An Interview with Allday

Chances are you’ve already heard of Allday, the young rapper from Adelaide rising amongst the Hip Hop ranks in Australia. Unearthed by Triple J, his debut album ‘Startup Cult’ is set to be released on July 4th.

Best known for his tracks ‘So Good’ and ‘Claude Monet’, Allday has acquired fame and support through brutal honesty, relatable lyrics and an appreciation of his fans. A cover of the INXS song ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ hit the airwaves live, thrusting him into the spotlight prior to the album’s release. 

I recently had the chance to ask Allday a few questions regarding influences, the new album and his thoughts on the music industry.  

Firstly, how did you come up with the name Allday?

Well I entered a battle with the name Tomzilla (my name is Tom) and then won. I won some recording time and I knew I couldn’t keep the name Tomzilla because it’s ridiculous. So I had to pick something new in like 3 days or something. It was a choice between Always and Allday. I think I might change my name to Always later on in my career. Like Puff Daddy changing to P.Diddy.

You already have a cult following of fans. What can they expect from the new album?

Well the album is probably a little more grown up. It’s more of a portrait of my life now, rather than high school and childhood and all that. It’s pretty different for an Australian rap album. I think if you like Drake you will like this record. If you like Justin Timberlake you will probably like this record. If you like old Allday hopefully you like this record, but it might be a bit of an adjustment.

What do you believe sets you apart from other young rappers in Australia?

Firstly, I have a weird background in Hip Hop. I actually started going to Hip Hop shows when I was like 11. I was around ‘the scene’ before anybody had made it on the radio, or before anyone was living off rap. So even though I’m kind of young, I was definitely brought up in a scene where lyrics were of utmost importance. I feel like from a technical perspective, that gives me an advantage over a lot of people. As I got older I discovered other genres, got interested in fashion, art and all this other shit. I only started taking rap seriously in 2012, so its taken 2 years, but all of this has combined and helped me make a really good album.

Which artist would you love to collaborate with and why?

I would really love to get a beat from Dr. Dre. I think it would be cool to write a song with Sia, like one of her epic pop songs. She’s from Adelaide and I’m from Adelaide. I think we went to the same school. I bet everyone in Adelaide thinks Sia went to their school though. 

What’s your favourite song to cover at gigs?

Recently we’ve been doing a Nelly – Ride Wit Me cover that I enjoy immensely. Country Grammar was an amazing album.

What’s the best gig you’ve been to as a fan?

I really enjoyed seeing Born Ruffians in Adelaide in 2011. That was an amazing show. I saw The Cribs this year in Melbourne and that has to be the best show I’ve seen recently. It’s very hard to choose. Actually wait I know. James Taylor with my mum was by far the best show I’ve ever seen. He just killed it for 2 hours straight.

Who’s the biggest inspiration on your music?

Probably Prince, or David Bowie. People that maintain an amazing level of music and image over decades really inspire me. That’s the toughest thing to achieve. I also love Partynextdoor, The Weeknd, Drake, JMSN, all the people doing cool R&B right now.

As an emerging artist, what are your thoughts on the Australian music industry?

I don’t know. I like the bands and the artists. As far as the industry, I don’t really give a fuck. I’m not going to suck up to anyone or play any bullshit games with anyone. If you’re cool, you’re cool and I take everyone at face value, all the slimy industry shit can suck a dick.