Morning of the Earth Interview

Story & Photos by Carl Dziunka

They say the hills are alive with the Sound of Music. Well now it’s the turn of the Dandenong Ranges and the music of choice is Hip Hop.

Morning of the Earth is a group starting to make their mark on the Australian Hip Hop scene. The group comprises of Joel Godbee (Vocals), Ryan Koller (Guitar, Production) and Luke Shearer (Vocals).

They do Hip Hop, but it is Hip Hop with a twist. Added to the mix is a pinch of Roots, a smattering of Blues and a touch of Surf which gives you that summery feel good feeling.

Morning of the Earth – Sounds of Dandenong

Koller and Godbee met through lifesaving around Phillip Island where they both found they had a mutual interest in the same music. This led them to join a band which was a 7 piece Hip Hop crew called Cityzen. They later changed their name to Saltwater but they lacked direction and ultimately folded. Koller and Godbee had been bitten by the performing bug and weren’t ready to give it up.

They stayed together and Koller took over the production duties while Godbee started writing the lyrics and melodies. Then from friends of friends, Luke Shearer came on the scene and took this dedicated duo to a trio. Shearer assists Godbee on vocal duties to give this band the unique Hip Hop sound with a difference they are starting to perfect. Morning of the Earth was now born with the name of the band coming from a surf movie of the same name.

Morning of the Earth - hip hop with a twist of blues

Birth of a Band – Hip hop plus a twist of blues, surf and roots = Morning of the Earth

Now the framework for the band was established, the hard work was about to start and they needed to get their sound out to the ears of the public. Enter their debut E.P., “Magiclands”, which was released in March 2012. With tracks like “Dizzy” and “Heal this Heart “starting with a soulful piano before Godbee comes in with his descriptive vocals, this seems like an unusual formula which these fella’s have been successful in making work. On first hearing the tunes, you are taken aback with the mix but it’s soon apparent they have hit a winning formula and it’s very hard to get the tune out of your head after that.

The next progression was to get their music into the public domain and this they did by appearing at The Corner Hotel in Richmond on a bill that comprised of Jai-k, All Day and Dylan Joel. They were now experiencing what they set out to achieve and loved the chance to get out there and play live. With the upmost dedication and a keen ability, this group is continually moving forward. Koller is learning new skills in the production field and with new equipment; he is really fine tuning the sound that is a signature of these lads. A new track has just been put out called “Say What” which Koller describes as a crossover between sampling and music. This is once again a winning formula and is another title on this sensational group’s ever growing catalogue of music. They are now on Triple JJJ’s Unearthed List and also on AMRAT (the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project).

Morning of the Earth – JJJ’s Unearthed

AMRAT is a great resource which distributes Australian music throughout the community radio sector. Groups, whether signed or unsigned, can go on the AIRit list. This is the musical catalogue and distribution service where community radio stations can get music to broadcast. This means groups can get airplay and have their music heard by a much wider audience which in turn could generate interest from the right places. Groups can also see where their tracks have been played which will give them a report on how much airplay they have had. A fantastic resource for any up and coming new band.

Morning of the Earth - A Get Shot Bullett Band

Morning of the Earth – A Get Shot Bullet Band

So where to from here for Morning of the Earth. Well these lads are not slowing down anytime soon. They are putting plans together for another 4 Track E.P. and they can’t wait to get back to playing live. They want to try and get out to the more rural centres like Ballarat and Bendigo. For now though they have got a couple of dates coming up where you can catch them. They will be playing The First Floor on the 31^st August with Chance Waters and they will be at The Evelyn on the 9^th September with Kurtis. If you like to experience something unique in your music listening, then get out and support these lads. They are the real deal and are very serious about what they do, and believe us, they do it well.

With a real passion for their craft and influences from the best in the business (Toot and the Maytals, Hermitude, El-P) then Morning of the Earth is fast becoming a name to look out for. They are going to progress in this industry without a doubt and don’t forget, it was at Get Shot where you heard it first.

Dare we say it? THAT’S A RAP.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 at 12:01 am. It is filed under Carl Dziunka, Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.