The story of a young couple with matching musical dreams

From meeting at college to having international success. Mick and Lauren together formed a 2 piece band called 'Lennox Lust' whilst studying at JMC and had some big dreams.

Since then, they have travelled Australia and parts of the world, performing their original music together with amazing success. They chat to us about their adventures together and their journey so far.

Tell us a bit about your time studying at JMC?

Mick: JMC was a part of a major transition in my life. Moving from a small town to Sydney, new apartment, new people, new everything. Everything was fast moving during that transition and the small community vibe of JMC helped with slowing things down a little. I was able to really connect with the lecturers and tutors like I wouldn’t imagine I could at other universities. This was very helpful in my case throughout the degree as it made me more relaxed. Music is so much an emotional tool, so I don’t feel like it should be looked at as all processes like you would in a maths or physics degree. Sometimes there isn’t a formula like there is in those subjects, so exploring and learning about all different aspects of music was good at JMC for those reasons.
Lauren: We both studied the Bachelor of Contemporary Music (Performance) and although we were in different trimesters, JMC is actually how Mick & I met and how Lennox Lust was born! The two year degree went extremely fast and mixed in with all the regular curriculum, Mick and I were lucky enough to be given several opportunities by JMC, which allowed us to be creative and play our music over the course of our studies. For example, we performed at VIVID Sydney Light festival, the premiere of “Magic Mike” on George Street in Sydney and also got to compose a jingle/ recorded radio commercials for JMC, titled “Make it With JMC”, which were played on major radio stations around NSW and QLD. There was also a showcase for JMC students at Star City Casino, where we were approached by the Booking Agent who offered us regular Lennox Lust shows there.

Tell us what you have been up to since graduating?

A lot! In addition to doing countless ‘gigs’ all over the east coast of Australia, we have been apart of the lineup of Music Festivals, Music Events & Original Shows. Our excessive touring helped us gain an Endorsement with Maton Guitars. We are currently spending our days doing a lot of writing and recording, drawing inspiration from every corner. Great things are coming.

You have recently released a new single, tell us a bit about the inspiration for this track?

“Till’ I Find A Me To Defend” moves us into a “more than us” vision that we have. Our first album, raw and organic, reflects well of our acoustic duo format, which we have portrayed live since we formed Lennox Lust. While that is in no way going to be abandoned, we’re also excited to take some of the limits off, expanding our possibilities for sonics on our recordings. Simply bringing electric guitar into a song, gives us so many more colours to paint with. The strength of this song was intended to be placed in the lyrics. Self-doubt is in everyone at least once in a lifetime. We are constantly changing and growing and the song is about self-expectations never being met as new ones are constantly being created, which we have to remember is totally okay.

You have been performing your music all over. What have some of your greatest musical experiences been?

It all seems like once huge continuous experience. We have met some incredible people from all over. An early experience that means a lot to us was our first headlining ticketed show called “Purple Sanctuary”. Original Performing Artists crave the feeling of connecting with people through the medium of a song that you were sitting down in a bathroom writing together in pyjamas. Having someone sing those words back to you is the most amazing feeling. This is one of the first times we felt the gratification that a songwriter craves. A lot of great experiences can actually be behind closed doors too. Learning something new about the voice or guitar or having a new song unfold. They are all amazing experiences that measure up greatly.

How did JMC prepare you for you careers in the industry?

JMC prepared us a lot in many relevant areas to what we do day to day. To rattle off a few: Tutorials on setting up and operating small and larger PA systems, Operation and functions of studio equipment and recording education. The Songwriting and Theory classes are incredibly valuable for our musicality and songwriting knowledge. The Music Industry changes so rapidly and it’s great that we were being educated on such updated information while using top of the line technology.

What was your favourite thing about studying at JMC?

We were greatly appreciative of the opportunities JMC provided us with while we were studying such as: events that included us, being apart of recording projects and representing the college at promotional events. We also really enjoyed being able to connect with our lecturers and tutors who have real world experience in the industry. This was a great insight and helped break away the sense of a music career being only “a dream”. From songwriting to producing, they could provide us with quality guidance that only they could. We were surrounded by so many creative peers, which was great for networking and collaborating. Theres that and oh, we wouldn’t have met without JMC!

What advice would you have for any current student?

It truly flies past. Soak every bit of it up while you’re there. If you missed something and you figure out later that you’re on your own with it now, it can be quite frustrating. So take it all in. Suck every bit of info out of your lecturers and tutors. You will thank yourself later. Say yes to everything. You have no idea where it could lead to.
To visit the 'Lennox Lust' web page, click here.
To learn more about studying Music, click here.