Trikarma has made a real impression on the Melbourne music scene. Now armed with a funky debut release LOVINGLIFE the lads are ready to get Australia dancing with their upbeat grooves. I caught up with vocalist Chris Buxton to learn more about this up-and-coming Aussie act.
I’ve heard your music classified as funk, pop, and rock. How would you describe your sound?
I would say that is pretty accurate – we definitely have funk at the core but the tracks are catchy with a bit of dirt here and there providing the rock.
You’ve just released your first album LOVINGLIFE. What can you tell me about it?
LOVINGLIFE was recorded earlier this year, mainly in at Salt Studios in East Brighton in Melbourne. We tracked the 10 songs over two days with all the boys playing together to give us our bed of tight and vibe-filled foundations. All the guys enjoyed the two days and we captured some really great moments. I laid down guide vocals with the boys over those two days and then tracked all the vocals in my home studio over 3 weeks, often until the early hours of the morning with a scotch and Sambucca in hand. Myself and Luke [keyboards] then did a day of over-dubs with our co-producer Sean McVitty in his very funky studio at Salt. Sean had also laid own some extra guitar parts and textures after my vocals were added. Once this was done we were ready for five days of mixing with Sam Lowe our engineer. This was a great experience of seeing and hearing all the parts and tracks come together and be polished and moulded. The album was then sent to Sterling Sound in New York for mastering. It has been completely funded out of my pocket and we are proud of, and happy with the album.
You’ve played several shows in your hometown of Melbourne. How have the local crowds responded to your music?
The response has been very positive. We feel we are definitely on to something here. The combination of the songs, the energy of the music and the players involved have gone down extremely well with our audiences. It’s music to groove and dance to as well as having something different to say, if you want to go a bit deeper than just the sound. We really enjoy playing live. We are having a great time and it shows, and I think people like to see that. We are not tortured artists – we are celebrating life.
You haven’t announced an Australian tour yet. Do you have any idea when you’ll get out there are perform live for us?
We are working on booking some more shows at the moment, but they are still Melbourne based for now. We would love to do a tour or some supports but are finding it’s not that easy to break through and get some attention, opportunities and gigs. We will persevere and keep on making those follow-up calls, but if there’s any booking agents out there reading this give us a tingle and a crack at it and we will do the rest!
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Spearhead, Jamiroquai, Stevie Wonder, Kyle Riabko, and Macy Gray are on rotation here at the moment.
Trikarma is an interesting name. What’s the story behind it?
My best friend and I came up with the name a few years ago. We wanted something that had a “ring” to it, that was memorable and reflected our beliefs – that there was power and truth in the idea of karma, that we reap what we sow, that we are powerful creators. We also liked the idea of threes. It is found in so many aspects of life – such as body, mind and spirit – so we joined the two together. It was sometime later that we discovered the term “trikarma’ has been referred to for many centuries in ancient texts, and effectively means “conscious, intentional use of your thoughts, words and actions towards achieving enlightenment.” It was freaky, in a good way, how well it fits what the music is about.
You’ve got one of the biggest bands I’ve seen. How do you deal with those inevitable differences of opinion?
Well so far we haven’t had any problems, we’ve found the whole process has run smoothly so far. Trikarma has been an idea for some time and this year has been great in terms of manifesting it in to reality. I think it also helps in some ways to have one person really driving the whole thing. I could not have done it without the other wonderfully talented people around me, but the reality is the overall direction, organization, marketing, publicity and booking the band all falls in to my lap. It’s not always easy to get everyone together and organized, but now we are starting to get some momentum up it’s becoming easier, and more interesting and exciting.
What’s on your Christmas wishlist?
Some more radio airplay, exposure and gigs for Trikarma, some more ears to hear the sounds and vibes, and any other opportunities the universe can muster up for us. There is nothing else more important to me right now. We know we’ve got a great album, but the reality is that isn’t even the half of it. There’s plenty of new music out there. We are looking for ways to be heard and opportunities to play.
What does 2009 hold for Trikarma?
Next year will see us playing more shows around Melbourne and beyond and continuing the push for our days in the sun. We’ll also be looking to link up with people on our wavelength that can help us create and make the most of our opportunities.
And finally, do you have a message for Oz Music Scene readers?
Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far! Check out our website or the MySpace if you haven’t heard any tunes, and if you like what you hear, see and read, buy the album – it’s a ripper. If you see us playing somewhere in your area get on board and join us for a night of positivity, funk and black Sambucca!
Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment