Throughout a lot of our interviews, we have been chatting with artists about the effects the past couple of years have had on their careers. The sudden pause on their projects or endeavours. During our recent chat with Melbourne/Naarm duo Select All we were offered a slightly different perspective. As year 12 students who started the band not too long before the pandemic, the near entirety of the band’s existence has operated within a once in a lifetime circumstance…. While completing VCE. Our chat with the duo was a refreshing change of pace. An energetic and In-Depth discussion about their journey from a couple of high school kids to a recording Hard Rock band.
Select All is made up of Karina Walsh and Emma Papa A duo of 2 high school friends whose passion and excitement for creation lead them to forming a hard rock outfit that take influence from the late 90’s grunge and alternative rock era. The two share the load of instrumentation duties with Karina being the primary vocalist, lyric writer, Video/visual art director and Emma handling the drums and the bass (guitar duties are shared). It all started in 2019 while Karina and Emma were in year 10. Their reasoning was simple. “It was fun”. While a very general statement it is a phrase that seemingly sums at Select All’s approach to being a band thus far. Having fun. The excitement that comes from learning and pursuing something artistic as a collective, something that resonates with us. The carefree and enthusiastic approach is evident via not only their music but social media. Scroll through their Instagram feed and you will be feasted with an array of small clips and images that showcase their creative journey via visual storytelling. Whether it be grainy snippets of potential music videos or just photos of the pair together, every post gives off the feeling of Karina and Emma experimenting with style, honing their craft.
There is a very specific era and style that Select All’s music perfectly replicates. As soon as Couchdog first listened to their sophomore album Allegory we were transported back to the mid 90’s/early 2000’s with a nice throwback blend of Nu Metal. Hard rock and Grunge. Both Karina and Emma cite Deftones as huge influences, and it can be heard throughout Allegory via the crunch of the guitar tones or the dissonance of the vocals. The way in which the two fuse their two musical influences is quite impressive. As previously stated, a lot of the inspiration comes from the genres that were huge in the turn of the century. Nu Metal and Alternative rock. The love of this era of music has become a focal point of their writing and is progressing and becoming more polished every release. The newest single from the duo Diamond Dashboard sees a more brooding and atmospheric approach mixed in with a linear story about a car crash. With improved production and a more experimental approach to their song writing, Diamond Dashboard stands as an ambitious single the showcases Select All’s ambition and dedication to improve their craft despite operating entirely within lockdown.
As previously stated, a big part of Select All’s creative output has been done through visual storytelling. By forming the band throughout a pandemic their creative release outside of writing music could not be formed in a live setting. Both Karina and Emma have demonstrated an eagerness to put their music into contexts other than streaming. A context that seems to be not as prevalent that it once was. The Music Video. As it stands right now Select All have three music videos. Stand out tracks such as House of Flesh, Regression and The Day After. Each video holds a certain aesthetic that links the imagery to their music to a tangible three-minute experience that invites you into the creative world of both Katrina and Emma. The way in which each video is constructed shows that Katrina (who puts together the videos) has an innate understanding of the medium. The technical aspects of the videos are far beyond a typical DIY job as the editing, concepts and set designs are all thought out and implemented incredibly professionally. This all comes back to the quote as to why the duo started the band. It was fun. The passion for excelling and varying forms of their art inspires a real connection to what Select All offers and gives us plenty of excitement for what they have in store for the future.
As we head out of lockdown and the city attempts to piece back together the live music scene Select All will be eagerly waiting to make their live debut. While they have already put together an ever-evolving catalogue their next logical step is to translate it to a live setting. Be sure to keep your eye out as they hopefully will be hitting a stage nearby in the future.
Follow Select All Here to check them out!
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