In The Club with Miramar
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Eora/Sydney based trio Miramar who recently released their debut EP "Sleepwalking."
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Eora/Sydney based trio Miramar who recently released their debut EP "Sleepwalking." Together we discussed the ocean, the office, sleepwalking, birds, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful to have Miramar join them at On The Shelf. How is everyone doing today?
Amazing, thank you for having us!
2. Mustard has observed that Miramar means "Look at the Sea" in Spanish. What sea does Miramar enjoy looking at? What would a beach day for Miramar look like?
All of us grew up on the coast, Rosh from Mornington Peninsula, Sam and Matt from Port Macquarie, so we all enjoy a bit of beach action. A beach day for us would definitely be Matt and Sam splashing around in the water and body-surfing waves while Rosh gets smashed by knee high white waters
3. Together you walked by a sign that said "Miramar" and earned your band name that way. Have you come across any other inspiring signs since then?
Not really, that particular sign was just something we walked past a lot at the time we started making music together. So it is inspiring to us because it means we’re always looking back on it and how far we’ve come.
4. According to your Spotify biography Miramar are breaking new ground on the Australian music scene. Did you need to obtain a permit before doing this?
We don’t have a DA yet - please don’t tell the government!
5. Mustard wonders what your introduction to the Australian music scene was? How has the scene evolved over time?
When Matt moved to Gerringong in late high school he joined an indie rock band with some school friends called ‘Sampson’. When they moved to Sydney, Sam joined the band and Rosh used to come to all the gigs. We all loved that scene but also loved electronic music though it didn’t seem as much like an option for us as we weren’t DJing. Then after we formed miramar as a way to do that more electronic style, it coincided with a big jump in interest in that type of music and it’s been really amazing to watch and be a part of - we have played all kinds of venues around the country and everyone is happy to give us a go!
6. Sam: What type of birds can a human typically see in the Sydney area?
(Sam:) At our place in Enmore we usually see a lot of Rainbow Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Noisy Miner birds. Nothing too interesting, although I recently went for a walk through Sydney Park and saw a couple of Red Rumped Parrots, which are very cool.
7. Miramar receives a call from an unknown number. It is from a non-profit who works with Australian birds. To help boost their upcoming pledge drive they ask Miramar to create a fun jingle for them. What does this jingle sound like?
Have you ever heard the song ‘Babylon’ by Congorock? It would be that but made from Magpie sounds!
8. That is not the only phone call you receive. The Office is being rebooted. Michael and Company will be going to a club in the first episode. Which song of yours would be playing in the club?
Probably Smoke Machine - it would also probably fit in with the Fire Drill episode too!
9. Mustard is curious if Miramar has broken out the Michael Scarn dance during a performance?
We haven’t quite got the coordinated dance moves down pat yet, but we have been known to get a bit carried away on the dancefloor!
10. Mustard wonders if anyone can join Club Miramar? Could you share more about your live-series?
That’s the whole idea of it! We really love the energy and freedom of electronic music and love to dance to it, but we also love the emotion and spectacle of live music so we wanted to create a setting where people could come and see the best of both worlds - something for everyone!
11. "Smoke Machine" is about how happy the band was enjoying live music. What makes live music so special? Did a specific live show inspire this single?
Definitely the emotion involved, it’s so therapeutic. We all live pretty busy lives so it helps you take a moment to just be with yourself or your friends and not worry about anything else. Probably the lightbulb moment when we realised this was in the middle of a very crowded Splendour in the Grass amphitheater watching Lorde, and we were all like ohhhh we need to be doing this.
12. As a condiment Mustard is curious what it means to be desensitized? Are humans in Australia currently desentized to things going on in the world?
I think we definitely are, but it’s also a result of living in the internet age - literally getting bombarded with info all hours of the day makes it tough to process it all properly.
13. What advice does Miramar have for a human who may be feeling lost mentally? Is society designed to keep humans complacent?
Not to sound like a broken record, but we definitely recommend going out to see music. It gets you out of your head and into a real, tangible community that you get to be a part of, and gives you a break from everything else happening around you that can be overwhelming.
14. Why should you not wake someone who is sleepwalking?
Sleepwalking is wayyyy too creepy. Definitely don’t wake someone who is sleepwalking because it’s scary enough seeing them doing it but imagine being the one walking! One minute your sleeping in your bed and suddenly your standing up somewhere else completely? Would probably have a panic attack!
15. Mustard would like to wish you congratulations on releasing your debut EP "Sleepwalking." Could you share what it was like to put this EP together? How does it feel to have it out in the world?
Thank you! It’s been a ride, some of these songs we wrote four or five years ago and have just been constantly working on them, reinventing them so it is so amazing to finally be able to share them! It’s also really motivating because these are some of the first songs we ever wrote and the fact they are coming out now and people are liking them means they’ve held up which is really awesome. It makes us excited for people to hear some of the stuff we’re still sitting on!
16. What can fans expect from your tour kicking off on December 18th? How does Miramar prepare for each show?
New music, a lot of energy and some crazy lights! We’ve got two shows left for the end of the year, at Bootleggers in Newtown on the 15th and La La La’s in Wollongong on the 16th. We’ve toured a few times this year so we’re getting into the swing of touring life now! The trickiest part is the light show - which our friend Jordan built from scratch - because every time we learn a new set we have to completely remake it with different patterns that are synced with us when we play. Sam usually ends up doing a few all-nighters leading up to the first show getting this ready, but it is definitely worth it in the end as it always looks sick! You’ll have to see it for yourself
17. On Instagram you mentioned being a little concerned for your sleep schedule during this tour. Will Miramar be taking cat naps while on the road?
Rosh is a professional napper. Anywhere, any time she will be getting a quick kip in. No such luxury for Matt and Sam however, who are both heavily addicted to caffeine.
18. What is next for Miramar?
Next year, we’ll be looking to release a few more tracks, write some more music and get a few more DJ gigs so we can still get out there and play our music, but it will give us a bit more energy to devote to doing bigger and better live shows.
19. Where can readers listen to your music?
We’re on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud - all the major streaming platforms! We’ll also be getting some stuff up on Bandcamp very soon.
