Allday will release his debut album Startup Cult on July 4 via ONETWO. After a string of successful singles, EPs and free mixtapes, the Melbourne-via-Adelaide rapper has created a massive underground buzz for his debut, which is in turn one of the most anticipated Australian records of 2014.
The first single from Startup Cult is Right Now, which hit the airwaves via triple j last month just in time for appearances nationally on Groovin The Moo Festival. Today, the music video for Right Now is released to fans via YouTube just in time for the tour of the same name which starts this weekend. The tour includes mostly sold out headline dates and appearances on Bass In The Grass, Live it Up and River Sessions Festivals around the country.
Allday’s rise to prominence has somewhat humble beginnings. Having dropped out of art school to focus full time on music, Allday started up an indie band with his friends. They started practicing in his Mum’s garage and things seemed to be going great – until those same friends informed him he wasn’t a good singer. Then, the rusty 1997 Daewoo Lanos that he had permanently borrowed from his auntie to get around Adelaide broke down with a busted radiator. It had to be a sign. Allday packed a few things in a suitcase and got on the next plane to Melbourne.
It didn’t take long for the move to pay dividends. Via a strong a connection with his fanbase and a slew of home made music videos and mixtapes, the buzz behind Allday grew exponentially. Before long, he was that kid whose personality and sarcastic sense of humour had tens of thousands of fans interacting on his outrageously strong social networks, or creating footage of themselves to contribute to his videos. His shows began to pack out and his music started getting national exposure via triple j (including a spot in the Hottest 100) and festivals. And all before an official album release.
So with all the hype in the world under his belt, what is it that Allday wanted to get across to his fans on his debut?
“The album is a culmination of lots of things happening for me” says Tomas Gaynor AKA Allday, “I’ve been away from my home in Adelaide for two years. My friends are growing up but I feel like I’m doing the opposite. I stopped drugs and alcohol during recording so I could focus more, but I had no idea how much that would change the process until I did it. (Except the song Anything But Sober, I wrote that while I was drunk).”
“Then one day I was driving to the supermarket and I had an epiphany. It was a weird epiphany because I can’t explain exactly what I realised, but all of a sudden I knew exactly what kind of music I wanted to make.”
And that music is one of the most entertaining and refreshing albums Australia has produced in years. It’s a roller coaster ride of honesty, humour, confidence and the kind of story telling only an artist that truly knows his music and audience can get away with telling. It’s highly intelligent, unflinchingly youthful and always original.
“Startup, because this is the beginning of everything. Although I’ve put out a lot of free music in the past, this is my debut album and I wanted people to know that this is the first piece of art I want to be judged on. It’s also the beginning of a new era in Australian Rap music.”
“Cult, because I don’t want to be a flash in the pan artist, I don’t want to be a cool artist, I want to be somebody whose music makes a difference to your life. It’s also to say that…
…I don’t care if I never sell a million records,
as long as the people who do buy the record
love it and treasure it like it’s their religion.”
For its release, fans will have a bunch of different options to pre-order the album, including a lock of Allday’s hair in a vial, and Merch and CD bundles amongst other things. Pre-Orders for Startup Cult are live now via 24 Hundred, and iTunes. May 30th for Jb Hi-Fi.
Startup Cult will be out on July 4. The release will be the second on the newly formed ONETWO label, which you can read more about here.
Allday Tour Dates
Thur 29 May Breakers Bar Geraldton
Fri 30 May Flyrite Perth
Sat 31 May Pirie & Co Social Adelaide (U18)
Sat 31 May Pirie & Co Social Adelaide (18+)
Sat 7 June Ding Dong Melbourne (U18)*
Sat 7 June Ding Dong Melbourne (18+)*
Sun 8 June Spirit Bar Traralgon (18+)
Sat 14 June The Lair Sydney (AA) – Sold Out
Sat 14 June Goodgod Sydney (18+) – Sold Out
Fri 20 June Bowler Bar Brisbane (18+)
allaussiehiphop.com 