but also weirdly fun. I've never toured, but cars I've had have broken down at the worst times in the most inconvenient places with some of my favourite people and they've turned out to be some of my best memories.
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that our rider contains... Water, water and more water!
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... My first and only experience with sleep paralysis. That sh.t is terrifying.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be your spokesperson... Nat's What I Reckon would be an absolute legend to represent me because of his wit and passion for mental health.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? I've never left the country, but I've had an itch to visit California lately, so I think Los Angeles would be my home away from home. There is so much music and cinematic history there and the natural beauty looks so peaceful.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... My school friends Nathan, Shaughn and Jayden. It's always a laugh when the 'boys' are together and I wouldn't want to spend the quality time talking sh.t and having fun with anyone else.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I make this gnocchi-bolognese bake with a recipe I got from a Coles magazine that goes pretty hard.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? I prefer cats, but I love both. People seem to think if you say you have one then you hate the other, but I don't see the validity in that argument.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey! It was my first legal drink and I've been a bourbon boy ever since.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Yesterday, but I should go more often.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Cleaning the grout off a shower is pretty repugnant.
Do you have any phobias... I hate the smell of formaldehyde, so I would avoid butchers and preparation of raw meat as a kid. These days I think spiders and being alone in crowded spaces would have to take the cake.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? I despise a lot of reality television, but if I were to ever be in one it would probably be something like 'Rhythm + Flow' on Netflix.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? I have a good friend who hates spiders and one who is scared of the dark, so if I could lock them together in one of those dark spider enclosures at zoos then that would be hilarious; but also very mean, so I wouldn't.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? I'm a sucker for a good ol' HSP after a night out and I think Ali Baba are one of the best.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Eric Draven from 'The Crow' – fighting for justice with a love for rock & roll and dropping badass one-liners all the time.
Last show you binge-watched? I don't really watch TV anymore, and I was late to the party, but I loved 'Black Mirror'.
'The End Of The F***ing World' was killer, too. The wholesome undertones to a couple of broken kids covering up a murder and falling in love with each other in the process was great, not to mention the dark humour.
