Latest news with #Seaforth
SBS Australia
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Why do some Australian musicians sing with a foreign accent?
Mitch Thompson from country/pop act Seaforth sounds straight out of Nashville — yet he grew up in Sydney. So why does he sing with an American accent? "I have to really think about it to sing in an Australian accent," Thompson, 35, told The Feed. "It's almost like a different section of the brain when I start singing — a different muscle memory of 'this is how words sound when I sing, this is how words sound when I talk'." Thompson recalls being at a singing competition where he was told he sounded too similar to Missy Higgins, who sings with a strong Australian accent. "One of the judges was like: 'You can't copy Miss Higgins' voice so much. It's a little too Aussie,'" Thompson said. So, his singing accent shifted, and by the time he moved to Nashville, the world's country music capital, almost a decade ago, Thompson had lost all trace of Missy Higgins. "Anytime I go off stage, there'll be at least one person that's like, 'Where's your accent go when you sing?' Or people that didn't know that Seaforth is Australian." Seaforth has now amassed close to 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Mitch Thompson sings with an American accent as frontman of the Australian country-pop duo Seaforth. Source: Getty / Michael Hickey "The accent and how I sing is just purely based off the music I was listening to," Thompson said. "There was never an active: 'I need to sound like Keith Urban' for it to work over here." There's been a significant drop in local acts making it into Australia's top charts, partly due to the rise of streaming services such as Spotify with algorithms that favour US and UK acts, according to music researcher and former record label manager Tim Kelly. "It used to be the case that you can make a living as an Australian artist in Australia ... like Hilltop Hoods ... or Powderfinger ... who sold most of their recordings and did most of their touring in Australia," Kelly told The Feed. "Now it's deemed that there isn't enough money in the Australian market and you've got to have two other markets as well as Australia." When the accent doesn't fit the song The Australian accent can feel like a hindrance, due to the pronunciation of certain sounds, particularly 's' and 'r', according to Ariana Rigazzi, a vocal coach based in Melbourne. "In one syllable you're pronouncing two vowels [in the Australian accent] … basically your tongue is moving while you're pronouncing that one syllable," Rigazzi said. "And that can be a hindrance while you're singing. So it's easier to do an American vowel instead of an Australian vowel to be able to actually get to the note and not have your tongue move." And Thompson says it would sound "jarring" if he sang in an Australian accent. "You lose the rhymes in certain words that in an American accent would rhyme with the next [word] — you can make it rhyme," he said. 'You've got to sound more like us' Australian artists are competing more than ever with the US and UK market to find an audience — and an accent or sound change may be encouraged by Australian labels to appeal to a wider audience, Kelly said. "There's this gravity of conformity that for new artists that would say, if you want to succeed over here [predominantly in the US and UK] ... you've got to sound more like us." "And the industry supports that pressure because managers and record labels and agents and everyone else is going: 'We want you to sound like the stuff that's doing well.'" Music researcher Tim Kelly says Australian artists are having to compete with the US and UK markets more than ever. Source: Supplied / casimaria Algorithms within music streaming services are how many people now discover new artists; it also plays into the demand for Australian artists to adapt their sound. "There's this pressure to get on the algorithm, to sound like other people, to be able to appeal to international markets by leaning into what works in those markets," Kelly says. Do Australian musicians have to change their sound to find success? Kelly says there's a cultural influence from international markets that has shaped the sound of Australian music — and it's worked. The Kid LAROI, Vance Joy, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Troye Sivan are among Australia's top streamed Spotify artists and yet international audiences would be forgiven for not realising they're Australian. "[There is] increased pressure for you to be able to succeed in other markets and not get locked into an Australian context. There is a debate about whether if you become a triple j favourite — that's great in Australia — but it might lock you out of other markets," he said. "Then you're just seen as an Australian artist." There are exceptions. Acts like Amyl and the Sniffers, Shady Nasty, DMA's, Sticky Fingers, Stella Donnelly, Courtney Barnett, and Hilltop Hoods, who all sound distinctly Australian and have found international success. "The artists that are doing well … Amyl and the Sniffers, King Gizzard, Tame Impala have an Australian-ess about them that has actually served them well in an international context," Kelly said. Amyl and the Sniffers, whose sound is defined by the distinctive voice and accent of lead singer Amy Taylor, recently played at Glastonbury festival in the UK: and Thompson believes global audiences are waiting with open arms to embrace more Australian-sounding music. "An Australian accent would actually stand out more than anything in this market."
CTV News
25-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘Really great neighbours': What you need to know about city skunks and why you might be seeing more
A skunk is shown at the animal rehabilitation facility in Seaforth, N.S. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese) It's the time of year when skunks appear. Dale Gienow, executive director of WildNorth animal rescue, said the phone lines have been lit up with calls about kits (baby skunks). While the sight of a lonely-looking little one might cause concern, he encourages Edmontonians to slow down before scooping it up. Gienow said skunks are nocturnal and not often run into by their human neighbours. However, that changes this time of year. 'They are having babies, and skunks love to do that underneath our porches, underneath our sheds,' he said. 'Unlike the parents, (kits) will sometimes be found playing around outside the den during the day, so we see them often by themselves, without a parent. 'Often, people assume they are abandoned, where mom is just sleeping the day away nearby underground.' Skunks A couple near Pense, Sask. recently came home from vacation to a litter of skunks in their yard. (Photo courtesy: Gina Zepick) To avoid an accidental kit-napping, Gienow suggests holding off on any rescue attempts until dusk when mom is likely to come out. 'The babies at this age will often follow them, you'll see that little family of skunks on their way as mom is teaching them how to forage and how to behave,' he said. The sight of a skunk – or a whole family of skunks – in your yard might not be a welcome one, but Geinow said city skunks are accustomed to people and less likely to spray you than their country counterparts. 'They only have so much of that stinky fluid and they have to replenish it once they use it, so they don't want to use it,' he said. 'City skunks, you almost have to touch them before they spray you, generally speaking. And they leave you lots of warning.' Skunk with tail up ready to spray. Skunks will spray when they are scared or threatened, or when they are mating. They're especially active at dusk and just before dawn. Skunk warning signs include foot stamping, tail raising, hissing, growling, or bearing teeth. 'If you're still not smart enough to leave, they'll actually start performing a handstand,' Gienow said. 'If you see that happening, (it's) a sure signal you should get out of there.' Pets are more likely to have a negative run-in with a skunk or kit, so Gienow said dogs should be kept on leash when outside a designated off-leash area (which skunks avoid due to the busy nature and presence of predators). It is legal in Alberta for home owners to hunt and trap skunks all year round. The City of Edmonton has information on how to relocate a skunk humanely, but cautions trapping can orphan young and negatively impact the animal. Feeding a baby skunk An tiny baby skunk in this photo by the Speaking of Wildlife centre. Mon., April 14, 2025. If you wait, Gienow said, they will leave on their own. 'This is a very short lived time,' he said. 'Once those babies mature, become teenagers in the fall, they're going to be leaving that maternal den site along with Mom and moving on their way.' 'They're actually really great neighbours,' he added. 'They do our gardening for us, they love to eat our dandelions and other weeds. They eat wasps and mice and other creatures we might consider as pests.' If you don't want skunks coming back, you can remove food sources like open garbage or outdoor pet dishes, secure porches and decks with cloth (after ensuring no skunks are trapped) and clear out brush piles where skunks like to hide. If you do come across an injured or orphaned animal, you can call the WildNorth helpline at 780-914-4118. Outside of business hours, animals can be taken one of the following three 24-hour vet clinics: VCA Canada Guardian Veterinary Centre Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Boreal Veterinary Centre. For more information, visit the WildNorth website.
CTV News
15-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
N.S. wildlife charity warns public of rise in donation scams
Hope Swinimer, the founder and director of Hope for Wildlife, is pictured with a bobcat in her lap. (Mike Lamb/CTV Atlantic) A charitable wildlife rehabilitation organization in Seaforth, N.S., told the public it does not solicit donations or goods door-to-door in a Friday Facebook post. The founder of Hope for Wildlife told CTV News in an email these incidents come up once or twice a year, but they've noticed an increase in reports lately. 'Most concerning this year was someone claiming to work for Hope for Wildlife and offering to take wild animals,' said Hope Swinimer. 'That kind of misrepresentation puts both the public and wildlife at serious risk.' Swinimer said other charities are facing similar issues. 'It's important we're not misrepresented,' Swinimer said. 'Our goal with the post was to remind the public to be cautious and always confirm directly with us.' The post advises anyone who finds an injured or orphaned animal to call the charity's helpline so a trained volunteer can be dispatched to transport the animal to a veterinary clinic. Those looking for ways to help Hope for Wildlife should visit its website or email questions about donating, said the post. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Hope for Wildlife caring for more than 500 animals in Nova Scotia
Hope for Wildlife is currently caring for 12 orphaned fox pups. (Source: Facebook/Hope for Wildlife) The busy season for Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth, N.S., has officially begun. The organization, which offers rehabilitation programs for wildlife, says they currently have more than 500 animals in their care. Last week they admitted 110 patients. 'We are admitting dozens of patients a day now, so their need is great,' the group said in a Facebook post. Hope for Wildlife, which started in 1997, says it has rehabilitated and released more than 40,000 animals. More to come… Fox Hope for Wildlife is currently caring for 12 orphaned fox pups. (Source: Facebook/Hope for Wildlife) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Ormeggio restaurant tycoon's son Daniel Drakopoulos faces court accused of assaulting ex-fiancée and stealing her $40,000 engagement ring
Multi-millionaire restaurant tycoon heir Daniel Drakopoulos allegedly confessed in a phone call two days after he was accused of choking his fiancée and stealing her $40,000 engagement ring, a court has heard. Drakopoulos, 29, was represented by one of Sydney's most prominent barristers Philip Strickland SC when he fronted Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday. He was supported in court by his 'King of the Waterfront' diner boss dad Bill Drakopoulos, mother Kathleen, brother Perry, his sister, and other relatives. He was accused of breaking into the home of his then-partner Monique Clark one night in February 2024, throwing her mobile phone against a wall, and allegedly choking and seriously assaulting her, before taking the ring. The former private schoolboy, who lives on the millionaires row of harbourside homes at Seaforth on Sydney's northern beaches, was arrested the following morning. He was charged at Manly police station, just a short drive from one of his father's famed restaurants, Ormeggio on The Spit. He initially pleaded not guilty to five charges until prosecutors withdrew four counts in court on Thursday, including the choking charge and one serious assault charge. But Drakopoulos then pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious damage. His father is the renowned restaurateur behind a string of luxury venues in Sydney 's most elite waterside suburbs, including Manta at Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf - a favourite of celebrities including Elton John and Jon Bon Jovi. His empire also includes Sails on Sydney Harbour at Lavender Bay, Ventuno on Walsh Bay, and Ripples at four locations around the city. Daniel Drakopoulos pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-fiancée after his barrister brokered a deal with prosecutors who originally charged him with choking her and stealing her $40,000 engagement ring Daniel Drakopoulos (centre) is the son of restaurant mogul, 'King of the Waterfront', Bill Drakopoulos (right) whose family attended the court hearing in force on Thursday Daniel and his three siblings, who all work as directors of their father's Sydney Restaurant Group, have lived an idyllic life flying around the world on luxury escapes to places such as the Maldives, Ibiza, Tokyo and Greece. It appeared that most of the clan was at the court and his lawyer told Magistrate Brett Thomas that Drakopoulos was 'obviously very anxious … for this matter to proceed. (He's) come here with his family'. Constable Duncan Everett told the court Drakopoulos allegedly phoned Ms Clark two days after the alleged incident, in a call that was at least 19 minutes long. He said there was an eight-minute 'snippet' of the call and police tendered transcripts of both versions of the call to the court. The also gave Magistrate Thomas four pages of screenshots from Ms Clark's phone. Police allegeD Daniel went to Ms Clark's Paddington rented home in Sydney's east and broke in on February 4 last year. Prosecutors subsequently withdrew the charge of break and enter with intent. He then destroyed or damaged her phone by throwing it against the wall, and assaulted her. According to court documents, Danieé allegedly stole his fiancées engagement ring, worth $40,000, but in court on Thursday, prosecutors withdrew the charge of larceny. Daniel Drakopoulos (left), pictured with his father Bill (centre) and brother Perry (right), has pleading guilty to the serious assault of his ex-fiancée, but a charge of stealing her $40,000 engagement ring was withdrawn The plea deal came after a legal row over the use of the evidence about Drakopoulos' phone call after the alleged attack. Ms Clark had not sought permission from Mr Drakopoulos to made a recording of the phone call, and the prosecution had not provided evidence of the circumstances. Con. Everett told the court he had simply 'forgotten' to provide details about the call and about videos taken of Ms Clarke's house following the incident. Sgt Clarke admitted there had been oversights in the prosecution's preparation for the case which was set down for a two-day hearing, but for which she requested an adjournment to get it 'back on the rails'. Mr Strickland opposed this, saying the prosecution's failures went 'beyond mere oversight' and that the 'degree of negligence is very high'. But over the lunch break on Thursday, each side resolved their differences and they brokered the deal for him to admit the two charges while the others were dropped. A graduate from the exclusive St Ignatius College at Riverview, Daniel Jackson Darkopoulos has more recently developed new ventures to expand his father's hugely successful business beyond its high-end Sydney restaurants. Along with his younger brother, Daniel was 'growing Drak Hotels, another part of Sydney Restaurant Group', which includes the Coast Hotel at Budgewoi on the NSW Central Coast. Drakopoulos will be sentenced on Friday.
