In the 8th and final episode of season 1 of UNPACKED, Jaguar Jonze explains how three years and many iterations went into the track ‘Astronaut’ and why it’s not just about technical skill when it comes to pulling off a musical vision. 

Jaguar Jonze is a force to be reckoned with. With talents in design as well as music, Deena Lynch has crafted the project, Jaguar Jonze, with a unique and captivating aesthetic that permeates through both her music and art. Deena Lynch has also been instrumental in the Australian music industry’s #metoo movement, speaking on The Project amongst other platforms to raise awareness and advocate for safety, inclusion and equality. 

One of her most recent singles ‘WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING’ is a powerful bridge between Jaguar Jonze’s advocacy and artistry, and samples former Sony Music Australia chief executive Denis Handlin. 

To listen to more of Jaguar Jonze’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit www.jaguarjonze.com. 

In the seventh episode of UNPACKED, Eilish Gilligan breaks down her track ‘October, December’. Eilish and Tess talk about the production process behind the track, as well as the liberation that Eilish felt when finally claiming her production skillset, and then releasing a fully self produced EP. Eilish also notes that no ‘production police’ are going to come along if you start calling yourself a producer, there are no set criteria. 

Eilish Gilligan is a songwriter, producer and feelings-feeler from Melbourne. From 2017 to 2019 she released a series of singles which gained huge praise from Triple J and much of Melbourne’s music scene, namely 2018’s ‘S.M.F.Y.’ and 2019’s ‘The Pull’. Since then she has been hard at work on her craft with the release of her EP ‘Hospital’ in 2020 and most recently, ‘First One to Leave the Party’ in 2021. An avid TikToker and weapon on social media platforms such as Twitch, Elish has also been recently featured on The Project. In this episode she discusses her work on Twitch and how this has translated to a live audience. 

To listen to more of Eilish Gilligan’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit www.eilishgilligan.com. 

In the sixth episode of UNPACKED, Alice Skye dives into her track ‘Grand Ideas’ and chats with Tess Guthrie about her collaboration with Jen Cloher and the evolution of different demos into the final track. She also discusses the relationship between personal processes and the emergence of a song and the importance of representing diverse perspectives across different areas of the music industry and up through chains of power, not just on stage. 

The Naarm-based Wergaia/Wemba Wemba songwriter has been steadily gaining a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting new talents since releasing her debut single “You Are The Mountains” in 2015, followed with the release of her acclaimed debut album Friends With Feelings, which gained immediate playlisting on many of the country’s radio stations and has since accumulated over one million streams on Spotify.

Alice took home the Emerging Artist Award at the 2019 Australian Women in Music Awards and in March 2018 she was awarded the inaugural First Peoples Emerging Artist Award. She was selected by Triple J as their featured artist for the 2019 Naidoc Week and was a finalist in the 2019 NIMA Awards.

To listen to more of Alice Skye’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit her instagram @aliceskye

In the fifth episode of UNPACKED, Queen P breaks down her feature on Holy Holy’s track ‘Port Rd’. As well as the collaboration, Queen P also talks about how essential the beat is when writing lyrics, and her approach to recording sessions and working with producers. 

Speaking your mind with true expression and confidence is the core essence of Queen P. The South Sudanese Australian rapper and poet (aka Piath Mathiang) blurs the line between hip hop, pop, RnB and electronic with her darting flow, impenetrable rhymes. 

Relocating to Australia at the age of five, Queen P has a background in acting, as well as a passion for the proud cultural roots of South Sudan. Queen P took to the music stage in 2018 releasing her first mixtape “Bring Black Back”. Elevating Queen P from the underground to the forefront, this mixtape saw P support Masta Ace (USA), Billy Davis & The Good Lords, Cool Out Sun and festival appearances at Strawberry Fields, Groovin The Moo, The Australian Open, St. Kilda Festival and Bigsound.

To listen to more of Queep P’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit her instagram @itsmequeen.p

In the fourth episode of UNPACKED, Kee’ahn breaks down their track ‘Better Things’ from both a songwriting and production perspective. Kee’ahn also brings out their guitar to show us through some of the chord construction and idea development which brought the song to life. 

Kee’ahn also talks about how they investigate how different sounds are made in the pursuit of new and interesting additions to their music. And importantly - why it’s important to jump in and try new things. 

Kee’ahn is a proud Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal, Zenadh Kes song woman who has recently ventured from their home town in North Queensland, to pursue their dream in the Kulin Nation (Melbourne, Australia). Kee’ahn already has an impressive number of performance credits to their name including: featuring at BIGSOUND2020, St Kilda Festival, Yirramboi First Nations Festival and at the Laneway Festival 2019 alongside Courtney Barnett, Cry Club, Jungle Cuffs, and Thelma Plum and has enjoyed nation-wide success with their debut single ‘Better Things.’ 

To listen to more of Kee’ahn’s work and find out more about their shows you can visit www.keeahn.com

In the third episode of UNPACKED, Alex Lahey breaks down her version of the classic Ramones track ‘Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)’. She also tackles a range of unhelpful societal messages and breaks down assumptions about production, discussing the importance of authenticity and the pursuit of sounding like yourself. 

Alex Lahey is a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, producer & multi-instrumentalist. Lahey’s 2016 track "You Don't Think You Like People Like Me" received Pitchfork's Best New Track Award and she has been nominated for a number of J awards, as well as for ARIA’s Breakthrough Artist, taking out the National Live Music Awards Victorian Live Act of the Year in 2018. Her most recent single is “Spike the Punch". 

To listen to more of Alex Lahey’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit www.alexlahey.com.au

In the second episode of UNPACKED, Ninajirachi breaks down her track ‘Blumiere’. She talks about her work with Kota Banks and Nina Las Vegas, how she began using her voice and, as expected, a glorious spread of production tricks. 

Ninajirachi is a formidable Australian electronic producer and DJ most known for her 2017 single “Pure Luck” which received high rotation on triple j. She was a finalist in triple j’s Unearthed High competition in both 2016 and 2017, and has performed at some of the country’s biggest festivals including Splendour in the Grass, Field Day, Falls Festival and Listen Out.

To listen to more of Ninajirachi’s work and find out more about her shows you can visit www.ninajirachi.com 

In this first episode of UNPACKED, Gordi breaks down her track ‘Volcanic’ from her most recent album, Our Two Skins. She talks about the recording process on her family farm, and all her favourite plugins and Ableton tricks.

Gordi is a renowned Australian folktronica singer/songwriter and producer. She has collaborated with the likes of Troye Sivan and toured with Bon Iver, Of Monsters and Men, and The Tallest Man on Earth.

Growing up in the rural NSW town of Canowindra and now based in Melbourne, Gordi has been nominated for an ARIA Award in 2020 and no less than four J Awards in recent years.

To listen to more of Gordi's work and find out more about her shows you can visit gordimusic.com