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Rick DanielsI was born in the early 70's in Adelaide. I grew up with music all around me. Mum often had the easy listening music playing on the radio on and my sisters often played top 40 records the family AWA stereo system. My father could play some chords on the guitar and often pulled out the acoustic guitar for sing-a-longs during social gatherings at home.During the 70's my older sisters had built up a vinyl record collection that consisted of the rock classics spanning from Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple through to The Beatles and Bad Company. I remember I had a toy drum kit when I was about 4 years old. I'd set it up on the front porch and play along to a Status Quo record as my sisters were returning home from high school. Because we lived on the same street as the school, they would walk right past the house without stopping due to their embarrassment. In the early 80's I found a new album in my sister's record collection. It was 'East' by Cold Chisel. When listening to it, I would analyse the drumming and song structures. With out knowing it at the time, I was learning the craft of songwriting through lyrics, melody, song construction and dynamics. In the late 80's, I bought a 2nd hand pearl drum kit with all my savings from doing chores. A mattress was put up against the window and I taught myself to play the drums by listening to the drum track on songs. At a year 12 school camp, a friend took along a guitar and played popular songs. I thought that was cool so when I returned home I got dad to show me a few chords - C, C7, G and F. From this I was able to work out how to play other chords and learnt to play by ear. I was intrigued with the C7 chord and I tried applying the finger pattern up and down the fret board until I found an E7. I liked this chord a lot and I managed to write my first song based around it. Somehow this song has survived the test of time through a bit of restructuring and I still play it with Whiskey Mojo. I put the guitar on the back burner for some years and concentrated on drums from 1988 - 93 playing in bands. Then I got bored playing the drums and I took the guitar more seriously. I mainly played in original bands so I got back into song writing by playing guitar chords and making up lyrics and melodies. You could say that since the mid 90's I have consistently been song writing which also includes collaboration with Dick Dodgers and Cate Rogers. Cate and I entered an acoustic song into the 2006 National Songwriting competition where we finished 8th. Usually in a collaboration process, I write the music and develop the song structure. I find that my knowledge of playing drums us useful for song structuring and dynamics. As far as lyrical themes are concerned, it varies depending on my mood, however I find it easy to write 'deep and meaningful' or 'sad' or songs. Major artist influences on my songwriting style would include Don Walker, Diesel, Michael Spiby, Shawn Colvin & John Levanthall. Copyright © Rick Daniels 2008 Extracted from SCALA News # 115 (July/August/September 2008)
Whiskey Mojo's myspacemusic page 
Johnny DelamoreJohnny has been a mad keen music enthusiast for as long as he can remember. Encouraged by his parents and siblings while being raised in Tasmania he pursued studies in Trumpet from age 14 and realized he had talents in many musical areas including singing, guitar and piano and was the youngest trumpeter to be accepted into the Royal Australian Air Force Senior Band while only 17 years of age. Composition came a bit later but it was well worth the wait.
His main penchant is writing Ballads but he is developing other areas of interest including Children's Songs, Aussie country and Contemporary Pop. He also collaborates with some of the finest writers and performers in South Australia where he currently resides.
Melinda DowdMelinda came to prominence on the Adelaide music scene when she won the SCALA FOOM Competition in 2001 for her emotive love ballad In My Dreams. She has since then released in 2006 her debut EP For Your Life, an offering of soft pop/rock and love ballads.She is a singer songwriter who derives her inspirations from her passionate love affair with jazz music and contemporary artists. These include Miles Davis, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and female artists such as Diana Krall, Tori Amos, Natalie Merchant to name a few.
Visit Melinda's Website or 
Garth DuttonGarth released an album entitled Sea and Highway in 1980. He formed a group, Roadside, then after that disbanded he played solo for a while. He has won a number of songwriting awards. |