As sharp., Archie Robson writes, performs, and produces unique, experimental pop mixing hip-hop, rock, and hyperpop. Supplied: Archie Robson
By Anabelle Bremner
EVERY gig in Bass Coast is packed to the rafters with my friends.
At first, that seems perfect – connection, community, young people engaged in local music. But it starts to get old when it’s only young people engaged in local music. No newcomers. No industry professionals. No opportunity. While a crowd of friends is a great support, it’s unlikely to give an artist their big break.
Our young musicians face the predictable hurdles of geography: fewer mentors to learn from, fewer stages to stand on, and the pressure of competing with the highly visible Melbourne scene. For many of Bass Coast’s artists, a passionate community is all that’s available to them outside of Melbourne.
EVERY gig in Bass Coast is packed to the rafters with my friends.
At first, that seems perfect – connection, community, young people engaged in local music. But it starts to get old when it’s only young people engaged in local music. No newcomers. No industry professionals. No opportunity. While a crowd of friends is a great support, it’s unlikely to give an artist their big break.
Our young musicians face the predictable hurdles of geography: fewer mentors to learn from, fewer stages to stand on, and the pressure of competing with the highly visible Melbourne scene. For many of Bass Coast’s artists, a passionate community is all that’s available to them outside of Melbourne.
Bass Coast has been very supportive of my live music endeavours,” notes sharp., alias of 18-year-old Archie Robson. “I’m surrounded by so many amazing people who live and breathe music and performing in the same way I do.”
A songwriter, producer, and performer from Inverloch, sharp. values his local audience, but a limited regional market and the industry’s habit of relegating him to a “youth artist” bracket have inhibited his ability to make music a viable career.
“My recorded music has made little traction in the area,” he reflects. “There’s not a big market for my kind of music in this area. That’s where online promoting and big city gigs come into play, but down here it’s just about trying to find the people who like what you’re doing, which is slim.”
A songwriter, producer, and performer from Inverloch, sharp. values his local audience, but a limited regional market and the industry’s habit of relegating him to a “youth artist” bracket have inhibited his ability to make music a viable career.
“My recorded music has made little traction in the area,” he reflects. “There’s not a big market for my kind of music in this area. That’s where online promoting and big city gigs come into play, but down here it’s just about trying to find the people who like what you’re doing, which is slim.”
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That sense of limited opportunity is echoed across Bass Coast’s emerging music scene. While initiatives such as Amplify (formerly FreeZa) and Anglicare’s Yes Youth Hub have been instrumental in giving artists a taste of live performance, many young musicians face a sharp drop-off once they attempt to move beyond youth-specific spaces.
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Where to see them * The Dropkicks - OFest Monash Clayton - Feb 23, 1pm * Valenta - Bar Open, Fitzroy - Feb 20 * Zenith Paradox, The Dropkicks - Inverloch Equinox Festival - March 21 * Zenith Paradox – Arockalypse, Westernport Hotel - April 18 |
For performers like Finn Farley, the challenge isn’t a lack of talent or community support, but a shortage of venues willing to take a chance on younger acts outside of these structured programs.
Singer/songwriter Finn Farley shines as both a solo artist and lead vocalist of
local band Zenith Paradox. Supplied: Finn Farley
local band Zenith Paradox. Supplied: Finn Farley
“Amplify/FreeZa have been the main people to push music – youth music especially – in the area,” Finn says. “I haven’t really had many gigs outside of those programs, so I feel like the venues in Bass Coast don’t really give young musicians a shot. There’s a real lack of opportunities outside of those youth programs.”
"Give us a chance, that’s all I ask. Sometimes taking a chance won’t be the best idea, but I guarantee most of the time it will be. We have such amazing musicians here in Bass Coast that are under 18.” |
Finn’s mellow, laid-back music and beautifully poetic lyrics resonate with many – especially those from Bass Coast, a “place of beauty” he often writes about.
“My music is very down to earth,” he says. “I think it’s easy to connect with.”
These are the hallmarks of a great artist. But time and time again, age and location have barred Finn from experiencing large-scale success.
For many, a sustainable career in music lies outside Bass Coast. That pathway has been navigated by Michael Furniss of Valenta, who grew up on Phillip Island before moving to Melbourne for university.
“My music is very down to earth,” he says. “I think it’s easy to connect with.”
These are the hallmarks of a great artist. But time and time again, age and location have barred Finn from experiencing large-scale success.
For many, a sustainable career in music lies outside Bass Coast. That pathway has been navigated by Michael Furniss of Valenta, who grew up on Phillip Island before moving to Melbourne for university.
Michael Furniss: "Music has kind of become my job, which is pretty special."
While continuing to perform alongside his studies, Michael describes the shift as one that opened up greater access to audiences, venues, and creative networks – opportunities that are near impossible to sustain in a regional area. He credits Bass Coast with his musical foundations, but says the scale of Melbourne’s music scene has been crucial in allowing him to develop as an artist and treat music more seriously.
“We had a really great music program [at Newhaven College]. I tried a few different instruments before landing on the drums. I did lessons all the way from year six to the end of year twelve, and I was involved in lots of bands at school, which I think set me up quite well,” he reflects.
Local venues like the Shearing Shed and the Westernport Hotel were the perfect training ground for Michael’s future in performing live, but they fell short when it came time to get serious. It’s since moving to Melbourne that he’s really gained momentum.
“I think moving to the city has really expanded my view,” Michael says. “I met my band at uni, we’ve recorded a couple of songs, we’re playing lots of gigs, and we’re always sharing our music. And music has kind of become my job, which is pretty special.”
Valenta, an alt rock-metal fusion band, epitomises an intense, creative genre better suited to the venues of Melbourne than Bass Coast. Supplied: Michael Furniss
Michael’s experience reflects a familiar – even expected – pattern for our young artists: early backing at home followed by a search for broader opportunities in the city.
We’ve all seen it. We all hate it. But our limited local music scene is a monster of our own making. The question is, how can Bass Coast better support artists once they outgrow youth-specific programs, without requiring them to leave the area altogether?
For music teacher and freelance performer Sara Beale, it’s all about visibility and connections. She says that while opportunities for young musicians in Bass Coast have grown in recent years, particularly through school and community ensembles, sustaining that depends on clear pathways between education, venues and the wider community.
“A lot of getting gigs is about making connections and communicating,” she says. “I try to link students in with community groups when they leave school, try to highlight artists to listen to, and I like to share what I’m up to, so they know what opportunities exist outside of school.”
"Go out and take a chance on music that perhaps you haven’t heard about or that’s a bit different – just go and see stuff!” |
Supporting youth music isn’t just the responsibility of schools and specialised groups, though. Sara emphasises the role of the audience – that is, the Bass Coast community – in fostering the new generation of local music.
“Go to concerts!” she says. “We need to go and see kids play, go and see live music. That doesn’t happen enough. Go out and take a chance on music that perhaps you haven’t heard about or that’s a bit different – just go and see stuff!”
Michael emphasises that supporting youth artists also means recognising that a strong local music scene relies on far more than performers alone. He says that creating pathways into roles such as sound engineering, lighting, photography, and production could not only strengthen Bass Coast’s live music scene but offer young people alternative ways to participate in the industry.
“The people on the technical side of making music happen … they’re the beating heart of the music industry,” he says. “Without them, you can’t perform live. For young people who are into music, but maybe not so much into performing, tech roles can let them still enjoy and be a part of the industry.”
Across performers, educators, and industry aspirants, the message is consistent – opportunity is everything.
“Give us a chance,” says Finn Farley. “That’s all I ask. Sometimes taking a chance won’t be the best idea, but I guarantee most of the time it will be. We have such amazing musicians here in Bass Coast that are under 18.”
Every musician who’s touched your heart started small. It’s time we took a chance on our young musicians and let Bass Coast show what it really has to offer.
Your job now is simple: be a face in the crowd. Be a ticket sale. Be a supporter – and help our local musos flourish.
The Bass Coast Post gratefully acknowledges an Emerging Writers Grant from the Local & Independent News Association supported the writer of this story.
“Go to concerts!” she says. “We need to go and see kids play, go and see live music. That doesn’t happen enough. Go out and take a chance on music that perhaps you haven’t heard about or that’s a bit different – just go and see stuff!”
Michael emphasises that supporting youth artists also means recognising that a strong local music scene relies on far more than performers alone. He says that creating pathways into roles such as sound engineering, lighting, photography, and production could not only strengthen Bass Coast’s live music scene but offer young people alternative ways to participate in the industry.
“The people on the technical side of making music happen … they’re the beating heart of the music industry,” he says. “Without them, you can’t perform live. For young people who are into music, but maybe not so much into performing, tech roles can let them still enjoy and be a part of the industry.”
Across performers, educators, and industry aspirants, the message is consistent – opportunity is everything.
“Give us a chance,” says Finn Farley. “That’s all I ask. Sometimes taking a chance won’t be the best idea, but I guarantee most of the time it will be. We have such amazing musicians here in Bass Coast that are under 18.”
Every musician who’s touched your heart started small. It’s time we took a chance on our young musicians and let Bass Coast show what it really has to offer.
Your job now is simple: be a face in the crowd. Be a ticket sale. Be a supporter – and help our local musos flourish.
The Bass Coast Post gratefully acknowledges an Emerging Writers Grant from the Local & Independent News Association supported the writer of this story.