SNIPPETZ: Thursday August 14, 2025
This week’s Snippetz features: Chuck Sics, Pete Murray, The Inadequates, Cooee, Stonehutt, Howlin’ Country, Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie, King Parrot, Baby Metal, Riley Pearce, Bernard Fanning, Wanderer Festival, Matthew Ifield , Eleni Drake, Clovr, Krystal Rivvers, Milly Strange, Paul Kelly, Amorphous, Conjurer, Mark Campbell and The Ravens and more
CHUCK SICS SHARES LUSH SINGLE I’VE BEEN THINKING. NEW EP SLIPSTREAM SET FOR RELEASE SEP 23
A lush indie anthem for all the procrastinators and introverts of the world, today Sydney-based artist and multi-instrumentalist Chuck Sics returns with an introspective yet unwaveringly immersive new single I’ve Been Thinking, the third offering from his anticipated debut EP Slipstream set for release on September 23.
With hypnotic hues a la Radiohead and Tame Impala, fused with Chuck Sics’ increasingly trademark knack for conjuring relatable lyrical fare, I’ve Been Thinking was self-produced and mixed by Chuck Sics himself, showcasing a crunchy yet volatile creative aesthetic while detailing the frustrations and realities of procrastination and feeling overwhelmed by the world. “I’ve Been Thinking is essentially a song about procrastination,” shares Chuck Sics. “It’s about feeling like you’re stuck thinking about life instead of living it, and keeping that locked inside your mind.”
“For me, it’s particularly relevant to writing, recording and releasing music,” Chuck adds. “You can think about a song for a long time: about how it’s going to sound, and how it will be received etc. I end up living in a fantasy world where the song exists before I’ve done the hard work to make it.”
Marking Chuck’s third single release following his debut single Redo which dropped earlier this year, as well as more recent track M.A.D, I’ve Been Thinking will join both previous singles on Chuck’s upcoming debut EP Slipstream due out next month, with the five-track release primed to ruminate on dread, self-analysis and beyond. Placing Chuck’s versatility and skill, both as a writer and a musician (playing every instrument, producing and mixing the EP solo), front and centre, Slipstream is a whimsical yet hard-hitting outing that balances cohesive alt-pop-rock production with pensive and occasionally cynical lyricism. Opening with Chuck’s debut single, Redo, Slipstream begins on an upbeat and psychedelic note, bathed in warm instrumentals and lyrically detailing unrequited love. Next up, M.A.D dabbles in Britpop flavours alongside percolating rhythms and smooth vocals, while the EP’s title track and midway point serves up buoyant melodies, dazzling basslines and a beat primed to fill dancefloors. And with today’s new single I’ve Been Thinking marking the EP’s penultimate track, Slipstream ultimately closes on a gooey note of melodic haze, ethereal vibes, and sharp contemplation. “The EP explores themes of dread, self-analysis, sleep (or lack thereof), and reflection,” shares Chuck. “I’m trying to express that I don’t think of myself as a reliable narrator, even of my own emotions. I think that there’s a healthy amount of self-doubt, but for me what tends to happen, the result turns into dread.”
Picking up the trumpet in primary school, Chuck Sics’ musical evolution soon led him to the piano, before the floodgates burst wide open via finding the guitar at the age of 12, followed by bass, singing, and the occasional foray into drums. Dreams of becoming a concert pianist soon gave way to rock’n’roll persuasions, and, ultimately, a solo career that now finds Chuck in 2025 weaving lush and atmospheric soundscapes into stories soaked in poignant and authentic introspection. Offering listeners a journey through creativity and self-discovery, Chuck’s lyrics and musical proficiency was most recently on full display in a live setting with his band at The Trocadero Room in Sydney. But it’s via his upcoming debut EP Slipstream that Chuck Sics’ creative magic will enamour far and wide; a labour of love that has itself been five years in the making, and one Chuck is entirely ready to share with the world at long last next month.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Chuck shares. “I worked a lot of (nocturnal) hours putting all of these songs together over the course of 5 years. “I’ve Been Thinking” was the first song I finished for this record, and it laid the groundwork for the aesthetic and vibe of everything I wrote from there onwards.”
I’ve Been Thinking is out now. Slipstream is set for release Tuesday September 23.
Follow Chuck Sics https://www.instagram.com/chucksics/
PETE MURRAY RELEASES DREAMY SINGLE AMY + ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM LONGING FOR OCTOBER 3 – PRESAVE NOW. ALBUM LAUNCH SHOWS ANNOUNCED FOR OCTOBER
Decades into his career but more compelling than ever, beloved Australian singer-songwriter Pete Murray arrives today armed with one of his most potent releases to date, releasing the blissfully hypnotic new single Amy, alongside the announcement of his eighth studio album Longing set for release on October 3. Nearing the end of his epic 56 date solo tour of Australia, Pete has announced three special album launch shows for New South Wales in October, tickets are available now from https://petemurray.com/.
Glistening with propulsive rhythms, sparkling acoustic guitar and Pete Murray’s ever-captivating vocal, the latest single Amy finds Pete Murray in new sonic terrain, embracing a shift in creative direction, while also coated in idyllic melodies and dreamy instrumentals. “Amy is about someone really special,” Pete reveals. “I feel Amy has a different flavour to what I have recorded before. The backbeat rhythm on the acoustic guitar is what really makes it different. I also don’t use a 4 on the floor beat under any of my songs but this works with Amy. It’s kind of hypnotic with the acoustic, snare and beat working together and when the keys solo hits in the breakdown, it’s the best!”
Teaming up with Luke Palmer (Boo Seeka, Dead Letter Circus) to bring Amy to life, with Luke engineering the track as well as lending his skills playing keys and synth bass, Pete’s new sonic chapter begins today alongside his lush new single, with Amy offering a deeper glimpse into the upcoming new album Longing due out later this year. And while it acts as a follow up to his 2017 acclaimed album Camacho, Longing will also mark the first time in two decades that Pete has released a record independently.
Via its title track, Longing opens with a hazy gleam, weaving oscillating textures and swooning warmth, before Amy kicks in next with all of her compelling beauty. From here, Longing transfixes with a journey through blues-soaked summery charm (Place Your Bets), stripped-back gems primed to tug at the heartstrings (Home To Me), effortlessly upbeat moments perfectly crafted for crowd singalongs (Higher) and powerful lyricism balanced alongside tranquil tones (I Am Fire). And from swaggering fare (Long Way To Go) through to affable odes that feel simultaneously nostalgic and fresh (Wouldn’t It Be Good), Longing also dazzles with tranquil toe-tappers (Heaven Calls) and a buoyant closing track (Shakes) that straddles relatability and hope, like a glimmering warm light waving you in from a storm and welcoming you home.
“I spend a lot of time in the studio and have a folder on my computer called ‘Unfinished’” explains Pete. “As the years went by, I kept adding to this folder and I kept slowly working some of my favourites in the folder. I would get an old session up and work on it some more then put it away again (sometimes for years). After a little while, I had a bunch of songs that really sounded like a great, cohesive body of work.”
“I’m all about trying to write an album that people love from start to finish. An album that means something special to someone,” Pete adds. “You can only make an album like this with time. My first album Feeler was written over the same period of time, about 10 years. I feel there are very similar qualities on Longing as there are on Feeler.”
And Pete’s today announced his epic ‘Longing For A Trip To Byron’ album preorder competition, giving any fan that preorders the album the chance to win a trip to Byron Bay with a mate. The winner will score flights, two nights accommodation at the luxurious Elements of Byron Bay resort, and two VIP tickets to Pete’s exclusive album launch show at the Brunswick Heads Hotel. Plus, they’ll get to meet Pete and the band after the show for a special VIP experience. To enter, fans can simply pre-order Pete’s upcoming album Longing from his official Australian webstore in any format (Vinyl, CD, Digital Download, or as part of a merch bundle) and then submit the order number before the promotion period ends at 11.59am on September 4.
Undisputedly one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters, Pete Murray has amassed over 1.2 million album sales, hundreds of millions of streams, three ARIA chart-topping albums, and 17 ARIA Award nominations, while also continuously touring and releasing new material for over 20 years. Emerging with his debut full length album The Game in 2001, Murray’s breakout sophomore album Feeler in 2003 cemented his status as one of the all-time greats. With ongoing hits and fan-favourites along the way, including Better Days, Feeler, Opportunity and So Beautiful, Murray’s stirring and enduring blend of positivity with acoustic, rock and folk elements has only amplified his revered reputation, including via his most recent full length album Camacho in 2017.
Now poised to release his eighth studio album in 2025, Pete has also cultivated a stalwart reputation for his live show, from his own headline shows with his band at home and abroad, as well as performances with the likes of Missy Higgins, Icehouse, Rob Thomas and James Blunt along with many more. And Australian fans will be able to catch Pete live in action this October for three very special album launch shows in New South Wales.
“This solo tour has been incredible,” shares Pete. “It was also strange as I had started to release new singles off the Longing album during the solo tour. I just have so much music to release at the moment so I’m just trying to keep things all moving forward. The new tour dates in October are all about the Longing album release and I will be playing with my band. Of course, it will be a mix of new songs and old classics, but definitely a focus on the new songs.”
And speaking of new songs, it’s the upcoming release of Longing that will also feature Pete Murray’s first completely independent album release in over two decades, with both the album and his return to independence a long, but entirely worthwhile, wait.
“It’s a great feeling to be independent again after 20 years,” says Pete. “My last independent album release was The Game in 2001. I think it’s fantastic owning my own masters again. I didn’t realise how important it was to own master 20 years ago, but you live and learn and now it’s all about recording great music that is powerful and means something special to someone and also that I own with music. Creating an album that is great from start to finish has been my goal for this new album Longing. I feel like I have achieved this, but the punters will be the real test to see if they feel the same.
Amy is out now. Longing is set for release October 3.
Tickets for Pete Murray’s string of album launch shows in October are on sale now from www.petemurray.com.
Stream: AMY Pre-save: LONGING ALBUM
PETE MURRAY – ALBUM LAUNCH SHOWS:
FRI 03 OCT | HOTEL BRUNSWICK, BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 04 OCT | DEE WHY SHOWROOM, DEE WHY | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 05 OCT | DRIFTERS WHARF, GOSFORD | 18+
Tickets available from www.humanitix.com.au | Host Link | All Humanitix Outlets
The Inadequates Courts A Bold Sound In Single ‘Genevieve’
Join The Inadequates for the emotional journey of ‘Genevieve’, out Thursday, August 14, ahead of the release of their album Haven’t You Heard?’ on Thursday, August 28.
Known from their colourful suits, colourful personalities and luxurious embroidery, The Inadequates are a Meanjin/Brisbane-based up-and-coming Indie-folk trio that are impossible to miss. With a trail of gigs at festivals and venues under their belt over the years, they’ve gained a reputation for complex tunes and high energy, which has led to comparisons with more rock bands than folk.
As they gear up for the release of their long-awaited debut album ‘Haven’t You Heard?’ on Thursday, August 28, they have let the floodgates open to their musical vault to let the public have a peek. Their third release is ‘Genevieve’, a bittersweet and bold tune with a hook so irresistible it distracts from the fact that at its core, it’s a breakup song. A showcase of folk-pop, this song showcases delicate and intricate riffs woven with powerful, soaring vocals.
The orchestral arrangement is taken on by the quartet with members of The Inadequates Lawson Mackriell on mandolin, Marcus Church on acoustic guitar, and Jackson Church on accordion, with vocals from all three of them, as well as double bass provided by Benja King.
In September, The Inadequates will take this incredible harmony on tour across Australia, bringing their songs to life in newly embroidered suits, with more details to follow. Get to know ‘Genevieve’ by The Inadequates, out Thursday, August 14, and keep an ear out for their debut album ‘Haven’t You Heard?’ when it drops on Thursday, August 28.
The Inadequates On Tour
Saturday, September 13th – Canberra @ Smith’s Alternative
Sunday, September 14th – Wollongong @ Frank’s Wild Years
Saturday, September 20th – Port Macquarie @ Home at Roto House
Sunday, October 19th – Brisbane @ Lefty’s Music Hall w/ Amaidi
With More To Come!
Follow The Inadequates Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud | YouTube
COOEE RELEASE SECOND SINGLE ‘DAISIES’+ LYRIC VIDEO
Cooee gift us ‘Daisies’, the second offering from the newly formed project. A collaboration between Gunai multidisciplinary artist Kirli Saunders (OAM) and musician-producer Mark Chester Harding, this single follows their debut release ‘Sacred Women’s Ways’. They have also released an official lyric video for the track.
‘Daisies’ is about returning to, and becoming one with the land. The song is based on the poem Planting from Kirli’s celebrated poetry collection Kindred (Magabala Books, 2019). The track weaves meditative, hypnotic melodies with the reminder of the power of Country.
Featuring the decadent voices of First Nations women’s choir Mudjingaal Yangamba and a violin performance by Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbayngirr artist, Eric Avery/Marrawuy, ‘Daisies’ is a reflection on what grounds us in troubling times.
Speaking on the inspiration for ‘Daisies’, Kirli meditates on the overwhelming groundedness that comes with connection to country:
“This poem (the lyrics for this song) came to me when I had dirt under my nails. I’d been pulling weeds from the garden and planting new seeds in old soil. As I did, I kept feeling like the land had wisdom to share – little reminders to listen to Country and the Ancestors. Little reminders about going slow and in Country’s time – to be more like the flannel flowers on the escarpment and the paper daisies in the yard.”
Mark wrote the initial melody for the song in 2019, the same year Kirli wrote the poem, 4 years before the two would meet. The repetitive, cyclic piano line is juxtaposed by the off-centre, brash drums, inspired by Alt-J and The National.
Mark reminisces, “Daisies came together in about 15 minutes on the second day we ever wrote together. A lot of Cooee music is about finding/expressing joy, but there’s a depth and a darkness to some of Kirli’s words that’s best suited to a slow and fiery kind of instrumentation.”
About Cooee: Cooee is a newly formed collaboration between multidisciplinary artist Kirli Saunders and musician-producer Mark Chester Harding.
Kirli Saunders, a proud Gunai woman and recipient of the Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to the arts, brings a literary sensibility to the project. Her writing, spanning eight books, with works like Kindred (Magabala), Returning, and Eclipse(Allen & Unwin, 2025), explores connections to Country, culture, love, and loss.
Mark Chester Harding is a producer and songwriter known for his collaborations with artists such as Jack River, Sons of the East, and Little May. His solo releases have collectively garnered over six million streams.
Both Kirli and Mark are also visual artists, designing all accompanying artwork and content for the project themselves — an extension of their shared commitment to storytelling through multiple forms.
‘Daisies’ is available on all major streaming platforms now.
Working Men’s Club’s Sydney Minsky Sargeant reveals new track “Summer Song” Debut solo album Lunga due Sept 12th
Next month, Sydney Minsky Sargeant will release his debut solo album Lunga – a beautiful record full of glistering melodic songs. Lunga is an antidote to the chaos and abrasive atmosphere of touring, and a beautiful side-step from the music that Minsky Sargeant has been recording as Working Men’s Club for the past seven years.
Ahead of its release, Minsky Sargeant is pleased to share the third track from the album, “Summer Song”. Betraying its bucolic title, on “Summer Song” Syd sings “Come round another time / In another life / And maybe I won’t feel death’s in my stride” over psychedelic guitars and synths.
Watch the visualiser for “Summer Song” here.
Talking about the song, Syd says: “It evokes the longing to be taken away from my self and the habits I once had of thinking in certain ways that felt unavoidable.”
As one of the North West’s most productive, and versatile musicians, Sydney Minsky Sargeant is a self-made force of nature whose dynamic, shock-laden live performances have seen him grace Glastonbury stages, tour the UK and Europe, appear on Later with Jools Holland and be feted by such renowned musicians as Atticus Ross (NIN), Cabaret Voltaire’s Stephen Mallinder and Confidence Man for his critically acclaimed albums as Working Men’s Club. Last month LCD Soundsystem handpicked Working Men’s Club to support them at 4 of their 8 dates as part of their Brixton Academy residency.
The 12 songs that mark Lunga – his first album under his own name – were written over a period of years, beginning when Minsky Sargeant (who usually goes by Syd) was a teenager growing up in Todmorden, West Yorkshire and following a chronology to the present day. The glistering melodic songs offer a deeply personal insight and through the record’s unique personality, there are also delicate flourishes of Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Bon Iver, Bill Callahan, and Robert Kirby’s lush string arrangements as drowsy, ethereal sounds hover in the background. Syd co-produced Lunga alongside long-time collaborator Alex Greaves and plays most of the instruments on the record. It’s very easy to forget that he is still just 23 years old.
Out of a tumultuous personal period of growth, Sydney Minsky Sargeant has metamorphosised into one of the most original, fearless, and creatively ambitious talents. He is the real deal. With Lunga, an audacious, singular vision is realised.
Watch the video for “Long Roads” here.
Watch the video for “I Don’t Wanna” here.
Watch the video for “Intro” here.
Watch the live version of “For Your Hand” here.
Lunga will be released on September 12th and is available to pre-order on limited edition oxblood red biovinyl, standard biovinyl, CD and digitally. Pre-order: DomMart | Digital
Sydney Minsky Sargeant Online: Instagram | YouTube
COMEDIAN JOHN BISHOP AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2025
On 2 October 2000, John Bishop stepped onto the stage at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester to perform his first ever comedy gig in front of just a handful people. John was working by day in the pharmaceutical industry, but that night, as he picked up the mic and performed for the very first time, he changed his life forever.
Now, a quarter of a century later, the comedy superstar is embarking on his tenth stand-up tour John Bishop: 25 Years Of Stand Up, to celebrate his incredible 25-year career.
John Bishop: 25 Years Of Stand Up kicks off on Sunday 30 November at the Hamer Hall then travels to theatre across Australia.
John Bishop said: “I can’t believe that it will be 25 years since I first performed at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester. It’s been a rollercoaster! And I can’t thank the fans enough who have supported me all the way. I wanted to mark the anniversary with a brand-new tour – I really hope you can come and celebrate with me.”
Since that first gig in October 2000, John has achieved so much in his incredible career. Within three years John was playing to sold out arena audiences across the country and released the fastest selling stand-up DVD in UK history.
He has achieved huge success with a number of his own comedy, entertainment and documentary TV shows including: John Bishop’s Australia, John Bishop’s Britain, John Bishop’s Only Joking, The John Bishop Show, The John Bishop Christmas Show and John Bishop’s Gorilla Adventure, John Bishop’s Ireland and four series of the critically acclaimed John Bishop: In Conversation With… which saw him chatting one to one with some of the biggest names in entertainment, music and sport. Other TV credits include two series of The John Bishop Show, Doctor Who and the documentary John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf.
Last year, John starred in the UK & Ireland tour of Mother Goose with Ian McKellen, which included a hugely successful run in London’s West End.
Earlier last year, he embarked on a major sold-out international tour – Back At It – his first stand-up show in two years, which culminated at the London Palladium in April 2025. The tour includes legs in Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
MELBOURNE – HAMER HALL – SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER
ADELAIDE – NORWOOD CONCERT HALL – WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER
CANBERRA – CANBERRA THEATRE – FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER
SYDNEY – STATE THEATRE -TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER
BRISBANE – CITY HALL – WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER
PERTH – RIVERSIDE THEATRE FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 12PM; – BOOK AT BOHMPRESENTS.COM
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE BELINDA CARLISE RELEASES NEW SINGLE/VIDEO “ONE”
Iconic pop artist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Belinda Carlisle unveils her latest single and official music video, “One”. It’s an elegant, jazz-inflected rendition of the early 1960’s classic originally recorded by Harry Nilsson and then covered by John Farnham in 1969 resulting in a Top 5 hit in Australia.
Belinda’s new version is the third single following “The Air That I Breathe” and “Get Together” all lifted from her anticipated new album titled Once Upon A Time In California, slated for release on 29 August 2025 by the Demon Music label. It will be Belinda’s first English album in 29 years!!
The covers album will feature ten new studio tracks that opens with a stirring remake of the Burt Bacharach & Hal David gem written for Dionne Warwick, ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’. Belinda then pays her respects to such timeless artists as The Carpenters (‘Superstar’), Gordon Lightfoot (‘If You Could Read My Mind’) and Jim Croce (‘Time In A Bottle’), and to songs for the ages including ‘The Air That I Breathe’ (Albert Hammond), ‘Everybody’s Talking’ (Harry Nilsson), ‘Reflections Of My Life’ (Marmalade), and ‘Never My Love’ (The Association).
What sets this album apart is that it’s a celebration of Californian culture that stretches its canvas beyond the familiar evocation of the Laurel Canyon sound. It’s a carefully curated and beautifully realised salute to Belinda’s personal education in pop music, and the magical sounds that arrived in her life from near and far, on the radio and on cherished 45s.
With the assured and distinctive vocal delivery of someone who herself has become one of the Golden State’s greatest exports – initially as frontwoman for The Go-Go’s, and as a solo performer with a multitude of classic global hits Belinda Carlisle completes this sentimental journey back to her youth with timeless style.
Commenting on the album Belinda says, “I was born and raised in California at a time when music was an important part of Californian culture. I lived and breathed music, it was my great escape – a refuge of fantasy and imagination. Every day after school and when it was summer vacation, I would listen and sing along to the music on the radio for the entire day. Always fantasizing about being a singer myself, one day.
This collection of songs is the best representation of what I loved back then that I could think of – listening to it brings back so many memories of a time and a California that doesn’t really exist anymore. That’s not meant to sound like a bad thing, it’s just different – there was an innocence and energy back then that was unique and magical. Things I doubt will ever be felt in quite the same way again. Here’s to the California of my dreams.”
With Once Upon A Time In California, Belinda Carlisle invites fans old and new to join her on a journey through the melodies that defined a generation.
FOLLOW BELINDA CARLISLE FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
DESPISED ICON Reveal New Album SHADOW WORK + Release Music Video For New Single ‘Over My Dead Body’ Feat. Matt Honeycutt Of KUBLAI KHAN TX
Canadian deathcore pioneers DESPISED ICON return with their seventh full-length album, Shadow Work, which will be released on October 31, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Their first new music in six years, the album stands as the band’s most fine-tuned and dynamic effort to date, balancing relentless speed, crushing grooves, and morbid melodies, while remaining true to their signature blend of extreme death metal and hardcore grit.
Today, DESPISED ICON release their ferocious new anthem entitled, ‘Over My Dead Body’ featuring Matt Honeycutt of KUBLAI KHAN TX. The single features eerie atmospherics and a crushing breakdown that confronts fear and doubt with iron resolve—a battle cry of self-belief, pain, and purpose. Watch the music video directed by Didier Charette, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysb-nUCdsBE
DESPISED ICON’s Alex Erian comments, “Even though our first jam dates back to the fall of 2000, it wasn’t until 2002 that we started playing shows and putting out music. From day one, Despised Icon has always stuck to a ‘if it’s not ready, it’s not ready’ mindset with everything we create. Fast forward almost six years since our last album Purgatory, and not much has changed. We’ve taken our time once again, and now we’re finally ready to turn the page and release what we feel is our most fine-tuned and dynamic record to date—staying grounded in the sound and spirit we helped define. We can’t wait to share new music with you all very soon.”
Nuclear Blast American Label Manager & A&R Tommy Jones comments, “The wait was well worth it! This is a fantastic album and I cannot wait for the world to hear it in its entirety. Great things come out of the shadows.”
Pre-order/pre-save Shadow Work:
https://despisedicon.bfan.link/shadow-work
WATCH: ‘Over My Dead Body’ Feat Matt Honeycutt of KUBLAI KHAN TX
Shadow Work is now available for pre-order in the following formats:
•CD Jewelcase
•Gold & Black Corona Vinyl
Shadow Work was produced by the band’s own Alex Erian and Eric Jarrin, while Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, SHADOW OF INTENT, SIGNS OF THE SWARM) handled mixing and mastering. The album marks a significant chapter for a band whose core lineup has remained largely unchanged since its inception. It’s a deeply introspective record that reflects both personal growth and the turbulence of the world around us. The artwork for the album was created by Eliran Kantor (HATEBREED, THY ART IS MURDER, CAVALERA).
DESPISED ICON’s line-up is:
Alex Erian | Vocals
Steve Marois | Vocals
Eric Jarrin | Guitars
Ben Landreville | Guitars
Sébastien Piché | Bass
Alex “Grind” Pelletier | Drums
Skyhooks Guitarist Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie To Celebrate The 50th Anniversary of ‘Ego Is Not A Dirty Word’!
Flying Saucer Presents are thrilled to announce that legendary SKYHOOKS guitarist BOB STARKIE will celebrate the 50th anniversary of EGO IS NOT A DIRTY WORD by playing the album in FULL plus more with his acclaimed band BOB ‘BONGO’ STARKIE’S SKYHOOKS SHOW.
Skyhooks changed the face of Australian rock’n’roll in the ’70s with their record-breaking debut album Living In The ’70s and its also massive follow-up Ego Is Not A Dirty Word. Bob started his Skyhooks Show in 2015 and has been selling out venues all over Australia ever since, keeping the music of Skyhooks alive. The band these days features new lead singer SASHA THEUNISSEN, a 21-year-old emerging Super Star who loves the 70s and brings a new energy to the band line-up as well as an uncanny ability to match Shirl Strachan’s siren-like pitch.
In addition to all your Ego faves including “Ego Is Not A Dirty Word”, “Saturday Night” and “All My Friends Are Getting Married”, you can expect to hear a seemingly endless string of hits including “Living in the 70s”, “Horror Movie”, “Balwyn Calling”, “Million Dollar Riff”, “This Is My City” and “Women in Uniform”. You’ll also get Bob’s humorous anecdotes and insights into the inner workings of the band and the Mushroom Records-dominated Australian music scene of the time, guaranteeing not only razor-sharp riffs but a load of laughs for your hard-earned dosh!
BOB ‘BONGO’ STARKIE’S SKYHOOKS SHOW
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF
EGO IS NOT A DIRTY WORD
Fri Oct 10 The Yarraville Club, Yarraville
Sun Oct 12 (3PM) Theatre Royal Castlemaine
Sat Oct 25 Archies Creek Hotel, Archies Creek
Sun Oct 26 The Memo, Healesville
Tickets at www.flyingsaucerpresents.com.au
STORMFLOWER Sydney Experimentalists Sign To XMusic. Release New Single, Coda
Australia’s fastest growing rock label, XMusic, are thrilled to welcome Sydney based experimental rock act, Stormflower to their burgeoning roster!
Quickly building a strong reputation for their genre-defying sound that fuses powerful riffs with emotive depth. Stormflower’s music delivers a dynamic blend of intensity and vulnerability, designed to stir the soul and provoke the senses.
Their debut song for XMusic, Coda, is a raw, poetic take on life’s confusion and the urge to break free from a destiny that feels already written.
Listen to Coda here
https://lnk.to/pC0SnM
Watch the video
https://youtu.be/GDvMR01TNCo
XMusic CEO, Tim McLean-Smith adds “XMusic are excited to have Stormflower on board for their debut release and with their passion and unique style of music adds a great blend into our label. They will hook you in from the first melodic note and into the haunting and driving vocals as Coda takes you onto a journey through your mind”
Stormflower are preparing to release their new EP, Equanimity, later in the year with live shows to be announced soon.
Pre save the EP now
https://lnk.to/MWI9Su
Follow Stormflower Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube
WANDERER FESTIVAL and triple J Unearthed deliver tremendous opportunity. Set times released as ANY YOUNG MECHANIC, CHEEKY LEASH and THE VASCO ERA complete the WANDERER program
The stars are aligning for remarkable musicians of South East NSW poised for a career defining moment, as triple J Unearthed opens up a competition for the region to secure a spot on the Wanderer Festival line-up. Festival headliners include Missy Higgins, whose career was kick started when she won triple J Unearthed aged just 17 and was catapulted into fame, a record deal and an enduring career that sees her recently crowned #1 in triple J Unearthed’s 100 Best Discoveries of all time.
The Wanderer Festival triple j Unearthed competition is open now until 11:59 pm AEST, Sunday 31 August, 2025. The competition is open to musicians from South East NSW and can be entered by uploading up to 3 songs. Information on the competition will be live at www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/competitions.
Recent additions to the lineup include exciting alt-folk outfit Any Young Mechanic who are also on the brink of stardom as the young Adelaide outfit get set to grace Europe’s mighty festival stages at Reading, Leeds, Rock en Seine and more this month. Cheeky Leash brings the fun with their energetic indie rock, punchy hooks and good vibes. The Vasco Era will rattle your very soul awake – shaking you alive with their raw wild energy juxtaposed in an instant with tender and beautiful tones.
Adding to the Arts program, Wanderer welcomes back La Petite Grande – a Tardis of ohhs, ahhs and belly laughs. A gorgeous little pop-up theatre, La petite Grande presents classy sideshows designed for multi-generational audiences. Expect mind blowing acrobatics, side splitting comedy, gravity defying juggling, record- breaking hula hoops and anything else your mind can dream up. Hosts Kiki and Pascal take you on a short, sharp, silly and hilarious ride through 20 minute shows.
A word about tickets – they’re selling twice as fast as the last event. Don’t miss out!
With the line-up now complete, map out your festival weekend with the Wanderer Festival program schedule and Festival App out now.
A genuine festival of culture, Wanderer is a world-class production of music and art that expertly weaves the unique and creative spirit of the region through the vast and diverse program of national and international artists. As always, the cuisine will be heavenly.
Music Program – Saturday
Missy Higgins, Saint Motel (USA), Hockey Dad, Magic Dirt, Lavern (NL), Pierce Brothers, Grace Cummings, Folk Bitch Trio, Johnny Cash Recordings w Henry Wagons, O And The Mo (NZ), Jack Botts, The Tullamarines, Cheeky Leash, Dust, MAD.DAY, Groove Society, Jimi The Kween, Bec Sandridge, Prodikal – 1, Sixten b2b Benjamin, Sunday Lemonade, Bega Sound Collective.
Music Program – Sunday
The Living End, Boy & Bear, Jacob Banks (UK), Petit Biscuit (FR), Nikki Lane (USA), Cut Copy (DJ Set), The Vanns, Dug (IRL), Emma Donovan, The Vasco Era, Sylvie (USA), The Bures Band, Any Young Mechanic, MAD.DAY, Groove Society, Jimi The Kween, Bega Sound Collective, Lotte Gallagher, Mika James, Radium Dolls, Val Moogz, Lillian Mcveity.
Also bringing down the house in Wanderhaus we give you Chicka b2b Rangz, Darcy M. & Carlo T., Jai Cole b2b Kurtis Markwort, Just Andrew, Swell Records DJs, Usual Suspects DJs
Arts Program – Sat & Sun
La Petite Grand, Circus Trick Tease, Hannah Cryle – Giant Wheel, Josh Philips – Giant Ladder, Hobby Horse Gymkhana, Sam’s Caravan, The Swell – Festival Zeen, I Wear Wanderer, Big Lost Band, Fling Physical Theatre, We Shaped Up Like This, Morning Dance Party, Hair Dressing Salon, Social Dancing, Welcome To Country and Smoking Ceremony with Duurunu Miru Dancers.
October 4th-5th Wanderer Festival Pambula Beach, NSW
3rd-5th Oct Onsite Campground
Tickets are selling fast, get yours now from
www.wanderer.com.au
Wanderer is biennial so it would just be too long of a wait until the next one in 2027 if you miss out!
Subscribe to www.wanderer.com.au and follow us on socials to stay up to date.
Wanderer Festival is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW
Reconnect. Explore. Discover. Be a Wanderer.
Wanderer: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram
STONEHUTT – WATERSHED (SINGLE)
StoneHutt music is founded on the passion and experience of a group of talented songwriters, musicians, and friends from the deep south of the island continent (Kaurna country / Adelaide).
StoneHutt music is an original and unique blend of honest rock, folk rock, and alt country with lashings of fine vocals and harmonies
‘Watershed’ The debut album
The album “Watershed” casts a wide musical net across genres and styles. The songs are filled with ideas and perspectives that reflect the musical and social landscape of the times, and our creative place in it. Songs of the experiences of modern Australia – the challenge and celebration, the despair and joy, and the simple pleasures of life.
Watershed was produced by ARIA award winning guru Matt Fell, and recorded at Wilder Studios in Tasmania – overseen by a misty mountain, under the brightest night sky – and mastered by Grammy Award winner William Bowden.
Players
David Vaughan – vocals, percussion
Verity Sanders – vocals, saxophone, percussion
Gary Baker – guitars
Alan Richardson – bass guitar, vocals
Brian Hales – guitars
With honorary stonehutters :
Matt Fell – guitars, keys, percussion
Josh Schuberth – drums, percussion
An ancient tree sings about a special place where a heritage woodland is thriving in the care of the community, including Kaurna elders. The song invites us to listen and know our country, and celebrates a sense of place and belonging.
Website StoneHutt
Facebook Here
Homegrown festival HOWLIN’ COUNTRY returns to Newcastle in 2026 after sell-out debut year
US superstar LAINEY WILSON to headline February event alongside Newcastle’s own MORGAN EVANS, FLATLAND CAVALRY (USA), KAITLIN BUTTS (USA) & more PRE-SALE
Returning for another stacked year of country music goodness out on the beautiful Newcastle Foreshore, HOWLIN’ COUNTRY reveals its first wave of international and Australian talent set to perform in Summer 2026.
Following on from a SOLD OUT event in 2025, a natural evolution for HOWLIN’ COUNTRY was expected and for next year’s edition, fans are being blessed with performances by US country megastar LAINEY WILSON; Newcastle’s very own global country star MORGAN EVANS; US performers KAITLIN BUTTS and FLATLAND CAVALRY; as well as local breakthroughs ADAM NEWLING & TYLA RODRIGUES.
In her only Australian Festival appearance, headlining the event this year is one of the Country world’s biggest stars, Lainey Wilson. The 16x ACM, 9x CMA and GRAMMY Award winner has been on a monumental rise over the last few years – with eight number #1 hits including ‘4x4xU,’ ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ and the 2x PLATINUM Certified ‘Heart Like A Truck’. Her latest single ‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ is currently on the rise to #1 Wilson also wrote and recorded ‘Out of Oklahoma’ for Twisters (2024), made her acting debut in Paramount’s Yellowstone, and has collaborated with the likes of Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton and Post Malone. Her debut visit to the Hunter is not to be missed!
With his first appearance in Newcastle since 2023, Aria-award winning artist Morgan Evans will be tearing the house down with his world-renowned live show. One of Australia’s biggest Country stars, Morgan was born and raised in Newcastle, before moving over to Nashville to continue to build on his career – hitting milestone after milestone along the way. With hits such as his breakthrough Platinum-certified No.1 single ‘Kiss Somebody’ and Gold-certified hit ‘Day Drunk’, Evans has taken the country world by storm with over 800 million streams worldwide and countless sell-tours across the globe.
Continuing the festival’s strong international presence is Flatland Cavalry. The Nashville and Texas based sextet have just celebrated 10 years together, in a career that has been full to the brim with accolades. The band have racked up seven #1 singles on Texas Country Radio and amassed more than 500 million streams, sharing the stage with Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Jordan Davis, Midland, and more.
Joining them on the Howlin’ 2026 lineup is frequent Flatland Cavalry collaborator (and wife of frontman Cleto Cordero), Kaitlin Butts. A truly one-of-a-kind artist, Kaitlin Butts has a deep affinity for country music’s more theatrical side, the extravagant storytelling, dazzling showmanship, songs embedded with both unbridled emotion and quick-fire humor. At Howlin’, the Tulsa native will be bringing her critically acclaimed 2024 album‘Roadrunner!’ to life; a 17-track high-concept album that acts as a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favourite musical, ‘Oklahoma!’
The 2026 edition of the festival will also feature some of Australia’s brightest local stars, including Newcastle-favourite Adam Newling; one of the most unique voices in Australian music today, Adam’s blend of alt-rock and country has captured the hearts of fans and the industry alike with his poetic lyricism and unruly, heartfelt vocal style; and Tyla Rodrigues, a remarkable new talent in the realm of country music hailing from Brisbane, with a refreshing appreciation for classic country storytelling, paired with thoroughly modern charisma.
As a 100% locally owned and operated festival, Howlin’ Country has a strong commitment to the Newcastle community – whether that be through locally sourced vendors, staff or its commitment to showcasing some of the region’s best local talent. As explained by Howlin’ Country promoter Moe Matthew, this sense of community is what makes this festival stand out from the rest.
“It’s great to have Howlin’ back for another year. From day one, the festival was built to support our local music scene, artists, and businesses. Each year, we put a strong focus on showcasing homegrown talent, and having Adam Newling and Morgan Evans on the lineup this year really captures what Howlin’ is all about. We still have a few more artists to add to the lineup, but so far it feels like it’s shaping up to be a fun day out in an awesome city, and one you can enjoy with the whole family. ” MOE MATTHEW
With tickets on sale from 1pm on Tuesday the 12th of August, this is the perfect opportunity for Howlin’ Country fans to start planning their experience for 2026 – a number of ticket types are on offer to ensure the most inclusive and accessible music festival experience for all ages.
HOWLIN’ PREMIUM: The best seats in the house, complete with a bar, toilets and baked goods courtesy of Crumb Bakery.
HOWLIN’ HOTEL / VIP TICKETS: Available for 18+ only.
YOUTH TICKET: Available for 16 & 17 year olds wishing to attend without parents/guardians.
KIDS UNDER 16: Allowed to attend with a parent/guardian.
KIDS UNDER 3: Free!
HOWLIN’ COUNTRY 2026
PRE-SALE SIGN UP NOW OPEN
Tickets on-sale from 1pm on Tuesday the 12th of August
TICKETS
Saturday 14 February Newcastle Foreshore NSW
FIRST LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
LAINEY WILSON
MORGAN EVANS
FLATLAND CAVALRY
KAITLIN BUTTS
ADAM NEWLING
TYLA RODRIGUES
&
CHEAP WHISKEY DJs
+ MORE ARTISTS ON THE WAY
HOWLIN’ COUNTRY: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Tik Tok
KING PARROT Announce “Album Launch Tour Part 2”. USA Tour With Pantera + Amon Amarth Continues
While the King Parrot boys are currently terrorising their way around North America, much closer to home the band are excited to announce a swag of new tour dates as Part 2 of their Australian Album launch tour for the new record “A Young Person’s Guide to King Parrot”.
Bringing in all of the spots that were missed on Part 1, King Parrot remains 100% committed to dismantling Australia town by town, city by city and with a smorgasbord of new tracks on offer, this new live show is pushing the band into unchartered territory.
“A Young Person’s Guide to King Parrot” is the bands strongest release to date and has seen the band going from strength to strength all over the globe. So far this year, the boys have been to Europe for 36 shows, they’ve headlined their own successful album launch tour on the East Coast of Australia and are now smashing through a 43 date run of North America after being invited by Pantera to return to the US as support.
It’s easy to see why King Parrot continues to forge a reputation as one of Australia’s hardest working and entertaining acts. This part 2 of their Album Launch Tour further solidifies the band as one Australia’s top extreme music exports, so be sure to get along and witness the ferociously unhinged live spectacle of King Parrot!
Regarding these new dates, the band comment; “We’re beyond excited to get back out to the homeland and play all the spots we missed on the first leg, so Queensland, WA and SA (And Ballarat and Albury ;)), brace yourselves as we prepare to bring the KP grind carnage your way. New songs, new drummer, and renewed energy and intensity off the back of a 45 show North American tour!
The reception we’ve had in the US and Canada from the new record has been beyond our expectations and to have the opportunity to tour alongside metal giants this year has been incredible. We’re comin’ for ya Australia… so get your tickets and get on board!”
A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO KING PARROT
AUSTRALIAN TOUR PART 2
Friday, October 10: Norton Music Factory, Caloundra
Saturday, October 11: Crowbar, Brisbane
Sunday, October 12: Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Burleigh Heads
Friday, November 21: Amplifier, Perth
Saturday, November 22: Uni Bar, Adelaide
Friday, December 5: Volta, Ballarat
Saturday, December 6: Beer Deluxe, Albury
Tickets from
kingparrot.net
********************
Spawning FIVE magnificent singles, Fuck You And The Horse You Rode In On, Target Pig Elite, Punish The Runt, Look Away I’m Hideous and Get What Ya Given A Young Person’s Guide to King Parrot has been described as a ‘crazed exercise in mayhem’ by Sentinel Daily, a ‘defiant statement of identity, chaos and craft’ by Heavy Mag and Sense Media say it’s ‘something uglier and nastier, harsher and darker than what has come before.’ While Hi FI Way say the Young Person’s Guide is ‘uncompromising, ugly, brutal, direct and with plenty of neck breaking riffs and breakdowns to keep the chiropractor in business.’
On a different note, Metal On Tap say ‘King Parrot grind all the way through with aggression, attitude, and a message of sovereignty and independence. Our lives have been taken from us—A Young Person’s Guide To is the call to take it back.’
A Young Person’s Guide To King Parrot is available from
https://linktr.ee/kingparrot
BERNARD FANNING ANNOUNCES SPECIAL ONE NIGHT ONLY SHOW TO CELEBRATE 20 YERS OF TEA & SYMPATHY
With Special Guest: Jem Cassar-Daley. Anniversary Vinyl & CD Editions released 31 October
One of Australia’s most celebrated singer-songwriters, Bernard Fanning, will mark a major milestone with a one-night-only performance at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Friday, 31 October 2025, celebrating 20 years since the release of his critically acclaimed debut solo album, Tea & Sympathy.
Originally released on 31 October 2005, Tea & Sympathy debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and went on to collect three ARIA Awards, including the prestigious Album of the Year, and garnered Fanning APRA’s Songwriter of the Year Award in 2006. Featuring tracks like, Wish You Well which topped the triple j Hottest 100 in 2005, as well as Songbird, Watch Over Me and Thrill is Gone, the album showcased Fanning’s lyrical depth and emotional range, establishing him as a powerhouse solo artist alongside the success of Powderfinger.
In a fitting tribute to the album’s enduring legacy, Fanning will perform Tea & Sympathy in full for the first time in twenty years. Joining him as special guest for the evening is rising star Jem Cassar-Daley, whose soulful voice and heartfelt songwriting continue to win over audiences across the country. Fans can also expect some other surprise special guests to join the party on the night.
The show will also highlight Bernard’s ongoing support for Youngcare, who are also celebrating their 20th Anniversary. A not-for-profit organisation creating choice and independence for young people with high physical support needs, Fanning has been a long-time ambassador hopes the concert will raise awareness and funds for Youngcare’s vital work, with a portion of proceeds from the night going directly to the organisation.
Bernard said, “I’m so proud to celebrate this record. I really had no expectations for it to be anything but a little side project to keep me busy while Powderfinger was on a break. Although the breakout song Wish You Well has an optimistic facade, the overall sentiment of heartbreak and the simplicity of the instrumentation really struck a chord with people.
“The songs came from such a raw and honest place, so I guess that’s why. A whistleable melody and a bit of toe-tappin’ never hurt anybody either.” he added.
“It’s a full circle moment to return to QPAC with some surprise guests on 31 October, where I played on the original Tea & Sympathy tour. Come and sing along with us and help support Youngcare.”
To coincide with the concert, special anniversary editions of Tea & Sympathy will be released on both vinyl and CD on 31 October 2025 and are available to pre-order now from here. The reissues will include updated artwork and rare archival content. The double vinyl release will include special renditions, giving fans a unique way to revisit or discover the album two decades on.
Bernard elaborated, “There’s a whole other record’s worth of songs here that go with the original album. Some outtakes, demos and fabulous covers of my tunes by other artists. In a world that is so filled with disruption, cold violence and complexity, it feels right to get back to some home spun simplicity and warmth.”
All formats of the 20th Anniversary Tea & Sympathy will be released through Universal Music Australia on 31 October 2025 and are available now to pre-order from here.
Artist and QPAC pre-sales kick off at 9.00am AEST on Thursday, 14 August. This event is part of the QPAC 40 program, celebrating 40 years of joy, inclusion, gathering and stories.
Tickets to the show will go on sale to the general public at 9.00am AEST on Friday, 15 August 2025 from QPAC. For full details go to bernardfanning.com.
CONNECT WITH BERNARD FANNING FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | WEBSITE |APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY
BABYMETAL RELEASE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALBUM METAL FORTH VIA CAPITOL RECORDS
This week, the renowned J-Metal group, BABYMETAL released their highly anticipated new album METAL FORTH via Capitol Records. Along with the release, the group put out a new music video for their explosive track My Queen (feat. Spiritbox).
Stream METAL FORTH here
Meaning “beyond metal,” METAL FORTH is a bold and boundary-pushing album that reimagines the future of the genre, serving as a fearless leap into its evolution. In addition to Spiritbox, it features collaborations with Poppy, Tom Morello, Bloodywood, Electric Callboy, Polyphia, and Slaughter to Prevail – artists BABYMETAL has connected with while touring the globe. Previously released singles include Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood) RATATATA (with Electric Callboy), from me to u (feat. Poppy), and Song 3 (with Slaughter To Prevail).
METAL FORTH follows 2019’s METAL GALAXY and THE OTHER ONE, their 2023 concept album. PAPER said, “On THE OTHER ONE, the band cracks open the Metalverse, surfing through parallel universes and a dizzying maze that tests their perceptions of truths, lies, and what rests beyond the darkness.”
This release comes just after the band completed their largest North American tour run to date visiting major cities including New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, and more. On November 1st, they have their largest US headline arena show to date taking place at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.METAL FORTH – OUT NOW https://uma.lnk.to/METALFORTH
METAL FORTH TRACK LISTING:
01. from me to u (feat. Poppy)
02. RATATATA (BABYMETAL x Electric Callboy)
03. Song 3 (BABYMETAL x Slaughter to Prevail)
04. Kon! Kon! (feat. Bloodywood)
05. KxAxWxAxIxI
06. Sunset Kiss (feat. Polyphia)
07. My Queen (feat. Spiritbox)
08. Algorism
09. METALI!! (feat. Tom Morello)
10. White Flame ー白炎ー
About BABYMETAL
Formed in 2010, BABYMETAL quickly gained popularity in Japan for their explosive live shows. By 2013, they had become a force of their own — opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, and Lady Gaga, and bringing the ferocity of metal to a global audience. With over 15 years of history and a diehard international following, BABYMETAL isn’t just a band — they’re a movement redefining what heavy music looks and sounds like. Fronted by three dynamic women — SU-METAL, MOAMETAL, and MOMOMETAL — BABYMETAL has helped reshape the face of metal, inspiring a new generation of women and girls who see themselves in this sound and on these stages.
RILEY PEARCE ANNOUNCES THIRD ALBUM THE WEIGHT OF OUR DREAMING OUT OCTOBER 31 VIA NETTWERK
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Riley Pearce dives deep into burnout and the highs and lows of chasing a lifelong dream while soaking in his current season of life as a young father on his forthcoming album The Weight of Our Dreaming, out October 31 via Nettwerk. Alongside the announcement, Riley unveils new single, “You Won’t Be There” – a quietly devastating reflection on the tension between life on the road and the loved ones left at home.
His third full-length record – and the follow-up to 2024’s It’s Your Turn Now – The Weight of Our Dreaming is Riley’s most vulnerable and self-assured work to date. Written during a period of intense burnout and disillusionment, the album wrestles with the shifting role of music in his life, the evolving pressure of the industry, and the bittersweet reality of building a family while still chasing creative ambition.
“This album is about the feeling of everything slipping away, the weight of greater responsibilities, and the higher stakes,” Riley shares. “But it also celebrates a newfound passion and an unshakable faith that this dream is a beautiful and essential part of my life.”
PRE-SAVE: RILEY PEARCE – THE WEIGHT OF OUR DREAMING
https://rileypearce.ffm.to/theweightofourdreaming
From the atmospheric grit of “Like A River” to the quiet defiance of “Magnets,” the record traces the arc of an artist rediscovering why he fell in love with songwriting in the first place. It’s atmospheric, alt-folk soundscape – at times raw and gritty, and at other moments determined and uplifting – was once again, co-produced with longtime collaborator Andy Lawson, and while most of the album is performed by Riley himself, you will also find collaborations with Grammy Award-winner Lucky Oceans on pedal steel, and Scottish singer-songwriter Rosie H. Sullivan.
New single “You Won’t Be There” sits at the centre of it all – that tug-of-war between chasing a dream and being there for the people who matter most, asking “how do you hold space for two dreams at once?”
“I keep coming back to how being away from home feels now and all the moments missed. Time differences make geographical distances feel larger. With two young girls back home, all I want is to end my day sharing stories,” Riley reflects. “The road gets lonely, and even though technology brings with it parts that make that less so, both my wife and I are having two different but equally hectic days that amplifies the lack of each other being there when we need them. ”
WATCH & SHARE: RILEY PEARCE – “YOU WON’T BE THERE”
https://rileypearce.ffm.to/youwontbethere
Since releasing his debut EP Outside the Lines in 2016, Riley Pearce has quietly become one of Australia’s most consistent and compelling songwriters – amassing over 118 million global streams across 74 songs, six EPs, and two albums, landing sync placements in Netflix’s Love Victor, Shameless, and Maxton Hall, and performing at festivals including PinkPop (NL), The Great Escape (UK), Zermatt Unplugged (CH) and Latitude Festival (UK). He’s supported the likes of Leon Bridges, The Teskey Brothers, Wild Rivers, and Lord Huron, and continues to draw critical acclaim for his honest storytelling and emotionally resonant writing.
The Weight of Our Dreaming is both a surrender and a rallying cry – an album that doesn’t shy away from the cracks, but never loses sight of the ‘why’ that kickstarted it all.
RILEY PEARCE ON SOCIALS OFFICIAL SITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
CAVETOWN MARKS A NEW CHAPTER WITH VULNERABLE AND GLITTERY NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ‘BABY SPOON’
Singer, songwriter, and producer Cavetown, the moniker of UK-born Robin Skinner, has shared his new single ‘Baby Spoon’ alongside an intimate and dreamlike music video, offering the first glimpse into his new chapter.
The signing follows a remarkable eighteen months for Cavetown, who has seen six of his singles earn RIAA Platinum certification (US), cementing his place as one of the most exciting new voices of his generation. Alongside a run of sold out headline dates in Australia, he has played massive festivals, including Reading & Leeds, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and more as well as toured with AJR, Pierce the Veil, Mother Mother and more.
Since penning personal songs as a teenager in Cambridge, England, Cavetown has built a deeply devoted global fanbase, amassing billions of streams across a catalog that spans from lo-fi bedroom recordings to lushly self-produced indie-pop gems. His music has become a place of solace and connection, “soft hands offering understanding when the world felt too sharp”.
The track is a heartfelt meditation on vulnerability and self-acceptance, inspired by his relationship with his partner. “Baby Spoon is a reminder to my partner that I’ll always be there to talk to her and make her feel better. Growing up as a transmasc guy, I went through a phase of overdoing masculinity because I thought that’s what was expected of me. With her, I can be delicate, soft, I can be the baby spoon” says Robin Skinner about the song.
Cavetown also continues to champion causes close to his heart, including his This Is Home initiative, which has raised over $650,000 for LGBTQ+ organisations.
‘Baby Spoon’ is available now on all streaming platforms.
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Spotify
FUSION JAZZ PIONEER JOHN McLAUGHLIN and earMUSIC celebrate the release of “LIVE AT MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2022”
Formats include Blu-ray+2CD Digipak, 2LP Gatefold, Digital Download Album release accompanied by new video “Mr. DC”
Today, John McLaughlin and his long-time band The 4th Dimension share “Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2022” worldwide via earMUSIC on Blu-ray+2 CDs, Heavyweight 2 LP Gatefold, and all digital platforms.
DISCOVER THE ALBUM HERE
This stellar performance was captured when John and his band took to the stage of the revered Auditorium Stravinski on July 11th, 2022 with special guest pianist and vocalist Jany McPherson.
“This night was very special. I am so glad it was recorded. It was a kind of magical night. There was something extra in the music and in the air.” – John McLaughlin
John’s history with the revered Montreux Jazz Festivalspans 52 years as a headlining artist and sometime guest performer. Now available as a Blu-ray+2CD Digipak, 2 LP Gatefold and digital download, those who had the honor of being there can relive this monumental performance and those who couldn’t be there now have the chance to see what they missed.
“This was a great night. Everybody was on. There was a vibe going on in the band and the audience felt it. It was a vibe going on between the band and the audience and it was outstanding.” -John McLaughlin
A perfect example of this vibe runs through the new video for “Mr. DC.” SEE THE VIDEO HERE
Dedicated to Modern Drummer hall of famer Dennis Chambers (who has played with John, P-Funk All Stars, Steely Dan, and Bill Evans amongst many others) “Mr. DC” is playful interplay between Jany McPherson’s delightful voice and piano and both Gary Husband and Nicolas Viccaro on drums.
John McLaughlin brought a fusion of world music, jazz, and blues to the mainstream with his Mahavishnu Orchestra and recordings with Santana and The Rolling Stones as well as his groundbreaking “Live in San Francisco” albums with Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia.
“Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022” is a masterclass in jazz fusion that travels all these worlds on one prestigious stage.
Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 OUT NOW
Available as
• Blu-ray+CD Digipak
• 2 LP (Black) Gatefold
• Digital Download
Track listing (All Formats):
Side A:
1. Introduction (Blu-ray only)
2. Kiki
3. Lock Down Blues
4. The Creator Has a Master Plan
Side B:
5. Hijacked
6. Gaza City
7. Mr. DC
8. Abbaji
Side C:
9. New Blues Old Bruise
10. Here Come the Jiis
11. The Light at the Edge of the World
Side D:
12. Echoes From Then
13. El Hombre Que Sabia
14. Outro (Blu-ray only)
MATTHEW IFIELD RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM “MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE” – OUT NOW
SHARES NEW SINGLE “SHE DOESN’T CARE“
GLOBAL TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS & INFO
Today, Sydney-based singer-songwriter Matthew Ifield releases his highly anticipated debut album “My Favourite Place To Be”. Off the back of recent sold-out shows in Manila and Seoul, which included a performance at SM Mall of Asia Arena to 10,000 teenagers at the Global Youth Summit 2025 (Manila), Matthew’s headline tour will continue in September, taking in North America and Australia. This marks a major milestone for the 20-year-old artist whose meteoric rise has captivated audiences across multiple continents.
The album includes his recent singles “Start From Scratch”, “Ready For Love”, and “When I Loved You”, along with his latest, “She Doesn’t Care”. Credited as the sole writer on the track, the song shows fans a new side of Matthew as he grapples with feelings of hopelessness and loss. “It captures that awful moment when you realise the person you love is moving on, exploring all the self-doubt and feeling like you’ve messed up, even in unrequited love. The song began with a single line I wrote over two years ago and then left untouched for ages. It wasn’t until I was in Iceland that the rest of it just came to me.”
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE:
The album “My Favourite Place To Be” captures a pivotal moment in Matthew’s life and career as he navigates his place in the world. The title reflects his anchor point: “It came from trying to figure out what makes me feel comfortable and content… as long as I’m with that one person. That’s my favourite place to be.”
Born from new musical connections made between Matthew and his collaborators over the past 12 months, each track on the album captures a moment from this transformative period. Matthew’s velvet-smooth vocals deliver direct, tender narratives with intimate clarity. Despite its contemplative depths, the album’s light, playfully hushed approach allows infectious optimism to shine, even in moments of reflection. Introspective meanderings (“While The City Sleeps,” “She Doesn’t Care”) gracefully transition into brighter, rhythmic pieces (“Start From Scratch,” “My Favourite Place To Be”). Spanning multiple genres, the record invites fans to explore new facets of Ifield’s personality and evolving musical style, reflecting the diverse tastes of his fanbase.
MELBOURNE’S BAYSIDE BEAT SENSATIONS THE GNOMES – THE BAND FORMERLY KNOWN AS GNOME – ANNOUNCE FIRST SHOW UNDER NEW NAME FOLLOWING RELEASE OF NEW SINGLE “I’M NOT THE ONE”
Following the announcement of their name change from Gnome to The Gnomes, and the release last week of “I’m Not The One”, the first single under the new name, Melbourne’s young Bayside Beat sensations are set to play their first show under their new name at the John Curtin Hotel, Friday September 12, with guests W.O.M.B.A.T, The Pearlies and Fish Catcher. The band is also set to play the Croxton’s 10th Anniversary Block Party on Sunday November 2 alongside Spiderbait, Floodlights and others, and a December New Zealand tour will be announced next week. They play their last ever show as Gnome with Eddy Current Suppression Ring at their home base Singing Bird Studios in Frankston on Friday August 29.
Although they emerged from Frankston with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, Kinks and early Beatles only a year or so ago, Gnome actually started out as a bedroom solo project for singer/songwriter/guitarist Jay Millar a few years back. They only became a full band a year or so ago. So now, with the release of their debut album as a band not far off, Gnome are The Gnomes.
Of course, the name may have changed but this is still the same rocking outfit you may have seen play with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips and Eddy Current Suppression Ring, or headlining their own shows around town.
These guys love to rock’n’roll, so get ready to rock’n’roll at the Curtin with THE GNOMES!
Following the announcement of their name change from Gnome to The Gnomes, Melbourne’s young Bayside Beat sensations have released the first single under the new name, “I’m Not The One”.
Having caused a big stir locally since the start of the year with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, Kinks and early Beatles, the band will play their last show under the old name in a few weeks when they play with Eddy Current Suppression Ring at their home base Singing Bird Studios in Frankston on Friday August 29. The new single is the first result of their new deal with reanimated local rock’n’roll record label Dog Meat, and it will be followed by an album later in the year.
Having seemingly emerged from the outer Melbourne suburb of Frankston only a year or so ago, the band has actually been a thing since late 2022. Although, until the last year or so, it wasn’t actually a band. Gnome was originally a bedroom recording project for teenager Jay Millar, who, playing everything himself, started recording under the name and releasing a steady succession of material – quite a few albums’ worth – on his own Goblin Records label via Bandcamp. Realizing he needed a band to start playing out, Jay approached some likeminded players from Frankston’s rehearsal hub Singing Bird, and with Jay on lead vocals and lead guitar, Ned Capp on guitar, Olly Katsianis on bass, and Ethan Robins on drums, Gnome became a band.
Early in 2025, the last solo Jay recordings released under the Gnome name caused something of an international underground sensation when the Bandcamp only I Like It EP – four songs of kranked up Kinks-style mono riffage – was posted by a Spanish garage-punk YouTube page and quickly clocked up over 50,000 views.
At the same time, the band quickly began gaining attention on the thriving Frankston scene and around Melbourne. They started breaking out, sharing bills with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips and, on a quick trip to Sydney, Sammy Cautious & The Wrestlers. Of course, they’ve also played with fellow Frankstoners/Singing Bird alumni The Belair Lip Bombs.
With what was originally a one-man recording project now a fully-fledged four-piece band as well as a new phase beginning on the recording front, and with all indications suggesting that the band’s audience is about to increase exponentially, the time is right for Gnome to become The Gnomes.
The Gnomes’ new single “I’m Not The One” is out now. Order or stream the track via Bandcamp
Artists | Dog Meat Grown Up Wrong Au
I’m Not The One (Single) | The Gnomes
https://thegnomesrock.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gnome.music/
PERTH PUNK/POWER POPPER BENNY J. WARD – OF RINEHEARTS FAME – ANNOUNCES LONG-AWAITED SOLO ALBUM SUPER! AND RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “BACK TO BED”. NEW ALBUM TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 19 ON CHEERSQUAD RECORDS & TAPES AND ESTEEMBED US POWER POP LABEL KOOL KAT MUSIK
Cheersquad Records & Tapes are proud to present the long-awaited first solo album SUPER! by much-loved Perth power pop/garage-punk artists Benny J. Ward. Best known for fronting the Hoodoo Gurus’ Perth regular support band of choice Rinehearts, whose 2023 Dom Mariani-produced album Full Bloom received raves around the world, Benny has been working towards the release of Super! for more than two years, when he first began recording the album’s tracks and releasing them as a series of singles. The album wiil be released on both Cheersquad Records & Tapes and US label Kool Kat Musik – limited edition hot pink 12” vinyl (100 only), black 12” vinyl and digitally from Cheersquad and CD from Kool Kat – who both released that Rinehearts album.
The release of SUPER! is preceded with the release of yet another single today the perfect pop “Back To Bed” and accompanying video.
Benny has also announced a Perth album launch, set to take place at Fremantle’s Buffalo Club on Saturday October 4. Benny will be backed on the night by his home-based solo band Thee Teleprompters and supported by The Psychotic Reactions, Gunns and Bribes. A run of shows on the other side of country, with Benny’s all-star East Coast combo Benny J & The Psych Ward, featuring members of Even, the Meanies and You Am I, will be announced soon.
Buy the single! https://bennyjward.bandcamp.com/track/back-to-bed
Preorder the album! https://bennyjward.bandcamp.com/album/super
MILLY STRANGE RELEASES SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM + NEW VIDEO FOR ‘GHOST’ + HEADLINE SHOWS IN SYDNEY & MELBOURNE
Milly Strange – out now
Milly Strange‘s self-titled debut album is a cathartic exploration of grief, inner conflict, and personal transformation, tracing the emotional terrain of heartbreak, old friendships, and versions of the self left behind. The album release will be celebrated with headline shows in Sydney at The Union Hotel on Saturday August 30th and in Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday September 18th.
Blending raw lyrical honesty with vivid imagery and a dynamic alt-rock sound, the album captures the tension between vulnerability and strength as Milly moves through pain toward renewal. The 8-track features previous singles ‘Ghost’, nostalgic alt-rock track ‘Horses’ and band favourite, ‘The Last Time’, which earned airplay support across Double J, PBS, Triple R, 4ZZZ and FBi. The album’s focus track, ‘Diane’, is feverish and stirring, written by Milly when “The flu had its claws in me. I croaked this song out on a walk around the block in the middle of winter. I didn’t know what I was singing—my brain was half-gone, but I clung to whatever I could feel and see.”
Raised on a rich sonic diet of Johnny Cash, David Bowie, Tom Waits, and Martha Wainwright, Milly’s early influences evolved into a deep reverence for songwriters like PJ Harvey, Angel Olsen, Ora Cogan, Cat Power, Adrianne Lenker, and Sharon Van Etten. Her music thrives on contrasts – light and dark, past and present, beauty and unease, as powerfully demonstrated on her debut album.
Milly Strange, comprises eight songs, some old, some new, and some somewhere in between. Milly shares, “Writing these songs felt psychologically and emotionally necessary,” says Milly. “Each one helped me give form to a part of myself I wasn’t ready to confront in real life.”
Recorded in Naarm with her band, Jai Forster-Saunders (guitar), Keely Lawson (bass & backing vocals), Alek Vult (guitar), and Sam Kirkpatrick (drums), the project marks a significant milestone for Milly, who reflects, “It feels very special to finally share these songs. Together, they track a journey through grief and growth, a process I’ve only come to fully understand after finishing the album in 2025.
“I feel like I can finally move forward from a lot of the trauma these songs helped me work through. As a band, we’re so excited to share what our next step will look like, with this first album as the foundation for everything that’s to come.”
Having already carved out a place in Melbourne’s underground, Milly has performed alongside artists like The Slingers, Peter Bibby, Caitlin Harnett & the Pony Boys, and Queenie. She has sold out shows of her own and will perform at Town Folk Festival this November alongside Sharon Van Etten, and will support Folk Bitch Trio at The Corner Hotel on September 13th and 14th. Tickets for the Northcote Social Club show on Thursday, 18 September, are on sale now.
MILLY STRANGE UPCOMING SHOWS
Sat 30 Aug – Headline show at The Union in Newtown, Sydney
Sat 13 & Sun 14 Sept – Supporting Folk Bitch Trio at The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thurs 18 Sept – Headline show at Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Saturday 15 Nov – Town Folk Festival, Castlemaine
CONNECT WITH MILLY STRANGE WEB | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE
ELENI DRAKE RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘I DON’T NOT LOVE YOU’. LISTEN TO SINGLE HERE. SHARES HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL LIVE PERFORMANCE
WATCH HERE
SYDNEY & MELBOURNE SHOWS THIS DECEMBER
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
British/Greek singer, songwriter and producer Eleni Drake unveils her striking new single ‘I Don’t Not Love You’, out now via MNRK
LISTEN TO ‘I DON’T NOT LOVE YOU’ HERE + WATCH LIVE PERFORMANCE HERE
‘I Don’t Not Love You’ sees Eleni ruminate on a love that’s been let go. Her signature honeyed vocal navigates reverberating guitar strums and impactful drum hits as she unpacks some complex, yet relatable feelings. It follows the BBC 6Music, NME and CLASH supported ‘Dolores’ as Eleni continues to prove herself as one of the brightest talents in UK music.
Speaking on the release, Eleni states, “‘I Don’t Not Love You’ acknowledges that while a connection may have faltered, the love was genuine. It is the quiet acceptance that sometimes, even the most real feelings must part ways, for there is a reason why things end, even when the love remains.”
The new music continues Eleni’s journey from celebrated 2024 EP, Above Deep Water; her first release on new label MNRK. Having self-released her previous projects, Eleni continues to find a devoted following for her undeniable talent. She’s earned fans along the way at tastemakers including The Line Of Best Fit, Consequence, The Independent, The Arts Desk, CLASH, La Blogotheque and Wonderland.
Last year, she brought her captivating live set to The Great Escape and SXSW festivals, and this December she’s set to enchant Australian audiences with intimate performances in Sydney and Melbourne.
Eleni’s hauntingly beautiful sound is at once refreshing and timeless, uplifting and introspective, inspired by a deep love of music that spans from Mazzy Star and Adrienne Lenker to Mac Miller and Cleo Sol. With over 40 million streams to date and still only just getting going, 2025 promises to be Eleni’s biggest year yet with her most personal and profound music on the way.
ELENI DRAKE AUSTRALIAN SHOWS 2025
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
DECEMBER 12 | THE JOHN CURTIN HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
DECEMBER 13 | THE TROCADERO ROOM, SYDNEY NSW
DOWNLOAD SINGLE ARTWORK HERE
LISTEN TO ‘I DON’T NOT LOVE YOU’ HERE
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KRYSTAL RIVVERS SHARE SWAGGERING SINGLE ‘PRISONER’
Eora/Sydney-based outfit KRYSTAL RIVVERS have just revealed their latest single ‘Prisoner’ – produced by Jack Moffitt (The Preatures) and engineered and mixed by Reyne House (Dope Lemon, The Delta Riggs).
‘Prisoner’ is a brooding, alt-rock offering that captures the tension between desire, disconnection and the search for meaning in late-night city life. The track pairs frontman Earl Weir’s brooding vocal delivery with a haunting and ethereal chorus performance from Polly Cooper (Hatchling). The result is a push and pull between lust and introspection – from strobe-lit dance floors to the quieter moments in between.
“‘Prisoner’ is the result of a late night out in the city and returning home to rough out some ideas on the acoustic guitar and voice memo,” Weir explains. “It’s about wanting what you don’t need – and needing what you can’t quite hold onto. The hook had a lot of back and forth, and we thought Polly would be perfect to bring the brightness it needed; her lead vocal really lights it up.”
To celebrate the release of ‘Prisoner’, KRYSTAL RIVVERS will play three special shows at The Lansdowne Hotel in Eora/Sydney, The Retreat Hotel in Naarm/Brunswick and The Northern Hotel in Bundjalung/Byron Bay. This follows on from a standout run over the past 12 months, selling out multiple hometown headline shows (300 capacity), an appearance at Lost Paradise (2024) and support slots with Kingswood, Sloan Peterson, and These New South Whales. Earl has also performed at the Auntie RUBY HUNTER tribute show with Dan Sultan, Keeahn and many more First Nation artists.
In November last year, the band released their debut EP, ‘Arora’, which was recorded with ARIA-nominated producer Julian Sudek (Genesis Owusu). The EP is available on vinyl through Impressed Recordings HERE.
Previous single ‘Sienna’ saw strong support from Spotify, Apple Music, triple j, triple j Unearthed, Backseat Mafia and Australian community radio. KRYSTAL RIVVERS draws inspiration from luminaries such as The War On Drugs, Fontaines D.C., and Wolf Alice to craft story-driven rock ‘n’ roll that envelops the listener in warm instrumentation and contemplative soundscapes.
Outside of KRYSTAL RIVVERS, lead singer Earl Weir is also a host of a First Nations radio program and serves on the First Nations advisory committee for Waverley, working on cultural projects, recognition, and community initiatives. He also runs a mental health surfing comp called Mullet PRO. Earl adds, “I’m passionate about my aboriginal culture and speaking out against racism, so I feel fortunate to be able to do the work I do. I started Mullet PRO due to losing my best friend 10 years ago; mental health is an issue that’s very close to my heart.”
‘Prisoner’ is available worldwide now
KRYSTAL RIVVERS TOUR DATES
SAT 16 AUG | THE RETREAT HOTEL, NAARM/BRUNSWICK VIC
FRI 29 AUG | THE LANSDOWNE HOTEL, EORA/SYDNEY NSW
SAT 6 SEP | THE NORTHERN HOTEL, BUNDJALUNG/BYRON BAY NSW
Click to stream ‘Prisoner’
FOLLOW KRYSTAL RIVVERS
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Cass McCombs Releases New Single “I Never Dream About Trains”. New Album Interior Live Oak out Next Friday August 15th via Domino
Cass McCombs today releases the new single, ‘I Never Dream About Trains’ the final preview from his new album, Interior Live Oak, out next Friday, 15 August, via Domino. Following the irresistible serpentine riffs of ‘Peace’, ‘I Never Dream About Trains’ is piano-driven and melancholic. Reflecting the personal, revealing nature of Interior Live Oak, the song finds Cass singing to a past lover, with the entire song repeating a single memory. He sings: “I never dream about holding you tight // On the sand in Pescadero // Knowing I’d never hold you again // You know I never lie in my songs // And I never dream about trains.” The song’s accompanying lyric video was directed by Eugene Shakemup and M. Arnoux.
Interior Live Oak, more than any previous record, shows Cass’ vast range as a lyricist and musician, in keeping with The Guardian’s proclamation that he is “one of America’s most reliably excellent singer-songwriters”. The album draws from everything he has created over two decades of experimentation to cut through with a direct and clarifying light. Throughout, his attitude is hopeful, which may sound odd for someone who often sings about the more extreme aspects of modern life. Interior Live Oak, however, is the resolve of someone who has lived those extremes.
Watch the Lyric Video for “I Never Dream About Trains”
In creating Interior Live Oak, Cass was inspired by the return to Domino and the revisitation of his early material in last year’s reissue campaign and the archival release, Seed Cake on Leap Year. This led him to work with some of his earliest collaborators in the Bay Area, including Jason Quever (Papercuts) and Chris Cohen, among others. Additional recording in New York City brought contributions from other perennial collaborators, including Matt Sweeney and Mike Bones, whose guitar work has always been a favourable complement to Cass’ own distinctive style.
Having played shows so far this year with Beth Gibbons and Beach House, coinciding with the release of Interior Live Oak, next week Cass begins a UK tour and then tours Europe with a mix of headline, festival, and support dates with Father John Misty. He’ll then return to the US for two headline dates in California and a show with MJ Lenderman.
Watch the Lyric Video for “Priestess”
Watch Cass McCombs’ Tiny Desk Concert
Pre-order Interior Live Oak here:
Cass McCombs Online Website | Facebook | Instagram | X
LILY-GRACE GRANT ‘PERMANENT SCAR’ (SINGLE)
Lily-Grace Grant cuts through the airways with her new single ‘Permanent Scar’. Permanent Scar is a co-write with 3 x Golden Guitar winner Max Jackson. It is a story about young love and a tattoo.
What a superb 3rd release by this young artist. Lily-Grace’s vocal captures the ‘Permanent Scar’ narrative perfectly. A story of diving in too deep too soon and consequences that can follow.
Matt Fell has produced a finger-clicking banjo-picking track, with runaway guitars and a Johnny Cash train-rattling beat. As with Lily-Grace’s first two singles there is an immediacy to the song. Its melody and insightful lyrics hum along like a well oiled machine.
There’s plenty to like about this young star’s musical journey. Her sound is steadfast and true. She takes control of her creatives and continues to approach her music with a coolness that’s a combination of progress and excellence.
ABOUT LILY-GRACE
Lily-Grace Grant is a 17 year old singer-songwriter from Lennox Head in Northern NSW Australia. She released her debut single ‘Wild Child’ on 22/11/24. Her second rocking single ‘Damn Hard Working Man’ was released on 11/4/25.
Her new release and 3rd single ‘Permanent Scar’, a co-write with 3 x Golden Guitar winner Max Jackson, is hitting the airwaves and streaming platforms on 8/8/25.
Lily-Grace Grant’s CV includes performing ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ with Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, when just 10 years old at Qudos Arena in Sydney.
She played the 2024 Byron Bay Bluesfest as a semi-finalist in the busking competition. In 2023 she was invited aboard ‘Cruisin’ Country’ as an ‘Emerging Star’. Lily-Grace is a two time graduate of The Academy of Country Music in Tamworth. A top 10 finalist for the Ridin’ Hearts Festival talent search.
Runner up in the Maleny Country Stars competition and selected as a finalist in the Gympie Music Muster 2025. A finalist in the EKKA 2025 talent search in August 2025 and Listen Up Music songwriting competition October ‘25. Lily-Grace placed 2nd in the 2TM Discover Talent Final at TCMF 2025. She is a semi-finalist in the Unsigned Only international songwriting competition out of Nashvillle. Her 3rd single is another exciting track from this young talented artist.
Connect with Lily-Grace Grant on Socials
https://www.instagram.com/lilygrace.grant/profilecard/?igsh=MTZsMmg0dDcweXBreg==
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BLVD OF EYES Feat Chloe Trujillo & Mark Dalbeth XMusic Signs It’s First International Rock Act
New Single “Razor Steps” + Australian Tour in November 2025
Australia’s fastest-growing rock label, XMusic, is thrilled to announce their first international signing, rock powerhouse Blvd Of Eyes.
The band have just released their first single for the label, the caustic “Razor Steps”, and are preparing for an explosive Australian tour scheduled for November 2025. Formed in 2021, Blvd Of Eyes is led by the magnetic Chloe Trujillo, wife of Metallica bassist, Robert Trujillo, whose eclectic artistry blends rap, metal, gypsy and Blues into a sound that’s as bold as it is unique. Chloe’s fearless creative spirit to the band is matched by her co-founder, Mark Dalbeth, the New Zealand-born multi instrumentalist who previously made waves in Australia with the acclaimed rock act Bellusira.
Blvd Of Eyes first release for XMusic, Razor Steps, is a bold statement with Chloe adding that, “This song is about resilience and inner strength in the face of challenges every day life brings. Razor Steps symbolizes moving forward even when the path is dangerous, painful, or risky. Despite battling internal and external darkness, the protagonist refuses to let it define her. It’s all about freedom from fear.”
The track is a sonic juggernaut that starts with Chloe’ ethereal vocals before launching into a staccato riff that is made for the stage.
Listen to Razor Steps here
https://lnk.to/r1lt5i
Watch the video here
https://youtu.be/dOarnA1b1IU
Razpr Steps is taken from the bands forthcoming EP, We Are Humans, due for release on November 21
Pre orders available at
we-are-humans-ep-cd
Blvd of Eyes is completed by guitarist Kevin Hicklin (3 by Design, Weapons of Anew) and Chloe’s daughter, Lullah Trujillo on drums. With a long list of live shows under the belt since forming, Blvd Of Eyes has proven their ability to captivate audiences with their raw energy and are steadily building momentum.
With the release of Razor Steps, Blvd Of Eyes are ready to bring their explosive live show to Australia. The band will embark on a highly anticipated Australian tour in November 2025 that features appearances at HeavyFest in both Brisbane and Sydney as well as metro and regional shows along the east coast.
BLVD OF EYES AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Fri, Nov 21: EP Launch, Cherry Bar, Melbourne
Sun, Nov 23: Heavy Fest On The Harbour, Sydney
Sun, Nov 23: Heavy Fest Afterparty, The Duke, Sydney
Tues, Nov, 25: The Basement @ Panthers, Port Macquarie
Wed, Nov 26: Seaview Tavern, Woolgoola, Coffs Harbour
Thurs, Nov 27: Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
Fri, Nov 28: Nortons, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast
Sat, Nov 29: Heavy Fest – Soap Box Brewery, Brisbane
Blvd Of Eyes VIP Tour Package
**Limited To 50 Per Show & Does Not Include Entry Into Shows
blvd-of-eyes-vip-tour-package
For Merchandise and Tickets go to
https://xmusiclabel.bigcartel.com/blvd-of-eyes
XMusic’s signing of Blvd Of Eyes marks a bold step for the label as they expand their roster with international talent. “So excited to be on the BLVD of Eyes Team” says XMusic CEO, Tim McLean-Smith. “and this new music is Next level! It Rocks, it stomps and the energy that drives this song under Chloe’s beautifully vocals is infectious – can’t wait to seem them live in November“
CLOVR RETURNS WITH BUOYANT EURO DANCE COLLAB ‘COMPLICATED’
Meanjin/Brisbane-based producer Clovr has just returned with ‘complicated’ – a vibrant single made alongside fellow producer Sam Atlast.
Ethereal vocals, floating synths and punchy basslines lay the foundation for an emotionally charged summer anthem, moulded by invigorating builds and euphoric highs. More than just a dancefloor cut, ‘complicated’ threads heartfelt nostalgia through a shimmering euro-inspired groove – another substantial addition to Clovr’s evolving sonic identity.
Clovr talks about the inspiration behind the track: “It’s a fun Euro summer track, for people to let their hair down and enjoy the small or big moments. A chance to celebrate change and embrace the unknown. Aiming for that staple anthem that will always remind them of a good time shared with lifelong friends – it’s not a filthy floor-filler but an emotionally fuelled hyper dance groove.”
Rooted in a love of early Flume, Jai Paul and Skrillex, Clovr’s style balances futuristic production with nostalgic textures. Through this track and previous singles ‘get sum’, ‘Friends’, ‘Pink Salmon Seats’, ‘Say So’, ‘Cold’ and ‘Skin’, Clovr exerts his versatility and emotive pull. “My mum was always blasting Fleetwood Mac in the living room when I was a pup – it ignited a curiosity for music,” Clovr explains. “From that I learnt the drums and dabbled between other instruments before I was hooked on the production bandwagon.”
Clovr has performed alongside artists such as Lime Cordiale, Go-Jo, Bag Raiders, Luude, Wongo, Example, and Hermitude, and has featured on festival lineups including Be Social Fest, Sugar Drop, and Rhythm and The Reef.
‘complicated’ is available worldwide now
Click to stream ‘complicated’
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SARAH McLACHLAN RELEASES NEW SINGLE “GRAVITY”. FIRST ALBUM IN OVER A DECADE BETTER BROKEN DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 19 VIA CONCORD
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY DOCUMENTARY SET TO MAKE WORLD PREMIERE AT TIFF
PRE-ORDER BETTER BROKEN & STREAM “GRAVITY” HERE
WATCH THE “GRAVITY” MUSIC VIDEO HERE
3X GRAMMY Award winner and global phenomenon Sarah McLachlan has released “Gravity,” the second single from her highly anticipated album Better Broken, due out September 19 via Concord Records. The first song recorded for Better Broken, “Gravity” delves deeper into McLachlan’s emotional life and explores the complexities of her relationship with her older daughter. With its graceful string arrangement (courtesy of Patrick Warren), the tender piano ballad channels both quiet heartache and tremendous compassion in its words of loving benediction. Pre-order the album and stream “Gravity” HERE. Watch the “Gravity” music video HERE.
“For a long time my daughter and I had a very combative and fraught relationship, and what I came to realize is that so much of what I perceived as obstinance or rage was actually masking a ton of anxiety on her part,” says McLachlan. “We went to counseling together, and I learned that she felt so alone and unvalidated by me—which was devastating to hear, but it led us both to change the way we communicate with each other. I wrote ‘Gravity’ as a way of saying to her, ‘I’ve always loved you and want the best for you, and you’re perfect the way you are.’”
McLachlan’s tenth studio album and debut release for Concord Records, Better Broken takes its title from its opening track – a soul-searching reflection on the fortitude that comes from weathering life’s constant storms – and furthers her legacy with a selection of songs that speak an uncompromising but radically illuminating truth about the state of the human condition.
Mainly recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, Better Broken instills a potent new energy into her lush and moody form of pop-rock, with contributions from esteemed musicians like Wendy Melvoin (a former guitarist for Prince and the Revolution), drummer Matt Chamberlain (Bob Dylan, David Bowie), multi-instrumentalist Benny Bock (Lucy Dacus, beabadoobee), and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz (Kacey Musgraves, Florence + the Machine). In a monumental leap for McLachlan, Better Broken finds her widening her creative circle and working with producers Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, boygenius) and Will Maclellan (Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers).
The tracklisting’s myriad high points include “One In a Long Line,” an irrepressible anthem railing against the rapid erosion of women’s rights in recent years, “Long Road Home,” a rapturous love song, the pedal-steel-laced reverie “Reminds Me,” a lovestruck duet with MUNA’s Katie Gavin, and the previously released title track. All throughout Better Broken, McLachlan and her fellow musicians bring an ineffable beauty to her expression of longing and grief and fierce determination.
Over the course of her three-decades-long career, McLachlan has won 3 GRAMMY Awards,
12 JUNO Awards and sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan also founded the groundbreaking all-female music festival Lilith Fair, featuring an A-list lineup for female alternative musicians of the moment, including Sheryl Crow, Jewel, The Indigo Girls, Lisa Loeb, Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant and more. Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery, a new documentary directed by Ally Pankiw and produced by Dan Levy’s Not A Real Production Company is set to make its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The documentary will premiere in the US on Hulu, and Disney+ internationally, on September 21.
McLachlan is also a philanthropist and the founder of Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM), a not-for-profit that offers music instruction and mentorship at no cost to children and youth facing barriers to access. SoM was founded in Vancouver in 2002 and it currently serves over 1,200 students a year with locations in Vancouver, New Westminster and Edmonton. McLachlan personally covers the administrative costs so that every dollar raised goes directly to support the students.
Connect with Sarah McLachlan: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | School of Music
Gorotica Announce Second Album And New Single
To coincide with the announcement of their second album “Daily Grind of the Medieval Age”, Gorotica is releasing their third single from the upcoming record, along with an accompanying video clip. Titled “Sage, Clove and Powdered Bone”, this song sees the band tone down the blasting snares and churning guitars and instead delve into a mid-paced, old school-inspired death metal number.
Rumbling kick drums and tremolo guitars kick off the proceedings before dropping into a groovy, doomy verse where Jon Von Cannibales bellowing, guttural vocals lead the song through a tale of necrocannibalistic rituals, questionable recipes and shoddy sorcery practices, in the hopes of raising a corpse back from the dead to become a grisly “fresh” meal
Catchy choruses bookend a syncopated bridge section, head-nodding bass break and a memorable melodic guitar solo, before returning to a modified revisitation of the verse. The final chorus builds an atmosphere of creeping anticipation culminating in an outro of distant tortured howls and weeping guitar leads guiding the track to its eerie conclusion.
The video clip follows these grim lyrical and musical depictions, featuring the band performing in a black void, dressed in hooded medieval monk garb obscuring their identities. The B-roll footage provides a visual conjuring of the ritual, showing Jon Von Cannibale at his dimly lit alchemical work station, crafting and preparing a mixture in his trusty skull mortar and pestle. Pouring this vile concoction into the mouth of the prepared cadaver, he chants some supposed words of power, and after gesticulating with his wooden staff, the body begins to convulse with life. With a now living corpse before him, he begins his long awaited feast…
“Sage, Clove and Powdered Bone” releases on August 1st on all streaming platforms, and will officially appear on the second Gorotica full length album “Daily Grind of the Medieval Age” releasing on October 3rd.
SUDAN ARCHIVES IS “MS. PAC MAN”. NEW SONG & VIDEO OUT NOW
THE BPM OUT OCTOBER 17 ON STONES THROW
Sudan Archives’ third album THE BPM is out October 17th via Stones Throw Records. Today, she releases freewheeling track “MS. PAC MAN” along with a music video.
“MS. PAC MAN” embodies THE BPM’s raucous spirit and freeform sense of expression. A family affair, the album was created in Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit, with Sudan working with a close circle of people she knows intimately and taking up the role of executive producer.
Despite the album’s party-starting energy, much of THE BPM tackles serious subjects, from mental illness to self-love and heartbreak, but “MS. PAC MAN is pure profanity and irreverence. Sudan says, “My cousin Taylor was like, all you write about is love, sometimes I want to be toxic – I want to hear stupid shit. Eric, her husband, was playing this beat, and Taylor was like ‘PUT IT IN MY MOUTH’ and I was like, oh God, that’s so funny – ‘AND MY BANK ACCOUNT!’”
On THE BPM, Sudan Archives embodies the idea that following your own muse is the surest route to artistic and personal fulfilment. If her last two albums looked to the past – she was both goddess and muse on 2019’s Athena, and wrote a punky coming-of-age tale for 2022’s Natural Brown Prom Queen – THE BPM imagines a dazzling, chrome-plated future in which we’re all tapped into our own sense of rhythm. As she sings on the album’s title track and thesis: “The BPM is the power.”
The album also introduces a more clarified Sudan Archives – a writer, producer and performer moving with grace and confidence through her most fun record yet. “This album just feels really homemade,” she says. “It felt really wholesome to be able to have fun and use my family members’ lyrics and work together. We used to write songs together all the time when we were younger, we used to praise dance together in church…so it was really cute to be able to do this now.”
Previously released tracks from THE BPM include “DEAD”, called a “shape-shifting, maximalist, ultimately unstoppable track” by the New York Times and used by Chanel in their Fall/Winter 2025 Haute Couture show at Paris Fashion Week; “MY TYPE”, “an especially clever and funny banger” according to The Needle Drop; and “YEA YEA YEA”, described by Paste as “impossibly dramatic and divine… a fucking bop.”
Sudan Archives plays select shows in the US before heading out on tour in the UK & Europe.
TRACKLISTING:
1. DEAD
2. COME AND FIND YOU
3. YEA YEA YEA
4. TOUCH ME
5. A BUG’S LIFE
6. THE NATURE OF POWER
7. MY TYPE
8. SHE’S GOT PAIN
9. DAVID & GOLIATH
10. A COMPUTER LOVE
11. THE BPM
12. MS. PAC MAN
13. LOS CINCI
14. NOIRE
15. HEAVEN KNOWS
Watch The Music Video For ‘MS. PAC MAN’
‘MS. PAC MAN SINGLE OUT NOW STREAM HERE
THE BPM ALBUM OUT 17 OCTOBER PRE-ORDER HERE
MORE INFORMATION:
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
MARK CAMPBELL & THE RAVENS ‘ROSES’ (SINGLE)
Mark Campbell’s songs delve into love and loss, joy and heart-rendering truth. Mark Campbell and The Ravens are releasing the fourth single, Roses, from their forthcoming self-titled debut album, due later in 2025.
Roses is a folk-tinged country ballad about grief and memory. Mark wrote it about his Mum who passed away when he was 25, and how as time passes, the memories of someone you love can blur, distort, or disappear.
Recorded with ARIA-winning Jimi Maroudas (Tim Rogers, Kimbra, etc) at the desk, the song features Dave Williams (Augie March) on drums and Kat Mear (Cash Savage & The Last Drinks) on violin, among others.
MORE ABOUT THE BAND:
“That lyric was so good. I had to write it on my arm for later.”
– Glen Hansard (Academy Award-winning songwriter)
Previously in JJJ-darlings ‘Folding For Air’, and ‘Souls on Board,’ Mark has built a live “wall of sound” behind songs that “ooze honesty.” (Beat Mag) Accompanied by a horn and string section, the live band weave a rootsy blend of alt. country, rock, blues and folk that has seen them already support many great icons of music in Australia.
Streaming: https://gyro.to/363950Roses
Bandcamp: Music | Mark Campbell and The Ravens
KISSCHASY continue to tease new era with ‘PARASITE’, set for special appearance at BIGSOUND 25
After a triumphant celebration of their seminal record Hymns For The Non-Believers took them around the country, on a run of shows that reinforced their legacy and enduring live presence, Kisschasy now surge forward into a new creative arc.
Having teased a fresh chapter of music with the release of ‘Lie To Me’ ahead of their latest Australian tour, the Melbourne favourites are back with a new track, ‘Parasite’.
As with ‘Lie To Me’, Kisschasy’s latest release is a poignant reminder of the natural chemistry that has existed within the band since their beginnings on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula; chemistry that has evolved over the years into an energy that feels vibrant and layered with maturity and perspective.
Though the band is based between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Kisschasy’s cohesion remains strong throughout the music we’ve been treated to from the group in 2025.
‘Parasite’ has the hallmarks of the band’s core sound, yet still feels as relevant as ever – with bands such as Slowly Slowly, Sly Withers and Dear Seattle continuing to take over the airways in Australia, Kisschasy’s influence on modern Australian rock music in unmistakable. With powerful, modern production and a lean into some crisp ‘90s influences, Kisschasy have been able to let different elements of their artistry shine. Insatiable guitars and rhythms complement softer moments on the track, unafraid to let the strength of Darren Cordeux’s lyricism ruminate.
A song that describes “clinging to something that’s bad for you”, ‘Parasite’ lands in a similar sonic space to Blue Album-era Weezer or early Fountains of Wayne (with some “Fugazi-flavoured riffage”). As Cordeaux explains of ‘Parasite’, “Whether it’s a relationship with a person or a vice, most of us have found ourselves, at some point, unable to let go of something that drains our life force.”
Single artwork by Conor Dewhurst (@imnotverychill)
The single was recorded between Woodstock Studios in Melbourne with Richard Stolz (Paul Kelly, Bodyjar), and Cordeaux’s own studio in Los Angeles. Produced by Cordeaux and mixed by John O’Mahony (Coldplay, Metric) in New York City, ‘Parasite’ was created with the idea of keeping everything as organic as possible — true to the overall Kisschasy sound.
“We used old tube amps, old tube microphones, no autotune and very few effects; our aim being to avoid anything being overthought or overwrought. The trouble with modern recording is that you can get caught in this feedback loop of constantly tweaking a song to the point that it loses its spark, its soul.
One advantage we have as a band is that we’ve been the same four members since Day One. We speak a subliminal musical language that means that, even if there are mistakes, they work somehow. Perfection is boring anyway.” DARREN CORDEUX, KISSCHASY
This September, Kisschasy will be taking a brief pause from working on their new material, to perform a special set at BIGSOUND, as part of the Oztix Official BIGSOUND Party. Delegates will be able to see them on Thursday 4 September at The Brightside – more information, head here.
For fans hanging out for more from the band, the release of ‘Parasite’ is your newest hint of a bigger picture still to come.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Thursday September 4 The Brightside Fortitude Valley, QLD
OZTIX Official BiGSOUND Party INFO
‘Parasite’ is out 14.8
Kisschasy: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tik Tok | Youtube
SHAME SHARE NEW SINGLE/VIDEO ‘SPARTAK’. NEW ALBUM CUTTHROAT OUT 5TH SEPTEMBER
Shame present ‘Spartak,’ the third single/video from their new album Cutthroat, out 5th September via Dead Oceans. Following last month’s “bombastic”, (The Needle Drop) “rockabilly banger” (Stereogum) ‘Quiet Life’ (currently on the BBC 6 and Double J Music Playlist), ‘Spartak’ rolls in on an Americana-flecked country lilt. “I was basically trying to write a Wilco song,” Coyle-Smith comments. Lyrically, the song criticizes cliques and group-mentality, setting its crosshairs on the social climbers; the people at the party always looking over your shoulder trying to find someone more important.
“I guess this disdain towards cliques comes from how shit I was made to feel by the cool kids growing up,” Steen explains. “I was a chubby teenager who liked the wrong type of music and wore the wrong type of clothes. It’s just another time I’d like to say fuck you to those people, and to anyone who makes someone feel shitty for not fitting in.” The song’s accompanying video was directed by Steen.
Shame – ‘Spartak’ (Official Video)
Cutthroat is shame at their blistering best; an unapologetic new album made with Grammy winning producer John Congleton at the helm. “It’s about the cowards, the cunts, the hypocrites,” says Steen. “Let’s face it, there’s a lot of them around right now.”
Still in their twenties and having proved themselves several times over since their 2018 debut, Songs of Praise, the five childhood friends – singer Charlie Steen, guitarists Sean Coyle-Smith and Eddie Green, bassist Josh Finerty and drummer Charlie Forbes – went into Cutthroat ready to create a new Ground Zero. Stamped throughout with shame’s trademark sense of humour, the album takes on the big issues of today and gleefully toys with them. Holed up in Salvation Studios in Brighton, they cast a merciless eye on themes of conflict and corruption; hunger and desire; lust, envy and the omnipresent shadow of cowardice.
Musically, too, the record plays with visceral new ideas. Making electronic music on tour for fun, Coyle-Smith had previously seen the loops he was crafting as a separate entity to the things he wrote for shame. Then, he realised, maybe they didn’t have to be. “This time, anything could go if it sounded good and you got it right,” he says. This cheeky self-awareness, too, is important. The result is an album that revels in the idiosyncrasies of life, raising an eyebrow and asking the ugly questions that so often get tactfully brushed over. But the one answer that Cutthroat gives with a resounding flourish is that, right now, shame have never sounded better.
‘Cutthroat is a joyride.
It’s for the inexperienced driver. The one who wants to go fast for no reason other than it’s fun.
It’s driven by hunger. Hunger for something better. For something you’ve been told you don’t deserve.
It’s primal. It’s raw. It’s unapologetic. It’s the person who turns up to the party uninvited.
’Cause when you’ve been pushed down, there’s nowhere to go but up. When you ain’t got nothing, you ain’t got nothing to lose.’ – Shame
‘Spartak’ Out now via Dead Oceans Listen/buy here
Cutthroat LP Out Friday Friday 5th September 2025 Pre-save/pre-order here
DOG TRUMPET ‘UNDER WATER’ (Single)
Dog Trumpet is spearheaded by brothers Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa, original members of iconic Aria award winning and Hall of Fame band Mental As Anything.
Featuring Bernie Hayes on Bass and Vocals and Declan O’Doherty on Drums and Vocals.
Over the last thirty years as Dog Trumpet they have released eight critically acclaimed albums: Two Heads One Brain, Suitcase, Dog Trumpet, Antisocial Tendencies, River of Flowers, Medicated Spirits, Great South Road and Shadowland.
Our latest single is Under Water from the new album “LIVE FOREVER”. In 2022 the worst floods to that point in Australia’s history followed on the heels of the worst bushfires.I’d started on a song relating to rain and floods when Paul Field invited Dog Trumpet to contribute to a music project in support of first responders to disasters and emergencies.
‘It rained and it rained for weeks’. I had this line and a couple of major/minor chords and an image of a town like Lismore being swallowed up in a rising inland sea. We recorded the completed song for that album We See You and then reworked and remixed it for the Live Forever album.
The imagery is of a flotilla of emergency responders and volunteers working tirelessly saving people trapped in their cars, clinging to trees, swept into the floodwaters, plucking them from rootops. While they were doing that, some of the rescuers own homes were under water. This song is a nod to them and the critical work they do and to the background realities they face in just turning up..
The album feature tracks include, Space and Time, Marianne, Live Forever, High On The Rocks, Waltz of The Wind and Underwater. Live Forever is available on Vinyl, CD and Digital.
With 2025’s LIVE FOREVER, Dog Trumpet – featuring former MENTAL AS ANYTHING members REG MOMBASSA and PETER O’DOHERTY plus longtime bassist BERNIE HAYES, and Peter’s son DECLAN on drums – has released their best album to date. And while I have probably said that about each of their albums, LIVE FOREVER is the real deal. It is an album that can be playful and fun, but also serious and focused… often times in the same song. In short, LIVE FOREVER is an essential purchase and truly one of the best albums of the year.
There is a touch of magic to Live Forever, if only because it seems to ever-so-nicely capture a Lme and place. And yet, at its core, Live Forever is a happy record, one that bounces along at a pace dictated by the songs (on their terms, of course) – the carefree jangle of ‘Space and Time’; the driving rhythm of ‘Eileen’; the shimmer and shine of the Ltle track. Live Forever, with its solid melding of ‘60s, ‘70s, blues and proggy-psych and throw-backs and look-forwards, is a beauLfully craTed piece of work, and as Mombassa said, this is the band’s best work yet, and he might just be right.
Joan & The Giants Lay Bare Love and Loss In New EP ‘The Five Stages of Grief’
EP Out Thursday, August 14
Joan & the Giants drop their heartbreaking and emotive EP ‘The Five Stages of Grief’ on Thursday, August 14 – an EP that explores the ending of the relationship between front woman Gracie Newton-Wordsworth and former guitarist Aaron Birch.
Joan & the Giants have carved out an international reputation, sharing stages with P!NK and Tones and I at Perth’s OPTUS Stadium, captivating crowds at SXSW in Texas and Sydney, and making their mark at BIGSOUND with their powerful sound and electrifying live energy. Now, alongside the release of their new EP, they prepare for a completely sold-out support slot for The Fray’s ‘How To Save A Life’ 20th anniversary tour this December and their own headline tour.
Their 6-track EP was written and recorded during one of the most difficult times that Gracie Newton-Wordsworth had ever experienced, resulting in a narrative arc that captures the process of mourning her turbulent 9 year relationship with the band’s now-former guitarist Aaron Birch. With some songs written together and some apart, this EP truly reflects its namesake, ‘The Five Stages of Grief’.
The first stage: denial. ‘Feels Like Heartache’ begins the EP with the feeling of being caught in the purgatory of a relationship one can’t bring themself to leave. This song begins with a slow and melancholic melody played on acoustic guitar and tender vocals packed with yearning and pain, and builds to a peak, with the kick-in of drums forging an unforgettable buildup and a release of sorrow.
The second stage: anger. ‘How Could You’ is a track straight out of a coming-of-age movie, with its up-tempo drums and bittersweet tune that crescendos with rage and pain as it sheds the analogue quality the song begins with and becomes utterly visceral and unapologetic. Written by Gracie when she was putting up a front of her internal life, this song is the embodiment of how the attitude of “the show must go on” can result in chaos.
The third stage: bargaining. This song was written by Aaron after the decision to part ways was made. ‘All I Know’ is built on painfully honest and self-deprecating lyrics that long for another chance the writer thinks he doesn’t deserve. Slow piano paired with vocals that bleed with emotion make this song a heart-wrenching affair.
The fourth stage: depression. A song that weighs heavy on the mind, ’When You Were Mine’ is a soft, stripped-back, and poetic song that reflects on the fallout. Written when Gracie and Aaron were touring together, every day was a reminder of the relationship that had just ended, and even though they were living a dream they’d had since they were teenagers, they couldn’t help but drown in sadness.
The final stage, acceptance, is a little different. This stage is offered two tracks, the first of which is ‘Still Breathing’, a song that acts as a farewell to Aaron as he and the band part ways. Born from a jam session, this song captures the tragic passion of their separation in its free-flowing nature. With two tracks of guitar, one percussive and one melodic, it straddles the line of soft pop and kicked-up rock.
The final track on the EP and second stage of acceptance is ‘Part of Me’. First written on a cheap guitar by Grace while on tour, this song marked the point where she’d accepted that she’d hit rock bottom, and that all the light that had bloomed between them, encouraging their creative energies to bloom, had finally dulled. With a more upbeat tempo and vocals that soar, this song marks the album’s end with something hopeful for the path that lies ahead.
Gracie Newton-Wordsworth shares her feelings behind this EP, stating:
“For a long time I felt like a butterfly trapped in a cocoon, not being able to see the light —but that is changing and I’m starting to spread my wings and find peace, joy and freedom. This EP is an embodiment of grief, love and survival — a painful chapter transformed into music and now healing.”
Join Joan & the Giants as they say goodbye to the past and hello to the future in their deeply personal EP ‘The Five Stages of Grief’, out on Thursday, August 14, ahead of their upcoming headline tour.
The Five Stages of Grief Tour
Sat, Aug 16 – Merri Creek Tavern, Melbourne – w/ Jordan Ravi | Tickets
Sat, Sept 18 – The Espy, Melbourne w/ Nana’s Pie Band
Thu, Sep 25 – Lulies Tavern, Melbourne – Free Entry
Sat, Sep 27 – Vic On The Park, Sydney- Free Entry
Sun, Sep 28 – The Triffid Beer Garden, Brisbane – Free Entry
The Fray’s ‘How To Save A Life’ 20th Anniversary Tour
Wed, Dec 3 – Metro City, Perth – SOLD OUT
Fri, Dec 5 – Eatons Hill, Brisbane – SOLD OUT
Sat, Dec 6 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney – SOLD OUT
Sun, Dec 7 – Forum, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Tuesday, Dec 9 – Forum, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Wed, Dec 10 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney – SOLD OUT
Follow Joan & The Giants www.joanandthegiants.com
Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud | Youtube
Facebook | Instagram | Triple J Unearthed | Bandcamp
THE TEMPER TRAP RETURNS WITH ‘LUCKY DIMES’
The Temper Trap share their first new music in nine years, with single ‘Lucky Dimes’ signalling a definitive return for the globally acclaimed band.
‘Lucky Dimes’ arrives fresh off a #11 placing for iconic hit ‘Sweet Disposition’ in triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs of all time. It follows a wave of recent collaborations and reworks of the band’s music, including ‘Love Lost’ with Mac Miller (400 million streams) and a steady stream of ‘Sweet Disposition’ remixes from the likes of John Summit, Vintage Culture, VXSION and Lost Frequencies.
“Good to know that 9 years after the last one, we still have something to say. It’s been an absolute pleasure creating this record and we can’t wait to share it with you, not to relive the past but to write the next chapter.“ – Dougy Mandagi
Opting to evolve rather than follow convention, The Temper Trap took a forward-thinking approach to new music, collaborating with Grammy-nominated local producer Styalz Fuego (Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, The Knocks, Khalid). ‘Lucky Dimes’ was co-written with Styalz and mixed by revered English producer and engineer Spike Stent. LISTEN NOW
The Temper Trap – Lucky Dimes (Official Music Video) WATCH NOW
BLOOM ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM THE LIGHT WE CHASE OUT OCTOBER 31. NEW SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO WITHERED OUT NOW. TOURING AUSTRALIA THIS SEPTEMBER
Melodic hardcore group Bloom is excited to announce their sophomore album, The Light We Chase. Set to be released on October 31st via Pure Noise Records, The Light We Chase reflects a period of emotional turmoil – relationship breakdowns, struggles with trust, and wrestling with hopelessness – offering the band’s most visceral collection to date.
Fans can get their first taste with latest single and music video Withered. Listen to Withered here
“In many ways, the album is an oxymoron,” drummer Jack Van Vliet shares. “You can’t catch light in your hands, and you can’t have darkness without the light casting its shadow. We all have an idea of something perfect. A memory, a vision of the future, a light at the end of the tunnel. The Light We Chase is that perfection. The sublime. The taste of something good. Our widest exploration of how far metalcore can be pushed and shaped, this album is lyrically diverse as it is instrumentally.”
About the new single, he adds: “In anything that we do throughout our lives there is a question of worth. Was this relationship worth it? Is my career everything I thought it would be? Is the life I’m living worth all the things I’ve gone through? ‘Withered’ tackles this question with unflinching honesty, and how the light we chase can be the path to our own ‘desolation.’ In ‘Withered’ the present is bleak, and grief forces us to wonder if ‘I didn’t hope hard enough’ for the life we dreamed of. The frankness of the song repeats itself as ‘Eight years of my life, dedicated/desolated’ repeats like a mantra for all the things that have been lost, over the heaviest hitting, most distorted, soul wrenching instrumentals over the entire record. The song slows into desperation as Bloom becomes ‘Withered’, continuing the oxymoron trope that has been used throughout the record, and corrupting whatever hope had been scattered through the record so far.”
Fans in the UK / EU can catch Bloom on tour with Thornhill and Ocean Grove starting on October 17th. After that the band will be supporting Silverstein in North America on the 25 Years of Noise Tour, also featuring Thursday and Free Throw.
And closer to home this September, Bloom will embark on their Withered Across Australia tour, heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, supported by Inertia and Post Heaven. Tickets are selling fast for all shows, so don’t miss your chance to catch Bloom live in action next month!
WITHERED – OUT NOW
https://lnk.to/BloomStreams
THE LIGHT WE CHASE – OUT OCTOBER 31
https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/BloomStores
Destroy All Lines & Pure Noise Records Presents
BLOOM WITHERED ACROSS AUSTRALIA TOUR WITH GUESTS INERTIA + POST HEAVEN
TOUR DATES:
THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER – THE ED CASTLE, ADELAIDE 18+ FEWER THAN 50 TIX LEFT
FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – STAY GOLD, MELBOURNE 18+ FEWER THAN 100 TIX LEFT
FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER – THE OUTPOST, BRISBANE 18+ FEWER THAN 70 TIX LEFT
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY 18+ SELLING FAST
Tickets from https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/bloom-withered
PAUL KELLY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘SEVENTY’ RELEASED NOVEMBER 7th, 2025
PRE-ORDER HERE NOW
‘RITA WROTE A LETTER’,
THE FOLLOW UP TO ‘HOW TO MAKE GRAVY’
OUT NOW – LISTEN HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
PAUL KELLY TOURING AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
TICKETS HERE
Tell us a story… So opens the new Paul Kelly album, a request like a child to their parents at the beginning of a trip, or a group around a campfire at the end of the day. And who else would we ask but Australia’s master storyteller, the man who has been doing it for 45 years.
Kelly’s latest album, SEVENTY, will be released on Friday November 7th and is available for pre-order now. Having turned 70 in January, this deeply personal collection finds Kelly taking stock – setting out his stall with all his wares. It’s his most varied album yet, representing all his different kinds of songwriting and showcasing a songwriter and band at the peak of their powers. The album’s cover, featuring a striking portrait by photographer Dean Podmore, pays homage to the iconic 1988 Jon Lewis photograph of Paul – a visual echo that bridges nearly four decades of artistry and reflects the album’s themes of taking stock and celebrating continuity.
The album’s first single, ‘Rita Wrote A Letter’, released today alongside a beautiful video featuring iconic Australian actress Justine Clarke, directed by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Imogen McCluskey and produced by Jessica Carrera of Dollhouse Pictures, is perhaps the most anticipated sequel in Australian music history. Nearly 30 years after we met Dan, Joe and Rita in one of Australia’s now most beloved songs, an unconventional Christmas anthem ‘How To Make Gravy’, Kelly brings them back with a ghost story that’s both tender and darkly comic. Click HERE to read the lyrics.
“I’ve been mulling over the idea of a sequel to How To Make Gravy from Rita’s point of view for quite some time,” Kelly explains. “About five years ago I wrote down the words, ‘Rita wrote a letter,’ and thought, ‘There’s my title.’ I scratched away intermittently and fruitlessly for several years but never got very far until Dan Kelly sent me a recording of something he’d written on piano with a rough melody over the top. The words started rolling after that. As often happens, they took me by surprise. You could say the song took a dark turn but to my mind it’s a black comedy. A ghost story. You hear Rita’s voice loud and clear, but Joe talks even more. I couldn’t shut him up!”
Video director Imogen McCluskey adds: “I was inspired to tap into my own family’s ghost stories when approaching the creative for Paul Kelly’s Rita Wrote a Letter. Often funny and tender, they speak to the thin membrane between this world and the next, and the messages that reach us from beyond the grave. I hope the iconic lore of Rita and Joe continues to touch PK fans new and old.”
SEVENTY traces its inspiration to Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and Boccaccio’s Decameron, where disparate souls came together to swap yarns and keep the darkness away. Songs range from tales of old friends sticking fast as life nears its end, to the thrill of breathing in apples on the morning breeze, and the fears of a knock at the door that signals the end.
“Telling stories is deeply human and has been since we started to become humans,” says Kelly. “A bit like what happens in my family at Christmas time with people doing an item, singing a song, telling a joke, telling a story. The third song on the record is a ghost story! That’s what you do when you’re sitting around the fire.”
The album features the grand splendour of ‘Sailing To Byzantium’, where W.B. Yeats’ beloved poem is set to music with the force and curve of a full band arrangement. There’s also the heart wrenching ‘Happy Birthday, Ada Mae’, written directly to his granddaughter, holding love, worry and care for her and our whole, precious, threatened world in deft balance. Other highlights include songs about two old friends sticking fast as life nears its end, a couple whose unbridled desire keeps finding new paths, and the simple pleasure of breathing in apples on the morning breeze. The album spans from intimate moments to epic storytelling, with Kelly drawing from sources as varied as Lord Of The Rings and the French Resistance to crows pecking at the limbs of Cicero.
Like his previous work, SEVENTY is driven by Kelly’s long-time band in peak form. “Looking back on what we’ve done with these songs, it’s really a band record,” Kelly reflects. “Peter Luscombe has been with me for more than 30 years, Bill McDonald and Dan Kelly for 20. Even the newbies Cameron Bruce and Ash Naylor have been with me since 2007.”
Paul Kelly is poised to embark on his biggest shows in Australia and New Zealand to date, and his only live shows for 2025: ten huge arenas in Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in August and September, proudly presented by Frontier Touring, Triple M (AU) and Stuff (NZ). Joining him on this monumental tour will be special guest Lucinda WIlliams for the Australian shows, along with Fanny Lumsden (AU shows) and Reb Fountain (NZ shows). As he prepares for this tour, fans can expect an unforgettable experience, showcasing both new material and timeless favourites from one of Australia’s most revered songwriters.
RITA WROTE A LETTER – LYRICS
I really don’t know how I’m talking
Six feet down and under the clay
The laws of nature forbid it
But I was never good with rules anyway
The day I walked out of prison
I knew that I was still in stir
For the crime committed I was still doing time
Behind the walls between me and her
Rita wrote a letter
I keep it with me every day
Rita wrote a letter
And this is what she had to say
She said, ‘Joe I’m really sorry
But me and Dan, our love is here to stay
With the kids it’s getting better
And now a little baby’s on the way’
Well, they took me back on at the restaurant
But the new cook there had stolen my game
They put me on the dishes and the pots and pans
I was happy being busy again
And every night when I came home
With my back and feet all aching sore
I‘d lay there in Mary’s spare room
Tossing ‘til the break of dawn
Oh, Rita wrote a letter
One you don’t want to get from your wife
When Rita writes a letter
The pen is sharper than the knife
She said, ‘Joe, I gave you good chances
But half a year turned into two
You could never hold your temper
And you always made it all about you’
Oh, the phone calls they started to dwindle
Once they moved further up the coast
Those silences that dragged on forever
I couldn’t find the words I needed the most
One day I went to see an old friend
And I brought a little package home
For old times’ sake sweet oblivion
But some things you shouldn’t do alone
Yeah, Rita wrote a letter
I’m still hugging it under the clay
Rita wrote a letter
Deep down I know it’s better this way
And maybe she and Dan feel guilty
And the children sometimes cry at night
But I made my bed, I’m lying in it
And I know they’re gonna be alright
Oh, Rita wrote a letter
I will always love her
Be the ghost above her
Hover all around her
But Dan, I don’t forgive you
Oh, I didn’t mean to say that
It’s just my mind it plays up
Multiplies each matter
PAUL KELLY
NEW ALBUM ‘SEVENTY’ – RELEASED NOVEMBER 7th
ALBUM TRACKLISTING
1. Tell Us A Story (Part A)
2. Don’t Give Up On Me (feat. Meg Washington)
3. Rita Wrote A Letter
4. The Body Keeps The Score
5. I Keep On Coming Back For More
6. Take It Handy
7. Happy Birthday, Ada Mae
8. The Magpies
9. Made For Me (feat. Rebecca Barnard)
10. Sailing To Byzantium
11. My Body Felt No Pain
12. I’m Not Afraid Of The Dark
13. Tell Us A Story (Part B)
DEVON STREET CONFRONT ADDICTION, GRIEF AND HOPE ON SINGLE ‘CHARIS (DREAM)’
Boorloo/Perth-based rock act Devon Street have unveiled their most raw and personal release yet with ‘Charis (Dream)’ – produced and mixed by Sam Ford at Tone City Records (DICE, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Old Mervs).
Written in memory of the Milne brothers’ cousin, the track is a powerful tribute to a life lost to addiction, told from his perspective. Blending alternative and experimental rock with both dreamy textures and fierce outbursts, ‘Charis (Dream)’ explores the deceptive, abusive relationship between a person and substance abuse. The track reaches its emotional peak in the bridge, as the protagonist pleads directly with the drugs, capturing the despair and fading humanity that comes with repeated use.
“This one’s for him,” the band shares. “It’s always easier to offer advice from the outside. The real dream was for him to heal and become the person he truly wanted to be. While things didn’t turn out that way, ‘Charis (Dream)’ tells his story – and honours his struggle.”
Devon Street formed in 2023, but their story began much earlier. Brothers Asher and London Milne began writing music together at the age of 12, performing in musicals and school bands before forming Devon Street with bassist Brody Smyth and drummer Draven Clarke.
Since then, the four-piece have released a debut EP ‘Need Me Now’, toured across WA, appeared at major festivals, and shared the stage with artists like DICE, Dear Sunday, South Summit and Letters to Lions. They’ve steadily built momentum through singles including ‘Reality’, ‘Floating Alone’, ‘Let Go’, ‘Kites’, ‘UP (You Got Me)’, ‘What We Can’t See’ – carving a sound that blends introspective lyricism with soaring, genre-bending instrumentation.
Having recently signed with renowned producer and manager Sam Ford (Tone City Records), Devon Street are now set to reach new heights. ‘Charis (Dream)’ is the first glimpse of their second EP, with recording underway and a national tour – including their debut East Coast shows – slated for later this year. Devon Street continue to evolve with every release, refusing to sit still. ‘Charis (Dream)’ is available worldwide now
FOLLOW DEVON STREET
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | THREADS | TIKTOK | UNEARTHED
SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON MUSIC | SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE | WEBSITE
The Kunins confront the creative process on ‘When The Ink Runs Dry’. New Single Out Now
Hot on the heels of their recent single ‘One Way Flight’, Meanjin/Brisbane father-daughter duo The Kunins are now set to release their incredible follow up, the haunting and introspective ‘When The Ink Runs Dry’.
The song strips things right back. With only two guitars, and two voices, the result is a performance that is both raw and emotional, getting right to the heart of its subject matter. It explores the uncomfortable reality of having a muse, and the transactional nature of that relationship. “Sometimes an artist can stay attached to a person because of the inspiration they bring, while knowing that when the inspiration runs out, they will go their separate ways”, Lily Maia explains. “It’s essentially a song that reflects upon how songs are written.”
At just 21 years old, Lily Maia has acquired a voice and songwriting ability beyond her years. Her songs draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, including personal experiences, literature and film. But what will always be most inspiring is trusting in the process and letting the song lead the way.
With an already storied career under his belt, Ken has released 11 albums, toured throughout the US, had music featured in TV and film, and ran indie label Underhill Recordings. A native to Los Angeles, Ken moved from the US to Australia 24 years ago and has called Brisbane home ever since.
‘When The Ink Runs Dry’ was recorded at The Kunins’ home studio. It was co-produced by Ken and Lily Maia, with mixing by Ken. The song was mastered by GrammyAward-winning engineer Camilo Silva.
Shows:
Cosmic Cowboy at The Triffid
support show
Sunday 24th August
Bayside Spring Festival
Saturday 13th September
The Kunins are – Ken Kunin (vocals, guitar) Lily Maia Kunin (vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, strings)
THE KUNINS ONLINE Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp | Website
BELPHEGOR unleash ferocious new single ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus’; band sign with Reigning Phoenix Music
The unrelenting force of diabolical black death metal, BELPHEGOR, return with a blazing new single: ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus.’ Forged in chaos and crowned in blasphemy, the track marks a savage invocation of what is yet to come.
This release marks BELPHEGOR’s first under their freshly inked deal with Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM), setting the stage for a powerful alliance between one of extreme metal’s most revered entities and one of the scene’s most ambitious new labels.
Helmuth, the band’s co-founder and guiding force, shares: “It’s great to be working with Gerardo Martinez once again. He believed in BELPHEGOR early on and was the one who brought us to North America in 2006. I look forward to a powerful new chapter with RPM.”
Gerardo Martinez, co-founder of RPM, echoes the sentiment: “Helmuth, BELPHEGOR and I go back to 2006 and I’m extremely thrilled to be able to continue working with one of the best proponents of black death metal art. Welcome to RPM! Here’s to many more years of great music!”
On ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus,’ Helmuth describes: “A symbiosis of diabolical black death metal. A glorification of the Devil. A hypnotic anthem of passion, fire and iron discipline. It stands for the absolute freedom to walk your own path, to reign within your own realm.”
More ominous creations are on the horizon, with this single serving as a harbinger of the full-length devastation yet to be revealed.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCORFvKY6J0
Listen to ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus’: https://belphegor.rpm.link/sdcPR
About BELPHEGOR
Since their formation in 1993 in Austria, BELPHEGOR have stood as one of the most brutal and transgressive forces in black death metal. Founded by vocalist and guitarist Helmuth Lehner, the band has spent over three decades refining a sound forged in fire and sacrilege, merging the violent precision of death metal with the ritualistic darkness of black metal.
Their musick is an invocation of infernal power, a sound wall of relentless blasphemy.
From the raw intensity of early releases like The Last Supper [1995], Blutsabbath [1997], and Necrodaemon Terrorsathan [2000], to the increasingly sophisticated compositions found on albums such as Lucifer Incestus, Bondage Goat Zombie, Pestapokalypse VI, and Totenritual, BELPHEGOR have continually pushed the boundaries of extreme musick. Each release marks a further descent into forbidden territory.
The band’s thematic focus with ritual magick, religious inversion, and arcane symbolism is matched by their technical mastery, multilingual lyrics, and sonic experimentation.
With their twelfth studio album The Devils [2022], BELPHEGOR delivered one of their most punishing and ambitious records to date.
Recorded at Fascination Street Studios with producer Jens Bogren, the album features nine meticulously crafted compositions that shift seamlessly between feral aggression and solemn majesty.
Tracks such as ‘Glorifizierung des Teufels’ and ‘Virtus Asinaria – Prayer’ incorporate choral passages and ritualistic structure, while ‘Damnation – Höllensturz’ unfolds with a dynamic complexity that further amplifies the band’s compositional vision.
Lyrically, the album weaves together German, Latin and English to cast incantations of death, desecration, and rebellion against sacred order. Accompanied by visionary artwork from Seth Siro Anton, “The Devils” stands as a high point in BELPHEGOR’s canon and underscores their continued relevance in the global extreme metal landscape.
Following the success of “The Devils,” BELPHEGOR were honoured with the 2023 Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the ‘Hard & Heavy’ category, a rare moment of formal recognition in Austria for a band that has long walked a path far removed from mainstream acceptance. This accolade acknowledges their artistic legacy and highlights the contrast between their recognition and the transgressive nature of their craft.
Renowned for their intense live rituals, BELPHEGOR have toured relentlessly across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and beyond. They have appeared at Wacken Open Air, Knotfest, Bloodstock Open Air, Hellfest, Tons Of Rock, Sweden Rock Festival and numerous other prestigious metal festivals. Their stage presence is more than a performance, it is a ceremony of magick and infernal theatre, where sound, smoke, blood, and fire converge in a communion with darkness.
Now, as the band approach their thirteenth studio album, a deeper and more arcane force begins to stir. The number thirteen bears ancient meaning: endings, thresholds, and the passage into the unknown. Rooted in primordial doctrine, the thirteenth seal is said to bind the final veil between worlds, the last barrier between order and chaos.
With this upcoming release, BELPHEGOR prepare to break that seal, not to follow, but to lead. To summon what lies beyond even their own previous creations: something more primal, more ritualistic, more devastating.
Early glimpses of new material point to a continuation of the dark artistic path begun with “The Devils,” now delving even deeper. The upcoming album takes shape as a focused ritual: precise, uncompromising, and rooted in the band’s unmistakable vision, the glorification of the Devil.
Prepare. The next chapter is imminent.
More on BELPHEGOR: belphegor.at | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
AMORPHIS present music video for swinging ‘Dancing Shadow’ single; new album BORDERLAND out next month
WATCH/STREAM/PURCHASE ‘DANCING SHADOW’
With ‘Dancing Shadow,’ Finnish metal icons AMORPHIS are proud to present the final audiovisual appetiser of their new studio album BORDERLAND (September 26, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music) before their stage comeback in just a few weeks. The song follows two superbly embraced singles and is yet another hit out of the group’s sound forge as it’s blessed with all ingredients to get at least equally well-received by the worldwide music community.
Thoughtful verses remind of the uncertain times in everyone’s lives to make fans escape from this dejecting state of mind into the suffusing light of the moon which shines through the darkest of all woods. But to contrast the song’s depth, AMORPHIS successfully crossed the genre ‘borderland’ resulting in an irresistible track full of twisting moments. ‘Dancing Shadow’ finally closes on its peak – before you just have to play it from the beginning over and over again.
“The working title for ‘Dancing Shadow’ was ‘Disco Tiger.’ Musically it represents catchiness and hooks that have been familiar elements within our music for a long time. Sound-wise it came out pretty fresh and even modern. I bet this song will shake your legs on the dance floor – in a METAL disco, of course,” states guitarist Esa Holopainen.
Drummer Jan Rechberger adds: “With ‘Dancing Shadow,’ we stepped into completely new territory. For a band with over three decades behind us, that kind of reinvention feels meaningful.”
Like its predecessor ‘Bones,’ AMORPHIS’ latest single has also been visualised under the aegis of Patric Ullaeus, and takes fans of the band into a black-and-white dominated setting, highlighting the piece’s core message in a captivating way.
Watch the official ‘Dancing Shadow’ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpSNEY9mfPg
Stream the single: https://amorphis.rpm.link/dancingPR
Pre-order (excl. box-set & more) / pre-save BORDERLAND: https://amorphis.rpm.link/borderlandPR
Hansen Studios (Jacob Hansen, Denmark; VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, PRIMAL FEAR etc.) were the destination of choice in late 2024 and early 2025 to track BORDERLAND. The album artwork was designed by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren (METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH, KVELERTAK, ALCEST etc.) while long-time partner Pekka Kainulainen once again wrote the album’s meaningful lyrics.
More from BORDERLAND:
‘Light And Shadow’ OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aF80ycx5JQ
‘Bones’ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnSjYxh5yHM
About AMORPHIS
With BORDERLAND the title of the album couldn’t have been chosen more fittingly. Throughout their career, spanning over more than three decades, AMORPHIS — Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen (guitars), Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass), Santeri Kallio (keyboards) & Jan Rechberger (drums & percussion) — have been an ever-evolving act, wandering on an exciting boundary-pushing path. From their sinister death metal debut Karelian Isthmus over genre-defining mid-90s melodic death works like Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy as well as the melodic 2000’s grandeur of Eclipse or Skyforger to records combining the very best of all prior eras to refreshing new soundscapes (f.e. Under The Red Cloud or Queen Of Time): Whatever this group works on promises long-range success.
With 2022’s Halo, the Finn’s were rewarded for their researching musical approach once again: The album marked AMORPHIS’ sixth no. 1 album in Finland, even cracked the top 3 of the official German album chart, and last but not least the sextet took home two awards from the prestigious Emma Gaala (“Band of the Year” & “Export of the Year”).
The impact of Halo became a driving force for what’s to come. Rather than rushing into a follow-up, the band chose to step back from live performances and focus fully on their next chapter. The result is BORDERLAND – a meticulously crafted opus that builds on their celebrated recent era, while seamlessly weaving in new, timely elements. It’s a bold, organic continuation of their journey, shaped by experience and guided by vision.
AMORPHIS are:
Tomi Joutsen | vocals
Esa Holopainen | guitars
Tomi Koivusaari | guitars
Olli-Pekka “Oppu” Laine | bass
Santeri Kallio | keys
Jan Rechberger | drums & percussion
More from AMORPHIS: amorphis.net | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok | X | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | RPM
CONJURER Return With Third Album UNSELF + Watch The Video For First Single ‘Hang Them In Your Head’
British metal heavyweights CONJURER return with news of their mighty third album, Unself, which will be released 24th October via Nuclear Blast Records.
Pre-order: https://conjurer.bfan.link/unself
To commemorate the moment, the band have also unveiled the first single from the release, ‘Hang Them In Your Head’.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/c1lpgXRi2Sc And stream ‘Hang Them In Your Head’ here: https://conjurer.bfan.link/htiyh
CONJURER comment: “Unself is a record that we have put everything of ourselves into, in a way that we didn’t think possible for this band. Hang Them… is only the beginning. Thank you all for your patience, we are happy to report that it will be worth the wait.”
CONJURER have evolved radically since the release of their debut album (Mire, 2018), and their second release (Páthos, 2022) saw them lauded among the most exciting British metal bands. Whilst award nominations and accolades accumulated, the four-piece band retained their very simple mission: to make heavy music and have fun whilst doing so. Preferring to use their spotlight to showcase technicality and musicality rather than centring politics or opinions, CONJURER lived in the moment and embraced everything that came their way.
Within the tumult of forging a renewed identity as a band, on Unself there is a more intense, more personal voyage of discovery unfurling for vocalist/guitarist Dani Nightingale. Diagnosed with autism at age 31, their long-held view of self, and perception of their place in the world began to unravel. Unself documents much of the piecing back together around the diagnosis, alongside the realisation they were non-binary.
These vignettes of processing and self-actualisation take place against the backdrop of a society careening towards glassy-eyed capitalist dystopia; finding firm footing eludes many of us – and CONJURER delve headfirst into exploring these suffocating new societal parameters.
Within Unself’s nine tracks, CONJURER deliver the writhing post-metal sound they’ve become known for, but have loosened their grip on the desire to fill every moment with sonic obliteration. Instead, they have leaned into utilising space, gifting listeners a little breathing room which serves to make the heavy elements feel all the more intense.
A more direct, organic approach to songwriting was facilitated by the ever-strengthening bonds within the band, and the supportive environment created by producer Joe Clayton. Allowing themselves more time than with any previous recording experience, they committed to preproduction sessions, followed by an elongated recording period in order to do justice to the material they had crafted. Stripping back the excesses of previous outings to reveal their solid songwriting chops allowed for more clarity and more dynamics to shine through. To their ears, the mood, the core of the lyrical content and the music are more aligned than ever before.
This record is the sound of four individuals living with more purpose and as a consequence creating with more purpose. Unself sees them reaching out to offer community, catharsis and connection. CONJURER remain true to their original mission – they’re still having fun, playing interesting heavy music – but now that music is imbued with the power that comes from opening themselves up to others, at first within the band, and now beyond.
Conjurer are:
Brady Deeprose | guitars, vocals
Dani Nightingale | guitars, vocals
Conor Marshall | bass
Noah See | drums
Conjurer online:
https://www.facebook.com/conjureruk
https://x.com/ConjurerUK
https://www.instagram.com/conjureruk
https://www.conjureruk.com