Mackay teenage duo Tia & Jack were the 2015 Tamworth Country Music Festival Toyota Busking Championship winners.
They have performed together since June 2013, when they were booked for a local charity event for the Variety Club. Their sets consist of covers of alternative country/ pop/ folk/ blues music and their own originals.
Later this month they travel to Brisbane to play City Sounds as well as Little Bigsound.
Who is Tia & Jack...
We are an acoustic-folk duo from Mackay, Queensland. We’ve been performing together for almost two years.
We sound like…
We strive to create our own, unique style and sound.
Our first gig was...
Our first gig together as a duo was a Variety Club Bash fundraising event in June 2013.
When did you settle on the group’s name and what does it mean?
After many discussions and debates about the name of the band, we finally agreed on something! Although it's not philosophical or very meaningful even, Tia & Jack is the only name that we did not dispute over.
In the studio we usually...
We have only ever had the one experience in a recording studio and that was with Bill and Nash Chambers. We had all of the songs written prior to this time, so we could get in there and begin straight away! If we weren’t laying down tracks, we were mucking around with different instruments and coming up with more ideas, or sleeping!
If we could tour with anyone, it would be...
Tia: First Aid Kit, Sticky Fingers or Bob Dylan!
Jack: There are a few artist that I would love to tour with: Boy & Bear, Angus & Julia Stone, Mumford & Sons and Ball Park Music.
Social media is…
An extremely great resource for getting your music out there and networking with so many other people that can help you out! It leads to so many opportunities!
My favorite app at the moment is...
Tia: My favorite app would have to be Snapchat or Trivia Crack; Snapchat probably because I used it all the time and it's good sharing your memories, and Trivia Crack because it’s a laugh!
Jack: My favourite app at the moment is Parking Mania because I'm on my L Plates.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time…
Tia: Probably when we were busking on Peel Street in Tamworth and were singing a Busby Marou song and the boys walked past and we started singing the words to one of their songs to a totally different song!
Jack: To date, our most embarrassing moments are when our voices blow out on stage! And because we are teenagers, it is very common!
Life on the road can be…
Amazing! Travelling and performing are our favourite things in the world! Looking forward to having the opportunity to do it more once we are finished with school.
If you’ll have us on the bill, we ask that our rider contains...
No idea! We generally just get free water and soft drink at this stage!
The most scare scenario we’ve found ourselves in was…
A gig in Mackay, at a local pub; there was a really random drunk, creepy dude that just wouldn’t go away and was really full-on. Security had to get him to leave!
What celebrity would you love to be spokesperson of the band?
Tia: Kevin Hart is hilarious!
Jack: Scarlett Johansson because she is out of this world hot!
Three people you’d like to invite around for a dinner party and why?
Tia: Lana Del Rey, Jake Bugg and Matt Corby because I’m in love with them all!
Jack: Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Hart and Marcus Mumford.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us?
Tia: Probably chicken stir-fry or tacos, they’re the only things I can cook!
Jack: If you were coming over to my place, I would cook you Vegemite and avocado on toast!
No matter the expense, send me…
Tia: A car.
Jack: Send me an ape!
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was…
Tia: Last week actually!
Jack: Last night when I gave my dad water!
What’s the one chore you dislike the most…
Tia: Stacking the dishwasher!
Jack: The chore I dislike most is hanging the clothes on the clothesline.
Do you have any phobias and what are they?
Tia: Petrified of snakes, spiders and geckos.
Jack: I have a phobia of germs! I don't like sharing ice-creams or drinks with anyone.
Would you partake in reality show? If so, which one?
Tia: 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians'.
Jack: I would not partake in a reality show unless I was getting paid very well to do it.
If you could prank any of your friends, who’s your target and how would you bring them down?
Tia: My friend Zoey; shaving her eyebrows!
Jack: If I could prank one of my friends, it would be Lewis McDougall. I would get a van and dress up in black. I would then get some other recruits to also dress in black! In his sleep, we would sneak into his house and kidnap him! He would be in the back of the van by himself with a hidden camera! The footage of him freaking out would then find its way to the internet!
Tia & Jack perform at Little Bigsound at the Judith Wright Centre 27 July. You can also catch them at City Sounds Southbank (4.45pm) 24 July and Solbar 26 July.
