Pearl’s Chance Meeting

November will see Sydney’s Chance Waters take to the stage for the Queenscliff Music Festival, his name one of many in a killer line-up. PEARL hit up the hip-hop artist and producer for some insight to the rollercoaster ride of album releases, accolades, tours and collaborations that has been the last two years.

Releasing his latest album Infinity in November 2012, Waters scored not one, but two tracks in tripe j’s Hottest 100 Countdown, with Maybe Tomorrow (feat. Lilian Blue) charting at #89 and Young & Dumb (feat. Bertie Blackman) scoring the #45 slot. On top of this, Maybe Tomorrow was voted #7 in the rage Top Fifty, ahead of M.I.A, Alt-J, Grimes, Tame Impala, The Temper Trap and many others.

Following the hype of 2012, Chance embarked on 19-date national Infinity tour earlier this year, in addition to appearing at several festivals including BigSound, Red Deer and The Village Festival. On top of the constant touring, Waters has also been writing, recording and forming collaborations with new artists, yet rather than being overwhelmed by the newfound pressure Waters is chugging along from one success to the next.

“It used to be a case of going here and there playing shows and writing as beats cropped up. Now things are a lot more carefully structured, we’re really putting a lot of thought into my touring and writing cycle, but I’m also a lot busier because of that. Basically in real terms I’m watching less of the TV series you watch when you’ve seen every other TV series, Vampire Diaries definitely isn’t getting a run anytime soon.”

While Vampire Diaries may be suffering from one lost fan, The Northcote Social Club will be welcoming Chance Waters back for the second time this year come September, when the hip-hop artist steps out with the Griswolds for their co-headlining More Than Just Friends tour.

“I’ll have some songs from the new album with me and Whitehall from The Griswolds is threatening to sing Patience Hodgson’s parts in my song Looking For Something. I usually get a few guests up in each city so I’m going to go all out with that…Plus antics, there’ll definitely be antics. I’m going to have to try and out-crazy The Griswolds.”

The tour will see the unlikely duo unveil their collaboration for the first time, and like Kanye and Bon Iver before them, the Australian couple are set to surprise fans while delivering their respective familiar sounds.

“It’s got my character and my producer One Above’s style, and a lot of really recognisable elements from The Griswolds so I think it’s a nice cross section of what we’re all doing. My biggest songs are usually collaborations so I think my listeners have come to expect it.”

Waters has gone from fanboy to friend in a number of collaborations this last year with the likes of Bertie Blackman, Lilian Blue and most recently, Patience Hodgson from The Grates. Perhaps it is the softer, humble and reflective yet upbeat tone to Waters’ music that these artists have taken to, as it distinctly sets him apart from a lot of other aussie hip-hoppers.

 “I think I tend explore ideas and metaphors across whole verses and stanzas rather than leaning on punchlines which are very popular in Australia… There’s also not much braggadocio in my work and it’s pretty self deprecating, which is at odds with the status quo for hip-hop in general.”

Gearing up for Queenscliff Festival, Waters expresses his excitement at not only performing on the opening night, but also sticking around to see everyone else do their thing.

“Touring rurally is one of the best things about being an Australian performer, rural towns really just give more of a shit about live music because they get less of it and their events are generally really friendly and inclusive.”

Head to www.qmf.net.au for tickets and event information. For tickets to the Chance Waters / Griswolds gig at The Northcote Social Club, head to www.northcotesocialclub.com

MATILDA HEGGIE

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