If you like your pop funky and fresh with a dash of RnB and a good dose of soul, then look no further than Perth’s Supathick. Led by the creative Christian Zappia, the band burst out of the blocks in 2020 with their EP, Dinner And A Film, and have been building their fanbase ever since. Last Friday, they released their latest EP, the energetic In The Thick of It, on the back of two singles released earlier, “Love Back” and “Own My Mind.
At just four tracks long, it’s a thirteen minutes infusion of joy. The fabulous vocals of Keely Brittain shine brightly. Sweet melodies and a creative blend of live and programmed percussion gives it a fresh and vibrant feel to it.
About the EP, Christian writes “This second EP, for me, is really about learning to trust my own instincts musically and creatively. Each song lives in its own world and has its own colours, which I think happened more naturally than intentionally.
Highlighting the respect they have garnered for their live shows, they’ve supported the likes of Ocean Alley, The Veronicas, Spacey Jane, Great Gable and The Babe Rainbow in recent times. They’ve also been racking up some impressive numbers on the streaming services. With 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 20,000 monthly views on YouTube, this is a band on the move.
In The Thick Of It was recorded at Tone City Recording in Perth. They worked with their long-time producer Sam Ford (Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, POND, Birds of Tokyo, Art vs. Science). About the recording process, Christian writes: “We had a much longer time to record these songs this time round, and I think each song has a little more depth because of that. We had a bunch of fun blending live and programmed drums, and venturing into that slightly more sparkly, HIFI world with Sam Ford from Tone City.”
To celebrate the release of In The Thick of It, the band has put together a playlist of songs that have inspired the most recent single from the EP, “Own My Mind”. Take a read and press <play>. There are a couple of my favourites in the mix.
The 1975 – “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
I’ve been a fan of the ’75 for a long time. I was listening to this song the day I started writing “Own My Mind”, and the production instantly got me into a zone.
Greta Stanley – “Red Earth Dirt”
I think this track lives in a similar, moody space to “Own My Mind”. I love how spacious but heavy it is, there’s so many interesting sounds happening intermittently.
Katy Perry – “I Kissed A Girl”
I mean, what a classic. The blending of the dirty, rock guitars with the pop sensibility of the vocals and the rhythm section is just so classy. Extra points for vocoder.
The Japanese House – “You Seemed So Happy” –
I think The Japanese House has some of the most interesting vocal melodies and production in the game right now. This song has a real forward momentum that I was trying to channel through the outro of Own My Mind.
Passion Pit – “Constant Conversations”
This is a song I used to have on repeat in high school, I was never really sure why though. It always felt a bit different. I knew I liked how all the sounds worked together, I just don’t think I had the experience to figure out how to do it myself or understand it too well. It’s such a beautiful song to come back to.
Cosmo’s Midnight – “Have It All “(feat. Age.Sex.Location)
This track slaps and there’s no two ways about it. Probably my favourite song to come out in a while, and a vibe that I want to lean into as much as possible. That drum fill into the first verse is full hype. And we haven’t even mentioned the funky guitars and bass. Dang.
Empire of the Sun – “Walking On A Dream”
Apart from both being from the same city, I’ve the loved how ethereal this song is for a long time. Steady beat, amazing vocals, Perth!
Jarryd James – “Give Me Something”
Thirty One was one of the first CDs I ever bought myself when I got my first car and it stayed in the CD player for a good 18 months. Never skipped a song. I love the contrast between his delicate falsetto and the heavy ass instrumentals.
Foreigner – “I Want To Know What Love”
It’s so cheesy. Like so cheesy. But man, what a voice. And when that choir kicks in when they FINALLY give you the chorus? So good. Can’t deny that huge 80s sound.
Heart – “What About Love?”
Wrapping up the list with an equally huge and cheesy track as the previous. It’s so gritty, but the performance is clean as hell. In hindsight, cheesy 80s ballads are totally my guilty pleasure.
In The Thick of It from Supathick is out now. You can give Supathick a follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
Header image credit: Cedric Tang
