If you’ve been keeping a finger on Sydney’s live music pulse over the past year, chances are you’ve come across Misty Lanes - on stage, a psych-pop 6-piece peppered with members of bands like Wild Honey and The Upskirts, worthy of your undivided attention. In the studio, a solo recording project of Steven Schouten (Montes Jura), written and recorded at his home studio in Newtown.

We caught up with Steve to chat his biggest influences and favourite albums, a cracking list which includes the insanely influential Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who sadly past away earlier this week at the ripe age of 91. Here’s to you Ennio 🍻.

1. Ennio Morricone - Vergogna Schifosi (1969 Original Soundtrack)

“Morricone's work has always been a big influence on the Misty Lanes sound, the percussion, the bad ass spaghetti western melodies, the haunting strings; god damn he's good. I'm yet to see the film, I found this record online a few years ago and became obsessed with it. Favourite track I'd probably say is 'Un Altro Mare'.”

2. Exploded View - Exploded View (2016)

“The collaboration between German/UK political journalist turned musician 'Anika' and one of the guys who produced the Crocodiles records? I think?

Anika's first self-titled record I found because of her cover of The Kinks - 'I Go To Sleep' and I absolutely loved it. I remember hearing one of Exploded View’s tracks a few years later on a Sacred Bones playlist and thinking that voice sounds really familiar which led me to discovering this record. It's all over the place and so unpredictable, starting real minimal and experimental, venturing into kraut-rockeresque punk with a disco swing, to much slower almost 60's ballads, it's an amazing record. 'Orlando' and 'Stand Your Ground' are a couple of standouts for me but it's tough to choose, the whole record is fantastic.”

3. Gavin Bryars - Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971)

“I think I might have heard Tom Wait's talk about this record in an interview, but then when I was studying audio one of my teachers re-introduced me to it. The whole record is basically one continually evolving song that starts with just the loop of a homeless man singing repeatedly 'Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet' as the record progresses, rich harmonies and string arrangements fill the composition, by the end, it's huge! 

It's one of those records that is just so incomprehensibly beautiful in it's stark simplicity and, even if you're not in any way religious I think you can understand and appreciate the hope and belief in the idea of the sentiment in this song/record.”

4. Holly Golightly - Truly She Is None Other (2003)

“One of those records that has aged really well I think. I find some of the early 2000's garage, lo-fi, country folk pop, (however you want to categorise it) hasn't stuck around in my rotation as much as I would have thought, but this record has always been a go-to when I'm unsure of what I feel like listening to. Standouts for me are the opening 'Walk a Mile' and 'All Around The Houses'. Her cheeky attitude and swagger that oozes from this record will put a spring in your step every listen.”

5. NEU! - NEUI! (1972)

“If anyone knows me, they'd know my long obsession with this era in music. 70's Germany from what I've read and listened to, seemed like a melting pot for creativity and expression, and I suppose places like Berlin and Leipzig still are today. I first heard this record while I was living in London and I was immediately hooked and dove deep into the kraut-rock genre. I think the opening track 'Hallogallo' is pretty much the cornerstone of what 'kraut-rock' is to me.”

Check out Misty Lane’s recently released single and video “Charmer” filmed at Sydney’s Luna Park.