A Quick Chat with Goon and Daunt
Goon and Daunt join forces on COLD FRONT, an ambitious debut collaborative album that fuses hip hop, R&B, and electronic music into a deeply personal journey through heartbreak, self sabotage, and healing. Built across 18 tracks and created entirely from their South Perth studio, Hive6, the record pairs Goon’s introspective lyricism with Daunt’s genre bending production, while guest appearances from Wesley Black, Nxlly, Lil Ducky, and Lozza spotlight the depth of Boorloo's thriving hip hop scene. Years in the making, COLD FRONT marks a defining moment for two artists whose creative partnership has evolved into a fully realised body of work. We caught up with Goon and Daunt to talk about the album, the collaboration, and what’s next.
Can you tell us what this album means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
Goon: I think just the fact that Daunt and I have worked together for so long and this being our first full collaborative project makes this one special. It’s been a long time coming. I also think that people haven’t really heard this side of my music properly before so I’m excited for that. The album has its deeper moments but it’s more of a vibes based, concept project so I’m interested to see how it goes.
Daunt: I feel like summer releases and making “The Song of the Summer” are really prevalent in music culture today, but no one really focuses on winter releases. Both Goon and I share a love for winter and the colder months, and the cosiness that comes with it, so we wanted to try and capture that in a concept album. Hopefully this project gives something that winter lovers can enjoy.
Who are some of your influences, and why?
Goon: A big inspiration for this project was definitely Drake’s ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ album. It was released as a summer project in the US but for Australians it dropped during our coldest time of the year so that was kind of our winter soundtrack for 2022. We’d already started working on a collab project and we really liked the idea of making a “season specific” album so we began crafting the rest of the ‘COLD FRONT’ with that concept in mind. I was also listening to a heap of SZA when we were making this project and I think you can definitely hear her influence in a few songs.
Daunt: Production-wise, I think tying in my two favourite genres of EDM and Trap music was a clear goal. Trying to genre-bend the two into something fresh is something I really enjoy doing, and so artists who have done similar things in the past like Flume and Skrillex I would consider big influences. Additionally, my all time favourite trap producer is Pierre Bourne, and so many of the trap sections and mellow parts take a big influence from his effortless, simple and catchy production.
What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
Goon: It varies from track to track but for a release like this one Daunt and I will usually build the songs together from scratch. It always just happens super naturally as well - we’ll sip some rum, I’ll smoke something chill. Daunt asks “what vibe we feeling today” and then he’ll make the hardest beat you’ve ever heard in like, 10 minutes (tops). I’ll usually have a few loose bars or an idea for a hook written already and then we just go from there.
Daunt: Most sessions start with me prompting, “What’s the plan for today?” and Goon will lay out a couple ideas and we go from there. Most of the time I’ll just start playing some chords or a melody or laying down some drums and I’ll get Goons input as I go, cooking it all up from scratch on the spot. We often have a whiskey or rum and just enjoy the process, not overthinking it or hyper-fixating on things. Generally by the time I’ve finished making the beat Goon will already have a hook or an idea for the vocals, so we’ll track it in and get our structure down. Then we might go back on another day and get the verses down and re-record what we need to. Goon is crazy consistent and incredible at one-takes so often I’ll just play the song right through 3-4 times and he’ll run it all in one each time. Then we’ll just pick our favourite.
What do you think makes a great album?
Goon: I guess it kind of depends on the artist or genre but I think the main thing is that it feels like an album and not a random collection of songs. You should be able to listen to it right through and feel like you’re going on a journey with the artist. Pacing is also really important, it has to retain your attention the whole time and if my mind is wondering during certain parts of the album then for me that album hasn’t done its job. A great album should be like cinema.
Daunt: I love a conceptual album and something that feels cohesive, with skits/interludes, transitions, and a common theme throughout. And I think we achieved that with this project. The soundscapes and overall feeling of the tracks really takes you to another place and sonically I feel like the album is a journey. Much like a storm this album builds, flows, erupts, and evolves.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Goon: It hasn’t actually changed since I was in high school, my dream collab is still either Flume or Kevin Parker. They’re such pioneers at what they do and both just incredibly unique and talented musicians. They have a way of elevating artists and bringing out the best in the people they work with and they consistently evolve and reshape their sounds without ever losing or compromising what made them great in the first place.
Daunt: My biggest idol and inspiration has to be Skrillex, he’s the reason I produce music in the first place. He’s just a genius. I'd love to learn from his creative process; it really seems like he just makes what he likes and has fun doing so, which is always the goal as a creative person in my mind.
When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
Goon: I love film photography, mostly landscapes and architecture but I have been shooting more press and artwork photos for local artists lately which is a lot of fun. I’ve always written/directed most of my own music videos as well but I’m currently trying to make the transition into more narrative based short films and hopefully one day a feature.
Daunt: Recently I’ve gotten a camera and dabbled a bit in videography, but generally music is my main outlet. Since music production and sound engineering is my full time job, being creative is often not something I want to do in my spare time. However, I do enjoy playing my upright piano and acoustic guitar at home, as playing live instruments is a refreshing change from my DAW.
Who are some local bands/artists we should check out?
Goon: All of them! The Australian music scene is criminally underrated and the WA scene even more so, so it’s hard to narrow it down. Vah has gotta be one of the most talented and consistent dudes in the scene at the moment, Sowdy has an album in the tuck which is a straight up masterpiece, Oshua stays making beautiful music. Lil Ducky might be my favourite artist ever. The scene is so diverse at the moment that you’ll find stuff you enjoy no matter what you’re into so just get out there and find what you like!
Daunt: There’s really too many to name, last time I counted I think I’ve worked with around 1000 different artists in Perth, and so many of them are unbelievably talented. If I had to list a few I’d mention Wesley Black, Kayps, Lil Ducky, Boomr, 33Grey, H1, JKER, Vah, Corrj and many more.
Winter or summer and why?
Goon: Winter of course! Fuck chasing an endless summer I’m trying to stay cold all year! Hard winter fits, wood fires, hearty meals. It’s just the best season. Plus I run pretty hot in general so I’m just not a fan of summer. It’s a lot easier to get warmer than cool off - can always add more layers if it’s chilly but when its 40 degrees, I’m down to my jocks and I’m still covered in sweat then where do you go from there?
Daunt: Summer definitely has some benefits but winter is an unsung hero. There are so many perks to winter, there’s no better feeling than rugging up when it’s cold out and rain is just so beautiful to watch. I’m also a big sauna lover and one of the best feelings you can experience as a human in my opinion is being in a hot sauna while you watch the rain fall outside.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2026?
Goon: I’m planning on moving overseas for the rest of the year to focus on writing and finishing off some older projects I’ve been putting off and there’s nothing like leaving the country to clear your head. Have to be back in September for something pretty important though…
Daunt: 2026 is a big one for me. I got my first ever puppy earlier this year, I’m going to Europe for a month for my cousin's wedding straight after the album drops and then I’m getting married in September! Once I’m back on top of everything I’d love to upgrade the studio more and potentially start a YouTube series or something of that nature to share some insight into what creating music from scratch looks like.