Now in it’s third year, UBERfest has returned for its 2015 Winter tour, setting up shop in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to provide a showcase each city’s best emerging young bands. With the Sydney leg of UBERfest ready to launch into action tomorrow at The Lewisham Hotel, Samantha Faul, frontwoman of Fifth Dawn took some time out to chat about the festival.
As Syney’s UBERfest looms around the corner, Samantha Faul of Fifth Dawn takes some time to chat giving her band rides and working with Richie Newman.
HAPPY: So you’re headlining the Sydney leg of Uber’s UBERfest, who are all about giving people lifts. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened when you’ve hitched a lift or given a lift to someone?
SAMANTHA: I got my drivers licence only a few weeks back and and driving the boys in the band around can get pretty rowdy! We can go from a debate about music and bands to breaking out into song. It’s weird! The boys will mouth the instruments and I just sing along. The Take over, The Breaks Over by Fallout Boy has been done that way and its actually pretty cool that we have that sort of relationship. On the other hand, the debates can get pretty intense as we favour slightly different styles individually but I guess that’s a good thing! We have been able to blend those individual influences into creating our own sound as a band.
HAPPY: Of course the festival is one of many small events that are becoming prominent in the country, what is your thoughts on the influence of small festivals like this on the scene?
SAMANTHA: I’ve been going to gigs and shows since I was 13 and fully appreciate the impact it has on the scene. The scene is a wonderful thing of interaction between lovers of music and bands that make a difference in people’s lives. Music festivals such as UBERfest provide a platform for that to happen, so yes I truly believe in the difference it makes for I am a product of that.
HAPPY: Fifth Dawn are one of the big draws of the day, what was the journey like to arrive at this point?
SAMANTHA: Although as a band it’s very early days, I think it’s safe to admit that the journey so far has been very courageous and eye opening. I’ve never felt more driven to achieve anything and just the response so far to our music has really set the framework for what we want to get out of this whole experience. Every step of the way has been a learning curve and we can’t wait to explore our limits.
HAPPY: The band spent some time in the studio working with Richie Newman from the legendary Buried In Verona, how did you guys meet and what was the experience like?
SAMANTHA: Richie Newman is such an amazing human and influence on us. His creative mind in terms of music is incredible. Jamie our rhythm guitarist and Frank, our Development Manager approached Richie before a BIV set at The Bald Face Stag and showed him some demos. He was super keen to work with us on the EP and refining our ideas. We really grew on each other and I speak for all of Fifth Dawn when I say he opened our eyes to a whole number of things about the industry and what we’re trying to achieve musically.
He has become a great friend to the band and we will definitely continue to work with him on various aspects of what we do as a band. He has been through it all and it’s awesome that he is willing to share his experiences with us and truly help us navigate our way through this industry. We are so fortunate and grateful for that.
HAPPY: And now you’ve just released your debut EP The Horizon, and it’s a pretty solid effort! The hard rock scene in Australia is a pretty prolific one, so how do you approach this scene to be more distinct from all the other bands out there?
SAMANTHA: Our sound has evolved in a way where we became distinct from other bands. We wanted to be innovative with our sound. Personally I love different! I love crazy, and I love feeling something I cannot describe. That was one of our goals from the beginning – we started with something interesting and I felt it! So we decided to roll with it and hopefully become something people will love. Not for us but for themselves. We truly hope we can make that connection through music.
HAPPY: We always talk about what makes us happy, so we want to know what makes you happy?
SAMANTHA: I’ve always been a happy person, though there are things I truly appreciate in an everyday situation. My beautiful family and friends for their undying support, music for always guiding me and showing light to my path and my future, the band members for making Fifth Dawn such a pleasure to be a part of, to the little things like Zelda and Cheese – because I can’t seem to get enough of those two things!
For a surprise UBERfest gift – send an email to UBER with the name of your favourite UBERfest city in the subject line (Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne)
