Brisbane, Australia’s Sarah Thomas and Steve Robin form the slick indie pop duo Emerald. A flair for latin conga rhythms and shimmery guitars in conjunction with Sarah’s silky smooth vocals give this band a beautiful and unique sound. Emerald bring something organic to Pop music’s table in a world dominated by auto-tuning and crazy synth patches. Their track “Shine” won the hearts of fans in the OurStage Pop Channel last spring, earning them a Top 10 placement in April. Currently the two are promoting their recently recorded EP and gigging around their home turf in Oz. There’s no place like home, but with any luck, Emerald will bring the green to the United States soon.
Alright, there isn’t really a name change coming. But OurStage does have a special place in its heart this month for Australian artists. No, not because of that Australia movie that just came out on DVD. Hundreds of users on OurStage are located in the Land Down Under, and many of them have the opportunity this month to participate in the Triple M’s Unsigned Find competition. It’s the perfect time to win some money for an Aussie artist; while the northern hemisphere enjoys the weather getting warmer and warmer, Australia is headed for winter in a few months. The $10,000 cash prize will definitely help the lucky winner fight off those cold weather blues. Looking for something new from the southern hemisphere? Check out these rockin’ Aussie Ourstagers:
Mojo Rising
Aside from being a well-dressed group of talented young men, Mojo Rising’s got nothing to do with The Doors. This groovy dance beat-infused pop rock band is based out of Melbourne, which many people mistakenly believe is the capital of Australia. (Fun fact: It’s actually Canberra.) Feel What You Feel is their brand new EP and it’s available on the Mojo Rising website.
Arcane Saints
Also from Melbourne, the Arcane Saints are a hard rocking Aussie band fronted by Michael John, who happens to be a relative of Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris. Iron Maiden is appropriately listed as one of their influences, of course. The Arcane Saints have their own new EP available entitled Black Widow Dance, as well some upcoming shows in their native land.
