Sienna Wild insinuates more than just a fiery spirit, but a sound which reflects the band’s confidence and stability in knowing their own sound and playing it well. As Melbourne-born-and-bred Triple J Unearthed contestants garner consistent success, it is time for Greek Australians to spark innovative excitement across the community, to support the young musicians of Sienna Wild, two of whom are Greek.
Louis Goutos and Jonathan Giokas are two of the band’s three members, the third being talented drummer Jason Edwards. Louis Goutos is the band’s lead vocalist and bass guitarist, and Jonathan Giokas plays the guitar. With the Goutos family hailing from Peloponniso and Athens, and the Giakos family from
Thessaloniki and Peloponniso, their heritage has been more than an important influence. Lead vocalist Louis Gatos describes his ties to Greek music as continually prominent and an influence which has shaped his musical understanding.
“Personally, Greek music was some of the first music I ever heard and having Greek musicians in my family felt like I grew up predominantly around Greek music and Greek culture.”
Furthermore, Gatos states that “Greek music is something that will always be with Jon and I, even though we are not playing it currently, it never leaves you”.
The band began back in 2006, stemming from a long-time, shared passion for music between the members. Sienna Wild have since had major success on all fronts. Personally as a band, Sienna Wild feels that its songwriting is a particular skill that has grown immensely since the band’s formation.
“As a band that has never done covers, our songwriting has developed naturally and has come a long way.” lead vocalist Louis tells Neos Kosmos.
Furthermore, the band feels as if years of practice have led to a true understanding of their sound.
“Once we started playing live and really gigging heavily we realised we had something that people loved hearing and we loved playing. After our mate Jason Edwards joined the band on drums in 2013, our sound flourished and we became better musicians all round.”
Musical growth led the band to the creation of their first eponymous album. Whilst hitting up major music venues across Melbourne to support well-known artists at gigs, they also took to Sing Sing studios as well to create their first single You Got What You Wanted in 2013, and self-titled album in 2014. The band describes the album as a profound experience.
“It was profound for us because it showed faith in our own material. Plus it was really a dream come true.”
The album was launched in April 2014 at Ding Dong Lounge in Melbourne.
Hosting an audio aesthetic very close to the likes of Kings of Leon and the Arctic Monkeys, Sienna Wild is on the frontier of Australian indie rock and roll, and their sound combines the best of their rock influences, including the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and the Beatles. Thus, their aesthetic is an aural blend of classic and modern influences, all bound by an endless grounded friendship between the band members.
In an industry of never-ending talent, taking the first few steps to major global success can be somewhat difficult. It is now time for the Greek Australian community to recognise the contribution of Sienna Wild to the presence of Greeks in Australian music, and even further to the presence of Greeks in Australian rock and roll, as they make a prominent names for themselves, their culture and their country.