Brisbane Sounds founder Blair Hughes

Brisbane Sounds was established in 2006 by primary school teacher, music promoter and Brisbane music aficionado, Blair Hughes with the principal aim being to promote the Brisbane music scene worldwide through the production of an annual compilation album of Brisbane music. The goal was to create a unique marketing tool designed to highlight the quality and diversity of the Brisbane music scene and promote Brisbane as a music city.

Brisbane Sounds has produced four compilation albums, starting in 2007 through to the most recent 2010 compilation to encouraging feedback, review and radio play around the world. Brisbane Sounds has been featured in JMag, The Big Issue, ScotCampus, The Courier Mail, Sunday Mail and on 4ZZZ and Triple JJJ Radio.

The Brisbane Sounds compilations have featured over 70 Brisbane artists from a diverse cross section of musical genres and have included bands such as The Gin Club, Regurgitator, The Coalition Crew, I Heart Hiroshima, Hungary Kids of Hungary as well as My Fiction and Disco Nap who were recently featured on US radio, An Horse who were featured on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2009 and The Boat People who secured a publicity deal in the USA as a result of the 2008 compilation.

2010 has been a busy year for the Brisbane Sounds team and has seen Brisbane Sounds represented at the world’s largest music conference SXSW in Texas, USA, the introduction of the Brisbane gig guide IPhone App, the redesign of the website to become a database and one stop shop for Brisbane music as well as the establishment of Young Bloods and The 100 Club and the tour management of our first international artist in Richmond Fontaine from the USA. Further down the track Brisbane Sounds will be launching a TV pilot as well as a documentary focusing on the state and role of the Brisbane music scene in 2011.

Blair is currently teaching Film and TV at MIC (Music Industry College) and has previously spent three years working at the Zoo Nightclub in Brisbane as well as a year at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Blair is a passionate Brisbane music ambassador who has represented Brisbane music through Brisbane Sounds at the Great Escape conference in Brighton, England as well as SXSW in the US. Blair prides himself on making the best riders for local bands having been inspired by the boozy culinary delights of the German rock and roll scene in Hamburg!