Q&A with VanderAa
FORMER LOCALS VANDERAA are returning to Darwin for one show only at Darwin Ski Club. Passionate about the environment, the brothers have teamed up with Sea Shepherd Darwin for a beach clean up.
OTL caught up with Aaron and Levi to chat ocean conservation, Mary’s laksa and why they love to come home.
What’s it like to come back to your hometown to perform?
We love coming home to perform for our family, friends, fans and connecting back to our roots. To come home and receive the support and love we do at our shows fills us full with gratitude. Thank you, NT – we love you and will forever call this heat bubble of ours home.
What have you been up to down south?
This tour started in the Sunshine Coast and finishes in the Sunshine Coast. It’s the first time we’ve done a complete lap of the country, covering over 30,000 kilometres. Some highlights so far have been performing at Falls Festival, experiencing the WA coastline for the first time and, of course, coming home to the NT.
You’ve teamed up with Sea Shepherd Darwin for a beach clean the morning of your gig – why is ocean conservation so close to your hearts?
We love the ocean. We are in the ocean every day – swimming, surfing and creating music on the beach. It breaks our hearts to see so much trash littering our oceans and affecting our marine life. Enough is enough, and we need all hands on deck, every human doing their bit to look after our planet.
Through our music, we are connecting with people to help build awareness, change old ways of thinking and patterns for a better future. It’s very hard to reduce plastic use when almost everything we purchase comes wrapped in plastic. By creating conversation within our communities, we can collectively learn quicker and inspire each other to do our best.
What does 2019 hold for VanderAa?
2019 is so, so super exciting! We finish the Southern Cross Tour at Splendour in the Grass where we’ll be performing on the World Stage and Bohemian Lounge. Our plan for 2020 is to do less touring and more recording – so there’s lots of new music coming your way!
And, finally, what is a must-do when you come back to Darwin?
Mary’s laksa at Parap Village Markets, a visit to Douglas Hot Springs and a walk along Cas Beach.
VANDERAA SHOW + SEA SHEPHERD DARWIN
WHEN SAT 15 JUN | BEACH CLEAN UP, 9AM | SHOW, 6PM
AT DARWIN SKI CLUB
COST $30 | FREE U12
INFO vanderaaband.com
