From making headlines worldwide with their tasty track Geronimo to touring the globe, Australian band Sheppard is the new edge to Indie-Pop music and this year they’re bringing more sound to your speakers.
It’s been almost two years since their first debut album Bombs Away was released worldwide, but sold out tours in countries like Spain and America has kept the band in the limelight.
Sheppard’s frontwoman Amy Sheppard says since the band’s international breakthrough, travelling globally has become a significant highlight for their musical careers.
“It’s never easy touring, living out of suitcases and hopping on tour buses, but we had an excellent time travelling and gaining such vast experiences,” says Amy.
“To travel the world as young people in a group and to tour countries for work is an entirely unique experience. We’ve all made great memories.”
After performing nationwide and across many European hot spots, Amy says her personal favourite place to explore lies in the stretches of Spain’s northern coast.
“I have a soft spot for Spain. We got to go to the coast up at Costa Brava and it was just the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. The people are just so friendly and the food is incredible.
“Experiencing different cultures and foods were incredible. We hope to return to Italy, Japan and especially Korea on tour because our fans there were a lot of fun.
“We’ve just recently been home for about four months now and we’ve had a bit of time to relax, but George, Jay and I are about to hit the road again to L.A next month to write.”
Like their first debut album the band’s second edition is also being written organically with Amy and Jay Bovino being the album’s main lyricists.
“There are three songwriters in the group, Jay, George and myself, and I think that’s why the first album was so collected because we’re all songwriters with songs we wanted to showcase,” says Amy.
“Geronimo was one of the only songs we wrote equally, so with this album, we really want to write together and see what happens.
“With Bombs Away, each song had its genre. This next album will be more aligned and in tune, and reflect what kind of artists we are more so than the last album.
Also fitting the style and genre of Indie-Pop is Amy’s spontaneous and quirky sense of style, proving far from obscured and confidently bold as she expands her fruitful closet of fashionable goods.
“I love to wear statement, bright pieces. I never shy away from trying an outfit and I always like to look different from what I did the last time, so I never really have a set style,” she says.
“I put random things together all the time, but my sister and I do have favourite local Brisbane designers we continue to go back to.”
Originally from the city, Amy says she and her sister Emma tend to buy from Brisbane designers the most because of the many unique pieces found in smaller local businesses.
“There’s a young girl called Edwina Sinclair who owns the label Soot and that’s been a favourite of ours for years now because she’s got some really wild pieces,” she says.
“There’s a fashion designer called Gail Sorronda who’s also been a favourite of ours for a long time and we really love Brisbane designer Christie Nicolaides too who has a beautiful earring line.
“We do tag the brands that we use a lot of the time because people are always asking us, so I think that on another level people have something else to entertain their senses.”
Balancing work, leisure and an abundance of Amy’s fashion followers, there are no signs of Sheppard taking a sabbatical anytime soon,
“In Australia we’re signed to our own record label Empire of Song, so eventually what we’d love to do is to build up other Indie artists and help them get to where they want to be under our label,” says Amy.
“Right now, I think the band is in a really good spot at the moment. It’s a lot of fun and we love to make people feel good and happy.”
