THE MUSIC ISSUE ALTER I think I have a pretty cool job as and design, but we’ve bridged the editor of an online magazine but gap between the two by including PAGE 3 if I could choose my dream job some of our favourite bands and I’d be in a band. Can’t sing, can’t artists who are both musical and play any musical instrument, bar fashionable and creative. some basic work with a recorder, but it’s still a (pipe) dream of mine We have been very lucky to again DID I STEP ON YOUR TRUMPET? to be a front woman of some sort work with Nick Blair and Jason of pop/rock/indie group. Music is Henley for our editorials, and PAGE 7 important to me. Some of my best welcome contributing writer memories have been guided by a Seema Duggal to the Canvas song, a band, a concert. I team. I met my husband at Livid SHAKE THAT DEVIL Festival while watching Har Mar CATHERINE MCPHEE Superstar. We were recently EDITOR PAGE 13 married and are spending our honeymoon at the Meredith Music Festival. So it’s no surprise that sooner or later we put together a MUSIC issue for Canvas. THE HORRORS This issue’s theme is kind of a departure for us, considering we PAGE 21 tend to concentrate on fashion MISS FITZ PAGE 23 UNCOVERED PAGE 28 CREATIVE DIRECTOR/FOUNDER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Catherine McPhee NICK BLAIR JASON HENLEY DESIGNER James Johnston COVER COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER EDITORIAL MANAGER PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Blair Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission by Canvas is strictly prohibited. Catherine McPhee STYLING Sarah Banger All information and credits are accurate at the time of publication, but are subject to change. HAIR Carl Reeves @ Mieka using FASHION DIRECTOR REDKEN product HTTP://CANVASMAGAZINE.NET Catherine McPhee MAKEUP Bradwyn Jones @ KHM © 2009 CANVAS MAGAZINE DAN WHITFORD MAY BE BEST KNOWN AS THE FRONTMAN OF UBIQUITOUS AUSTRALIAN DANCE BAND CUT Copy, but that only really brushes half of his story –the publicly prominent, I Have the POWER TO MAKE YOU GROOVE STAGE PRESENCE THAT MAKES JELLY LEGS OF US ALL. WORDS BY SEEMA DUGGAL Dan Whitford may be best known as the So I met up with Jono, who I’d studied with frontman of ubiquitous Australian dance band previously and we collectively made the Cut Copy, but that only really brushes half of decision to leave our jobs and go into business his story – the publicly prominent, I Have the for ourselves as Alter,” says Dan. To really Power to Make You Groove stage presence make us envious, it was also around this time that makes jelly legs of us all. But when he’s when Dan signed a record deal, and Cut Copy not shooting electric rods through the dance began to become an established name in the floor, he’s really just another guy behind the music world just as Alter started to take off in computer – well, that is until you see what design circles. he can DO behind a computer. Satiating the visionary side of his multi-talented persona With designers benefiting from a relatively as one half of design duo Alter with Jonathon faceless level of fame, Dan says he has found Wallace (aka Jono), he is one of those rare coping with the recognition a bit… odd, for people who tipped the scales in the general lack of a better word. “It’s weird, and at times distribution of genius – and he is clearly on seems a little silly to me that people all of a the top end. Although his music has reached sudden have such a different reaction when an unprecedented level of success, it was art meeting you. As I never really entered music or that saw his foray into creativity. design to chase fame, I find it quietly amusing that people have such an impression of me “My father was an architect and always now that my face is on covers of magazines. I encouraged me to draw and be creative, and don’t feel like I’ve changed,” he says. it was something I was always pretty good at, so it wasn’t until I was at university studying He may have art and sound down to a tee, graphic design that I really got into making but Dan says the two fields are relatively music,” he says. standalone in terms of the creative process. Upon graduating from design school, Dan “I don’t think you ever consciously draw a worked for a year at an established firm before creative process from music into design he got the independent bug which nearly every or visa versa. They are two very different artist can relate to – the numbing desire for creative forms that just happen to be tied more creative control. But his main point of together in our culture. If you look at styles difference is that he took the leap most only of music, there is always an accompanying dream of and started up his own studio with approach when it comes to record covers, his new business partner, Jono. posters and fashion. I like the idea of cross “I think I was feeling as though I really wanted pollinating, or collaging ideas from different to have my own name to design work that I eras and styles, which is something that is did, and have more input on the types of jobs probably common in our design work and I worked on and the way the studio worked. music,” he says. STEVEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS - 2009 TOUR POSTER The next question is obvious – how does he With an interview like this, it’s pretty standard manage both fields and maintain his sanity? – and maybe a tad cliché, but reasonably “It has always been somewhat of a juggling so – to wonder where he’d like to see both act to manage both passions. I think at some endeavours in 10 years’ time. point, I had an unrealistic expectation of being able to cover both as semi-full-time projects “I’d like to build Alter’s profile to a point where which meant that my own life was relegated to we can undertake bigger, more ambitious jobs a distant third priority. I still work on specific with the same creative philosophy we have projects, but as the band has enjoyed greater maintained from its inception, and I’d like to success, I’ve been away from Australia and continue Cut Copy on it’s current trajectory, therefore away from the business for long continuing to produce interesting music. periods. Thankfully I have a tremendously Simple, really.” understanding business partner and a very capable team of designers who keep things www.alter.com.au rolling in the meantime,” he says. “I really think it’s important maintain energy and enthusiasm for what you’re doing. As soon as either thing becomes a chore, then it creates an imbalance. Also (as it has taken me a while to realise), time away from either passion can help reinvigorate this enthusiasm. So it’s probably good to think of down-time as exactly tt, rather than slacking off...” Thanks to Jono and a seemingly incredible team of designers at Alter holding fort, music is definitely consuming the majority of Dan’s time right now – but he said if he had to choose between a tour and a design project, he’d find a way to make them both work. OPPOSITE MODULAR RECORDINGS - LEAVE THEM ALL BEHIND III ARTWORK THIS PAGE THE ART OF MUSIC OPPOSITE SOUND BUBBLE PREVIOUS STACEY DHINI HAT, KAREN WALKER DRESS (WORN AS BLOUSE) AND BELT @ DIGGING FOR APPLES, ANAESSIA SKIRT, VINTAGE JACKET, SEMPRE DI BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ TESS DHINI HAT, KAREN WALKER DRESS (WORN AS BLOUSE) @ DIGGING FOR APPLES, ANAESSIA SKIRT, KAREN WALKER BELT, NÜ BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ THIS PAGE TESS WOODFORD & CO DRESS, DHINI JACKET, KAREN WALKER BELT, RHEANNA LINGHAM NECKLACE @ GLITZERN MATTHEW VINTAGE HAT AND JACKET, MJÖLK SHIRT, ALPHA60 TROUSER, JACK LONDON BELT TESS DHINI SHIRT, HAT & SKIRT, RHEANNA LINGHAM BELT @ GLITZERN, ENRICO ANTINORI BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ STACEY GAIL SORRONDA SHIRT AND PANT, KAREN WALKER BELT, SALVADOR SAPENA BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ, NECK TIE STYLISTS OWN ANDREJ ST AUGUSTINE ACADEMY SHIRT, VINTAGE JACKET, ALPHA60 TROUSER, ZU SHOES BOOT GRACE LOVER BLOUSE @ CRIMSON PHOENIX, DHINI JACKET, CYBELE SKIRT, HOUSE OF BAULCH CUFFS, WITTER SHOES BROGUE MATTHEW VINTAGE HAT, ST AUGUSTINE ACADEMY SHIRT, MJÖLK WAISTCOAT AND JODHPUR, JACK LONDON BELT, BOOT ZU SHOES, SOCKS STYLISTS OWN GRACE DHINI HAT AND TOP, MARNIE SKILLINGS SKIRT, KAREN WALKER BELT, HOUSE OF BAULCH NECKLACE, SEMPRE DI BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ VINTAGE HAT, ALPHA60 SHIRT, VINTAGE JACKET, MJÖLK TROUSER, JACK LONDON BELT, ZU SHOES BOOT TESS AMY KAEHNE SHIRT, DHINI JACKET, GAIL SORRONDA HAREM PANT, HOUSE OF BAULCH NECKLACE, ENRICO ANTINORI BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ STACEY LOVER BLOUSE @ CRIMSON PHOENIX, DHINI JACKET, DHINI HAREM PANT, NÜ BROGUE @ ZOMP SHOEZ STACEY LOVER SHIRT @ CRIMSON PHOENIX, CYBELE SKIRT, ANAESSIA UNDERSKIRT, VINTAGE CAPE, GLITZERN NECKLACE, KAREN WALKER BELT ANDREJ VINTAGE HAT, MJÖLK SHIRT, MJÖLK WAISTCOAT, MJÖLK TROUSER, JACK LONDON BELT, NECKTIE STYLISTS OWN PHOTOGRAPHER N I C K B L A I R STYLIST SARAH BANGER MAKE UP BRADWYN JONES @ K H M HAIR CARLRE EVES@MIEKA U S I N G R E D K E N P R O D U C T S PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT E L L E A L I H O S STYLING ASSISTANTS ADAM NASH& CHARLOTTE WEBB HAIR ASSISTANT LORNA STACEY GRANT@CAMERONSGRACE@ C A M E R O N S TESS@MAVERICKANDREJ@ C H A D W I C K S MATTHEW BENJAMIN@ V I V I E N S SPECIAL THANKS TO RIPPONLEA ESTATE& WARICKS FIREARMS VINTAGE HAT, LOVER SHIRT @ CRIMSON PHOENIX, SASS & BIDE JACKET, CYBELE SKIRT, ANAESSIA UNDERSKIRT, KAREN WALKER BELT, NÜ BROGUE SHAKETHATDEVIL PHOTOGRAPHERJASONHENLEY STYLISTJANABARTOLO MAKEUPDESIREEWISE@NETWORKAGENCY HAIRCHLOEPETERS@TONI&GUY ANCA@PRICILLA’SMANAGEMENT ASSISTANTSNICKBEZZINA& TIMOTHYWALL PREVIOUS RUTH TARVYDAS DRESS, BEST BEHAVIOUR JACKET @ STYLE JUNKY, MICHELLE CZECH BOLERO (WORN ON TOP), GUCCI BELT & BAG @ LOVEMEANDLEAVEME, SWAROVSKI GALACTIC RING, STYLIST OWN JEWELLED RING , MIMCO SILVER CUFF, HUSSY PUMPS.