Apollo Blue
Vibrant and enigmatic, Apollo Blue is one of Australia’s most mysterious and exciting upcoming acts and his debut single Moonchild, an ode to self-empowerment. Inspired to pursue music and the arts by a serendipitous encounter with Lady Gaga as a teen, Apollo Blue’s debut single has been a long time coming – but Moonchild is absolutely worth the wait.
Recorded in Melbourne in 2019, Apollo Blue guided production with audio engineer Jake Rush (Dan Parsons), mixing by James Cecil (The Goon Sax) and mastering by Adam Dempsey (Angie McMahon, Courtney Barnett), Moonchild is evocative of classics The Rolling Stones and David Bowie, but stings with a uniquely modern twist not dissimiliar to indie pop icons The 1975 and Cub Sport. The song is a true journey, from start to finish – there are peaks and valleys, no musical turn is expected but each is fascinating and innovative. Moonchild is a fearless explosion of a debut, with climbing guitar licks, pounding percussion, gentle piano breaths, all held together by Apollo Blue’s defining, soaring vocal. Apollo Blue dropped by for a quick interview about the single.
How has the build-up been leading up to the release of the single Moonchild?
It’s been such an exciting and surreal journey. I decided a long time ago that if I was going to do this, I would put everything into it. So I’ve tried to honour that promise to myself by learning all aspects of the industry: how to make promotional content properly in photoshop, film and record my own videos and learn the business aspects of music. It’s been a lot of work but it’s so rewarding seeing it all come together in the way I envisioned.
Was the process of making your single as challenging as you thought?
It was definitely a lot of hard work but I never went into the process with a specific end date in mind, and I think that helped give me a lot of creative freedom. The biggest challenge for me was bringing to life the anthemic rock track I could hear in my head when I first sat down at the keyboard and wrote the song. It needed to be euphoric and powerful to tell the story authentically, so I kept working for months with multiple producers until it was something I was truly proud of.
Sonically, how would you describe your music?
My music really changes sonically with every character, story or feeling I bring to life when I write and arrange a song. However, Moonchild is definitely a euphoric, stirring sound. I would say it’s a menacing, powerful explosion of my rock n roll fantasy.
Who would you consider to be the biggest influence on your music and why?
Lady Gaga would have to be my biggest musical influence. As a kid I would watch every single live show and interview she did for every album. Even leaving her hotel would be a performance that represented her art or told a story. I became obsessed with the way she would create an entire concept and world around her music and truly live in that sound, fashion and design. She also showed me how empowering music can be. The way her music lifted me up and made me feel less alone as a young queer kid in the country changed everything for me.
Best piece of advice you have been given?
“Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined”. A quote from the philosopher and poet, Henry David Thoreau. This quote is something my beautiful Mum taught me from a young age. She would tell me that I truly could do and be anything I wanted, I just needed to visualise it and create it for myself. I think we spend a lot of time waiting for something or someone magical to enter our lives but the truth is we already are that magical thing, and we have the power to shape our life in the direction we want.
What is the APOLLO BLUE life story?
How much time do you have? Apollo Blue was created to give myself creative freedom and space to do things John Seindanis would be too scared to do. I grew up in a rural town, Port Pirie, in country SA and started secretly singing at night in the bathroom as a 12 year old for hours on end. I played piano first for years and wrote a lot of poetry in high school. I finally brought these passions together with song writing and built up the confidence to sing when I was 17, which is only a couple years ago really. I had a life changing moment at this age when Lady Gaga read my letter aloud in concert and invited me backstage to meet. As soon as I left that concert, I changed my year 12 subjects to drama and music, applied for music university in Melbourne and never looked back.
Are you looking to tour more broadly?
After the apocalypse ends? Yes, after the world recovers from COVID-19 it would be a dream come true to tour Europe and Asia. I’ve always wanted to travel but it would be even more special to do so with music. I’ve had an affinity for France since I was really young and have been learning a lot more French in quarantine. Playing in Paris would be my ultimate dream.
What’s next for APOLLO BLUE?
I’m not quite done with the world of my Moonchild yet, so without revealing too much, people can definitely expect to dive into that fantasy further. I also have some other songs already written that I’d love to share. In the not too distant future I’m hoping to also do more acting roles as I’m a huge lover of film and theatre. Playing different characters allows me to try on different shoes and characteristics of different people, it really inspires me.
Which local bands/artists would you like to tour with and why?
Cub Sport. I’ve never answered a question so quickly in my life. They are an incredibly creative and talented indie pop group from Brisbane. I am obsessed with their song writing, sound and powerful queer identity. I’m also a really big fan of Melbourne Singer/Songwriter Angie McMahon. I honestly listened to her song Slow Mover everyday for over a year.
Interview By Rob Lyon
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