Once described as 'the best Australian punk band you've never heard of', psychotic kiddie-punk band Clag stood as underground Australia's shining beacon of peculiarity before singer Bec Moore's passing earlier this year. As an ardent supporter of DIY and independent Australian music, writer, musician, and activist, Bek's presence in the Australian music scene over the last three decades has been as significant as it is under-acknowledged.Formed with high-school friends Alison Bolger (Beaches, Panel of Judges) and Rachel Cooke- sometime between the collapse of the Bjelke-Peterson office and the release of Nevermind- Clag served as a symbol of shameless femininity at a time when Australian rock music was still firmly in the grips of dick-swinging machoism. Slyly humorous and always strange, their divergent sound became hugely influential, particularly on a Brisbane music community that spawned groups such as Bent, Kitchens Floor, and Scraps.In response to Beks death- a tragedy that sent shockwaves through underground Australia- Melbourne filmmaker and sound artist Emma Songdahl has begun campaigning to gather support for a documentary that takes aim at the vast personal and musical impact Bek has made over the last three decades.We caught up with Emma to discuss the aspirations of the film and the influence Bek has had on her own work.Noisey: How did you and Bek meet?
Emma Songdahl: Bek and I met at Paddock Bash. At that point, she was much drunker than everyone else, and pissed off about something I couldn't completely ascertain, but it was as confronting as it was refreshing, because everyone else was half asleep.What was your experience with Bek like and what sort of impact has she had on your work?
One thing I was surprised with in our discussions, was how engaged she was with feminism, as I have noticed she skilfully avoids most minority politics in public.The first thing she wrote to me about it was, "I've been playing music for more than 20-years now and Clag was five girls and one boy… and I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about how effective 2nd wave feminism was for the music scene… I actually think it did a lot for us. We're not all the way there yet but there has been a definite improvement over the years… umm lets just say I have stuff to express!" She was good at not diminishing the size of her audience, and as I attempt to walk in her footsteps, I'm challenged to balance being really open to the world, with self-preservation. As for the effect she has had musically, I feel its about giving oneself permission to express yourself. Self-esteem isn't a form of social capital, its simply something that is or that isn't.You and Bec had intended on working on an interview project.After we got talking well into the morning at Paddock Bash, I told her about my other project White Crow, which is a meandering tv series, focussing on women who do experimental music, and all the issues surrounding that. She said she would be interested in being interviewed, but despite talking about it a lot, we didn't get around to doing the interview- I have always felt a niggling regret and frustration about that. As I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to things being fair and people being heard, I decided to make a documentary just for her, to make up for it.At the moment you're looking to do an audio-only documentary. Do you think there's the possibility of turning this into a film?
The Bek Moore project is financially in a limbo between being audio-only and me being able to afford to do a film. I was initially offered funding for women-only interviews about Bek, but I turned that down, as obviously, her leadership extended beyond that. I will continue the GoFund campaign alongside the project, as it develops, and have every intention of making a film. But for that to happen, it definitely needs support. The first thing I bought with the money was a good tripod, if that's an indication.To help out the documentary visit the GoFund Me page.
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Emma Songdahl: Bek and I met at Paddock Bash. At that point, she was much drunker than everyone else, and pissed off about something I couldn't completely ascertain, but it was as confronting as it was refreshing, because everyone else was half asleep.What was your experience with Bek like and what sort of impact has she had on your work?
One thing I was surprised with in our discussions, was how engaged she was with feminism, as I have noticed she skilfully avoids most minority politics in public.The first thing she wrote to me about it was, "I've been playing music for more than 20-years now and Clag was five girls and one boy… and I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about how effective 2nd wave feminism was for the music scene… I actually think it did a lot for us. We're not all the way there yet but there has been a definite improvement over the years… umm lets just say I have stuff to express!" She was good at not diminishing the size of her audience, and as I attempt to walk in her footsteps, I'm challenged to balance being really open to the world, with self-preservation. As for the effect she has had musically, I feel its about giving oneself permission to express yourself. Self-esteem isn't a form of social capital, its simply something that is or that isn't.
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The Bek Moore project is financially in a limbo between being audio-only and me being able to afford to do a film. I was initially offered funding for women-only interviews about Bek, but I turned that down, as obviously, her leadership extended beyond that. I will continue the GoFund campaign alongside the project, as it develops, and have every intention of making a film. But for that to happen, it definitely needs support. The first thing I bought with the money was a good tripod, if that's an indication.To help out the documentary visit the GoFund Me page.