At the forefront of the charge is John Dewhurst, AKA Sable, who in 2014 has already played shows in most capital cities, released a single that has dominated triple j airwaves, and signed a record deal. Having just started his first solo national tour, Dewhurst continues to kick goals but he says a few moments stand out as the most memorable. “The gigs I played with the Nina Las Vegas Presents tour were all amazing. The crowds were all vibing and made it so much fun. The first show of the EP tour in Brisbane was [also] fantastic,” he says.
There is plenty more to come from Sable, and given his live set was barely six months old when he first started travelling the country, you’d be forgiven for thinking nerves would play a role for the fresh-faced youngster.
Not so, it seems. “I don’t really get nervous in front of crowds. Before my set I might get a few butterflies. I’m always wondering how the crowd will respond to any unreleased tunes that I play, but generally I’m just having fun during the set. All of my recent gigs have been so much fun from the start that the nerves just disappeared.”
‘Fun’ is definitely one descriptor of Dewhurst’s music – a hyperc-oloured swirl of peppy synths, Jersey club bounce and pitched-all-over-the-place vocals. It’s no wonder debut single Feels So Good has garnered so much traction, with the second single Foolin’ having dropped recently.
“It’s amazing how many people are vibing to Feels So Good and the rest of my music,” says Dewhurst. “The response was surprising for sure. It’s all taking off so fast. triple j have been super supportive and the team at Pilerats Records have done an incredible job.”
Both tracks feature on the Feels So Good EP. “The music I make is definitely a reflection of how I’m feeling at the time,” Dewhurst says. “The EP was intended to be a mix of textures and rhythms all reflecting a happy, summer vibe. As for my sound, I’m always trying to mix it up.”
Not one to bask in the glow of his own EP release, Dewhurst recently released a free-for-download edit of Justin Timberlake’s mid-’00s grinder My Love to plenty of fanfare, alongside a jam with fellow WA producers Slumberjack – another act at the forefront of the burgeoning Perth scene.
“Those guys are killing it. Expect more with them. Sid Pattni is killing it right now. He’s such a good songwriter. Palace is on the up and up. Leon Osborn is the Perth bass god and national mystery man. The buzz is building. In another game, Coin Banks is making waves in Oz hip hop.”
This young crew also – unsurprisingly – are by and large a pretty smart bunch, many coming from university backgrounds but still maintaining a desire to succeed in music. Dewhurst is no different, having finished an engineering degree last year. He’s since put that career on hold to focus on music – a big decision, no doubt.
“It was a huge risk but this is a rare opportunity and I think now is the best time to go all in. I always have the degree to fall back on. For now, the shows have been so good and I have such an amazing team working with me that I feel pretty damn good about it.”
BY ADAM KNIGHT
