SNIPPETZ: THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 2025

 

SNIPPETZ: Thursday August 28, 2025

This week’s Snippetz features: Peppercreek Revival, Tilly Fenton, Ruth Hazleton, Emmy Ryan, Silver Fleet Ships, Copperline. The Pretty Reckless, Surely Shirley, Laufey, Meghna, Pierce Brothers, The Maggie Pills, SnarskiCircusLindyBand, Lucinda Poy, Spandau Ballet, Blackbriar, Redspencer, Sarah Catania, Playlunch, Tom Curtain, The Gnomes, Krystal Rivvers and more.

 

PEPPERCREEK REVIVAL: ‘BACKWARD GLANCE’ (Single out now)

‘Backward Glance’ – out now – is the first single from Melbourne band PepperCreek Revival’s second LP, slated for release in early 2026.

A backward glance might happen for many reasons – a last goodbye, a lovers’ cry, a wave over the shoulder with a smile and a kiss sent on the breeze to be remembered by.  But what if someone leaves without a backward glance?  Are they tearful, angry, or indifferent? Someone walks out the door, dominoes left where they fall, hearts broken, people left wondering…

‘Backward Glance’ makes us question the choices we make through life and the price we may pay in the future. What if? Sliding doors. Kelly Auty’s lyrics flowed out quickly, almost complete, as ‘do you ever wonder?’ opened a Pandora’s’ box of questions. We watch the cards fall and we stumble through life making choices…some good, some not so.

The music set the vibe perfectly with the haunting chords written by Barry Hills, and a soulful lap steel motif from Brian Fraser.  PepperCreek Revival squeeze every tear out of the music, moving from a whisper to a full-throated cry reminiscent of great ballad singers like Renee Geyer,  Wendy Saddington and Janis Joplin amongst others.

‘Backward Glance’ was recorded live in July 2025 at Woodstock Studios in Balaclava, and engineered by Richard Stolz and produced by Barry Hills and Kelly Auty. Backwards Glance’ is available to stream here:  peppercreekrevival.bandcamp.com

MORE ABOUT PEPPERCREEK REVIVAL
PepperCreek Revival is a collective of renowned Melbourne musicians, put together by Blues Music Victoria Hall of Fame inductee and award winning producer / bass player Barry Hills who wanted to explore a new and innovative approach.

Hill’s idea was to form a hand-picked group of skilled and talented session players who could adapt their playing styles to suit any musical style artist, both with live performance & in the studio.  The group consists of three award winning musicians: Brian Fraser on lap steel, electric and acoustic guitars, vocals; Roland Kretschmer on electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo, Dobro, ukulele, vocals; and drummer and vocalist Nick Carrafa.

With two recording sessions already completed, the opportunity to work with multiple award-winning singer/songwriter Kelly Auty, who was looking for a new musical direction, was the perfect choice for the band’s next project; the band’s eponymous debut, released in November 2024.

That album proved such a success, and with the process of writing, recording and performing together almost effortless,  the decision to release another album together was unanimous.  The band’s sophomore album will be released in February 2026.

‘Backwards Glance’ is available to stream here:  peppercreekrevival.bandcamp.com

 

 

TILLY FENTON SHARES PUNCHY NEW SINGLE ‘IT’S YOU’ + VIDEO

A sparkling new chapter is imminent for Melbourne/Naarm indie pop artist Tilly Fenton, with a punchy new single It’s You! out in the world now, and the announcement of her anticipated debut EP it’s a feeling that i know set for release on October 10.

Playful, effervescent and with some charmingly gritty rock edges around the gloss within, It’s You! showcases Tilly’s expansive nuance as a songwriter, capturing her cheeky, fun side while also embracing some iconic pop icons and a soundtrack-inspired modus operandi for the end result. “Olivia Rodrigo’s music definitely had a huge influence on the sound for this song,” shares Tilly. “Ever since her first album came out, I had always wanted to write a super upbeat, angsty and playful pop rock song after hearing ‘good 4 u’ for the first time when I was in high school. It feels pretty full circle considering this was the music I was listening to, while I was going through the experiences that inspired It’s You! Another artist that shaped the sound of this song was Hannah Montana and the early Miley Cyrus music. I was so obsessed with the Hannah TV show and movie growing up, so a lot of the music from it was engraved in my brain from a very young age. I had always wanted to write a guitar driven song with punchy hooks and confident, cheeky lyrics, so I definitely channelled my inner Hannah for It’s You!”

Marking an exciting step closer to the release of her first-ever EP, It’s You! also balances its upbeat stylings with relatable and immersive storytelling, with Tilly delivering an empowering ode to standing up for yourself on her latest track, as she elaborates, “It’s You! is about that one person who really gets under your skin. It’s a love letter to the kind of people who twist things, make you question yourself, and somehow turn you into the villain. It’s that moment you stop biting your tongue and finally say what you should’ve said ages ago, with just the right amount of pettiness “my co-star said you’re hurt because you picked a fight with your best friend”. It’s playful, dramatic and weirdly healing screaming “it’s not me, it’s you!”

Initially penning It’s You! during a session with Anna Laverty (Lady Gaga, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Tilly sought to write “a vengeful yet cathartic song”, with the pair brainstorming lyrics that ultimately led to a discussion of the common saying: “it’s not you, it’s me”. “I thought it would be fun to reword it to “it’s not me, it’s you”,” Tilly explains. “I then brought this song to my producer Michael Belsar and my drummer Ben Ellingworth and started the recording process, and we all had so much fun experimenting with different sounds. Michael and I then spent more time on the song, and it continued to evolve into what it is today.”

Mixed by Michael Belsar and mastered by Dale Becker, the accompanying music video for It’s You! saw Tilly work alongside Jesse Richards, who returned after working on Tilly’s previous live video for The Secret, with the brand new clip bringing It’s You!’s underlying message to life via a live performance, mirroring the dramatic yet liberating themes. “The video for It’s You! is a live performance we shot in an empty theatre,” shares Tilly. “The concept came from the idea of performing to no one but yourself. There is something really dramatic but also freeing performing a song like “It’s You!” in that kind of space. It’s kind of like dancing in your bedroom when no one is watching. I have had a vision to do a music video in a theatre for so long and I think it’s so perfect that I ended up doing it for this song!”

Sitting as the energetic closing moment for the broader five-track EP it’s a feeling that i know, It’s You! powerfully concludes the EP’s oscillating moods and moments. Opening with pillowy-soft introspection with The Secret, Tilly’s dulcet vocals float over serene instrumentals and vulnerable lyricism. The percolating bliss of the EP’s midway point, Valentine, dazzles in driving rhythms and dreamy hooks, and It’s You! concludes on a grittier yet jubilant note, with the entire EP resoundingly reflecting Tilly’s ultimate mission statement. “This EP is a very coming of age story,” says Tilly. “I wrote these songs while I was navigating all the confusing, emotional, and overwhelming moments that come with growing up, especially in your teenage years. They’re honest and vulnerable, but always with a sense of hope that everything is going to be ok. I hope that these songs offer comfort and remind people they’re not alone in what they’re feeling and allow them to find joy in the chaos.”

Starting her musical journey back in 2023, Tilly Fenton has spent the past few years crafting her debut EP, working alongside renowned producers and songwriters Anna Laverty and Michael Belsar, while also channelling inspiration from Lizzy McAlpine, Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers into her own unique sound. An artist capable of balancing vulnerability with strength, Tilly is one of the rare few who can imbue the emotional complexity of growing up and navigating relationships through a mature lens far beyond her 22 years, with her debut single The Secret and Valentine already captivating listeners along the way, and the latter also featured on The Hot Hits with Nic and Loren on the HIT Network.

Earlier this year, Tilly also ticked off another massive first: completely selling out her first headline show at The Bergy Bandroom, with more live performances slated for later this year to launch her brand new EP which has been many worthwhile years in the making. “Performing live is one of my favourite parts of making music,” shares Tilly. “There’s something so special about feeling the energy in a room, connecting with people in real life, and sharing that moment together. Fans can expect a fun, high-energy show where we dance our hearts out, mixed with intimate acoustic moments for some of my slower songs.”

It’s You! Is out now
it’s a feeling that i know EP due out October 10.

Stream: IT’S YOU!
Watch: IT’S YOU!

Follow Tilly Fenton https://www.facebook.com/people/Tilly-Fenton

 

 

 

RUTH HAZLETON ’TRI-COLOURED HOUSE’ (SINGLE)

Ruth Hazleton today unveils Tri-Coloured House, the third single from her much-anticipated album Heronbones. Rooted in the darkfolk genre, Tri-Coloured House is a brooding and cinematic re-telling of a traditional ballad steeped in themes of magic, challenge, and the ancient archetype of the ‘impossible task’.

This centuries-old tale, commonly known as The Elfin Knight, is a narrative and story passed through oral traditions in cultures throughout the world. The tale tells the story of protagonists challenged to complete a series of magical, impossible feats in pursuit of true love.

Contemporary audiences will also notice the similarities to the song Scarborough Fair, another variation of the story well known in popular culture.

“My interpretation was inspired by a version recorded by Irish band ‘Lankum’, taken from an Irish archival recording of settled Traveller, Mrs Mary Kate McDonagh (recorded by Tom Munnelly in 1973)” says Hazleton. It also features the otherworldly voice of Irish singer Aoife Nic Dhiarmada. The air Aoife (Eefah) sings comes from the Irish sean-nós song ‘S’é Fáth Mo Bhuartha’ (pronounced ‘shay faw muh voor-ha’), which translates as ‘The Cause of My Worry’.

In Hazleton’s re-telling, this ancient song becomes a rich sonic soundscape: layered vocals and harmonies, gritty textures and experimental electronic samples alongside cinematic string arrangements. It’s both timeless and deeply contemporary – a perfect example of Hazleton’s work bridging tradition and innovation.

Hazleton’s upcoming album, Heronbones, will be released 29 September 2025. Heronbones draws on Hazleton’s love of traditional song and folkloric storytelling, combining sampling, electronic soundscapes alongside electric guitar, banjo, drums and strings. Awarded 2021 ‘Artist of the Year’ (Australian Folk

Music Awards), this album marks 30 years in music for Ruth.

Heronbones is now available for pre-order (Digital, Vinyl & CD) via Bandcamp

Listen to Tri-Coloured House on streaming PLATFORMS

Follow Ruth Hazleton on Instagram / Bandcamp / Website

 

 

EMMY RYAN ‘HOW MANY’ (SINGLE)

The finest folk music explores the personal and the political and Mparntwe/Alice Springs-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emmy Ryan excels at exploring and detailing the complex terrain of both of those aspects of the genre.

Born and raised on Bundjalung and Wiradjuri Country in regional NSW, of Irish and Scottish heritage, Emmy is  now based on Arrernte Country in the NT. In September 2024 she released her debut EP I Ain’t So Blue, a consummate collection of songs that have been shaped by the skies, seas, cities, mountains, plains, and deserts of her homes.

 After initially learning piano and clarinet as a child and guitar in her teens, Emmy achieved a BA in Contemporary Music majoring in vocal performance. Following her studies she spent time learning the Irish language and connecting to her heritage via Celtic music before experiencing a musical awakening listening to world-class mandolin players at the 2022 Woodford Folk Festival.

Emmy’s debut EP I Ain’t So Blue, recorded with Nick Henderson of award winning Australian chamber folk ensemble The Good Behaviours, was released in September 2024 to acclaim and airplay from community and commercial radio around the country. Its lead single, The End of the World, was named a semi-finalist in the celebrated International Songwriting Competition in March 2025. The EP was the feature album on 8CCC Radio in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek in its release week, and has been featured on ABC Radio.

Emmy has performed at Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Desert Song Festival, St Albans Folk Festival, the Australian Celtic Festival, and the Top Half Folk Festival. Her music explores colonisation, climate change, capitalism, and love through a lens of emotive folk and languid country while also drifting seamlessly into jazz and soul territory. A line can be drawn to artists such as Paul Kelly, Tiny Ruins, Laura Marling, Rachel Baiman, and Sarah Blasko – all experts at stretching and morphing genre expectations into a sublime blend of traditional and contemporary song – but her sound is uniquely her own.

INSTAGRAM HERE

 

 

THESE IDLE HANDS ‘EVERY VOW’ (SINGLE)

These Idle Hands are an elusive kind of sonic event: Their luminous acoustic balladry & harrowingly intimate lyricism combine to craft often hauntingly retrospective alt folk & Americana. Live, expect flourishes of double bass, soaring violin, piano and percussion, doused with rich vocal harmonies, make for a bottled blend of synergy and lightning that’s not to be missed.

TIH have received high praise & air play, both here & overseas for their two full length album release’s, Petrichor & Meraki and are soon to release their third, self titled album later this year. They were also previous finalists in The Gold Coast Music Awards, in the category of Release of the Year for their album Meraki.

“These Idle Hands will pull you in and hold you close like a warm, familiar embrace.”

Beat Mag

“These Idle Hands music, much like fine wine, to be imbibed and savoured within the shadowy twilight of self-reflection and contemplation.”

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These Idle Hands is a collaborative union of like-minded musicians. Their music is best described as hauntingly retrospective, emotive & impressionistic Alt-folk & Americana. The band are always refining & expanding their luminous acoustic balladry.

Not afraid to explore the darker aspects of the human condition, their music at times conveys an intensely personal lyrical perspective. These Idle Hands members hail from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. https://theseidlehands.com.au/

 

 

SILVER FLEET SHIPS release new single DO NOTHIN’; open preorders for debut LP ‘Before Never, After Forever’

lutruwita/Tasmania experimental indie-rock quartet Silver Fleet Ships are thrilled to share their new single Do Nothin’ – the third taste of the band’s forthcoming debut album ‘Before Never, After Forever’.

Originally heard in very early demo form on the Clarence City Council supported compilation ‘Two Sides’ (2020), Do Nothin’ is tightly wound, skittish and anxious. Shifting between weariness, defiance, frustration and numbness, this deliberately unsettling work is another example of Silver Fleet Ships’ impressive and ambitious stylistic breadth.

Silver Fleet Ships’ debut LP ‘Before Never, After Forever’, will be released on October 10th, through False Peak Records. Underpinned by palpable emotion, this intricate and intensely personal body of work is available to pre-order from today, through the group’s bandcamp page. The album features artwork designed by the multi-talented Bek Binnie, of fellow nipaluna/Hobart group Threats.

Silver Fleet Ships have built an intensely loyal following throughout nipaluna/Hobart, with impressive and infrequent live performances, including key sets at Junction Arts Festival and MONA’s New Year’s Eve showcase, and news of an album comes as long-awaited relief to a deeply captivated audience.

About Silver Fleet Ships

Formed in 2019, Silver Fleet Ships is an indie rock band from Hobart, Tasmania. Drawing inspiration from the textured sounds of Spoon, the atmospheric tones of Low, the post-punk echoes of The Cure, and the dynamic intensity of Queens of the Stone Age, their music carries the introspective lyricism of Death Cab for Cutie and the raw energy of Unwound, creating a unique blend of melody and grit.

Led by Spiro Noutsatos (also in follow., previously a member of Teens/Slaughterhäus Surf Cult), Silver Fleet Ships have a strong DIY recording ethos, an extension of Spiro’s work as a recording & mixing engineer for other Tasmanian bands (Dvrkworld, Slaughterhäus Surf Cult, Nice House, Legal Noise). This hands-on approach allowed the band to craft every sound on their forthcoming debut album with care and intention. The result is a deeply personal record created by an atmosphere of experimentation, capturing the raw, unpolished emotion that defines the band’s music.

Live, Silver Fleet Ships are Spiro Noutsatos, Mathew Olivier, Ryan Lynch and Jason Graham.

Silver Fleet Ships’ debut album Before Never, After Forever will be released on October 10, 2025 through False Peak Records.

Do Nothin’ – out WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27th

Silver Fleet Ships: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Links

 

 

COPPERLINE RETURN WITH REFLECTIVE NEW SINGLE ‘SLEEPWALKING’

Copperline return with their first new music since the award-winning 2022 single ‘Lucinda’, which drew a wave of new fans to the country rock outfit. Now, the 4-piece offer a first glimpse of their forthcoming third studio album with the release of ‘Sleepwalking’.

The gritty mid-tempo track is built on big guitars, sharp hooks and introspective storytelling – a sound the band has built from the ground up with long-time producer Shane Nicholson (Alex Lloyd, Tori Forsyth, Amber Lawrence). Working with the band since 2018, the multiple ARIA and Golden Guitar winner has an innate ability interpret their sound.

“We’ve formed a great creative partnership with Shane, working together across three records. We love the way he takes the time to understand and capture the things that make us unique as a band. And the way he finds the human touches in the performance of a song that make it unique and real.”

Lyrically, the song wrestles with the push-and-pull of drifting through life, half-awake, until the realisation hits that something has to change. “I wrote this song as a kind of wake-up call to myself,” shares frontman Brad Christmas. “I felt like I was going through life on autopilot, sleepwalking through my days in a cloud of my own thoughts. The song was a reminder to get out of my own head once in a while and smell the roses.”

The single follows the success of ‘Lucinda’ – a haunting ballad from their 2022 sophomore album Borrowed, Broken and Blue. Written for Christmas’ late daughter, the track climbed to #6 Most Downloaded and #3 Most Streamed single on the Play MPE charts, won Ballad of the Year at the 2023 Australian Songwriters Association Awards, and has since notched over 182,000 streams on Spotify.

Since their 2018 debut Rusty Fords and Weatherboards, Copperline have steadily built a reputation as one of Australia’s most distinctive country rock bands, earning radio play nationwide, stepping onto festival stages including Toyota Park at Tamworth Country Music Festival, and sharing lineups with the likes of Andrew Swift and Bill Chambers.

With 5 x Australian Songwriters Association nominations – including the 2023 win for ‘Lucinda’ – and 3 x Tamworth Songwriters Association nods, Copperline have firmly established themselves as one of the country’s most respected songwriting outfits.

Frontman Brad Christmas has also played sideman to a slew of music royalty, performing with Boney M, Steve Kilbey (The Church), Mark Williams (Dragon), and Steve Balbi (Noiseworks). He and drummer Gareth Richards are also part of indie-rock collective The Gin Palace, who have performed alongside the Charlatans, Inspiral Carpets and TISM.

With ‘Sleepwalking’, Copperline lean into the grit, urgency and humanity that defines their sound, proving that they’re ones to watch. If you haven’t heard Copperline yet, it’s time to wake up and listen.

SHOW DATES:
Sunday 21st September – Union Hotel, Newtown, NSW
Saturday 4th October – Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW
Sunday 30th November – Link and Pin, Woy Woy NSW

CONNECT WITH COPPERLINE www.copperlineband.com

 

 

 

THE PRETTY RECKLESS RELEASE NEW SINGLE FOR I AM DEATH

Record-breaking, multiplatinum rock band The Pretty Reckless have released their new single, For I Am Death. The song marks the beginning of what promises to be a powerful, unpredictable ride through the band’s latest chapter of artistic exploration. Listen HERE.

Speaking about the song, Taylor said “With For I Am Death, I want the music to speak for itself, allowing the listener to decide what it means to them. The interpretation of the song might align with my own, or it might come from the heart of the audience. Either way, I’m excited to see what people take away from it and what it means to them. Oh, and rock and roll will never die.” The music video directed by Lewis Cater was released alongside the single, which sees Taylor transform into a malevolent, haunting figure. Surrounded by sinister forces, she represents the personification of death that she embodied when writing the song.

The song arrives following their support slot on AC/DC’s massive Power Up stadium tour across North America and Europe, which saw them play to over 3 million people in iconic venues such as LA’s Rose Bowl, Chicago’s Soldier Field, London’s Wembley Stadium, and Paris’ Stade de France, among others.

FOR I AM DEATH – OUT NOW https://ffm.to/tpr_foriamdeath

 

 

SECONDHAND SERENADE Awake – 20th Anniversary Tour, December 2025

After A 16 Year Absence From Australia, Secondhand Serenade return for 3 very special shows backed by a Symphony String Section.

From the raw, heartfelt strums of a lone acoustic guitar in a Californian bedroom to global stages filled with thousands singing his lyrics, John Vesely, better known as Secondhand Serenade, has carved a legacy that is undeniable. Hard work and raw emotion are a given, but it’s Vesely’s undeniable talent as a songwriter, vocalist and performer, paired with an unrelenting connection to his fans, that sets him far above.

In the 20 years since releasing the debut album, Awake, Secondhand Serenade has become a cornerstone of the emo-pop movement. Vesely’s soul-baring anthems strike at the heart and are the soundtrack and voice to many of the MySpace generation.

Secondhand Serenade’s live performances are a tidal wave of feelings. Vulnerability, hope and angst all set against an array of soaring melodies and the kind of authenticity that leaves you spellbound. From the multiple platinum anthems Fall For You, Your Call and Maybe, to more recent tracks like Find Somebody Else, Edge Of A Riot, and Not Enough, Vesely’s shows are a journey through love, loss and redemption.

And what better way to experience the full emotional odyssey of these peerless songs than with a backing orchestral string section!

TOUR DATES
Fri, December 19: Max Watts, Melbourne
Sat, December 20: Manning Bar, Sydney
Sun, December 21: The Triffid, Brisbane

Pre Sale: Wed, Aug 27 @ 9.00am
On Sale, Fri, Aug 29 @ 9.00am

Tickets via
www.thephoenix.au

 

 

THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Release ‘Dark Thoughts’ EP

Coming off two red-hot #1 rock tracks “Holy Water” (feat Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch) and “Suffocate City (feat. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills)” THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT have released the “Dark Thoughts” single from their smash GREETINGS FROM SUFFOCATE CITY album. Described by frontman Lee Jennings as “a finger snapping anthemic banger,” the mental health-themed song also appears on the newly released four-track DARK THOUGHTS EP along with a version of the song featuring vocals by Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, a new remix of the song, and a live performance of it from the band’s hometown of Atlanta alongside the original version.

Listen to the DARK THOUGHTS EP, released via Better Noise Music
https://thefuneralportrait.lnk.to/dtep

Two videos were also released today. View “Dark Thoughts (Beyond The Abyss Remix)”https://thefuneralportrait.lnk.to/dtremix
And
“Dark Thoughts (Live From Suffocate City)”
https://thefuneralportrait.lnk.to/dtep/youtube

DARK THOUGHTS EP:
1. Dark Thoughts (Beyond The Abyss Remix)
2. Dark Thoughts, original version
3. Dark Thoughts (feat. Danny Worsnop)
4. Dark Thoughts (Live From Suffocate City), recorded in Atlanta, GA at The Masquerade on Nov 17, 2024

“We wanted to put together something special and different that we haven’t done for the Coffin Crew [the band’s devoted following],” explains singer Lee Jennings. “The other cool thing about this EP is that we are including the live version that we recorded at our first-ever town hall meeting in Atlanta. This marked our first sold-out show in our hometown.”

About the song itself, Jennings explains that “‘Dark Thoughts’ is a fun and energetic song meant to highlight our own mental health struggles. I wrote it about being diagnosed with OCD, I’m glad that more people can relate. This song is one of my personal favorites on the album. It’s deeply rooted in feeling trapped in your own head, like you have no one to reach out to who would understand or have an answer. It’s a statement both about the band and our fans. Depression, anxiety, and mental health crisis events are a ubiquitous experience for us, and the people who connect with our art. It can be such a terrifying and daunting task to try to overcome, but we hope that by connecting with others, we can support each other as a community in times when things seem the most bleak.”

GREETINGS FROM SUFFOCATE CITY – FROM BEYOND THE ABYSS: DELUXE EDITION is available now
https://thefuneralportrait.ffm.to/gfscdeluxe

Exclusive merch bundles are available HERE at the BNM label store.

Follow THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT online at
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube

 

 

Surely Shirley unveil new single Needlepoint Heartache

Following the tender introspection of Safe For Another Day, South Coast-born twin sisters Anisha and Jenaya Okpalanze return with Needlepoint Heartache, a track that trades quiet surrender for imagined redemption.

Rooted in the deep harmony that comes from both blood and creative kinship, Surely Shirley continue to blend nostalgia-drenched melodies with raw emotional candour. Raised by their grandparents on a soundtrack of The Beach Boys and The Mamas & The Papas, the sisters built a shared language of rich vocal arrangements and vivid storytelling.

“Observing a relationship that made a girl feel small and broken, this song finishes in the way I wish reality could have mirrored,” the duo shared. “It’s a song of what could have been.”

Where Safe For Another Day offered a slow burn of quiet resilience, Needlepoint Heartache carries a wistful romanticism, weaving warm guitar tones, hypnotic harmonies, and an undercurrent of yearning that swells with each verse. The production strikes a balance between delicacy and drive, enough space for their voices to ache, but enough pulse to make the fantasy feel alive.

Surely Shirley have already cemented themselves as a rising force in Australia’s alt-pop scene with consistent viral success on TikTok (teaser clips reaching hundreds of thousands of views), a combined online following of over 80,000, and signed modelling contracts that match their effortlessly cool aesthetic. Over their career, they’ve performed at SXSW Austin, Lost Paradise, Party in the Paddock, Yours & Owls Festival, and a national tour support for Infinity Song. Their music has scored high-profile sync placements with Google, The AFL, Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia, and fashion label Spell, alongside strong DSP backing from Spotify (including cover of Fresh Finds Pop Global, Young & Free, Softly, Equal, Crushed Velvet, Viral Hits Thailand, Pop N’ Fresh, Radar AUNZ, Homework Vibes, July Joy, Coastal Drive) and extensive radio play spanning from Australia to Japan.

With Needlepoint Heartache, Surely Shirley take a moment to rewrite the ending, not just of a love story, but of the emotional narrative itself. It’s a song that lets longing linger, while offering listeners a place to imagine their own “what if.”

CONNECT ONLINE WITH SURELY SHIRLEY https://www.instagram.com/surelyshirleymusic/

 

 

SnarskiCircusLindyBand drop new single and video “The Dying Conversation” ahead of long-awaited debut album (and first-ever vinyl release) “what’s said and what’s left unsaid”, out Sept 26

A songwriting collaboration between Rob Snarski (Blackeyed Susans) and Lindy Morrison (Go-Betweens), SnarskiCircusLindyBand marks the first time that Morrison has recorded her own compositions

SnarskiCircusLindyBand, the new songwriting collaboration between Rob Snarski (Blackeyed Susans) and Lindy Morrison (Go-Betweens) have today dropped the new single & video “The Dying Conversation” from their forthcoming debut album “what’s said and what’s left unsaid”.

SnarskiCircusLindyBand is a fully-fledged band which sees Snarski and Morrison joined by friends Graham Lee (Triffids), Shane O’Mara (Silversound et al) and Dan Kelly (Alpha Males, Paul Kelly). The band marks the first time that Lindy Morrison has recorded her own compositions, and the new single “The Dying Conversation” hangs on particular powerful – yet surprisingly bright – musing on death, grief and loss.

“what’s said and what’s left unsaid”, which will be released September 26, is the band’s first release to hit vinyl and well as digital platforms and CD. It follows two lovingly received mini albums (released on CD and digitally only), and featured five new songs and five songs from the earlier mini-albums,

The first taste of the new material, the single, “You’re So Adorable”, featuring guest lead vocals by French-Australian art pop indie enfant prodige Lili Alaska, was released three weeks ago.

The band will follow the album’s release with launch shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, as detailed below.

The album is available to pre-order from the band’s Bandcamp page now:
https://robsnarski.bandcamp.com
https://robsnarski.com/shop

Album launches
Sunday Oct 19 (afternoon & early evening shows)
The Wheatsheaf
Thebarton, Adelaide SA

Saturday Oct 25 (7PM doors)
Memo Music Hall
St Kilda, Melbourne VIC
w/ special guests Belle Phoenix & Jeffrey Wegener

Sunday Nov 9 (1PM doors)
The Cave Inn
Woolloongabba, Brisbane QLD
(Rob Snarski & Lindy Morrison: A Duo Unveiled Show)

Friday Dec 19 & Sat Dec 20 :

The Vanguard
Newtown, Sydney, NSW
w/ special guests Love Me

On sale 9AM Sept 15

 

 

Isabel Rumble Shares Intimate ‘Better Half of Me’ Ahead of Sophomore Album and Australian Tour. Single Out Friday, August 22 | Album ‘Hold Everything Lightly’ Out Friday, October 24

Isabel Rumble returns with ‘Better Half of Me’, a dusky, introspective single that reflects on love’s quiet departure. It offers a tender preview of her second full-length album ‘Hold Everything Lightly’, due October 24, alongside a national tour throughout October and November.

The release follows a steady rise for Isabel, who has shared stages with acclaimed artists such as Lior & Domini, Daniel Champagne, Holly Arrowsmith, and Ireland’s David Keenan. The first glimpse of her forthcoming album, ‘Soften’, was met with warm acclaim, celebrated for its gentle songwriting and soul-stirring vocal delivery, with support from ABC Country, Music Feeds, Apple Music playlists, and beyond.

Now, ‘Better Half of Me’ builds on that gentle legacy. Anchored by soft acoustic guitar and vocals that carry the comfort of a familiar embrace, ‘Better Half of Me’ is a balm for aching hearts. Tender yet grounded, and simple yet layered with emotional depth, every note in ‘Better Half of Me’ carries a quiet weight, unfolding with clarity and an effortless grace.

The song reflects on the quiet ending of a relationship, holding space for both the sadness of letting go and the quiet courage it takes to move forward. Rather than mourn what’s lost, ‘Better Half of Me’ gently honours the passing of a season, embracing the idea that love, even in its absence, can continue to shape and nourish us. While creating this song, Isabel Rumble came to a realisation:

“In the process of writing ‘Better Half of Me’, I realised that real love doesn’t disappear, in fact, its roots can remain entwined beneath our feet and continue to nourish through cycles to come.”

‘Better Half of Me’ offers a second glimpse into Isabel’s upcoming album ‘Hold Everything Lightly’. This new body of work is both intimate and expansive, tracing themes of love, longing, and quiet resilience. With a deeper, more layered sound than her debut, the record moves between stillness and intricacy, holding space for softness without losing strength.

Out now, ‘Better Half of Me’ opens the path to ‘Hold Everything Lightly’, Isabel Rumble’s forthcoming album arriving October 24. Then, she brings her album to stages this spring, inviting listeners to sit with stillness and welcome softness. Tour details below.

‘Hold Everything Lightly’ Tour

Thurs, Oct 30 – Little Lost Bookshop, Katoomba NSW | Tickets

Fri, Oct 31 – Local Edition, Sydney NSW

Sat, Nov 1 – Mane & Tales, Bermagui NSW | Tickets

Thurs, Nov 6 – Odessas, Ballarat VIC | w/ Seren Spain

Fri, Nov 7 – GROW, Anglesea VIC | w/ Daniel Aaron | Tickets

Sun, Nov 9 – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne VIC | w/ Kris Mizzi | Tickets

Thurs, Nov 13 – Grace Emily, Adelaide SA | w/ Ryan Martin John | Tickets

Sat, Nov 15 – Stone Pony, Willunga SA

Sun, Nov 16 – Three Brothers Arms, Macclesfield SA | w/ Priyanka Luxx | Tickets

Wed, Nov 19 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra ACT | w/ Robyn Martin | Tickets

Sun, Nov 30 – Can You Keep a Secret, Brisbane QLD

Follow Isabel Rumble Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | SoundCloud | Bandcamp  | Facebook | Instagram | Website

 

 

 

LAUFEY’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED THIRD ALBUM A MATTER OF TIME OUT NOW

A Matter of Time, the highly-anticipated new album from GRAMMY®-winning LA-based Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey, is now available worldwide via Vingolf Recordings / AWAL. Included in the album is new focus track “Mr. Eclectic” (featuring backing vocals from Clairo).

Additionally, Sunday, 24 August marks the 3rd annual “A Very Laufey Day”—a global activation where fans across the world are invited to experience a curated “Laufey-inspired day” tailored to their city, complete with various hand-picked activities in each market (75+ cities this year, including Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne). Activities include “Laufeycore” clothing racks at local thrift stores, specialty “A Matcha of Time” drinks at coffee shops, specialty “A Berry Laufey Day” frozen desserts, Laufey Book Club selections at bookstores, and more. The day will culminate in a special performance by Laufey straight from Los Angeles, which will be officially streamed on TikTok LIVE via a global partnership with the entertainment platform. For further details and the global checklist, visit AVeryLaufeyDay.com.

As Laufey began to craft A Matter of Time, she felt freer than ever. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she says, and it’s true. An artist who pours her life experiences into her work, she infused 2022’s Everything I Know About Love with coming-of-age tales revolving around leaving home, and for 2023’s GRAMMY®-winning Bewitched she dove headlong into young love. Brought to life with sweeping orchestral arrangements, interwoven strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, those albums cemented Laufey as a star who can make sounds from bygone eras feel timeless.

Now on A Matter of Time, Laufey further crystalises her singular sound—one still rooted in her beloved influences, but which forgoes any strict standards or rules. “I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage.” For this album she continues to do so while also noting, “I just wanted to let my heart wander.” To that end, she teamed with a pair of co-producers, one comforting and familiar—Spencer Stewart who worked with Laufey on her first two albums —and one new to her but deeply attuned to artists looking to open up: Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran). Feeling sonically unrestrained gave Laufey the space to share new sides of herself while exploring sometimes heavier themes. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she says. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror.” A Matter of Time finds Laufey at her most daring—and also playful—as she captures the experience of “real love” in its many forms and what it means to observe as it strips you down to your most vulnerable and anxious.

Laufey will perform the new songs on the “A Matter of Time Tour,” which sold over 265,000 tickets upon its initial on-sale, including two sold out Madison Square Garden dates in New York City, two sold out Crypto.com Arena dates in Los Angeles, plus second nights added in Toronto and San Francisco and a dozen other instantly sold out arena shows. The tour kicks off next month and sees Laufey bringing her enchanting and theatrical live show to her largest North American venues to date.

A Matter of Time is out now.

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MEGHNA’S EXPLOSIVE DEBUT EP A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS OUT NOW

Melbourne-based, alt-electronic pop provocateur Meghna is done playing nice; A World Full of Idiots is her scorching debut EP, out now.

LISTEN TO A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS HERE

A volatile cocktail of fury, drive, and brutal self-awareness. Across six razor-sharp tracks, the concept record dissects rage in its many forms, and calls out to anyone else who’s ever felt like screaming into the void.

Produced by SB90, the EP’s sonic landscape is a twisted fusion of Berlin-club grit, hip-hop swagger, and subtle Indian influences. Together, these elements fuse into a sleek, volatile blend – glitchy trap beats, acid-laced hyperpop flourishes, and Meghna’s signature smoky vocals layered atop. She delivers a genre-defying punch to the gut that’s as cathartic as it is chaotic… and it’s sleek, dark, and undeniably danceable.

The emotional centrepiece of the EP is ‘Mountain’ – an introspective, drum-and-bass reflection on indigence and elitism. Written by Meghna at just 14 after a formative visit to Chennai, the track simmers with still, righteous anger. “There is no honour in looking away from poverty; rather, we must tackle it together.” First written as an acoustic track twinged with sadness, ‘Mountain’ has since transformed into something unbelievably urgent and defiant.

From primal outbursts and simmering impulsions, to the quiet devastation left in anger’s wake, it’s a collection of songs rooted in duality. Fury is both power and vulnerability; it’s a force of reckoning, and a moment for reflection. The EP’s title itself is deliberately tongue-in-cheek:  “When you’re angry, you feel like you’re the only one being rational, and like everyone else is an idiot.” notes Meghna. “But maybe you’re the real idiot for letting yourself get so angry over such trivial things. Maybe you’re the idiot for slamming the door, or kicking the couch. We all feel like idiots when we let anger get the best of us.”

Following up the explosive impact of her previous single ‘Road Rage’ – which received Rage’s Wild One award upon release – A World Full Of Idiots is a searing, unflinching portrait of modern fury. Anger has never sounded this good.

Melbourne based, Meghna is a multidisciplinary powerhouse: a law student, actor, and model, as complex as her sound. From multiple electrifying performances with ALWAYS LIVE to becoming the global face of DB Cosmetics, she champions both creative expression and social justice with fearless conviction. Her music has garnered national radio play on Triple J, PBS, 3RRR and more, with major outlets including Rolling Stone AU, The Guardian, NME, and VICE AU covering her rising presence in the Australian music scene.

LISTEN TO A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS HERE

GET SOCIAL WITH MEGHNA WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TRIPLE J UNEARTHED | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY

 

 

Lucinda Poy Explores the Fragile Truth Behind a ‘Liar’ in an Empowering Single

What happens when someone you trust shows you a side you never expected? Rising indie-pop artist Lucinda Poy unpacks this haunting question in ‘Liar’, out now. Blending her pop-rock roots with glowing synths and electronic textures, the track pulses with emotion that is restless, bittersweet, and unshakably honest.

Since her 2024 debut, Lucinda Poy has been making a name for herself, with her debut release ‘Just Fine’ racking up over 16k streams on Spotify, opening and collaborating with Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, and her performance of Silent Night with Eurovision performer Dami Im at her sold-out Christmas Songbook Show in Meanjin.

Despite its driving beat and electronic sheen, ‘Liar’ is quietly devastating as an intimate reckoning wrapped in shimmering sound. The track swells with atmospheric synth layers and heartbeat-like drums, grounding Lucinda’s dynamic vocals as they oscillate between airy falsetto and impassioned pleas. Her vocal agility captures every twist of emotion, from confusion to sorrow to reluctant understanding.

The song doesn’t shout in anger. It whispers the kind of heartbreak that lingers when someone you love breaks your trust. Subverting expectations, instead of condemning, this song pleads for an answer as to why. Lucinda Poy states,

“Sometimes the people you trust aren’t who you think they are. What made them lie to you, and why did they keep you in the dark? Does it make them a bad person? Seeing another side to someone is terrifying, and it can happen in a heartbeat.”

Lucinda will bring ‘Liar’ to life with a special launch show at Lyric’s Underground, Perth, on Wednesday, September 25, joined by Pareidolia and Rosalie Chilvers. Expect an emotionally charged set filled with new material and Lucinda’s signature vocal power.

Simmering with emotion beneath its pulsing pop beat, ‘Liar’ is out now.

Single Launch: Sept 25 – Lyric’s Underground, Perth | w/ Pareidolia & Rosalie Chillvers

Follow Lucinda Poy Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok

 

 

 

PIERCE BROTHERS SHARE EXUBERANT NEW SINGLE LOSING FRIENDS WHEN YOU’RE OLDER

A foot-stomping anthem, bustling with lively instrumentals, acoustic warmth and stirring vocals, Losing Friends When You’re Older places you instantly in the room with the Pierce Brothers, capturing the duo’s infectious live energy while also lyrically detailing the inevitable change that comes with getting older – along with a poignant yet positive undertone of acceptance. “Losing Friends When Your Older was written as catharsis,” shares Jack Pierce. “It’s not about anyone in particular, rather a reflection on the way people that you’ve had around along the journey either drop off, or as you grow you discover that you’re no longer compatible. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just a reality of getting older. And as you get older and grow apart from people, you realise that we’re all in a constant state of flux, and sometimes people that you may have thought you knew might not have the same values they once had.”

“When I wrote the track I wanted to explore that experience,” Jack continues. “As a millennial, it’s something we all go through as we get older. People will let you down, you will most likely let others down. It’s all a part of it, even if you’ve known them for 20 years! I wanted to detail those hard feelings and emotions in the most fun way possible, that big, rambunctious sound that I’ve always loved exploring, but haven’t done in a single for a while!”

Self-produced alongside long-time Pierce Brothers collaborator Phil Threlfal, Losing Friends When You’re Older also links to the pair’s 2024 acclaimed album Everything Is Bigger Than Me in a physical sense, as Jack explains, “We produced this one ourselves, with our long time collaborator Phil Threlfal, and we recorded it out at my home studio, Wattle Studios, as we did with the last album”. And lending some extra magic to proceedings, Losing Friends When You’re Older’s upbeat vibes are levelled up even further courtesy of keys player Dara Munnis, who will also be a familiar face for many Pierce Brothers fans, playing live onstage with the duo for the past four years.

From busking on the vibrant streets of Melbourne through to touring the globe, chart success and sharing stages with everyone from James Blunt through to Ben Harper and The Cat Empire, Pierce Brothers, aka twin brothers Jack and Patrick Pierce, first captured hearts and ears via their breakout 2014 EP The Night Tree. Now a firm favourite and fixture on the Australian scene and all over the world, Pierce Brothers have grown their high energy indie folk-meets-blues-and-roots stylings into an act in command of a two top 15 ARIA albums, two Top 10 ARIA Eps, over 40 million global streams and a dedicated legion of fans that spans endlessly beyond their hometown in Melbourne.

Most recently showcasing their creative and personal growth via their third studio album, Everything Is Bigger Than Me, Pierce Brothers also significantly stormed the charts upon its release, taking out #1 on the Australian Albums Chart, and also commanding a top 15 debut on the all-genres, all-formats ARIA Albums Chart. “We couldn’t believe that we got the AUS ARIA #1 last year for Everything Is Bigger Than Me!” shares Jack. “ It really blew us away! We learned SO much from that record, as that was really the first time we fully stepped into a producer role. Since then we’ve been diving way further into the studio recording side of things, learning more and demoing a HEAP more! We took so much from that experience that has gone into the new material we’ve been putting together!”

On the live front, having performed at major festivals throughout their career in Europe, the UK, North America, South Africa and Australia, Pierce Brothers have also previously enamoured with performances closer to home at Bluesfest Byron Bay, and sold out venues as headliners at the likes of The Espy, The Northcote Theatre, and Forum in Melbourne through to The Garage in London. And from opening 2025 with an extensive 10th anniversary tour for The Night Tree, this year will also see Pierce Brothers perform at Mundi Mundi Bash later this month, set to christen their brand new single in a live setting at the iconic outback festival.

“The 10th anniversary tour earlier this year was an incredible success!” says Jack. “We had a bunch of fun revisiting those old songs, and couldn’t believe some of the massive shows that we did, upgrading Frankston to a 1200 cap was something I did NOT have on my bingo card for 2025! Having said that, we’re now looking to the next setlist with new tracks and stuff we’ve been working on, and I think we’re all pretty stoked about the next chapter for PBS!”

“The first show after this track is released will be Mundi Mundi Bash,” adds Jack, “and we’ve put some new things into the set that we can’t wait to show everyone! Playing to 12,000 people in the desert is an excellent way to plug a brand new single!”

Fresh off signing a worldwide distribution deal with Believe, Losing Friends When You’re Older also arrives as the first official Pierce Brothers release from the freshly-inked deal. And with an early 2026 European tour, already half sold out, and plenty of other performances at home on the near horizon, there’s even more cause to celebrate with Pierce Brothers in 2025, with the duo rapidly working behind the scenes on a follow up album, yet to be announced, set for release later this year.

“Losing Friends When You’re Older is the first single released from our new album due out later this year!” reveals Jack. “We’re so stoked to be getting this track out. It’s a real step back into that high-energy “live” feel, and it’s a song that I can’t wait to perform. That’s what makes me so excited about this song, it’s classic Pierce Brothers when they’re at their best. Heartfelt, sad, and energetic foot stomping!”

Losing Friends When You’re Older is out today.

Stream: LOSING FRIENDS WHEN YOU’RE OLDER

PIERCE BROTHERS – UPCOMING 2025 WORLD TOUR DATES:

Tickets available from www.piercebrothers.com

FRI 19 SEPT | UNTAMED 2025, BROOME WA

SAT 20 SEP | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA

FRIDAY 3 OCT | WATERWHEEL BEACH TAVERN, LAKE TYERS BEACH VIC

SAT 4 OCT | WANDERER FESTIVAL, MERIMBULA NSW

SAT 22 NOV | GRAZE THE DAY, TIMBOON VIC

SUN 30 NOV | QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL, QUEENSCLIFF VIC

2026 UK/EURO TOUR

Tickets available from www.piercebrothers.com

https://www.facebook.com/piercebrothersmusic

 

 

THE MAGGIE PILLS RELEASE SOPHOMORE ALBUM ‘HEARTS ENDURING LINGERING LOSS’

Naarm/Melbourne-based post-punk outfit The Maggie Pills have today released their sophomore record ‘Hearts Enduring Lingering Loss’, via Cheersquad Records & Tapes.  Order vinyl HERE.

Led by Argentinian frontwoman Delfi Sorondo and Venezuelan drummer Mario Perez, the group formed in 2019 shortly after both members immigrated to Australia. Produced and mixed by drummer Mario Perez and Brad Jackson, the record captures the band’s signature intensity, a blend of haunting liberation and sonic grit. At the origin of the record sits the focus track ‘Swords and Knives’, a stormy meditation on the raw, unplanned nature of love – how it arrives like lightning in an open field and leaves us split open.

“Love comes in fast. It battles you from the inside out,” the band shares. “We’re all mysterious creatures, full of hidden fears. Being truly seen is terrifying. But it’s also the only way to really connect. And sometimes, it hurts like hell.”

The album’s singles also feature prominently, from the grunge distortion of ‘Velobell’ to the fuzz-drenched menace of ‘Goths Of Disgrace’. Across twelve tracks, ‘Hearts Enduring Lingering Loss’ unpacks loss, desire, fear and defiance in equal measure.

Filmed in a single day on a handycam to harness the shifting light of nature, the music video for ‘Swords & Knives’ is a haunting visual fable from The Maggie Pills. Written, directed, and shot by Mario, and edited by Sam Mapplebeck (Tropical Fuck Storm, Amyl and The Sniffers), it follows a vampire girl who wakes at dawn knowing she will die before nightfall. Her wandering search for truth leads her through grief, madness, and confrontations with the Sun, Moon, and ocean, each a symbol of love, loss, and inevitability.

To mark the release, The Maggie Pills will play two Naarm/Melbourne shows at The Night Cat and The Brunswick Ballroom. This continues on from playing some of the city’s most iconic venues, including Northcote Social Club, The Curtin, Max Watts, The Croxton, and Shotkickers, and selling out multiple headline shows, including their ‘GOLD’ single launch. The group have also shared the stage with Black Lips (USA), Shihad, Cable Ties, The Meanies, Battlesnake, The Mark Of Cain and Private Function.

Their music has been supported by triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J, and Australian Community Radio stations such as 3RRR, PBS, 2SER, and 4ZZZ, among many others. In the blogosphere, they have seen support from Rolling Stone (AUS), Pilerats, Backseat Mafia (UK/AUS), Blunt Magazine, The Music, Wall of Sound, Tone Deaf, and HEAVY Magazine.

‘Hearts Enduring Lingering Loss’ is available worldwide now via Cheersquad Records & Tapes
Order vinyl HERE

THE MAGGIE PILLS UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Tickets available now at moshtix.com.au

FRI 17 OCT | THE NIGHT CAT, NAARM/MELBOURNE VIC
SAT 22 NOV | THE BRUNSWICK BALLROOM, NAARM/MELBOURNE VIC

FOLLOW THE MAGGIE PILLS
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | THREADS | TWITTER | TIKTOK | TRIPLE J UNEARTHED
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THE MEAN TIMES SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ‘FEEL MORE DUMB’ OUT SEPTEMBER 12

Melbourne/Naarm’s The Mean Times have always existed somewhere between a raised eyebrow and a clenched fist – equal parts party and panic attack. With their debut album Feel More Dumb, out September 12 through Golden Robot Records, the four-piece finally delivers on years of glorious potential, fusing post-punk fury, garage-pop swagger and sharp-tongued absurdism into one dangerously catchy pressure valve.

Written throughout Melbourne’s seemingly endless lockdowns and recorded at the now-lost Head Gap Studios in Preston, Feel More Dumb is the band’s most complete statement yet. Produced by Anna Laverty (Camp Cope, The Peep Tempel, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds); mixed by the band’s guitarist, Eoin Clements, and mastered by Nao Anzai (Rolling Blackouts CF, Teskey Brothers), the record sharpens the band’s unruly edge without sanding it down – capturing all the raw energy of sweaty gigs, functioning alcoholism, and half-shouted therapy sessions disguised as lyrics.

Thematically, Feel More Dumb dives headfirst into the triple threat of sex, death and depression – but don’t expect earnest navel-gazing or po-faced doom. These songs wrestle with the absurdity of adult life: lust without romance, grief without clarity, and a nagging anxiety that maybe your best days were five years ago at a pub you can’t remember the name of. It’s loud, literate, occasionally filthy, and always uncomfortably honest.

From the fast, fiery and over-it opening single, ‘Already Done’ to the sex-positive, chaotic swagger of ‘Hell’. and the slacker-soul anti-domestic violence messages of ‘Hook, Line and Sinker,’ the album moves like a bad thought you can’t shake – groovy, grimy, and impossible to ignore. It’s a record you can dance to while falling apart. Listen to latest single ‘Hook, Line and Sinker’ HERE

Feel More Dumb is also a testament to a band that’s stuck together longer than most marriages. Formed in 2011 via a trail of missed messages, kebab-fuelled jam sessions and accidental auditions, The Mean Times – Tom ‘Captain’ Morgan (vocals/guitar), Rob Meerkat (bass), Rhino Williams (drums) and Eoin Clements (guitar) – are best mates who have built a reputation for self-deprecating charm, musical tightness, and never doing anything the easy way. This is the first time they’ve captured that live-wire chemistry in full on record.

But beneath the chaos and distortion, Feel More Dumb has a clear throughline. It’s an album about what happens when the wild freedom of youth crashes into the slow realisation that you’re not invincible, not special, and maybe not even coping. It’s funny until it isn’t. Then it’s funny again.

The Mean Times aren’t offering answers – but they’re damn good at describing the question. Feel More Dumb is what happens when four musicians hurtling toward middle age with no plan, no filter, and no sense of when to stop decide to make something honest. It’s clever, cool, loud, flawed, cathartic, and weirdly beautiful in its refusal to fake it.

Pre-save ‘Feel More Dumb’ HERE

ABOUT THE MEAN TIMES
Having formed so long ago they can’t remember how, The Mean Times have played practically every sticky carpet in Victoria, and many more beyond. From their early synth-leaning debut EP You’ve Got the Wrong Guys, to the post-grunge garage-pop of Raw Prawn and Stunned Mullet, the band has consistently fused swagger with self-deprecation, pairing catchy choruses with subject matter that swings between mid-life dread, bad decisions, and the fun you can have before things fall apart.

The new singles ‘Already Done’ and ‘Hell’ preview the full chaos of Feel More Dumb – think The Vines on decaf, Blur with existential dread, or Arctic Monkeys being blackmailed by their own conscience. It’s music built to shout along with while you think. It’s raw yet polished, weird yet digestible, punk yet pop. There’s no redemption arc here, no grandstanding – just the thrill of shouting into the void with your mates and maybe pulling off a half-decent dance move before it all collapses.

Musically, The Mean Times channel everything from The Saints and Pixies to Blur, Regurgitator and Queens of the Stone Age – but they’d probably just say they sound like a shopping trolley on fire rolling down a hill into a dive bar with good chips. The lyrics are loud, literate and laced with droll humour; the energy, infectious; the vibe, all-in.

With Feel More Dumb, The Mean Times aren’t trying to save the world. They’re just here to point out its ridiculousness and make you dance while it burns.

https://www.themeantimes.com/

 

 

SPANDAU BALLET Announce Definitive Early Years Box Set Everything Is Now – Vol 1: 1978-1982
6 CD, Blu-ray, 2LP Box Set Out September 12

Release coincides with ‘Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s’ a major exhibition at London’s Design Museum from September 20

Spandau Ballet, one of the most influential bands in British music, will release their definitive early years collection, “Everything Is Now – Vol 1: 1978-1982” – a comprehensive 9-disc box set featuring their groundbreaking first two albums alongside a wealth of previously unavailable material. It includes a beautiful 44 page book with original photos from fellow Blitz Kid Graham Smith and new commentary from the whole band.

Released September 12th on Parlophone, this meticulously curated collection captures the band’s origins and meteoric rise from Blitz Club favourites to chart-topping innovators. The set includes their seminal albums “Journeys To Glory” (1981) and “Diamond” (1982) on vinyl, plus six CDs of singles, remixes, BBC sessions, demos, and a Blu-ray of Dolby Atmos mixes, videos
and rare live footage.

The collection showcases the band’s evolution through their formative and revolutionary period, from the electronic-infused new wave of early singles like “To Cut A Long Story Short” and “The Freeze” to the funk-influenced sophistication of “Chant No. 1″ and “Instinction. ” They were simply the most cutting edge, futuristic band in the world, at the centre of a creative scene that
defined the 1980s.

This release also coincides with London’s Design Museum, who open their exhibition
‘Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s’ from September 20. It explores the ‘Blitz Kids’ who pioneered new music, fashion, film, design and more from the tiny Soho nightclub The Blitz, all to a soundtrack provided by a nascent Spandau Ballet (the only artist to ever play the club). The band’s friend and fellow club goer, Robert Elms, had suggested the new name and they made their debut as Spandau Ballet at The Blitz on December 5th 1979. They were offered a record contract mid set by Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records and the performance pushed the band “through the looking glass” and onto an accelerated ride through the 1980s and into pop culture history and global superstardom.

The band began to export their music around the world in a series of ground breaking club culture events, including making their first New York appearance in 1981, taking key Blitz Kids with them and staging a concert and fashion show, paving the way for Britain’s second musical invasion of America. Video of this whole performance is included in the box set. On another
legendary night, they played new superclub KU in Ibiza, who released a bull on the night to mark the occasion amongst the 3000 fans, and were pivotal in alerting the UK to the burgeoning Ibiza dance scene.

This boxset charts those origins, from the band building a scene of the coolest fans on the planet in hometown London, through a record label bidding war, an iconic just pre-fame performance aboard HMS Belfast and into worldwide success that went on to almost perfectly span and define the 1980s.

LISTEN TO THE SINGLES
Eyes –  Gentry Demo
SpandauBallet.lnk.to/EyesGentryDemo

‘Eyes’ was recorded at Halligan’s rehearsal studio while the band were still called Gentry. It was at the studio that they were given the name ‘Spandau Ballet’ by future broadcaster and journalist Robert Elms. The song can be heard on the ‘Demos’ disc of the ‘Everything Is Now’ box set, which showcases the band’s evolution from 1978 to 1982. ‘Eyes’ was performed on the night which truly launched Spandau Ballet – 5th December 1979 at the legendary Blitz club’s Christmas party.

Steven Wilson Stereo Mix of “The Freeze”
spandauballet.lnk.to/TheFreezeStevenWilsonRMX
the band’s second single after the hit of “To Cut A Long Story Short” . Both tracks reflected the European electronic music that the band heard at The Blitz, making full use of the Yamaha CS-10 synthesizer they had acquired on hire purchase. The mix features on the Blu-Ray Stereo and Instrumental remixesby acclaimed musician and go-to Dolby Atmos mixer, Steven Wilson.

Pre Orders for thins incredible box set are available now
spandauballet.lnk.to/EverythingIsNowPS

Highlights include:
* Comprehensive collection of 7″ and 12″ singles, remixes and versions
* Two complete BBC concert recordings from 1981 and 1982 and a BBC Session from 1981
* Previously unreleased demos including early Gentry recordings
* Dolby Atmos remixes by Steven Wilson
* Rare live footage from NYC’s Underground Club (1981)
* Original albums “Journeys To Glory” and “Diamond” on vinyl
* Includes rare set of remixes for the “Diamond” album. Previously unavailable on CD
* 44 page booklet with all new quotes from every band member and classic photos charting key moments, design and style

The box set features all the band’s early classics including “To Cut A Long Story Short,” “Chant No. 1,” “Muscle Bound,” “Paint Me Down,” “Instinction” and “She Loved Like Diamond,“ and presents multiple versions of tracks that trace their development from initial demos to extended 12” club mixes.

The Blu-ray component includes Dolby Atmos and stereo remixes by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson, alongside original music videos, BBC TV appearances and the complete 56-minute concert from New York’s Underground Club in 1981.

“Everything Is Now – Vol 1: 1978-1982″ stands as the definitive document of Spandau Ballet’s revolutionary early period, when they helped define the sound and style of a generation.

SPANDAU BALLET
EVERYTHING IS NOW – VOL 1: 1978-1982
CD1: JOURNEYS TO GLORY ERA SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS
CD2: DIAMOND ERA SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS
CD3: DIAMOND – 12” SINGLES BOX SET
CD4: BBC SESSION 1981 / BBC IN CONCERT BOURNEMOUTH 1982
CD5: BBC IN CONCERT PARIS THEATRE 1982
CD6: DEMOS
BLU-RAY (DISC 7): DOLBY ATMOS, PROMOS & EXTRAS
LP1 (DISC 8): JOURNEYS TO GLORY
LP2 (DISC 9): DIAMOND

CD1: JOURNEYS TO GLORY ERA SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS
7 inch A-Sides
1. To Cut A Long Story Short (7” A-side) [3:22]
2. The Freeze (7″ Version A-side) [3:32]
3. Muscle Bound (7″ Version A-side) [3:58]
4. Glow (7″ Version AA-side) [3:49]

7 inch B-Sides
5. To Cut A Long Story Short (Version) [3:22]
6. The Freeze (Version 7” B-side) [4:23]

12 inch A-Sides & B-Sides
7. To Cut A Long Story Short (Mix 1 A-side) [6:32]
8. To Cut A Long Story Short (Version) (Mix 2) [3.59]
9. The Freeze (12” A-side) [4:36]
10. The Freeze (Special Mix 12” B-side) [6:33]
11. Glow (12″ Version) [8:11]
12. Muscle Bound (12” B-side) [4.51]

CD2: DIAMOND ERA SINGLES, REMIXES & VERSIONS
7 inch A-Sides
1. Chant No 1 (7” A-side) [4:07]
2. Paint Me Down (7” A-side) [3:13]
3. She Love Like Diamond (7” A-side) [2:52]
4. Instinction (7” Trevor Horn Version) [3:34]

7 inch B-Sides
5. Feel The Chant (Short – 7” B-side) [4:04]
6. Man With Guitar (B-Side of Paint Me Down) [2:52]
7. Gently (B-Side of Intinction) [4:00]
8. She Loved Like Diamond (Instrumental B-side) [2:56]

12 inch A-Sides & B-Sides
9. Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) (Extended Mix – 12” A-side) [5:52]
10. Feel The Chant (Long – 12” B-side) [5:49]
11. Paint Me Down (12” A-side) [7:05]
12. Re Paint (12” B-side) [6:53]

CD3: DIAMOND – 12” REMIX SINGLES BOX SET
1. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) (Remix) [8:04]
2. Instinction (Remix) [6:59]
3. Paint Me Down (Remix) [6:25]
4. Coffee Club (Remix) [6:49]
5. She Loved Like Diamond (Remix) [3:41]
6. Pharaoh (Remix) [6:37]
7. Innocence And Science (Remix) [4:28]
8. Missionary (Remix) [7:02]

CD4: BBC SESSION 1981 / BBC IN CONCERT BOURNEMOUTH 1982
BBC Session – Studio B15, March 15, 1981
1. The Freeze [4:41]
2. Mandolin [4:07]
3. Muscle Bound [4:52]
4. Glow [4:14]

BBC In Concert Bournemouth, April 19, 1982
5. The Freeze [5:13]
6. She Loved Like Diamond [3:10]
7. To Cut A Long Story Short [3:52]
8. Glow [5:13]
9. Paint Me Down [4:45]
10. Instinction / Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [6:10]
(Medley: Instinction [5:46] / Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [1:24]

CD5: BBC IN CONCERT PARIS THEATRE, LONDON 1982
Produced by Jeff Griffin
1. Instinction (Version 1) [5:28]
2. The Freeze [5:11]
3. She Loved Like Diamond [2:59]
4. To Cut A Long Story Short [3:46]
5. Pharoah [6:07]
6. Glow [5:11]
7. Muscle Bound [4:56]
8. Confused [4:07]
9. Paint Me Down [4:56]
10. Coffee Club [6:38]
11. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) [6:56]
12. Instinction (Version 2) [4:28]
13. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) (Reprise) [1:22]

CD6: DEMOS
1. Toys (Gentry Demo) [4:20]
2. Age Of Blows (Gentry Demo) [3:47]
3. Eyes (Gentry Demo) [5:27]
4. To Cut A Long Story Short (Arista Demo) [3:42]
5. The Freeze (Arista Demo) [4:56]
6. Confused (Arista Demo) [4:10]
7. Reformation (Arista Demo) [4:59]

Component 7 – BLU-RAY: ATMOS, PROMOS & EXTRAS
DOLBY ATMOS, STEREO & INSTRUMENTAL REMIXES BY STEVEN WILSON
To Cut A Long Story Short
The Freeze
Muscle Bound
Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
Paint Me Down
Instinction

MUSIC VIDEOS
To Cut A Long Story Short
The Freeze
Muscle Bound
Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
Paint Me Down
She Loved Like Diamond
Instinction

OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST, BBC TV 1982
She Loved Like Diamond
Coffee Club

LIVE AT THE UNDERGROUND CLUB, NYC, USA
MAY 6, 1981 – DURATION: 56mins 25secs
Intro by Jim Fouratt
The Freeze
Mandolin
Reformation
Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)
Toys
Age Of Blows
Muscle Bound
Confused
To Cut A Long Story Short
Glow

EXTRAS
HMS Belfast footage

Component 8 – LP1: JOURNEYS TO GLORY (1981)
Side One
1. To Cut A Long Story Short [3:20]
2. Reformation [4:54]
3. Mandolin [4:07]
4. Muscle Bound [5:06]

Side Two
1. Age Of Blows [4:09]
2. The Freeze [4:35]
3. Confused [4:38]
4. Toys [5:48]

Component 9 – LP2: DIAMOND (1982)
Side One
1. Chant No 1 [4:05]
2. Instinction [4:48]
3. Paint Me Down [3:44]
4. Coffee Club [5:30]

Side Two
1. She Loved Like Diamond [2:55]
2. Pharaoh [6:35]
3. Innocence And Science [4:15]
4. Missionary [7:15]

 

 

PLAYLUNCH RELEASE SOPHOMORE ALBUM “SEX ED” VIA ABC MUSIC. NEW SINGLE “REAL ESTATE APPS” + VIDEO FEATURING PURPLE PINGERS

Le Snaks, Kath and Kim, Cool Math Games, vodka cruisers and empty goon bags – welcome to the rowdy, raucous world of Playlunch, the 7-piece Naarm/Melbourne band currently blazing their own trail through the Australian music landscape. Today, the band release their sophomore album ‘Sex Ed’.

The album follows the viral success that was their last single “Keith” (complete with a delightfully deranged acting turn by AFL Hall of Famer Barry Hall). ‘Sex Ed’ comes as the much anticipated follow up to their debut LP “Who’s Ready For a Good Time”, released in 2023. And if you thought that “Keith” and the glitter funk of previous single “Boys” could prepare you for the album, think again.

The band have built an extremely local fanbase pioneering their own genre of ‘Bogan Funk’ which mixes everything from soulful 70’s disco to punk-spirited rock to bouncy pop and, yes, percussive funk. The raunchily titled “Sex Ed” is an education indeed, romanticising the most iconic chapters of early 2000s Australian culture and coming up with their own vivid, lurid snapshot of modern life. Everything from going to the Johnston street Coles for “pot noodles and cask wine” (“Get Around It”) to making out over outdoor dining tables (“Pash”) to describing objects of desire as “scent of Rexona, drinking a Corona” – Playlunch capture the most mundane details of suburbia with barbed wit and fond affection.

Front-person Liam Bell says, “Sex Ed is the world hearing us at our most ridiculous and unfiltered moment yet, as much inspired by the hip-hop, punk, and 00s r&b that defined our teenage years as it is the usual blend of funk and disco we’ve become known for. Playlunch is growing up, and this album is us trading the bucket hats and zooper-doopers for zippo lighters and dick-drawings in the local station toilets.”

The focus track ‘Real Estate Apps’, which features a sample from this famous Aunty Donna clip, is a depiction of the grim life so many of us lead as renters – “one of open-for-inspections, late nights trawling domain.com listings, unread-repair-request-emails, and all the useless property managers who, most of the time these days, don’t even pretend to give a fuck about you.” – Liam Bell. The clip for the single features prominent Socialist lawyer and housing activist Jordan van den Lamb (aka Purple Pingers) who has gained fame for his ‘Shit Rentals’ series on social media in the past few years.

Since their debut in April 2022, Playlunch – the passion project of Liam Bell – have exploded at a rapid rate nationally. Releasing their debut album in November 2023 titled “Who’s Ready For A Good Time?” Playlunch have soared to new heights with viral Tik Tok videos, High Rotation Triple J play & massive sell out shows across the country, including two sold out Melbourne shows on their upcoming live dates in September. Full dates and details below.

WATCH “REAL ESTATE APPS” VIDEO HERE

Playlunch ‘Sex Ed’ Australian tour dates:
Tickets here

Friday 5 September – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide

Saturday 6 September – The Rosemount, Perth

Friday 12 September – The Triffid, Brisbane

Saturday 13 September – Manning Bar, Sydney

Friday 19 September – 170 Russell, Melbourne

‘Real Estate Apps’ – OUT NOW
BUY/STREAM HERE

Sex Ed – OUT NOW
BUY/STREAM HERE

MORE INFORMATION:
SPOTIFY
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
TIKTOK

 

 

SARAH CATANIA GETS RAW, REAL AND VULNERABLE ON HER NEW SINGLE ‘GOODBYE’

Following the success of her previous single ‘Front Row’; a swagger-filled country rocker that earned national airplay and saw her performing to packed rooms across the country, rising star Sarah Catania returns with a powerful new track. This time, she shifts gears with ‘Goodbye’, a heartfelt and emotionally charged single that showcases a more vulnerable side of her artistry.

‘Goodbye’ strips back the gloss to lay bare the heartache and healing at the centre of Sarah’s story. “It’s a page torn from my journal” shares Sarah. “It’s personal, it’s deep, it’s about grieving and healing, and moving forward. It is very different to anything I have previously released, and that really excites me.”

Produced by Rod McCormack at The Music Cellar, the mastermind behind releases from The Wolfe Brothers, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys and more, the track is a gorgeously crafted slow burn, speckled with earthy acoustic tones and crying steel guitar.

The song’s lyrical intimacy almost never made it out of her notebook. “I originally was not going to send Rod the demo for Goodbye, as it felt too personal and I didn’t think listeners would want to hear something so raw. Rod saw something in it, so I put my trust into him, and I am so glad I did. He captured the rawness of the song perfectly.”

It’s a creative leap for an artist who has already achieved a remarkable amount just three years since her debut. Bursting onto the scene in 2022 with ‘Venus and Mars’, Sarah has delivered a string of acclaimed singles including ‘Little She Knows’, a finalist in the Tamworth Songwriters Salute Awards, and ‘Here I Am’, which reached #5 on the AMRAP Metro Chart. On top of the massive radio support for her 2025 single ‘Front Row’, it also earned spots on Apple Music’s New Music Daily and Spotify’s The Australian Music Scene editorial playlists.

Sarah’s career momentum has been fuelled as much by her relentless touring as the success of her singles. She just completed her three-state Front Row Tour, performing everywhere from Chattahoochee Joe’s in Brisbane to The Toff in Town in Melbourne, and festival stages including Lasso Country Music Festival. She’s also no stranger to Australia’s biggest country events, with over a dozen Tamworth Country Music Festivals and two Gympie Music Musters under her belt.

And she’s showing no signs of slowing down. “I am so excited to continue playing my music for crowds around Australia! My next stop is the Gympie Pre Muster on August 23rd!” she shares.

Balancing vulnerability with courage, ‘Goodbye’ sees Sarah Catania cement her place as one of Australia’s most exciting new voices in country music, unafraid to dig deep, take risks, and invite listeners into the rawest moments.

CONNECT WITH SARAH CATANIA https://www.facebook.com/sarahcataniamusic

 

 

TOM CURTAIN SALUTES THE HEART OF AUSTRALIA WITH NEW ALBUM ‘HERE’S TO YOU’ + SHARES FORTHCOMING TOUR DATES

With over 11.5 million streams to his name, 2 x Golden Guitar awards, and more than 65 shows delivered to 40,000 people on last year’s national tour, Tom Curtain returns with his most grounded, generous, and proudly Australian release yet. Here’s To You is the sixth studio album from the Katherine-based artist; a record that shines a light on the unsung heroes of regional Australia and the real stories he’s gathered along the red dirt roads of the Top End and beyond.

Produced by longtime collaborator Garth Porter (Lee Kernaghan, James Blundell, Sara Storer), the album draws deep from the well of lived experience. “It’s a collection of stories drawn from our travels and the incredible people we’ve met along the way across this great country,” Tom shares. “Heartfelt ballads, a few light-hearted tracks that celebrate classic bush humour, and some anthems designed to uplift, inspire, and ignite a passion for music in every listener.”

The new single and title track ‘Here’s To You’ is a powerful tribute to blue-collar Aussies, the everyday workers who keep turning up, no matter the challenge. “As we travel across the country, we meet so many salt-of-the-earth people from all walks of life,” Tom explains. “What they all seem to share is that same grit, resilience, and never-give-up attitude. I wanted to honour that spirit, to capture it and put it into a song. This one’s for them.”

Across ten tracks, Here’s To You captures the humour, heart, and honesty that has made Tom a staple of the Australian country scene. Opening with the uplifting singalong ‘Good Life’ (inspired by a fan’s offhand comment after a show), Tom revels in the simple pleasures of rural life. Previously released as a single, it stands as one of five tracks from the album to hit the #1 spot on the Country Tracks Top 40 Australian airplay chart.

The singer-songwriter digs deep on the poignant ‘Be Kind’; a heartfelt anthem – and another #1 radio hit – written in support of Dolly’s Dream and featuring Ashleigh Dallas, Lyn Bowtell, and Matt Scullion. While ‘Knockin’ Down the Walls’, a fan favourite that reached #1 on the AMRAP Regional Chart, speaks to music’s quiet power in tough times.

Tracks like ‘Just Give it a Crack’, ‘Mother’s Place’ and ‘Top End Tough’ capture the Australian spirit. The latter is yet another #1 airplay hit and a celebration of the resilience of Northern Australians featuring an all-star lineup of regional voices including Sara Storer, Luke O’Shea, and Chris Matthews.

The fabric of the land is woven into Tom’s stories on the biographical ‘Bucket Baby’ – telling the incredible true story of Ross Fraser’s survival in the Kimberley – and ‘Burdekin Snow’; a reference to mesmerising rain-like ash that Tom witnessed first-hand in Ayr, North Queensland.

Tom proves that the album has something for the whole family as he leans into that bush humour on ‘Big Red’. “It has become a tradition to include at least one kid’s song on every album I release, don’t be fooled though, adults seem to love these songs as much as the kids!”

The album’s release also marks the start of Tom’s 10th consecutive national tour, with the Here’s To You Tour kicking off in October. The tour blends music with horse training and working dog demonstrations, a uniquely Australian entertainment experience that regularly draws crowds larger than the population of the towns themselves.

Tom’s commitment to rural and regional communities runs deep. As the founder of the national award-winning tourist attraction Katherine Outback Experience, and an ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, he knows firsthand how powerful connection and storytelling can be.

“People often ask me why I keep touring to small communities” he states. “This album sums it up. It’s about creating moments where people can laugh, cry, catch up with neighbours, and just take a breath. That’s what ‘Here’s To You’ is all about, celebrating the people who keep pushing through.”

SHOW DATES:

Friday 10th October – Mount Isa Campdraft Ground – Mount Isa, QLD

Saturday 11th October – Julia Creek Campdraft Ground – Julia Creek, QLD

Sunday 12th October – Hughenden Showground – Hughenden, QLD

Friday 17th October – Dalrymple Equestrian Complex – Charters Towers, QLD

Saturday 18th October – Bartlett Park – Townsville, QLD

Sunday 19th October – Ingham Showground – Ingham, QLD

Friday 24th October – Tully Performance Horse Centre – Tully, QLD

Saturday 25th October – Gordonvale Polocrosse Grounds – Gordonvale, QLD

Sunday 26th October – Malanda Showgrounds – Malanda, QLD

Friday 31st October – Ayr Showgrounds – Ayr, QLD

Saturday 1st November – Bowen Turf Club – Bowen, QLD

Sunday 2nd November – Mackay & District Hack & Pony Club – Eton, QLD

Friday 7th November – Comet Showgrounds – Comet, QLD

Saturday 8th November – The Caves Showgrounds – The Caves, QLD

Sunday 9th November – Calliope Rodeo Grounds – Calliope, QLD

Friday 21st November – Monto Showgorunds – Monto, QLD

Saturday 22nd Novemeber – Dallarnil Showgrounds – Dallarnil, QLD

Sunday 23rd November – Fraser Coast Sports & Recreation Precinct – Hervey Bay, QLD

Friday 28th November – Kenilworth Showgrounds – Kenilworth, QLD

Saturday 29th November – Kilcoy Campdraft Grounds – Kilcoy, QLD

Sunday 30th November – Fig Tree Pocket Equestrian Club – Fig Tree Pocket, QLD

Friday 5th November – Boonah Showground – Boonah, QLD

Saturday 6th November – Pittsworth Showground – Pittsworth, QLD

Sunday 7th November – Chinchilla Showground – Chinchilla, QLD

Friday 12th December – Wandoan Showground – Wandoan, QLD

Saturday 13th December – Kumbia Race Club – Kumbia, QLD

Friday 2nd January – Stanthorpe Showground – Stanthorpe, QLD

Saturday 3rd January – Casino Showground – Casino, NSW

Sunday 4th January – Copmanhurst Showgrounds – Copmanhurst, NSW

Sturday 10th January – Wingham Showground – Wingham NSW

Friday 16th January – Morisset Park Showground – Morisset, NSW

Saturday 17th January – Denman Pony Club – Denman, NSW

Wednesday 21st January – Longyard Hotel – Tamworth, NSW

Friday 30th January – Geurie Campdraft Ground – Geurie, NSW

Saturday 31st January – Cudal Showground – Cudal, NSW

Friday 6th February – Camden Showground – Camden, NSW

Friday 13th February – Harden Rodeo Ground – Harden, NSW

Saturday 14th February – Condobolin Pony Club – Condobolin, NSW

Sunday 15th February – Rankin Springs Pony Club – Rankin Springs, NSW

Friday 20th February – The Rock Showgrounds – The Rock, NSW

Saturday 21st February – Cobram Showgrounds – Cobram, VIC

Sunday 22nd February – Kerang Showgrounds – Kerang, VIC

Friday 27th February – Manangatang Showgrounds – Manangatang, VIC

Saturday 28th February – Ampitheatre Recreation Grounds – Ampitheatre, VIC

Friday 6th March – Benalla Pony Club – Benalla, VIC

*Further dates to be announced*

**Tickets on sale now and available via:
https://www.tomcurtain.com.au/all-tours/heres-to-you-tour/

CONNECT WITH TOM CURTAIN www.tomcurtain.com.au

 

 

BLACKBRIAR New Album A THOUSAND LITTLE DEATHS

Blackbriar are proud to finally present their new studio album, A Thousand Little Deaths, released via Nuclear Blast Records. A modern masterpiece steeped in gothic mystique, featuring breathtaking tracks such as The Fossilized Widow, Floriography, A Last Sigh of Bliss, I Buried Us  and Harpy.

Today, the band have also revealed a video for ‘Bluebeard’s Chamber’, the album’s opener. The track is a fatalistic romatic tale, inspied by the classic French fairytale.

Vocalist Zora Cock comments: “Sometimes curiosity feels so strong that it’s almost as if you’re compelled to look by some unseen force, just as Aurora pricked her finger on the spinning wheel, which led her to a cursed sleep. A destructive kind of curiosity like Pandora’s, who opened the box, releasing all evil into the world. Or like Psyche, who couldn’t resist shining a light on her mysterious lover, only to lose him and be left pleading for forgiveness. Mine felt more like opening Bluebeard’s chamber, leaving me covered in blood.”

Order/stream A Thousand Little Deaths: https://blackbriar.bfan.link/a-thousand-little-deaths

Watch the video for ‘Bluebeard’s Chamber’: https://youtu.be/3-ZNk_YqTfk

A Thousand Little Deaths

01. Bluebeard’s Chamber
02. The Hermit and the Lover
03. The Fossilized Widow
04. My Lonely Crusade
05. Floriography
06. The Catastrophe That is Us
07. A Last Sigh of Bliss
08. Green Light Across the Bay
09. I Buried Us 
10. Harpy 

Few bands are capable of conjuring up such vivid cinematic vision as Blackbriar. The band’s lavish history of evocative dark fairytale storytelling and compelling gothic soundscapes continues to expand as we move further into 2025 and experience their third full length album, A Thousand Little Deaths. Tackling themes of love, loss, and death, Blackbriar seek to take all willing Thorns on a passionate and resounding journey filled once more with mesmerizing imagery, masterful lyricism, and dark symphonic metal power.

Expect even more big things for Blackbriar as 2025 continues along. With YouTube streams now reaching 71 million views and over 253,000 subscribers, and equally massive Spotify stats including a total of over 65 million streams, with over 190,000 monthly listeners who contribute to 1 million streams a month and 12 million streams per year, the world has taken notice of their distinctively macabre yet whimsical sense of metallic storytelling. Prepare to wrap yourself up in their seductive siren songs and expect to be swept away on an unforgettable journey.

BLACKBRIAR is:
Zora Cock – VOCALS
René Boxem – DRUMS
Bart Winters – GUITARS
Robin Koezen – GUITARS
Siebe Sol Sijpkens – BASS
Ruben Wijga – KEYS

More on BLACKBRIAR
https://www.blackbriarmusic.com/

 

 

Redspencer blend history and heart on bushranger ballad ‘Blue Horizon’. Announce long-awaited third album Primal Urges set for release October 3

After making their anticipated return last month with the charming lo-fi gem ‘This is the Day’, Naarm-based trio Redspencer have today announced their long-awaited third album, Primal Urges. Set for release on October 3, Primal Urges features ten compelling indie/dream-pop tracks, including their narrative-driven brand new single ’Blue Horizon’, out today. Stream ‘Blue Horizon’ on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music.

As thoughtful lyrically as they are musically, Redspencer have a keen instinct for storytelling. ‘Blue Horizon’ is a prime example of this, reeling you in with its jangly and upbeat instrumentation, and taking the listener on a journey through what songwriter and drummer David McMillan claims to be “the best bushranger love story nobody has ever heard of.”

Set in 1862 – the year of the Eugowra Gold Escort Robbery, the largest gold heist in Australian history – ‘Blue Horizon’ is based on an imagined conversation between Australia’s most wanted criminal bushranger, Frank Gardiner, and his lover Kitty Brown. In mapping out the heist – which Gardiner would eventually carry out with seven others, including infamous bushranger Ben Hall – Gardiner also needs a plan for his inevitable escape. “He needs to convince his lover, Kitty Brown, to escape with him if he succeeds, leaving everything she’s ever known – including her unhappy marriage – to start over with new identities,” says McMillan.

Swirling with gentle harmonies, seamlessly blended strings, and a driving beat, ‘Blue Horizon’ was recorded with acclaimed writer, producer, and musician Alex Markwell (The Delta Riggs, Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers, Kita Alexander) and is the second single lifted from Primal Urges.

In celebration of ‘Blue Horizon’ and in anticipation of the upcoming album, the band are also thrilled to announce their first headline show since 2022 will take place on September 25 at the Fitzroy Pinnacle, with supports soon to be announced. Next weekend, Redspencer will join the likes of Danika, Ella Thompson, Mudrat, Wrong Way Up and more at Wonder Mountain festival, with the band scheduled to perform as the sun sets over Beechworth on the Saturday. Tickets are available HERE.

Citing the jangle of The Clientele, the lo-fi grit of Small World Experience, the slacker-dance of Dean Blunt, the dreaminess of Jessica Pratt, and the pop sensibility of early 2000s Madonna as influences, Redspencer’s knack for bringing some of the best parts of the past forward has seen them clock over 2million streams across their releases. In 2016, their debut album Perks garnered praise across the globe, with catchy lead single ‘Ride It Out’ earning comparisons to Mac DeMarco, The War On Drugs, and Real Estate. The band’s 2021 follow up Dreamworld showcased a more polished – yet still just as thoughtful – sound for Redspencer, hailed by Beat Magazine as “sensational” and launched to a full capacity Brunswick Ballroom in early 2022.

‘Blue Horizon’ Launch Show
Thursday 25th September – The Fitzroy Pinnacle – Melbourne, VIC

‘Blue Horizon’ out now

Listen on: Spotify Apple Music  YouTube Music  Amazon Music

Connect with Redspencer https://www.facebook.com/redspencerband/

 

 

 

THE GNOMES – UP & COMING MELBOURNE SENSATIONS – RELEASE SECOND SINGLE “I’LL BE THERE” FROM SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED ALBUM.

FIRST SHOW AS ‘THE GNOMES’ SEPT 12 AT THE CURTIN TO FOLLOWS LAST GIG AS ‘GNOME’, TOMORROW NIGHT IN FRANKSTON WITH EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING

Following the recent announcement of their name change from Gnome to The Gnomes, and the release of “I’m Not The One”, the first single under the new name, Melbourne’s young Bayside Beat sensations have just dropped the second single from their soon to announced album.

New single “I’ll Be There”, which premiered yesterday on 3RRR’s Breakfasters program, comes ahead of the band’s first ever 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. 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.

The Gnomes are also set to play the Croxton’s 10th Anniversary Block Party on Sunday November 2 alongside Spiderbait, Floodlights and others. And in December they fly to New Zealand for the first time to play the inaugural Grrunk Festival in Galatea, alongside Oregon’s Jenny Don’t & The Spurs, fellow Aussies C.O.F.F.I.N and Hot Machine and locals The Eastern, Bloodbags, Mads Harrop, Adam Hattaway & The Haunters and CCTV.  More NZ dates will be announced soon.

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’ll be There” and previous single “I’m Not The One” are out now. Order or stream via Bandcamp

Artists | Dog Meat Grown Up Wrong Au

https://thegnomesrock.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/gnome.music/

 

 

KRYSTAL RIVVERS REVEAL STUNNING ACCOMPANYING VIDEO FOR ‘PRISONER’

Following the release of their critically praised single ‘Prisoner’, Eora/Sydney-based outfit KRYSTAL RIVVERS have today revealed the radiant accompanying music video – directed by Samantha Swilks (The Terrys, Sticky Fingers).

The video unfolds in the picturesque Uniting Church in Paddington with haunting candlelight and stained-glass windows, setting an evocative scene.  Swiks pairs with cinematographer Nathan Barlow and features Lucy Varga, to capture breathtaking visuals, mirroring the track’s themes of needing what you can’t quite hold onto, creating a powerful fusion of atmosphere and memory.

To celebrate the release of ‘Prisoner’, KRYSTAL RIVVERS will play at The Lansdowne Hotel in Eora/Sydney 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.

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

FRI 29 AUG | THE LANSDOWNE HOTEL, EORA/SYDNEY NSW
SAT 6 SEP | THE NORTHERN HOTEL, BUNDJALUNG/BYRON BAY NSW

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