Newcomers and last year’s Bank of Melbourne ‘Melbourne Music Bank’ winners, Tempus Sun have recently announced their debut single Owls, an unstoppable powerhouse that is built to embolden listeners and encourage them to discuss their struggles with others. To celebrate, Tempus Sun will be launching the single with a show at The Toff tonight. keyboard player Grant Hardisty took some time out for a quick Q&A with us
What was your first keyboard?
Having grown up learning classical piano all my life, I only ever played on a piano at home and in performances, only recently dabbling into keyboards since hitting the live Melbourne music gigging scene. My first keyboard is the one I use now, a Roland FA08 Workstation. I love it as it has such a depth and variance of sounds and it allows me to record on the keyboard itself, with a 16 track system. This allows me to imagine songs outside of simply a keyboard setting, where I can write drums, guitars and much more to my ideas. I can also record both into and out of my keys, allowing me to have pre-recorded tracks for gigs.
What do you use on stage generally?
Always stick with my Roland FA08 as it is what I know best. I think a massive part of your on stage performance and confidence is having trust and assurance in your tools!
Is it the same for recording?
Absolutely! In recording our debut self-titled EP, Tempus Sun, earlier this year at ‘Studios in the City’ under Tom Larkin, I used this beast. It not only has over 1000 different sounds, but a plethora of opportunities to vary each individual sound in tone, effect, volume and much more. I love to stick with a pure, warm piano sound in a lot of things and I was able to manipulate the sounds of my keys to change the brightness and colour to suit each individual track.
What’s your latest recording and when will you be back in the studio?
Most recently it is our debut self-titled EP, Tempus Sun, which will be out this year across all good platforms from August 4th. Currently, our debut single ‘Owls’ is also out across all platforms! I hope to be back in the studio next year with the band to record our debut album!
What gigs have you been playing lately?
I’ve been playing a lot recently, with Tempus Sun across many venues in Melbourne such as The Worker’s Club and The Brunny and were super lucky to play at Beyond the Valley last year which was a massive blast! I also play with our lead single in her solo act, Rya Park, who is making waves across Melbourne, coming off a massive sold-out show at The Worker’s Club. I’m lucky enough to also sing with KӦDA, Hiatus Kaiyote -esque act who is just blowing audiences away. Fortunately too, I was able to do some backing vocal gigs last year in some time away from university, with singing with Josh Groban being a highlight!
Most memorable gig?
100% has to be playing 2016 Beyond The Valley after only being together as a band for around 4 months! It was amazing to hear the crowd singing along to the end chorus of our opening song Crash in such a short amount of time.
Worst stage nightmare?
This is easy haha! Definitely hitting the wrong pre-set and playing the opening of a song with the completely wrong sound – then frantically trying to change it back with absolutely no elegance whatsoever!
Album that changed your life?
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours. I just love the diversity of sound across the album and how the touch on so many genres yet it combines to create a cohesive record. And their multi-instrumentalist talent just blows me away – this is without even touching on their song-writing genius. It inspires me to never be content with where I’m at and always strive to improve.
What gigs are coming up in the next few months?
Tempus Sun single launch tonight at The Toff in Town! We then have a show in Brisbane on Friday 25th August at The Milk Factory, in Sydney on Saturday 26th August at Brighton Up Bar and our EP launch show back in Melbourne, September 1st at The Evelyn! I’ll also be out around the town every week playing with KӦDA and Rya Park.
A keyboard tip for the kids?
It’s all about getting to know your keyboard of choice. Obviously that starts with what you choose, but definitely consider weight for ease of travel and whether you are looking for the most realistic piano sound or something which has the best diversity of synthetic sounds. I like the latter as it makes me more versatile and employable! Once you’ve made the decision (and the spend $$) just get to know it like the back of your hand. Sometimes it looks like rocket science but it all does make sense and makes such a difference in how you feel performing live. And in choosing sounds? Start simple and remember that simplicity equals class if done right. You don’t always have to fill in every bit of space!