Joe Mungovan on new single ‘Cyclone’
Joe Mungovan is back with a new single ‘Cyclone’, an album SUGAR, CANDY, LIPS coming out next week and a headline tour! The dynamic multi-instrumentalist performer has started 2024 with a bang and we had the opportunity to chat about the new single, the album and live shows.
Photo by Ben Develin
I love that ‘Cyclone' is your resistance to the 'ignorance is bliss' attitude- do you find that is often your approach to music? Are you often looking to connect to something simple through writing/creating?
Thank you! I think making music is a way I can try to understand the world and my place in it.
I've always found that when someone is honest and genuine, people gravitate to them and can relate to what they're feeling and expressing. I hope that's the case here with my music.
How do you keep your sound fun and catchy whilst blending real and relatable lyrics? Do you find it's a natural mix for you?
I think my default is to write pop music, so I naturally lean into that sound and vibe.
It’s definitely something that I feel myself organically veering towards, but that is not to say that it's natural and comes easily! I've labored over a lyric and a hook many times.
New album! What was the creative process for SUGAR, CANDY, LIPS?
I wrote all of these songs at home in my studio on the South Coast of NSW.
Up until this album I had always ended up recording every instrument and part myself. For this album I decided to head to The Grove and work with a bunch of different artists, some of my touring band, some of my old band mates and some new ones too! This was definitely the quickest turn around of any project I’ve worked on. Being able to take a step back from recording all the parts, and instead listening to others play the parts definitely helped me relax into the music and trust the process.
How are you feeling about touring the new songs?
The band and I are sooooo ready to play these songs live - They feel like they're the most ‘road-ready’ of any music I’ve ever released before.
The fact that the touring band also played on the recording gives it that extra sprinkling of magic.
What’s your favourite thing about playing live? Is there a particular moment in a live show that you love?
I think that for me it's the spontaneity of live music, anything can happen and you only have one take in front of a live audience. You only have each other on stage too so there is an adrenaline in having each others' backs. When you play with the same band all the time you can end up being able to read each other's minds and anticipate each other's next moves. The audience gives so much too and when everything lines up, music can transport a whole room of strangers to a single place and time, and those moments feels very present and special.
