Take a close look at Australia’s independent music scene and you’ll find GRAIN at the heart of it. Growing from its humble beginnings to the multi-faceted publication it is today, we had the pleasure of talking to one of the mind’s behind it, Chris Langenberg.
Hey Chris, thanks for chatting. I feel like you’re a man with many titles, so I’ll leave it to you to detail your role at Grain and what the publication is to you?
GRAIN in its current form is managed between myself and my good friend Brodie Popple, so imagine everything in the following with "co" at the start: manager, editor, writer, web-designer, booker, event manager, content creator, etc etc etc.
The publication has grown to something that neither of us really anticipated and we are both extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve in the short period that it has been live.
How did the publication start?
I started GRAIN in February 2016 as a way to bring together some friends to write about music we liked and another platform to showcase acts that I thought were being overlooked by audiences and genuinely deserved attention. It was originally a platform for music and art and we had interviews with artists as well as song, album or show reviews. I intended for GRAIN to be a collective of friends sharing what they enjoyed.
I met Brodie around the same time that I had launched GRAIN and he was as passionate as I was with the local scene and discovering new music. Because we were being sent new music every day and going to shows every weekend we decided that we should start booking lineups where the bands that we loved could get the recognition we felt they were warranted in the form of an audience.
We’re coming up to the third Against the Grain festival, with a lineup bigger than ever. How did the initial festival start a few years ago?
Basically, I remember coincidently discovering a newly opened boutique laneway in Fortitude Valley when I was walking past one day and thought, "That would be a cool place to see a show". I emailed the landlords that ran the laneway and just went for it. It was an excuse for me to see a bunch of my favourite bands within a space that was completely out of the ordinary in Brisbane.
I organised an art exhibition and video program through my friend Jacob Warren who at the time was part of a Brisbane collective called Corflute and we decided we would have an exhibition opening night for free on a Friday and bands to play on Saturday. Then I ended up booking too many bands and extended it to the whole weekend with live music from Friday to Sunday and bands from around Australia. I recently found my original plan for the festival hidden away on Google Drive and it was pretty funny to see the difference from the beginning of planning to the final poster.
It’s no easy task running a festival, as I’m sure you know. What have you learnt along the years in growing this strong event?
Definitely not an easy task, I have learnt so much. We never really had anyone to teach us apart from lots of friends offering advice (especially this year). I think the most important lesson I have learnt from the first year to this year is how to budget and how to expect the worst. To be honest, I was quite naive in the first two years of the event not only expected more than the return, but also had hundreds of things we had forgotten organise before the event.
I have learnt lots from failing in areas and from actually asking for advice from people.
It’s no understatement to say that Grain plays an important role in the Australian indie scene, particularly Brisbane. How do you feel about the state of Aussie music right now?
Thanks so much! That is such a huge compliment.
To be honest I think the state of Australian music is in a pretty decent place. There's been plenty of times where I have gotten upset with the scene or expected more, but in general I think people are at a point where they care more about the music that they listen to rather than just listen to whatever is thrown in front of them. I think with streaming platforms and such, young people are seemingly more keen to find new music and make their own minds up on what they like. On top of that, Australia has some of the best bands in the world right now. To see acts like Courtney Barnett and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (for example), that are so 'Australian' sounding receive huge success overseas makes me feel extremely proud of our current music scene.
You’re a part of the Brisbane scene yourself, playing in Sweater Curse. What is Brissy like for emerging artists?
I am such a huge advocate for the Brisbane scene, we are lucky because it is so close knit that it seems everyone knows of each other and people love to help each other out. Brisbane also has incredible venues like The Foundry, Crowbar, Bloodhound, Black Bear Lodge, The Zoo (to name a few) that are genuinely supportive of local bands. I think bands like Ball Park Music, Violent Soho and The Jungle Giants have paved the way for other acts in Brisbane to be able to be taken seriously.
The scene here is constantly growing and I think Brisbane is gaining a reputation for having some of the best new music in Australia.
Sweater Curse. Photo courtesy of Pilerats
What do you think it takes to succeed as an artist in 2018?
There are obviously lots of variations for each situation. From my point of view, these are some of the main things an artist can do to take the first steps towards success:
- Taking Initiative: The artist has to want to make things happen. Rather than waiting or expecting to be asked for shows, they need to find other artists they like and ask to be on the bill, organise their own tours, organise recording, show people their music and ask for feedback. Being keen to do things and working hard really pays off and the more people that know about the band, the more chances of taking the next steps.
- Making music a priority: There might be times where an artist has to take a couple of days off work for a tour or miss a friend's birthday for big shows or lose your week nights to practise and to be ready to sacrifice time and energy into the project. Although this can be hard to adjust into, but whatever sacrifice that is made shows people how much the artist is willing put into the project.
- Meeting people and supporting the scene: Going to shows to support other acts in the scene is the best way to meet new people and find new music you like. Being active within your own scene goes a long way.
- Enjoying it: If you the artist is writing music they are proud of and doing what they love, people will naturally catch on.
In a nightmarish sequence of events, you can only listen to five songs for the rest of your life. What would they be?
- Ceremony - New Order
- Mr November - The National
- Constant Headache - Joyce Manor
- Full Control - Snail Mail
- Something I Can Hold In My Hands - The Smith Street Band
What does the future hold for Grain?
I really want to start presenting tours and bringing bands out to Australia. We came very close to having international headliners for this years' festival and it made me want to do it properly next year. We might start a management company at some point in the future as Brodie and I are both currently managing bands.
But also, more premieres, interviews, films, shows and festivals!
Thanks Chris. If you’re in Brisbane, be sure to check out Against the Grain Festival on Saturday 3rd November. Grab your tickets while you can here. Be sure to read GRAIN and follow them too!