It was back in 2013 when an old shed in Pegarah was turned into a studio.
Owner Wade Roskam met with Tim Woodburn, a musician who moved from London to King Island and, after a few weeks, they recruited guitarist Troy Smith, drummer Tim Leo, brass specialist Charles Pearce, and backing singer Ros Pearce The band 40 Degrees South was born.
After five years and hundreds of hours practising and recording at Parenna Place Studio, and numerous performances around the island, Tim Woodburn returned to England.
Other bands, like The Rusty Falcon Band, were formed, with Troy Smith, Tim Leo, and Jarred Perryman.
Phil Smith and Diana de Rooy started Flickin’ The Switch, now Bi De Way.
Musician Yentl Doggen came from Belgium to King Island and formed a band with Tom Blake, Jess Boyes, and Daniel Baer, followed by the Rick Munday Band, with Sam Woolley and Jess Boyes.
Unfortunately, people come and go, and now, ten years later, the music landscape on King Island has somewhat changed.
Yes, there are musicians on the island, and we have several DJs, so there might be some new bands in the making!
“There were times that the stage/studio was used four or five times a week,” said Roskam, who used to help the performers with sound mixing and recording.
“The last 12 months have been very quiet, which made me decide to make a few changes. Together with cameraman Jan van Ruiswijk, I started King Island TV a few years ago. During COVID, we started live streaming events like the horse races, footy and netball finals, and even funeral services.”
Other media organisations have used footage and online video productions are evolving.
The changes Roskam refers to include enclosing the stage and moving the video production into that space, together with King Island Radio, which already has a space in the old part of Parenna Place Studio. 2
The King Island Courier office will also move into the newly refurbished area. The ‘old’ studio will become a space for musicians to practice and live recording.
“As I do have a bit more time on my hands now, I like to focus more on video production,” Wade said.
“I like to create a lot of short videos for social media to promote King Island. There are plenty of opportunities there. As I’m getting older, I love to see the younger generation further develop and put some new energy into King Island’s music scene. There is plenty of talent in this small community.”
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