Drew Mayhills is a WA-based, independent producer who makes electronic music with a rock edge.
Drew has been making music since he was a teenager when he learnt guitar and began playing in various rock, alternative and metal bands.
Restyling himself as a producer under the moniker of his surname, he released his debut EP 'Post-Romantic' in November. “The [EP] title comes from an Alain de Botton book called 'The Course Of Love',” Drew says.
“The notion of the idea is that it's lovely to be romantic, but it's also a little bit superficial and a bit false.
"When people hear the title they think I'm a pretty romantic dude – I just proposed to my girlfriend in Iceland, so I'm not beyond romantic things – but it's more about seeing things for how they are and being honest about your process. I mean 'Post-Romantic' in the best possible way.”
Drew has parlayed his background in writing and playing rock music into an electronic context and created a record that straddles the various worlds in which Drew operates.
“I really love a lot of the energy and dynamic of the rock and heavy stuff but I've always been interested in different colours and shades outside of the rock palette,” he explains.
“You play in rock bands as a teenager and you're invariably swept up into giving a shit about aesthetic, if it's cool and external validation on some level.
"I've gotten to a point where I'm only interested in making music that I think is authentic, honest and reflective of me, and devoid of the outside-bullshit circumstances.
"It's definitely a step in a different direction from rock music and heavy stuff, but in a way I've realised there's other ways to be heavy; you don't need screams and guitars to be heavy.”
With the release of 'Post-Romantic' in November, Drew is now proceeding with phase two of the project: 'Post-Romantic Remixed'. From December, every three weeks he will be releasing a track from the EP that has been remixed by artists such as Laidlaw, The Boost Hero Man and Feels.
Drew explains how 'Post-Romantic Remixed' is an opportunity for he and his colleagues in the music industry to make a valuable contribution, with proceeds being donated to charities of the artists' choosing.
“I think electronic music is a really unique platform through which to collaborate and, coming from the band world and that very organic mode of collaboration, I don't like the idea of electronic music being this lonely, bedroom, disconnected experience,” he says.
“It speaks to a few interests for me; I really like the idea of collaboration within the electronic space... and we've got the capacity to achieve a common goal.
"For me it was working with those guys to figure out where we would put the profits from this. I feel like there is an opportunity there for us collectively as WA artists to make a difference and make an impact.”
