“Considering how many years I’ve spent trying to tell people that I wrote all the songs in the band and played all the stuff I might have just called it Mat McHugh from the start. The name was a bit of a joke at the time,” he said.

The Morning Sun EP was a melting pot of sunny surf sounds with reggae undertones and closely followed by the album Learn Yourself which debuted at number 1 on the Australian Independent Album chart.

“I never assumed or wanted or aspired to having a career in music so I spent a lot of time answering how I got the band name,” McHugh said.

Read More: X-Files star doesn’t like sci-fi but loves singing

“If I had strategically planned it out I might have done it a little bit differently but you just gotta roll with it, whatever happens is fate I guess.”

Other than that, a few small business decisions he may have done differently but overall his career with his band and as a solo artist have been incredibly fulfilling – even if making records hasn’t ever been a profitable enterprise.

The singer-songwriter admits the process of being a musician has become more difficult to be sustainable though streaming music does have it’s pros and cons.

Previously, the profits made from CDs bought by fans would go back to making more albums and the touring that went with it “paid the rent”.

In those times (pre-Myspace) McHugh and his band found their way overseas via word of mouth, interest from surf and skate videos and the hard slog of writing down email addresses.

He said in the age of streaming services and free downloads the “avenues for hearing new fresh music are one button press away”.

“The value on recorded music has really gone down … the days – unless you're a huge act – of putting out very expensive time consuming, elaborately made records are over,” McHugh said.

“Spotify is really good because it opens up more markets … more people know your music. But on the other side, you’ve got to find where to get the money to make these records that people aren’t paying for anymore.”

Read More: The Angels thank Wollongong for supporting 40 years of rock

It’s a new realm he’s trying to get his head around, though none of his albums were ever made on a million dollar budget.

Regardless, McHugh will continue writing songs and recording music as he said the problem is not trying to find ideas for things to do but rather finding the time to fit everything in.”

“It’s just about trying to make decent plans i’m not going to get bored with which is the challenge. I’ll just make records and then decide,” he said.

The Beautiful Girls are on tour around Australia. They play Waves in Towradgi on December 2. For more dates and ticket information visit: thebeautifulgirlsofficial.bandcamp.com