What’s next for Brayden Sibbald?

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! 

First of all, congrats on the release of your new EP! Can you walk us through a few of your fave tracks on the release?

I Am The Master Saboteur is the closing track off the EP. I came to the realisation recently that you are in charge of all the choices you make and that you are the only one that can make it better or you can make it worse for yourself. Sonically it’s inspired by my favourite song of all time - Spanish Sahara by Foals. 

Thin Air is a track about letting go of things that you’ve created or fabricated that hold you back and prevent you from growing and moving forward. It’s a return to a bit of a simpler sound with more acoustic elements. It was a tough one to crack in the studio but once we did it’s become one of my favourites from the EP.

What was it like working with Matt Gio (Troye Sivan / San Cisco)? Do you have any particularly fond memories from your time in the studio?

Working with Matt Gio is awesome. He’s incredible at what he does and always tries to be inventive in his approach which I am really drawn to. It never feels like work in the studio - just like catching up with a friend and jamming out. He’s great at picking sounds and creating new sounds - at hearing new inspiration for a track from anywhere. Working with Matt over the years has made me a better producer and musician.

Your musical roots are embedded in folk music, having won a couple of WAM awards for your earlier work. How has your sound evolved over time, and what inspired you to take on more of an electronic element in your work? 

I think over time I just got more interested in different sounds and sound design - about how people created those sounds. I still love folk stuff and the sound of acoustic guitar - I like writing a lot on acoustic. I grew up playing it and listening to it so it seems really natural to me.

Western Australia is considered to be quite isolated in regards to the rest of the country - what is the music scene there like, and who are some other artists we should be keeping an ear out for? 

There is such a strong music scene in WA! I feel like the sense of community in isolation is stronger. Everyone is killing it at the moment! Artists like Spacey Jane, Noah Dillon, Grievous Bodily Calm. 

If you could collaborate with any other musician, who would that be and why?

Dream collaboration would be either James Blake or Bon Iver - I think they are both doing something at the forefront of music, keeping things inventive - plus I’m a massive fan. 

You’ve said previously that you draw much of your inspiration from the world around you - from your hometown of Dunsborough, through to the glaciers of Iceland. Can you tell us a bit more about how these environments influence your music? 

Environments play a massive part in the music I’m making. I like to think of if as a sonic landscape - what does the song look like? What does it feel like? It can then inspire the lyrics (or vice versa) - what happens there? What plays out, who are the characters? I just feel so inspired to write when I see a particular setting - and there’s so much to see in the world.

What’s next for Brayden Sibbald, and where can people follow you and find your music?

You can find me anywhere you listen to music. In terms of socials I try and keep up with Instagram and Facebook but I’m a bit slack sometimes haha. I’ll have some more music out before the end of the year too - so definitely keep and eye out for that! 

Thanks again for your time, all the best with the release! 

Stream 'Afterglow' (Single) here

Stream 'We Can Only Move Forward' EP here