BIO

HISTORY

Hailing from Perth Western Australia, The Autumn Isles arrived in 2006 with their debut EP 'A Beautiful Pantomime' which earned them a WAMI pop song of the year nomination and made them a Top 5 Musicoz finalist for 2006.

The Autumn Isles emerged in early 2005 to immediate local favour, with their dynamic live performances and strong song writing ability. The band have developed an impressive resume, having played support for the likes of Bob Evans, Josh Pyke, Idlewild, The Subways, Architecture in Helsinki, Dappled Cities, Machine Translations, Trashcan Sinatras and Dom Mariani of The Stems.

The Autumn Isles are now releasing their second EP 'Wish Lists & Sunken Lands', a diverse collection of songs that demonstrates the artistic vision and craftsmanship of this impressive 5 piece. 'Wish Lists & Sunken Lands' will be available nationally through Green Distribution from April 12th 2008.

MEMBERS

The Autumn Isles are:

Alex Arpino: guitars, vocals

Aidan Gordon: guitars, vocals

Hayat Feghaly: keys, percussion, vocals

Brian Maloney: bass

Russell Loasby: drums & percussion

RELEASES

The Autumn Isles - Wishlists and Sunken Lands
2008 - Green/Independent

The Autumn Isles - Presents A Beautiful Pantomime
2006 - Independent

Next Big Thing 2005 Compilation CD - Track 4: Beautiful Pantomime
2006

REVIEWS

THE AUTUMN ISLES

Wish Lists & Sunken Lands EP

Once again that mysterious mineral that bestows music genius to whoever who drinks it and is found only in the water of Perth has provided a band with the skills to deliver one of the most beautiful albums to come from an Australian band. The Autumn Isles second EP, 'Wish Lists & Sunken Lands' contains a string of songs that would have sounded at home on any of The Beach Boys' chart topping albums. I haven't heard an Aussie band deliver such a beautiful sounding EP in a while, with psychedelic tracks like 'It's Been A While' making you wish you could have been around the 60s to enjoy other music like this. 'A Gift To You' is some of the sweetest pop-rock you'll ever hear while 'Murky Water' is organ driven pop that can only be described as unique Australian summer music. 'I Read About It' again takes you back to the 60s while 'The Drastic Change' is a beautiful song that contains melodies that simply have to be heard to be believed. The Autumn Isles have opened for artists such as Bob Evans, Josh Pyke, Architecture In Helsinki, Dappled Cities and Machine Transalations, but on the back of an EP like this, they will soon be the headline themselves. To put it in plain terms 'Wish List & Sunken Lands' is one of the finest EPs around at the moment.

4 1/2 stars (Green) - Dave Griffiths

Xpress Magazine

It's an interesting lineup The Autumn Isles have, and for this album they've brought with then an equally interesting array of guest musicians that provide some nice textures to an already layered sound. The Autumn Isles have always been good at making pop music with a smile on its face, carrying on a Perth tradition typified by the likes of Turnstyle, but Wish Lists & Sunken Lands has a more global tradition in its music, which (more or less) takes lessons learned by The Beatles and gives them a modern twist. Alex Arpino's vocals are controlled without being caged, which adds a nice dimension of calmness to this batch of songs – most of which are up-tempo and full of joy. There are moments that contradict this description, of course, but The Autumn Isle have managed to add variety without resorting to a "black or white" approach - that is , they add darker textures to otherwise bright songs (or vice versa), rather than going completely one way or the other. The production team of Shaun O'Callaghan and Laurie Sinagra have served The Autumn Isles well here, taking already-pleasant songs and giving them the smoothness they require to be a full package. Basically, all boxes are ticked with this little pearler

Mike Wafer - Xpress Magazine

Metro Lift-Out of the Sydney Morning Herald

Not perfect by any means but perfectly enjoyable, this seven-track mini album from Perth's Autumn Isles is pop made for and by people who want hooks, harmonies and a nicely pressed suit. It's pure late '60s shimmering melodies and swing: loads of vocals, bits of brass, guitars that can push as well as jangle and a decent stab at mid-tempo singalongs. In a WA context, it's like a sunnier Panics with added You Am I swagger at times. In other words, it's not just good, it's fun.

*** 1/2 Bernard Zuel

Drum Media

Even more impressive tonight were The Autumn Isles. They played a very strong set of psychedelic indie rock tunes. Highlighted by their single Beautiful Pantomime, which shows off Alex Arpino's knack for writting such simple sounding but brilliant tunes, easily got the biggest crowd response of the night. - Drum Media, 17/12/06 (Dappled Cities Fly, Support) Rosemount Hotel.

FasterLouder.com

The Autumn Isles have some damn swinging tunes that just beg to be danced to. They come across as a very professional outfit, and its refreshing to hear such a clean and well organised sound. I locked onto drummer Russell Loasby. He plays like he was born on a drum stool, sticks in hand ready to rock and roll; pushes and chases the songs to great heights. - Faster Louder.com, 17/12/06 (Dappled Cities Fly, Support) Rosemount Hotel.

Xpress Magazine

The Autumn Isles are the sort of band that make people nostalgic for a time they never actually lived in . The male lead and female backing vocals lent a dreamy The Mamas And Papas feel. Tight and airy, Autumn Isles have got it down pat. - Xpress Magazine, Josie Smith 19/1/07.

 

INTERVIEWS

The Autumn Isles' Time of the Season

Attaining accolades in abundance in their native Perth, the Autumn Isles recently released their new EP, Wish Lists & Sunken Lands. Emerging Perth band the Autumn Isles have just self-released their second EP, Wish Lists & Sunken Lands, notching another WAMi Pop Song of the Year nomination in the process. Songwriter and singer Alex Arpino revealed that this is indeed the season for the Autumn Isles.

yourGigs (YG): Did you have an original concept and vision for your latest release and how has the final product matched these ideals?

Alex Arpino (AA): The idea was to continue to introduce the band while having a theme tied into the band name - the cover shows the Autumn Isles as a physical place - exploring where we have come from, the things you leave in the past and the hopes and aspirations for the future. It's got songs from the very beginning - it is great to finally get them recorded and out there.

YG: How has the band and its sound developed since your debut release?

AA: We have become more of a 'band' - a stronger unit that has more of a defined sound or fingerprint that feels a lot more comfortable in its skin, more confident in what we are doing and what we have to offer. There are more dynamics; the songs have more of a variety in tone and colour, edgier sounds. Lyrically it is a bit more introspective and emotive.

YG: Were there any lessons learnt from your debut release A Beautiful Pantomime that you could bring to this recording?

AA: Then we were a band just starting out and learning all the ins and outs of putting out a record as an independent act. Wish Lists & Sunken Lands is much more of a complete package; each song is its own vehicle. It plays much like an album in that it has a certain flow to it, each song complementing the other. Sometimes we do things the hard way in this band, but we learn so much which helps us grow.

YG: Is the band already looking ahead to your debut album? If so what can we expect?

AA: Yes we are demo-ing at the moment; overall the songs have more variety in terms of instrumentation and feel - a bolder sound. We are predominantly an indie-pop band with a positive, up-tempo slant to our songs. The new stuff journeys beyond this - a lot more introspective and a somewhat darker feel. We will be mixing it up however, and aiming for a nice mix that takes the listener on a bit of a rollercoaster. We're very excited about it and can't wait to get it out.

The Autumn Isles' EP Wishlists & Sunken Lands is available from all good record stores and online through iTunes, and Waterfront Records.

Andy Ryan 13 May 2008