Charlotte Varcoe
MOUNT Gambier pop-punk band Chelsea Manor has made waves outside the Limestone Coast with a special premiere feature in prominent music publication Rolling Stone Australia.
The local trio spoke to the magazine about its new single Better Than, which was written by lead singer Bianca Hendy over a decade ago.
“What started as an apology for being too hard or emotional ended in an apology to myself for holding onto so much guilt, shame and embarrassment for just growing and trying to find my own way,” Ms Hendy said.
“I started writing this song over a decade ago and shut it away and never looked at it again until 2019.”
She said the opportunity to speak with the magazine came to be through contacting Tone Deaf – an online music media platform – to premiere its new song.
“Tyler Jenke from Brag Media, who runs Rolling Stone Australia, Tone Deaf and The Brag, was happy for us to premiere our music through them and asked if we would like it premiered in the magazine,” Ms Hendy said.
“We were lost for words.”
Fellow band member and drummer Michael Collins described the milestone as a “warm and overpowering feeling” knowing their music had been heard around the nation and beyond.
“It is overwhelming to know that complete strangers have heard and sympathise with our music and it is really hard for me to grasp that the band’s limited reach is further than just our close family and friends,” Mr Collins said.
“Even before knowing how to play an instrument, I knew the Rolling Stone Magazine was the best place to find new music, music journalism and reviews so logging in on release morning to see a photo of myself and my two best friends and the music we created together was surreal.”
The new single is available on all streaming platforms while the band prepares for more live shows around the state.
