QUEERLY: Uncovering Queens in Our Own Back Yard

Sydney is a renowned queer city hosting a wide array of queer artists including indie-pop artists Brendan Maclean and Huck Hastings, rapper imbi and indie singer/songwriter flowerkid. This week, we’re heading underground and exploring four queer Sydney artists who you may have never heard of ranging in genres from electro-punk to blues/roots.

With under 20 monthly Spotify listeners (18 to be exact), Liam Gale (& the Ponytails) is not well known. However, that is in no way a reflection of his expertise but more so of his unique style. Bringing together a mix of blues, folk, rock and country he creates slow-paced melodrama that grabs your soul. With his first EP in 2012, Liam Gale has been around in the background of a city that keeps on moving.

Next, we have the up and coming BVT (Bernie Van Tiel), a rapper, beatboxer and hip-hop artist. Having only released one song, ‘Spend Some Time’, in September last year, she is definitely someone to keep an eye on. With ‘Spend Some Time’, BVT delivers a slow and breathtaking ride that makes you feel something. You can check out her recently released debut music video/short film, ‘CONFESSION TAPES, VOL.1’ on YouTube.

The most well-known artist on this list is the classical Sydney Conservatorium of Music trained, Jack Colwell. Combining together both his classical training with indie rock and pop, he brings together a variety of styles in his debut album, ‘SWANDREAM’, released last year. With songs on the backdrop of a piano and those reminiscent of theatre, Jack Colwell puts indie pop/rock front and centre with ‘Don’t Cry Those Tears’ and ‘PTSD’.

Finally, we have CYBR.spyder, a trio from a seedy Sydney apartment. Describing themselves as a ‘queer bedroom electro-punk project’, CYBR.spyder are weird and wacky creating music that is clearly electronic but also transcending genre as evident in their triple j unearthed profile with two-thirds of possible genres listed. If you want to take a wild ride into the unknown, CYBR.spyder is for you.