Q&A: Telenova's Captures The Evolution of their Sound with "Teardrop"
TELENOVA PREPARE TO UNVEIL THEIR HIGHLY ANTCIPATED ALBUM - and we’re more than ready to say the least. Telenova, the Australian trio comprising frontwoman Angeline Armstrong and multi-talented instrumentalists Edward Quinn and Joshua Moriarty, give listeners a preview of the upcoming project with the release of their latest single “Teardrop”. Reflecting on the creative process behind their latest single, Angeline recalls the electrifying energy of touring across the UK and Europe while still finalizing the record. For Joshua, the satisfaction of completing the project after dedicated studio sessions stands out as a highlight.
"Teardrop," accompanied by a visually stunning video directed by Angeline Armstrong and Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, captures the intricate blend of warmth and darkness that defines Telenova's sound. Rooted in their cultural backgrounds and diverse musical influences, the band seamlessly integrates light and dark elements into their music, reflecting the complexities of the human experience.
As Telenova prepares for a tour across Australia and Europe, they remain committed to artistic integrity while navigating the delicate balance between commercial success and creative freedom. With plans for continued evolution and exploration in their music, Telenova invites listeners to join them on a captivating musical journey filled with emotion, authenticity, and boundless creativity.
LUNA: Congratulations on the upcoming album release! Can you share a favorite moment from the making of the project?
ANGELINE: I loved the half-way point where we were still in the midst of finalizing the record and were touring across the UK and Europe and getting to play these new, unreleased, unfinished songs to new audiences. I especially remember playing one of our kinda ‘disco’-inspired tracks in Paris and just feeling the tangible energy in the room shift - the Frenchies were loving it! It’s special because back at home, audiences tend to get most energetic and into it when you play the songs that they’ve been hearing on repeat on the radio and stuff.
Whereas to the newer audiences in the UK and Europe, like a lot of those audiences had never seen us or heard our music before, so it we get a bit of a fresh, clean slate…and the enjoyment or lift in certain songs from the audience is more from the immediate response to hearing the music, rather than being trained by the repetition of hearing it on the radio or Spotify playlists or whatever. So that was a really special, organic experience during the process.
JOSH: My favourite part is having it finished! It takes a lot of work to get it over the line. We spent a week at HeadGap studio in Melbourne re-recording a bunch of things, tracking bass and guitars etc, that was definitely the highlight for me.
LUNA: How does the single “Teardrop” compare to the rest of the album?
JOSH: It’s one of the more classic Telenova tracks I think. It has the breakbeat drums and Ange singing in fine form over the top. Just felt like the best way to introduce the new album. There’s some different things on the record that we’ll reveal as time goes on.
LUNA: The official video for "Teardrop" is visually stunning and complements the song's intricate sound. How did the collaboration with directors Angeline Armstrong and Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore come about, and what was the creative process like?
ANGELINE: Coming from a filmmaking background I can’t help but be super involved in the visual aesthetic and world of the band! It’s like my dream job getting to do both. However, sometimes you can go a little bit crazy in the echo chamber of your own head - writing the songs, directing the video, starring in the video. All gets a little bit ‘being John malchovich’ and I had a couple of breakdowns and sleepless nights where I was freaking out and just thinking ‘I really cannot do this on my own right now’ [laughs]. I needed help. I needed a co-creator who would bring energy and confidence and inspiration alongside me. I’d met Claudia backstage at a music festival a couple years back and was struck by her super infectious laugh, positive energy and self-made artistry. I brought her on to string out the concept with me and make it bigger and better and bolder (and that she did!). We had a ball.
LUNA: Your music seems to encapsulate a blend of warmth and darkness in its sound. How do you navigate the balance between these contrasting emotions in your music?
JOSH: We just write what comes out and if it feels good we run with it. There are so many half finished demos on our computers, songs that never passed the test. It’s cool to have a balance of Major and Minor songs, we don’t wanna be all sad all the time but then also the dark is a comfy place too so we just pick the balance of tracks that work for a record and go with that.
ANGELINE: I think there’s light and darkness in all of us, and at times more so of some in one person or another. I think we’re in constant conversation with each other as a band (even if it’s not obviously talked about or said out loud) where we’re bringing different shades of light and dark to the music and the lyrics and the melodies on different given days, kinda reflecting where we’re all at mentally and emotionally. That’s my take anyway. I guess what Josh said, yeah. We’re just ‘running with it’ organically and that’s what comes out.
LUNA: Telenova has already made a significant impact both in Australia and internationally, with performances in various countries and recognition from esteemed publications like NME and The Guardian. How has this journey influenced your approach to creating and sharing music?
JOSH: I don’t think the journey has influenced the creation process at all. We still work at the same studio and have the same approach to writing that we did from day one. We all get in a room together and just play around until something sticks.
ANGELINE: I think it’s broadened our horizons though, in terms of sharing our music. We’ve pivoted a lot of our live touring plans and things to encompass the UK and Europe instead of focusing just on home soil (which was obviously the way we started) after feeling like something’s starting to happen over in the UK/Europe - so we’re going with that spark and trying to fan the flame I suppose.
LUNA: Your influences range from Karen O to Radiohead, which is reflected in the eclectic sound of Telenova. How do you integrate these diverse influences into your music while still maintaining a cohesive sound?
JOSH: We have a relativiely consistent pallette of things we use, I often play my hofner bass, Ed has a way with drum sounds and we always have Angeline’s vocals on the top so there’s enough that’s always our own to keep us in the Telenova ballpark.
ANGELINE: I think when all three of us like something, then we’re inevitably onto something ‘Telenova’. You know from day one in a music studio (which is where we met actually) the sort of ‘Telenova’ sound came out very naturally and immediately with little effort. Just the natural culmination of our different musical tastes, sensibilities and backgrounds. So we keep that approach when we’re writing today - just go with gut feeling. What are we all loving.
LUNA: As a band formed of Asian-Australian frontwoman Angeline Armstrong and multi-talented instrumentalists Edward Quinn and Joshua Moriarty, how does your cultural background influence your creative process and the themes explored in your music?
ANGELINE: Such a great question. The creative process can at times be rather torturous and painful. You’re knocking your head against a wall, you’re doubting whether you’re any good at this at all, you’re missing family and friends and a normal life when you’re on tour. But then I remember how fortunate I am to even have the choice to pursue the arts as a vocation in this country. My mum wanted to study music at uni but it wasn’t really a realistic or pragmatic choice for her, growing up in a lower socio-economic life in the Philippines.
It’s about survival, putting food on the table, taking ownership for the well-being and financial provision of not just yourself, but your family, your extended family, your community (a thing a lot of us here in the West kind of have no concept of, especially when you’re in your late teens or early 20s and thinking of what you want to do with your life). Despite that cultural context, she has always encouraged me in my creativity and even taught me my first ever guitar lesson. But I owe the opportunity to pursue the arts to my parents and grandparents whose hard work has meant that I have the freedom to have a lot more choice in my life. So that usually gives me some perspective when I’m wallowing in the throws of a tortured artist [laughs] and helps me get over myself.
LUNA: Telenova has received accolades such as the 2022 AIR Breakthrough Artist award and appearances on Triple J's Hottest 100. How do you navigate the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity in your musical journey?
JOSH: No success has influenced the way we write music, as I mentioned our formula is still the same as it was from day one. We don’t look at any song that has done better than any other and try and re-create it, we just keep moving forward in a way that feels natural to us. We don’t really want to repeat ourselves so we’ve been trying to incorporate some new elements recently but it still always sounds and feels like us.
LUNA: How do you see Telenova evolving musically?
JOSH: Things have been evolving for album number 2, it’s subtle but we’ve notcied a few changes to our approach, some things feels a bit boring now so we don’t want to repeat ourselves. It’s not the sort of thing we cann put into words easily as writing about music is tricky but I definitely feel there is an evolution happening naturally and we are all excited about it.
LUNA: What's next for Telenova?
JOSH: More shows and album number 2!
ANGELINE: Touring around Australia in May then heading to Europe and the UK later in the year - we’re keen to reconnect with the new fans we made last year, it was really such an incredible run of shows for us last year. The energy in the room was unreal, every single show. So we’re excited to head back over to the UK and Europe and share the new songs with everyone.
