One Island East To Release Self-Titled EP
ONE ISLAND EAST WILL BE LAUNCHING THEIR BRAND NEW EP OVER TWO SHOWS IN JUNE AND JULY
An amalgamation of soulful voices infused with an infectious melodic underlay and combined with soft Latino beats embodies One Island East , an eclectic music group taking over the Perth music scene.
Currently comprised of co-front man vocalist Sam Faletolu, founding member and co-front man Ken Craigie, founding member and drummer Chris Reutens and keyboardist Matt Bell, the group have already played in 63 shows around Perth, after forming just over one year ago.
To mark their one year anniversary in the music industry, One Island East are about to release their self-titled CD single, which will coincide with two EP launches to be held at the end of June and July.
Their self-titled release will feature three reggae driven tracks, a slight bossa track and a more roots track.It was compiled in just three sessions at Sam Jones’ house who is the monitor engineer for Australian electronic group, Empire of the Sun.
“The whole house was converted into a studio, with drums in the living room, guitar in the office, bass and keys in the mixing room... it was raw and worked great for our sound... just clean acoustics.” Ken explains.
Ken said the EP was a testament to the past 12 months and having the chance to compile their first release with Sam Jones made the experience even greater since Sam had been working with the group during their residency at the Llama Bar in Subiaco and much of the bands stage development had been due to Sam’s ongoing support.
One of the songs to feature on the EP, Fake Diamonds, is a darker sombre track which rather unexpectedly dives into a reggaeton beat.
Described by the band members as dissimilar to other sounds previously released by the group, both Ken and Sam say the song also holds poignant meaning to them.
“It’s a story about a lap dancer’s night on the job, and a bouncer who is in love with the girl.
“Wearing Fake Diamonds is a metaphor for the world they live in, glamorous on the surface, but empty within.
“The reggaeton beat represents the wild abandonment of her lifestyle, as well as the whirlpool of destruction that can come with it.
“The sombre tone of the song is lightened by the reggae rhythm, giving it a sense of prevail.”
One Island East came to fruition after founding member Ken realised there was a market for their music in the Perth music scene and overseas. The name was derived from one of Ken’s many hometowns, Lombok in Indonesia. As a late-teen Ken would often travel each school holiday and jam with local musicians in Lombok. “When people ask where Lombok is, the answer would be one island East of Bali.”
The name also reflects the band’s multi-cultural diversity, with Sam being a Samoan raised in NZ, Chris’ being Burmese but born and raised in Perth, and Ken being a mixed Filipino-English Australian. The initiation of the group’s musical journey began in the basement of the Swan Hotel, where Ken teamed up with lead guitarist Esnor Mohamed (aka EJ) and Chris. Sam joined the group shortly after on bass before eventually finding his niche as a front-man vocalist. Both Chris and Sam say they were aficionados of the music.
“I really liked the style and the sound of this music; it also had a versatility that allowed me to play percussion or the kit for gigs and rehearsing.”Chris explains.
“The band was a way for me to learn my crafts and become creative with arranging songs and even writing songs,” Sam says. “Joining the group was a good learning process for me, I have worked and been inspired by so many good musicians and I have learnt so much from my time here in Perth and with the band.” Sam continues.
One Island East spent ten months in residency at the Llama Bar, during which they performed at the Subiaco Street festival and the Perth International Beer Festival along with several other residencies in Perth and Fremantle. EJ eventually left the group and was replaced by Matt who joined on bass and keyboard.
Ken said his fervor for music stems from his diverse upbringing, after being raised in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines and for the most part Australia.
Originally inspired by the grunge movement, he found a common appreciation for music with his parents through The Gypsy Kings and Bob Marley. Years later, Ken left acoustic music for an appreciation of the RnB and Hip Hop scene, after seeing his brother (Al Craigie aka AMC) perform as a Hip Hop MC. Ken managed Al’s group, Fullproof, before taking a year off to travel to the US and Europe. Inspired by Fullproof’s efforts, Ken regained his acoustic inspiration while overseas before returning to Perth with a repertoire of new songs.
For Chris it seems music has always been in his blood as well.
After playing with Aussie hip hop act Downsyde and touring the country with them for three years, Chris says it was a nice change to move away from the hip hop music and absorb himself in his true love, soul, reggae, funk, roots and blues.
“I have been playing drums since I was five years old and doing paid gigs since 12.”
“Music was all around me growing up mum and dad, aunties and uncles and brothers and cousins all played in bands so I guess it was inevitable.”
Their upcoming demo/EP launches will be held on June 25 at the Funk Club and at the Norfolk Basement in Fremantle on July 23.
Reggae driven, with influences of jazz, Latino and roots, the band delivers a mix of upbeat and laid back vibes with an acoustic backbone, appealing to fans of all music styles, and promising a great atmosphere at every venue they perform.The launches will be a brilliant showcase of variety, drawing on support artists hip hop trio The Goodfellas and acoustic hip hop artist Ray. Both shows are $10 and details are:
Friday June 25 The Funk Club @ The Leederville Hotel - 742 Newcastle Street, Leederville
Friday July 23 @ The Norfolk Basement – 47 South Terrace, Fremantle
To interview the group or for additional photos please contact Ken Craigie on 0424475692 or email at fire_born1981@yahoo.com.au
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