Get to know Alter Boy, your 2022 Limelight winners!

In late-2022, RAC Arena was delighted to announce dark electronic pop group, Alter Boy, as the inaugural winner of their Limelight Music Support Fund. The fund, which includes $5,000 financial assistance, $2,500 music equipment thanks to Mega Music and Yamaha, as well as inclusion in the WAMFest 2023 line-up and other performance and promotional opportunities, was created to shine a light on WA’s emerging musical talent. For the four members of Alter Boy, this support fund couldn’t have been better timed as the group gets ready for an action-packed 2023.

The band itself is made up of lead singer and lyricist, Molly Priest, Andrew Wright, who plays keys and assists with mixing and writing, Josh Ellis, the drummer and co-producer, and last but not least, Josh Terlick who is the group’s bass guitarist and synth bassist.

The story of the four bandmates began many years prior to the formation of the group. Andrew, aka MDNT, and who is also the band’s producer, has been writing music with fellow member, Molly, for over 10-years now. Josh E and Josh T, who are commonly known by fans as HELL and HVN respectively, met Molly at music school in their late teens. In 2019, after a few years had passed, Molly approached old friends Andrew, Josh and Josh with a new concept and Alter Boy was formed.

Since their inception, Alter Boy has been a growing force within the local and Australian music scene. They are praised for their ability to make honest, dark, and bold tracks, and produce live performances that are both visually captivating and musically entertaining. In the words of Alter Boy themselves, fans that attend their shows can expect to be emotionally delighted with a “visual and auditory feast”, or if you just want to see a “group of kind-hearted people, banging on the drums, slapping on the bass, pressing on the keys”, they’ve got that covered too.

The band has consistently embraced the attitude that their music, and all art for that matter, should be inclusive and accessible for everyone to enjoy. This principle led to Alter Boys’ decision to include an Auslan interpreter front and centre at all their live gigs, ensuring the venues they perform in are accessible, and that their production is packed with lighting. Also, when listening to their songs like Glitter, Act of God, or their first single Frankenstein’s Dream, the amount of low, bass notes the group uses is noticeable and intentionally done to enhance the listening experience for those hard-of-hearing.

From guest programming ABC’s Rage, to performing at VIVID Carriage Works in Sydney, to reimagining Lil Nas X’s hit track Montero for Triple J’s Like a Version, the band has already notched up some pretty memorable experiences so far. However, the thrill and excitement of achieving these milestones is not what they celebrate most, with vocalist Molly explaining they are “most proud of the growth they have all made as artists and people”.

So what does the band plan to do next? Apart from a busy year of gigs, including World Pride in Sydney, the band have just released a new single, Like Home. With the help of RAC Arena’s the Limelight Music Support Fund, Alter Boy are hard at work writing, recording and producing their debut album, set to be released later this year.

If you want to keep up to date on all things Alter Boy, you can find them on Instagram, YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify.