the be hear now cohort for 2024
The soulful R&B, Billie Eilish and Adele informed vocals of this young Ballarat artist have put her firmly in the sights of the Australian music-loving community.
Aaliyah broke through with an audition on Australian Idol in 2023 where she unexpectedly faltered during the filming.
What’s more, the producers added a clip of her unexpected slip-up to the commercial, meaning she had to deal with watching it air again and again in the run-up to the show.
But Aaliyah has some grit and determination, demonstrating that Ballarat grown musicians are tougher than most, and she took the incident in her stride by taking to TikTok and securing more than 1.7million viewers.
Aaliyah released her debut single, Sorry, in 2023 as a follow up and a message to her younger self. As a Be Hear Now cohort member for 2024 Aaliyah is looking to seal the deal of her music future.
Coda Chroma (aka Kate Lucas) is an award-winning songwriter from Ballarat, Victoria, and is described as “one of the most innovative and noteworthy musicians in Australia.” (Tone Deaf, 2021).
Coda Chroma creates music that sways between cinematic folk and baroque pop, with otherworldly harmonies, honest and existential lyrics, suspended in deeply nuanced production. Coda Chroma released her third album Dreamself in 2023, which features a collection of songs celebrating the liminal space between awake and asleep, where stories unfold through abstraction.
Nominated for the 2023 Australian Music Prize, Dreamself also landed album of the week on broadcasters such as PBS, 2SER, Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), featured in Bandcamp's "New and Notable" and in the AMRAP Regional charts, received plays on KCRW, and tracks were featured on Channel 10's The Project television show. In the second half of 2023 Coda Chroma toured Dreamself nationally, supported Augie March, and The Whitlams, performed at the Winter Sounds Festival with Mo'Ju, and was also nominated for Best Regional Act in the 2023 Music Victoria Awards.
Dayfever is a unique blend of indie rock, indie pop and alternative rock, with essences of Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams.
The band is formed by well known Ballarat musician Connor Toomey. His songwriting prowess has been enhanced by vocalists and a full band, taking Connor’s lush introspective lyricism into new directions.
Dayfever has crafted a hugely listenable catalogue that wouldn’t be out of place on regular rotation on Triple J. Their musical prowess reveals their future plans with Connor reporting that he spent the better part of two years saving up to record, mix and master Dayfever’s first EP.
They are keen to get into recording a new EP and engaging third parties to help them with branding, industry representation and merchandise.
Surfe is Harry Nijam. Harry performs a laidback, dance, indie pop sound which is much more mature than his years.
Harry performed as part of the Be Hear Now fringe, taking part in a gig in an old hairdressing salon turned performance venue on Sturt Street.
Harry also got along to the inaugural Be Hear Now live music conference held in the Goods Shed where he met up with key contacts from the music industry and scored some great introductions.
Cut a long story short, today Harry is represented by Unified Music Group and he’ll be rolling out new music in 2024.
Harry joins the Be Hear Now cohort in 2024.
ZÖJ is Ballarat based duo featuring Gelareh Pour on voice and Persian Kamancheh, and Brian O'Dwyer on drum kit.
Pour’s classical background comes through in masterful playing and evocative interpretations of Persian poetry sung in Farsi.
Together with O’Dwyer’s experimental rhythms, the duo’s nuanced synergetic connection sparkles with emotion and purpose. Gelareh Pour and Brian O’Dwyer have a significant working relationship that has seen the duo co-produce and release several albums together.
The ideals of ZÖJ are firmly rooted in true expression of inter-culturalism, specifically what it means to be from more than one place.
ZÖJ perform structured improvisations that are inclusive of the moment and environment. Translating that each ZÖJ performance is different as the duo allow the space in which they are performing to direct their music and reactions.