SNIPPETZ: THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2026
This week’s Snippetz includes: Dallas Frasca & Sarah McLeod, Robbie Cavanagh, The Jackets, Balu Brigada, Boroondara Arts Jazz in the Park, ALBII, Dead of Winter, Chloe Jane, Steve Polz, David Ramano, Paradise Lost, Dark Throne, Jorn Lande, Liv Cartledge, Anna Weatherup, Noah Kahaan, Nouvelle Vague, Kindred, Andy Jans-Brown, Michael Paynter, Hugh Bagley, Varials, Flynn Gurry, YNG Martyr, Ryan Oakes, Metric and more.
SARAH McLEOD and DALLAS FRASCA team up on fiery new single ‘Til It’s Gone’ ahead of THE GREEN ELECTRIC TOUR
Ahead of their extensive GREEN ELECTRIC TOUR, 2 of Australia’s most accomplished voices in rock, Dallas Frasca & Sarah McLeod have joined forces on ‘Til It’s Gone’ – out via Spank Betty Records & Community Records. Produced by Frasca, along with mixing from Andy Baldwin (Björk, Car Seat Headrest, The Cat Empire) and mastering from Lachlan Carrick,‘Til It’s Gone’ is a perfect balance of both iconic voices – showcasing their powerful range as they wail over the top of a bluesy, classic rock backing.
The single comes at a great time, as the two prepare to hit the road on a 15-date-tour across the country. The Green Electric Tour sees the pair taking on an important mission – looking to reduce their emissions and use strategies to bring down their environmental footprint throughout the tour, as well as support some very worthy causes. Lyrically, the single reinforces exactly what the pair are fighting for, looking for action on the environment before it’s too late.
“The song was inspired by a line in Big Yellow Taxi, written more than half a century ago, and it’s confronting how little has changed. We’re still prioritising profit over care for country, and the climate is pushing back hard. Til It’s Gone speaks to the moment we’re in right now, a crossroads, and the responsibility we all share to make better choices before the damage becomes irreversible.” DALLAS FRASCA & SARAH MCLEOD
Recorded across three Victorian home studios, including Dallas’, Sarah’s, and drummer Josh Barber’s Church Studio in Mollongghip, the track embraces a deliberately DIY, low-impact approach, proving powerful work doesn’t require bloated systems.
Released alongside the single today is a music video for ‘Til It’s Gone’, directed by Scott Major.
“Visually we wanted to place the song in a future that feels uncomfortably close with black markings worn as sun protection and as armour. A dystopian future that no longer feels that far off.” SARAH McLEOD
ARIA winner and South Australian Music Hall of Fame inductee Sarah, both as a solo performer and front-woman of Australian rock legends The Superjesus, has had a long and accomplished career across many different facets of the industry. As one of the seminal alt-rock acts of the 90s and early 2000s, The Superjesus dominated the charts with platinum albums such as ‘Sumo’ and ‘Jet Age’. Mcleod has also had a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo record ‘Beauty Was A Tiger’ in 2005 and releasing 3 albums since. As a leader of the industry, she has remained a passionate advocate for change and progress within the Australian music space. A wickedly versatile songwriter and performer, McLeod is also the Chair of Australian Women in Music, bringing her years of industry experience together with her ongoing commitment to changing the structure of the music industry as it stands today.
APRA and AWMA nominated artist Dallas, is a kindred spirit of sorts for Sarah, again another artist who has brought bold and visceral energy to her expansive catalogue of music and live performances across many years. The release of her latest album, Force Of Nature (2024), propelled Dallas back onto radars in a big way – debuting at #2 on the ARIA Blues Chart during its first week of release, the #1 spot on the AMRAP Charts, and saw her being invited to support ZZ Top on their Aus/NZ arena tour last year.
Teaming up with Green Music Australia, Sarah and Dallas have added a small levy to fund measurable sustainable touring actions on the Green Electric Tour, with the tour proudly supported by Music Australia, The Harbour Agency, and Spank Betty Records; the tour also supports Seed Mob, Australia’s first Indigenous youth-led climate justice organisation in their ongoing fight for climate justice.
From recycled merchandise and sustainable travel routes to meat-free catering and eco-certified accommodation, every detail has been designed to minimise impact on the Green Electric Tour. Fans are invited to join the movement by wearing their best sustainable fashion to the gigs, and carpooling, taking public transport, walking, or riding bikes to venues wherever possible — making the audience part of the solution, not just the show.
SARAH McLEOD AND DALLAS FRASCA
THE GREEN ELECTRIC TOUR
Supported by Music Australia, The Harbour Agency, Spank Betty Records, Green Music Australia and raising funds for Seed Mob
Tickets available at dallasfrasca.com or sarahmcleodofficial.com
Thursday 19 February Bended Elbow Albury
Friday 20 February Moyhu Hotel Moyhu
Saturday 21 February Northcote Social Club Melbourne
Sunday 22 February Pelly Bar Frankston
Friday 27 February Mos Desert Clubhouse Gold Coast
Saturday 28 February The Royal Quarters Nundah
Sunday 1 March Imperial Hotel Eumundi
Thursday 5 March Big Easy Radio McLaren Vale
Friday 6 March Lion Arts Factory Adelaide
Saturday 7 March Mojo’s Bar Fremantle
Sunday 8 March Indi Bar Scarborough
Wednesday 11 March La La La’s Wollongong
Thursday 12 March The Baso Canberra
Friday 13 March The Bridge Hotel Rozelle
Saturday 14 March Stag & Hunter Newcastle
‘Til It’s Gone’ is out now
Dallas Frasca: Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Tik Tok
Sarah McLeod: Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Tik Tok
New music from UK folk-Americana artist Robbie Cavanagh New single and EP to be released ahead of debut Australian Tour and Port Fairy Folk Festival appearances
Manchester (UK) singer-songwriter Robbie Cavanagh will release a new single and radio track, ‘Hang Up (Acoustic)’ on 13 February 2026, ahead of his debut Australian headline tour, offering local audiences a timely introduction to an artist quietly regarded as one of the UK folk-Americana scene’s most consistent and respected voices.
Lifted from the forthcoming EP Tough Love: An Old Flame (out 6 March 2026), the acoustic reworking strips the song back to its emotional core, reframing a long-time fan favourite in a way that reflects where Cavanagh finds himself now – more settled, more reflective, and more confident in letting a song breathe.
Originally written almost by accident while killing time in a Manchester editing suite, ‘Hang Up’ emerged from what Cavanagh describes as “noodling around on a guitar” after a long day, slowly taking shape as he picked up fragments of conversation and let the song reveal its own rhythm. While the original album version carried a muscular, rock-leaning urgency, the new acoustic take leans into a looser, more buoyant feel, drawing subtle inspiration from bluegrass and progressive acoustic music.
“I could always hear other rhythms in the song that weren’t being accented,” Cavanagh explains. “This version just sits back and coasts, rather than bulldozing through like the original. It feels like it reflects where I am in life right now – more content, more able to take a breath.”
That sense of ease carries through the entire EP, recorded live with his long-time band at 80 Hertz Studio in Manchester, a vintage-filled space that encouraged performance over perfection. Having toured and recorded together for over five years, the musicians share an intuitive understanding of Cavanagh’s songs — something he sees as essential to capturing their spirit.
“When everyone feels comfortable and relaxed, you’re going to make the best music,” he says. “Fifty percent of the battle is having the right people in the room.”
Yet to tour Australia or formally introduce himself on local airwaves, Cavanagh nonetheless arrives with serious credentials. A full-time touring artist for over a decade, he has released three studio albums, toured extensively across the UK, Europe and North America, and already counts a significant Australian listenership on Spotify, with local festival and venue programmers backing his first headline run here.
His inaugural Australian tour will see him share double and triple bills in Victoria and New South Wales with fellow UK artists Blair Dunlop and duo Dan Webster & Emily Lawler, as well as Australia’s own soulful blues-roots singer, Karen Lee Andrews. He will perform a solo headline show in Sisters Beach, Tasmania.
Crucially, ‘Hang Up’ has long been a fan favourite at Cavanagh’s live shows. Revisiting it now feels less like nostalgia and more like a marker of artistic evolution.
“A few years on from the record, this feels like putting a flag in the sand,” says Cavanagh. “I’m constantly changing as an artist, and this version is a way of showing where I’m at now, and hinting at where I’m going next.”
The release of Tough Love: An Old Flame coincides with Robbie Cavanagh’s first Australian headline tour, including appearances at intimate venues and Port Fairy Folk Festival, offering local audiences a rare chance to encounter an artist whose reputation has been built slowly, deliberately, and far from the churn of viral trends. The EP will be available on CD exclusively at these Australian shows ahead of its global release.
For Australian listeners discovering him for the first time, ‘Hang Up (Acoustic)’ is an ideal entry point: a song shaped by years on the road, delivered with restraint, warmth, and a quiet confidence that suggests there’s much more still to come.
For fans of: Jason Isbell, Noah Gundersen, David Ramirez, The Wood Brothers.
Australian Tour Dates
FEBRUARY
Fri 20 – Little Sisters, Sisters Beach (Solo)
Sat 21 – Avoca Beach Theatre (Summer Sessions – free event)
Sat 21 – Avoca Beach Theatre (Daniel Champagne support)
Sun 22 – The Junkyard, Maitland (Solo – free entry)
Wed 25 – Butchers Brew, Sydney (Double bill – Dan Webster & Emily Lawler)
Thu 26 – Northcote Social Club (Double bill – Karen Lee Andrews)
Fri 27 – Odessa at Leavers, Creswick (Double bill – Karen Lee Andrews)
Sat 28 – Archies Creek Hotel (Triple bill – Karen Lee Andrews & Blair Dunlop)
MARCH
Sun 1 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave (Double bill – Blair Dunlop)
Thur 5 – Courthouse Theatre, Geelong (Double bill – Karen Lee Andrews)
Fri 6–Mon 9 – Port Fairy Folk Festival
More about Robbie Cavanagh
Robbie Cavanagh is a seasoned songwriter whose decade-long career has been built on consistency, credibility, and connection. A full-time touring musician with three studio albums, numerous co-writes, and major festival appearances to his name, Cavanagh balances veteran experience with a fresh, contemporary voice.
Since releasing Tough Love, he has toured extensively across Europe, the UK, USA, and Canada, appearing at festivals including Folk Alliance International, Celtic Connections, AmericanaFest (US & UK), Cambridge Folk Festival, Black Deer Festival, Kendal Calling, and more. He has toured in support of The Wood Brothers, The Shires, Kristian Bush (Sugarland), and Us The Duo, and in 2021 was awarded Whispering Bob Harris’ Emerging Artist Award at the Americana Music Awards. As a songwriter, his work has also been recorded by Jim Lauderdale, Fairground Attraction, and Laura Oakes.
Links
• Website: https://www.robbiecavanagh.co.uk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbiecavanaghmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robbiecavanaghmusic
•T ikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robbiecavanaghmusic
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/robbiecavanagh
• Spotify
Female-fronted Swiss garage psych punk trio THE JACKETS to release ESSENTIALS collection on back of long-awaited first Australian tour!!
Wild Swiss garage psych punk trio The Jackets – fronted by enigmatic vocalist/guitarist Jackie Brutsche, she of the Love It To Death-style eye makeup – will release their 6th album Essentials on Chaputa Records (Portugal) on March 20. Serving as an Introduction to the band on the back of their long-awaited first Australian and New Zealand tour which starts February 25, the album will be available directly from the band at their shows ahead of its official release and is also available to pre-order online now.
The album is a celebration of The Jackets’ 18-year band history and features their ten most defining songs alongside two brand-new recordings, “The Question” and “Rock & Roll Band”. “The Question” is now also available to pre-order as a 7″ single.
Since 2008, The Jackets have been touring internationally with their distinctive blend of Garage Psych Punk music and attitude, performing across Europe, the UK, the USA, Japan, Mexico, and Canada, with Australia and New Zealand next on the horizon. Known for their explosive live performances, infectious songs, and striking visual identity, The Jackets have earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most compelling live acts and are favourites at iconic garage and psych festivals including Toyko’s Back From The Grave Halloween Ball, Spain’s Funtastic Dracula Carnival and Seattle’s Freak Out Festival.
Founded by creative heads Jackie Brutsche and drummer Chris Rosales, The Jackets also feature bass player Omar Fra. Alongside their intense live presence, The Jackets have released five albums, several singles and multiple music videos.
Essentials LP Pre-Sale: https://www.chaputa.com/store/the-jackets-essentials-lp/
“The Question” VINYL SINGLE Pre-Sale https://www.chaputa.com/store/the-jackets-the-question-7/
THE JACKETS – AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026
WED 25 FEB Thornbury @ Shotkickers
THUR 26 FEB St Kilda @ The Vineyard
FRI 27 FEB Sydney @ Mixtape Brewing & Bar
SAT 28 FEB Collingwood @The Bendi
SUN 01 MAR Bendigo @ Trash Cult
MON 02 MAR Melbourne @ The Last Chance
Tickets on sale at www.toshimaeda.com.au
The Jackets | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree
BALU BRIGADA ANNOUNCE PORTAL AUSTRALIAN ALBUM TOUR
Handsome Tours and Laneway Presents are thrilled to announce alt-pop duo Balu Brigada are bringing their live show back to Australia in support of their acclaimed debut album Portal.
A sweeping, emotional, and sonically adventurous collection of songs, Portal finds brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley pushing their boundaries and cementing their place as one of the most vital new voices in alternative pop. The album includes breakout singles ‘So Cold’, ‘Backseat’, and the existential pop anthem ‘What Do We Ever Really Know?’ – each one offering a glimpse into the band’s evolving sound and introspective lyricism.
The album was built over three years across cities like New York, Berlin, and their native Auckland, with each place leaving a unique sonic fingerprint. From the heavy, grungy textures of the NYC sessions to the serene, introspective energy of their roots in NZ, the duo curated a sound that blends indie rock urgency with alt-pop finesse and festival-sized ambition.
Their single ‘So Cold’, has soared with over 65 million global streams, a #1 spot on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, and a late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!. The track’s success, including a placement on EA Sports’ FC 25 soundtrack, marked a major breakthrough for the duo, earning them the title of Billboard’s Chartbreaker for April 2025.
ABOUT BALU BRIGADA: Described by i-D as “an actual band of brothers making tunes stacked with hooks that’ll run circles around your brain for days,” Balu Brigada have built a dedicated following with their distinctive blend of groovy synths, nostalgic guitars, and introspective storytelling. Their EPs I Should Be Home and Find A Way laid the groundwork for their ascent, with 2023’s viral hit ‘Designer’ signalling their breakout moment.
Recently featured among SiriusXM’s Future Five of 2025 and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artists To Watch, Balu Brigada also spent the summer of 2024 opening for Twenty One Pilots on the global Clancy World Tour, gaining new fans across stadiums and arenas in North America, Europe, and Australia.
With Portal, Balu Brigada have delivered an ambitious, heartfelt debut album that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant — and this is just the beginning.
Balu Brigada Portal Australian tour dates Presented by Handsome Tours & Laneway Presents
GP onsale: Thurs 5 Feb 10am local
Thurs 28 May – The Triffid, Brisbane
Sat 30 May – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Sun 31 May – Freo Social, Perth
Thurs 4 June – 170 Russell, Melbourne
Fri 5 June – Metro Theatre, Sydney
Summer in the Park 2026 Swings On: Boroondara Arts Jazz in the Park is Set to Turn Up the Heat
After a powerful opening weekend celebrating culture, community and creativity, Summer in the Park 2026 is turning up the tempo with Jazz in the Park, a high-energy, Latin-infused summer fiesta set to light up Boroondara.
The season launched in spectacular style with Djirrungana Kulture, a moving evening of Indigenous storytelling, ceremony, dance and music curated by Jason Tamiru at the enchanting Maranoa Gardens, where audiences gathered for an unforgettable night. First Nations folk music, dance and opera set a meaningful and reflective tone for the weeks ahead.
Festivities then rolled into the Camberwell Civic Precinct Hub, where families enjoyed Party in the Park, with a solar-powered stage and performances by local and interstate artists. This event also marked the beginning of Slow Art Collective’s progressive live art installation, which will continue every Friday throughout the program, with festival-goers invited to contribute to its colourful structure over five festive weeks.
Now, the spotlight shifts to Jazz in the Park, on Saturday 21 January, delivering big brass, big vibes and big fun as part of Boroondara’s much-loved warm-weather tradition. Audiences are invited to feel the heat with Havana Club Orquestra, a 14-piece mambo powerhouse bringing the golden-era sounds of 1950s and 60s Cuban and New York dance music to life.
Led by musical director Alex Howroyd, Havana Club Orquestra channels the spirit of Havana’s legendary ballrooms with driving percussion, rich vocals, and explosive horn lines, inspired by icons such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Machito. Expect irresistible rhythms, lush harmonies and a dancefloor-ready atmosphere that invites everyone to move or simply soak up the vibes.
The night kicks off with a vinyl DJ set from DJ Nico Deoki, lively competitions and plenty of opportunities to dust off your Latin dancing shoes or watch the action unfold from the grass.
Jazz in the Park is part of Summer in the Park 2026, running from 29 January to 28 February, with free, all-ages events every Friday night and every weekend across Boroondara’s most iconic parks and gardens. Championing sustainability, local artists, cultural diversity and community connection, the 2026 program features more than 70 artists across 14 vibrant performances.
February Highlights and Schedule:
Friday 6 February: Kylie & Dannii Disco in the Park
A celebration of local icons with Perfectly Queer and DJ Chelsea Wilson (Disco gear and sequins are encouraged!)
Friday 13 February: Zorba in the Park
An evening of classic Greek melodies, dance lessons, and big community energy from the beloved Melbourne Greek outfit, Estudiantina of Melbourne, with a free Greek dancing lesson to kick off the night.
Friday 20 February: Country in the Park
Boot-scootin’ and line-dancing fun with the Country Struts, and toe-tapping live bluegrass by the Canyon Callers.
Friday 27 February: Gusto Gusto in the Park
The Friday Hub series closes with a euphoric global-music party featuring one of Australia’s hottest festival bands, Gusto Gusto, fresh from stages like Glastonbury.
Other festival events include Lunar New Year in the Park (Sunday 15 February) at Balwyn Park, Classical in the Park (Saturday 7 February) at Alexandra Gardens, and Opera in the Park: La Dolce Vita featuring Alexander Lewis and Opera Scholars Australia(Saturday 28 February) at Canterbury Gardens.
Enjoy more Family Fun with Woody’s Bush Bash in the Mall at Maling Road, Canterbury, a kids’ cabaret show with puppetry, ukulele, storytelling and Cinema in the Park: The Addams Family at Greythorn Park, an outdoor spooky movie screening experience with costume prizes and more.
Alternative Valentine’s Day at Junction Skate & BMX Park offers young people a chance to skip the clichés for Valentine’s Day with skate competitions with pros, followed by a free concert featuring popular Indie bands Krystal Rivvers and Gypsy Lee.
All events are accessible, free and open to everyone. Bring a picnic and a rug, gather your friends and family, and enjoy summer at its best as the sun goes down. Some refreshments will be available for purchase.
This accessible and inclusive festival is completely free, no booking required. Bring a picnic blanket, gather your friends, family and neighbours, and enjoy the magic of summer in Boroondara.
FREE and un-ticketed Event Link
ALBII Asks the Ultimate Question on the Price of Becoming: ‘What’s The Point?’
Gold Coast artist ALBII confronts the cost of ambition on her new alternative hip-hop single, ‘What’s The Point?’, arriving February 20, 2026. As a cancer survivor, the singer songwriter brings a deeper sense of introspection to the track, channeling her resilience into a song that feels both urgent and controlled. ‘What’s The Point?’ dives into the quiet desperation behind ambition, the lengths we’re willing to go to in pursuit of a dream, and the pressure that comes with chasing success in a world full of expectations. Caught between society’s standards and our own inner demands, the song captures the tension of wanting everything, and wondering what it costs.
Energetic yet ethereal, the track unfolds through ALBII’s captivating vocals, layered with guitars, piano, synth, horns and flute. “It’s about ambition and the weird pressure that comes with being an artist, always online, always trying to be seen.” “Somewhere between chasing the dream and questioning myself, this song happened, and it reminded me that the point isn’t just ‘making it’, it’s what you create and who you become while you’re trying.” – ALBII The artist’s sentiment has already resonated within the industry, “Only 3 times in my life have I ever rang someone and said ‘Yeah, you will change the game.’” – Deveski from Ozland Radio
In just twelve months since the start of her music career, we have seen ALBII hit #4 in the Top 50 Ozindi countdown and became a finalist with an honourable mention in the International Songwriting Competition with her breakout single ‘Hold On (Psycho)’. Since then she has been featured in publications including CLASH Magazine and Illustrate Magazine for her release ‘PTSD’, and performed as a support act for Parker on his first international tour. Sitting at the edge of alt-pop, hip-hop and electronic, ALBII’s sound carries shades of Melanie Martinez, Billie Eilish, BENEE, Alison Wonderland, Lorde, The Cat Empire, and K.Flay. For listeners already pulled into her orbit, her music feels immersive and unfiltered, with moments that feel beautifully fumbled. A music video for ‘What’s The Point’ will follow two weeks after the singles release on March 6, and ALBII will make her festival debut on March 21, 2026 at Wish You Were Here Festival, use code ALBII to receive a discounted ticket. With new projects on the horizon, fans are encouraged to stay tuned as ALBII is only just getting started. An independent release supported by Konnection Artist Assistance, ‘What’s The Point?’ will be available on all streaming platforms February 20, 2026.
PRE SAVE HERE https://albii.lnk.to/whatsthepoint
DOW – The Resurrection
Saturday 27 June 2026 | Mansfield Tavern BRISBANE
Full Lineup Announcement / GA Tickets onsale NOW
Australian iconic heavy music and dark arts festival, Dead of Winter, has today announced its full 2026 lineup in preparation for the event’s triumphant return after a six year hiatus, in what will be one of the national scene days of the year.
Presenting 34 acts from all over Australian and New Zealand over multiple stages at the festival’s return home, the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane on Saturday June 27, Dead of Winter has well and truly resurrected itself, dropping a quality mixed heavy bill featuring the likes of DZ Deathrays, Mammal, Jay and Lindsay (Frenzal Rhomb), Beanflipper, Toe to Toe, Lo!, Slim Krusty, Neptune Power Federation, Nicholas Cage Fighter and many more.
With a view to ease back into it’s position as Queensland’s longest running heavy and alternative festival, Dead of Winter has resurrected it’s legacy whilst opening the door to what comes next, showcasing a full day of heavy touring acts along with the now famed set-break freak sideshows, this year including The Space Cowboy, comedian Aaron Gocs, envelope-pushers Cult The Show and Flames of Desire.
“After six years, we’re thrilled to bring the DOW Festival back to life. This edition may be smaller in scale, but it’s big on spirit—staying true to the festival’s vibe while shining a spotlight on the next generation of incredible young bands.” Carolyn Bedford DOW
On the back of months of focused curation, with an aim to represent a full width of sub-genres for heavy music fans, this year’s festival lineup will feature in full:
•DZ Deathrays (QLD)
•Mammal (VIC)
•Jay and Lindsay of Frenzal Rhomb (NSW)
•Beanflipper (VIC)
•Toe to Toe (NSW)
•Lo! (NSW)
•Slim Krusty (VIC)
•Neptune Power Federation (NSW)
•Nicholas Cage Fighter (VIC)
•Flangipanis (QLD)
•Brace (QLD)
•Dartz (NZ)
•Witchgrinder (VIC)
•Bulletbelt (NZ)
•Pizza Death (VIC)
•Astrodeath (NSW)
•Black Rheno (NSW)
•Monster Zuko Onsomb (QLD)
•Hammers (QLD)
•Dad Fight (QLD)
•Boofheads (QLD)
•R.U.B (VIC)
•Mitch, Please (QLD)
•Rick Dangerous & The Silkie Bantams (NSW)
•Backhand (NSW)
•Valtozash (QLD)
•ZZade (QLD)
•Space X Dragon (NSW)
•Buried in the Sun (QLD)
•Helltrippers (QLD)
with sideshows from…
•The Space Cowboy (NSW)
•Aaron Gocs (QLD)
•Cult the Show (QLD)
•Flames of Desire
Founded in 2009, Dead of Winter has become more than a music event. It has evolved into a full-scale celebration of alternative culture, uniting heavy music across multiple stages with performance art, horror cosplay, dark markets, visual installations and immersive experiences. Always loud. Always theatrical. Always welcoming and above all, always super fun and super safe.
Fans are encouraged to save the date, spread the word, get their horror costumes ready and prepare for the resurrection.
Early Bird Tickets have now sold out. Don’t miss your chance to be in attendance for one of the most anticipated Brisbane events of 2026.
The Phoenix rises on Saturday 27 June at the Mansfield Tavern. TICKETS
CHLOE JANE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “SLEEPLESS NIGHTS”
Today, independent pop artist, DJ, and formally trained figure skater Chloe Jane releases her new single, “Sleepless Nights” – listen early at the link HERE. The track leans into a classic pop sensibility, blending riveting orchestral elements with Chloe’s commanding vocal performance to create a romantic, dance-forward sound. Produced by Tor Eimon (Ava Max, David Guetta), “Sleepless Nights” is inspired by the experience of being swept from the darkness of isolation into a love that guides you to the light of your most confident self.
“It’s about the moments when time disappears, when conversation stretches into dawn, when you don’t want the night to end because being present feels too precious to interrupt.” Chloe shares, “the song reflects the feeling of finally letting your guard down—of allowing yourself to stay awake inside of something beautiful instead of running from it.”
The official music video for “Sleepless Nights,” shot in the snow-swept valleys of Alberta, Canada, and directed by filmmaker and pro-skater Max Varren with choreography by Olympic skating-director Vanessa Bauer, draws heavily on Chloe’s background as a professionally trained figure skater. Set against the motion of the ice, the visual uses skating as a metaphor for freedom, trust, and emotional release.
Chloe first stepped onto the ice at the age of three, and it quickly became clear that skating was more than a childhood activity. She trained consistently at her local rink and by age nine joined a skating academy with aspirations of becoming an Olympic ice skater.
“Skating gave me purpose. It gave me something to hold onto,” Chloe said. “Ice skating and music became the places where I escaped, where I felt confident, and where I remembered who I was. Then I fell in love, and for the first time I did not have to choose between music, the ice, art, or being with my significant other. I could exist fully as myself. That freedom felt familiar, like skating, like music.”
Raised in New York, Chloe landed her first DJ gig at just 13 years old, opening for Paris Hilton in Ibiza. She now blends pop and 2010s-inspired EDM into a melodic, high-energy sound built for the dance floor.
Fresh off the release of her Rolling Stone-acclaimed single “Shut Up (feat. Flyana Boss)” and a guest DJ appearance for PAPER Magazine, Chloe has continued to build momentum with recent releases, including her camp-forward anthems “Famous” and “Oopsie Daisy,” the latter earning her a live interview on Fox 5 NYC. Her work has also been featured in publications such as LADYGUNN, Wonderland Magazine, and EARMILK, further cementing her status as a rising force in dance-pop.
Chloe Jane’s debut album, Princess of the Night, set to release later in 2026, will further solidify Chloe Jane’s reputation as a genre-blending artist unafraid to challenge pop conventions and create art that is as intelligent as it is entertaining. Executive produced by Tor Eimon (Ava Max, David Guetta, Faouzia) and featuring collaborators Jakke Erixson, Soulshock, Karlin B, and Maya J’an, the album reflects her diverse influences from Swedish House Mafia to Lady Gaga.
ABOUT CHLOE JANE: Chloe grew up between New York and Ibiza, landing her first DJ gig at 13 opening for Paris Hilton. Now, she’s blending pop and 2010s-inspired EDM into a melodic, high-energy album that celebrates the dance floor. With recent releases like the cheeky anthem “Iconic” and the empowering “Oopsie Daisy,” Chloe balances self-confidence, satire, and emotional depth. A professionally trained pianist, vocalist, and DJ, Chloe brings a unique flair to everything she touches. Princess of the Night, coming out later in 2026 with singles leading up throughout the year, executive produced by Tor Eimon and featuring collaborators Jakke Erixson, Soulshock, Karlin B, and Maya J’an, reflects her diverse influences — from Swedish House Mafia to Lady Gaga. Whether headlining Mercury Lounge or showcasing her ice skating skills in stunning visuals, Chloe’s work radiates inclusivity, joy, and fearless creativity.
Keep Up With Chloe Jane: INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
STEVE POLTZ RELEASES ‘JOYRIDE’14TH STUDIO ALBUM
Veteran troubadour Steve Poltz has released his new album, JoyRide, via Red House Records today. The album is Poltz’s 14th studio collection, and is streaming everywhere, while vinyl, CD, and an exclusive new merch line are also available now.
JoyRide sees the acclaimed tunesmith teaming with producer/multi-instrumentalist Dex Green (known for his GRAMMY® Award-nominated work with such artists as Shemekia Copeland, Elvis Costello, Margo Price, and Nicole Atkins), at 3Sirens, a historic home studio in East Nashville, TN, for a high-spirited, sharp-witted collection of 10 brand new songs, including the topical first single, “If It Bleeds It Leads,” its rowdy follow up co-written with longtime pal Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon, “Love a Little Bigger,” and such sure-to-be fan favorites as “Fixin’ Up” (a three-way co-write with Americana legend Jim Lauderdale and 2018 CCMA Songwriter of the Year, Skip Black).
“Capturing me in a studio is like convincing a whirling dervish to stop spinning long enough to sign a bill into law,” says Poltz. “It’s chaos, caffeine, and accidental poetry — art colliding with microphones and commerce in a glorious mess. That’s how JoyRide happened. No seatbelts, no helmets. Just unsaturated, unadulterated art. Real humans making real noise in real time.”
Hailed by American Songwriter for “his unhinged live performances, incredible way with a comedic lyric, and ability to spin a ripping tale,” Poltz will celebrate JoyRide with a truly epic tour schedule that will see him traveling the US, his native Canada, Mexico, and Australia/New Zealand for headline dates, festival appearances, and more. Highlights include his 17th Annual 50th Birthday Bash, a two-night stand set for February 21-22, at Solana Beach, CA’s famed Belly Up, featuring Poltz joined by the Rugburns and other special guests. For complete details and ticket information, please see poltz.com/concerts.
ABOUT STEVE POLTZ: Steve Poltz has spent more than three decades as a singer-songwriter-performer of the first order, earning international applause and fans worldwide with his inspired brand of rockin’ countrified folk Americana. Having first made his bones as frontman for underground legends The Rugburns, the Halifax, NS-born tunesmith has established a critically lauded solo catalog while also collaborating with such diverse artists as Jewel (an ongoing creative partnership that includes co-writing the RIAA Platinum-certified #1 hit, “You Were Meant For Me”) GRAMMY® Award-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings, GRAMMY® Award-winner Molly Tuttle, The Wood Brothers, and Andy Frasco, to name but a few.
STEVE POLTZ – LIVE 2026
FEBRUARY
27-28 – Nannup, West Australia – Nannup Music Festival †
MARCH
1 – Perth, West Australia – Lyric Underground
5 – Adelaide, SA – Trinity Sessions
6 – Goolwa, SA – Murray Delta Juke Joint
7-9 – Port Fairy, VIC – Port Fairy Folk Festival
11 – Ararat, VIC – Ararat Town Hall
12 – Melbourne, VIC – Brunswick Ballroom
13 – Melbourne, VIC – Memo Music Hall
14-15 – Katoomba, NSW – Blue Mountains Music Festival
18-19 – Sydney, NSW – Camelot Lounge
20 – Avoca Beach, NSW – Avoca Beach Theatre
21 – Buttai Valley, NSW – Full Throttle Ranch
22 – Old Bar, NSW – Flow Bar
25-27 – Hawkes Bay, NZ – Small Hall Sessions
28 – Wellington, NZ – Meow
29 – Auckland, NZ – The Tuning Fork
APRIL
2 – Cairns, QLD – Tanks Art Centre
3-4 – Tyagarah, NSW – Byron Bay Bluesfest
5-6 – Canberra, ACT – National Folk Festival
CONNECT WITH STEVE POLTZ WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
DAVID RAMANO RETURNS TO OMKARA WITH NEW SINGLE ‘ONE’
London-born and Dubai-based electronic artist David Ramano announces the release of his new single ‘ONE’ on his imprint Omkara. The track marks a reflective moment in his ongoing exploration of Afro and Melodic House, focusing on unity, shared experience, and emotional depth through rhythm.
A meditation on unity, ‘ONE’ is built on deep Afro house percussion and spacious, emotive piano chords. The track unfolds with patience and intent, allowing room for both movement and reflection. The result is a focused and immersive listening experience, designed for moments when the dancefloor moves from energy toward meaning. Ideal for sunrise sets, long transitions, and closing moments, ‘ONE’ creates a sense of shared stillness where individual motion resolves into a collective rhythm.
The release continues a prolific period for David Ramano, following recent output on his own label Omkara alongside tracks on a growing list of respected international imprints. He has recently released music on Where The Heart Is, Vamos Music Talents, and Batuque Music, with new releases scheduled on Xpressed Records, Enormous Tunes, and Ostowana. This run of releases reflects his expanding presence across the global Afro and Melodic House scene and his commitment to rhythm-driven electronic music rooted in emotion and cultural influence.
Raised in London’s diverse musical landscape, David’s sound is shaped by soulful harmonies, emotional storytelling, and the influence of underground dance culture. From the 1990s pirate radio scene to performances across the UK, Spain, Sweden, and Canada, his journey has been defined by authenticity and movement. As one half of the Deepologists, he developed an immersive approach to music that connects the physical and emotional sides of the dancefloor.
David’s work continues to receive strong support from international tastemakers, including CamelPhat, Shimza, Artbat, Cosmic Gate, and Don Diablo. His track ‘Fall’ remains one of his most-streamed releases, combining Afro percussive energy with emotive melodies and surpassing 350,000 streams while featuring on key Spotify Afro House playlists. Across platforms, his catalogue has now exceeded 750,000 streams, with music reaching clubs, festivals, and radio shows worldwide.
Founded as a creative platform for forward-thinking Afro and Melodic House, Omkara serves as the home for David Ramano’s own releases. The label’s vision is centred on innovation, emotional depth, and rhythm-driven soundscapes that bridge tradition and modernity, drawing influence from African, Latin, and Eastern musical heritage.
With ‘ONE’, David Ramano continues to release electronic music that combines rhythm, emotion, and melodic depth, demonstrating his ongoing focus on carefully crafted Afro and Melodic House sounds for global dance floors.
Official Release: 13th February, 2026 Pre-Save
Find Out More & Follow:
David Ramano: Instagram | Spotify | Beatport | Traxsource
Omkara: Website | Instagram | Beatport | Traxsource
PARADISE LOST Announce October 2026 Australian Tour
Paradise Lost remain the undisputed monarchs of metal’s dark frontier. Formed in Halifax in 1988, they quickly carved out their legacy as pioneers of gothic metal; a brooding fusion of crushing heaviness and shadow‑drenched melody.
Never content to remain static, the band has spent decades fearlessly exploring every corner of the dark‑music spectrum. From their sludgy doom‑death origins to the towering, cinematic sound that propelled them into the metal mainstream, Paradise Lost’s influence can be heard across generations of artists: from Cradle of Filth and HIM to Gatecreeper and Chelsea Wolfe.
Their 2026 shows promise a ferocious, career‑spanning descent into the band’s most iconic moments. Expect early classics from Shades of God and Icon, era‑defining anthems from Draconian Times and One Second, and the blistering resurgence of In Requiem and Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us, all the way through to their most recent triumph, Ascension.
It is a masterclass that showcases the full spectrum of Paradise Lost’s legacy, a deep archive of the place they’ve carved into heavy music, performed with an authority and atmosphere that no other band on earth can summon.
Paradise Lost are a band so utterly assured in their craft, and so instinctively locked in with one another, that every performance becomes an overwhelming, immersive experience. When they take the stage, the atmosphere shifts; darker, heavier, charged with that unmistakable gothic-metal grandeur they perfected decades ago. Do whatever it takes to witness this machine in full flight when they steamroll Australia this October.
“Fists pump and heads bang… as bleak and cripplingly heavy as in 1991… Nick Holmes’s vocals are full of snarling malevolence.” – Louder Than War
“Paradise Lost are still among the greatest and most influential metal bands their country has ever produced.” – Rockflesh
PARADISE LOST October AUSTRALIAN 2026 Tour Dates
Sunday 18 October 2026 – The Triffid, BRISBANE
Monday 19 October 2026 – The Factory, SYDNEY
Tuesday 20 October 2026 – Max Watts, MELBOURNE
Pre-sale: Wednesday 4th February @ 11:00am AEDT
General Public On Sale: Thursday 5th February @ 11:00am AEDT
Tickets From: https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/paradiselost2026/
LIMITED MEET & GREET VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE
– One GA ticket included
– Access to a Meet and Greet session with Paradise Lost
– Photo opportunity with Paradise Lost using your own phone or camera
– Limited edition A3 Poster signed by Paradise Lost
– Official commemorative VIP Laminate
– Priority Access to the Venue
*VIP Terms & Conditions Apply
FIND YOUR VOICE COLLECTIVE TEAM UP WITH MSO. SET TO MAKE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY
FREE SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL CONCERT FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13
LAUNCH FIND YOUR VOICE RECORDS WITH NEW MUSIC FROM GK & JULIAN PATERSON
Warrnambool’s Find Your Voice Collective will take to Melbourne’s iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a free, one-night-only performance alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on Friday 13 February 2026, marking the largest group of d/Deaf and disabled artists ever to perform on this stage.
Broadcast live on ABC, the concert reaches audiences nationwide while placing accessibility, lived experience and artistic excellence front and centre on one of Australia’s most iconic stages.
Find Your Voice Collective (FYVC) unites more than 250 humans from over a dozen regional south-west Victorian communities into one collective voice, welcoming all ages, genders, abilities, ethnicities, sexual preferences, religions and backgrounds. Through art, education
and advocacy, FYVC offers allyship to people with lived experience of disability, creating space not just to participate, but to lead, shape and be heard.
The performance will see a 170-member choir come together with orchestral musicians for a program of original contemporary works developed over 12 months of collaboration between FYVC and the MSO. Songs and stories celebrating the full spectrum of emotion and experience sit at the heart of the night, a body of work drawn from ten songwriters and artists who identify with disability, alongside four world-leading composers and an extraordinary collective of performers. Every element of the program reflects the depth, complexity and beauty of our shared humanity.
Founded in 2018 as a grass-roots choir on south-west Victoria’s rugged coastline, Find Your Voice Collective has grown into a multi-faceted creative organisation delivering year-round programs across music, movement, film, visual arts and career development for d/Deaf and disabled artists and arts workers. With a mission to create accessible spaces that celebrate unbounded creativity, the Collective has appeared at Port Fairy Folk Festival, AbilityFest and triple j One Night Stand, and collaborated with artists including Sarah Blasko, Mama Kin Spender and The Wiggles.
FYVC artists have an uncanny ability to tell profound stories in ways that make people stop and listen. This very special performance gives space for those voices to be heard at scale, demonstrating why diversity of experience matters, and how the deepest truths so often come to us from the most unlikely places. The concert features original contemporary works written by d/Deaf and disabled artists, arranged by composers Nat Bartsch, Georgia Scott Stefan Cassomenos and Kym Alexandra Dillon, and performed with the full force of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
The road from Warrnambool to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is being captured by Walking Fish Productions, for a highly anticipated feature length legacy documentary, set for release in 2027.
Alongside this landmark performance, Find Your Voice Collective continues to expand its creative ecosystem through Find Your Voice Records, the Collective’s newly established label supporting d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse regional artists from development through to recording, release and promotion.
In 2026, the label will release its inaugural catalogue, including new music from triple j Unearthed Feature Artist GK, whose upcoming single ‘Jungle’ channels lived experience into powerful spoken-word hip hop, and Julian Paterson, whose debut single ‘Take It Away’ is set for release on February 13 offering a raw and urgent call to collective responsibility and change. New recordings from the Find Your Voice Choir will also form part of the label’s first releases, extending the Collective’s work well beyond the stage.
A night of songs, stories and shared experience awaits at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl – a free celebration of creativity, courage and connection, designed to be felt, shared and experienced together. A rare and unmissable moment on one of Australia’s biggest stages.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 | SONDER WITH MSO – SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE
EVENT INFO HERE
MARCH 6-9 | PORT FAIRY MUSIC FESTIVAL, PORT FAIRY VIC
EVENT INFO HERE
FOLLOW FIND YOUR VOICE COLLECTIVE WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE
Liv Cartledge announces Time Sick, a deeply personal new single out 12 February 2026
Liv Cartledge returns with her most intimate release to date, unveiling ‘Time Sick’, the second single lifted from her upcoming debut album.
Written as a letter to her father on the 10th anniversary of his death, Time Sick began as something deeply private – a way of speaking to someone no longer here. Liv Cartledge lost her dad to suicide in 2014, and the song traces the ongoing ache of grief: time continuing to move forward, carrying milestones and everyday moments with it, while the person you want to share them with remains fixed in memory.
Rather than leaning on grand gestures, Time Sick unfolds in small, familiar moments – pouring a glass of wine, flicking through old pages, hearing a voice in your head – capturing the quiet, universal experience of missing someone.
“If I sit still too long / I get homesick from you.”
Grounded in everyday Australiana, the song is understated and spacious, giving Cartledge’s raw, unpolished voice room to breathe. It offers no neat resolution, instead sitting with the way grief changes shape over time.
Time Sick is the second single from Cartledge’s forthcoming debut album, following her debut release which is currently on full rotation at Double J. Where her first single, Here We Go Again, offered a playful, upbeat take on heartbreak, Time Sick goes deeper – less a performance than a confession, and a song that resonates with anyone carrying loss alongside the passage of time.
ANNA WEATHERUP ‘THIS IS IT’ (SINGLE)
Australian singer-songwriter Anna Weatherup releases This Is It (Feb 2), a powerful anthem forged from years of songwriting, recording, packing bags, hitting the road and driving countless hours to reach live audiences all over.
It’s about that moment when it all comes together and you know the rehearsal is over and this is it, this is your moment! Featuring drumming legend Simon Phillips (Toto, Jeff Beck), it’s the final single before Delusional hits streaming, backed by East Coast tours and media buzz across Australia.
ABOUT ANNA WEATHERUP
Emerging on the national stage through The Voice Australia, Anna Weatherup quickly became known for her evocative voice, one that can both stop traffic and capture the most delicate emotions.
Her previous album, Crossing the Sea, was celebrated as heartfelt collection crafted over several years, drawing listeners into a world both deeply personal and universally resonant.
With her new album, Delusional, Anna unveils her most adventurous work to date, a collection that bridges the past and present. Some songs first penned in the wake of her journey on The Voice in 2012, while more recent chapters of her life inspire others.
The result is a deeply authentic record, where Anna’s signature emotional honesty meets a fearless exploration of new sonic territory.
Delusional is a testament to her ongoing journey of self discovery, vulnerability, and transformation, with each track serving as a unique milestone that reveals new facets of her evolving artistry and emotional depth.
Music:
Amrap:
Bandcamp
Spotify
NOAH KAHAN MAKES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RETURN WITH BRAND NEW SINGLE “THE GREAT DIVIDE” OUT NOW
FORTHCOMING ALBUM THE GREAT DIVIDE OUT APRIL 24TH
2x GRAMMY®-nominated, multi-platinum superstar Noah Kahan has released his long-awaited new single, “The Great Divide”—listen HERE. The song serves as the title track and first offering from Kahan’s much-anticipated fourth studio album, The Great Divide, due April 24th via Mercury Records.
As Kahan reflects on the momentous past few years of his life and processes his rapid ascent from his Vermont roots to global acclaim, he shares, “The last five years have been the single most challenging, complicatedly beautiful, and life-altering of my career. I was somewhere I understood, and suddenly I was somewhere completely foreign. I was living in the opportunity I always wanted but felt disoriented and unsure of whether I deserved it. Writing for this album was a balancing act of trying to go back in time and move forward in the same moment. Songwriting has always been the way I reflect on my life, and I hope these songs show you a glimpse of what this journey has looked like.”
WATCH ALBUM TRAILER HERE
PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE THE GREAT DIVIDE HERE
Those reflections shape The Great Divide, written in the wake of Kahan’s career-defining Stick Season era. Released in 2022, the 4x Platinum album and its 8x Platinum breakout single propelled the beloved Vermont songwriter to multiple GRAMMY® nominations, global #1 records, billions of streams and millions of albums sold, and headline shows in legendary venues around the world—including two historic sold-out nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden and Boston’s Fenway Park. Kahan has never been one to shy away from telling the truth, and following this global success, he returned to the one place that’s always grounded him: songwriting.
That process led to The Great Divide, a new album that finds Kahan at his most honest, reflective, and emotionally resonant. Produced by acclaimed producer and Stick Season collaborator Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Koe Wetzel) alongside GRAMMY®-winning producer Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Bon Iver), the album explores Kahan’s evolving relationship with family, friends, home, and his sense of self. Recorded primarily at a secluded farm outside Nashville, Gold Pacific Studio in Nashville and at Dessner’s famed Long Pond Studio in New York, the project expands Kahan’s sound while remaining rooted in the vulnerability that defines his work.
The album’s title track and lead single, “The Great Divide,” marks the first time Kahan felt creatively re-centered since Stick Season. Before building to an anthemic crescendo, Kahan sings, “You know I think about you all the time / And my deep misunderstanding of your life…”—a reflection on childhood friendship, shame, guilt, separation, and the complicated truths tied to where he comes from. Those themes echo throughout The Great Divide, an album that transforms isolation into connection through vulnerable honesty.
ABOUT NOAH KAHAN:
Two-time GRAMMY®-nominated, multi-platinum Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan has risen from his New England roots to become a globally resonant voice of his generation. Across his career, Kahan has amassed nearly 15 billion global streams, sold nearly 12 million global albums, and earned 22 Platinum and Gold certifications. In addition to receiving two GRAMMY® nominations, he’s been recognized by the BRIT Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeart Radio Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Americana Honors & Awards, and more.
Kahan’s critically acclaimed breakthrough 2022 album Stick Season became a cultural phenomenon. Over the span of two years, the 4x Platinum album and its 8x Platinum title track reached number one across North America, the UK, and Europe, becoming the fourth best-selling album of 2024 and remaining in the Top 15 more than three years after its release. In 2023 following the release of Stick Season, Kahan launched his mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $5.5 million to date in support of its mission to increase awareness around the importance of mental health.
Now, Kahan enters his next artistic era with The Great Divide, his fourth studio album, due April 24th via Mercury Records. Written in the wake of his rapid rise to global fame, the album finds Kahan at his most honest, reflective, and emotionally resonant—grappling with success, identity, family, distance, and the unspoken truths that separate people from one another. Produced by acclaimed producer and Stick Season collaborator Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Koe Wetzel) alongside GRAMMY®-winning producer Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Bon Iver), The Great Divide builds on Kahan’s signature storytelling while pushing his sound into more expansive, anthemic, and sonically adventurous territory. At the heart of Noah Kahan’s music remains the same guiding purpose that first drew fans in: honest storytelling, shared vulnerability, and songs that help listeners feel understood.
CONNECT WITH NOAH KAHAN: INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | X | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | WEBSITE
NOUVELLE VAGUE (France) Announce October 2026 Australian Tour
The irresistibly cool French band, NOUVELLE VAGUE finally returns to Australia for three Exclusive Shows!
Lauded as “The coolest thing to happen to New Wave since New Wave,” Nouvelle Vague breathes new life into beloved tracks by Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Cure, The Clash, Depeche Mode, XTC, The Dead Kennedys and more, transforming them into hypnotic and intoxicating chanson. Their sound is unmistakably French, effortlessly chic, and refreshingly modern.
Formed in 2003 by Marc Collin and the late Olivier Libaux, Nouvelle Vague redefined the art of the cover song. What began as a daring concept, reimagining post-punk and new wave classics through the sultry rhythms of bossa nova, quickly became a worldwide sensation. Their self-titled first album, originally intended as a one-off homage, struck a chord with audiences across the globe, launching a musical journey that has spanned two decades, multiple albums and countless sold-out shows.
Turning punk anthems into gorgeous daydreams with alchemic genius, Nouvelle Vague has cultivated an ever-evolving sound by hosting a rotating cast of talented female vocalists, including the likes of Camille, Elodie Frégé, Mélanie Pain, Phoebe Killdeer along with American actress, singer and musician Juliette Lewis and actress, model, and singer Vanessa Paradis.
Nouvelle Vague do not just perform music; they reimagine it with a French twist. They continue to enchant listeners reminding us of the eternal joys of music
“Unique and haunting… Beautiful and charming”
Check out ‘In A Manner Of Speaking’: https://youtu.be/zXhLFb34nz4?si=quYLFlgZCBkpCZ-w
NOUVELLE VAGUE (France) October 2026 Australian Tour Dates
Thursday 1st October BRISBANE, The Tivoli
Friday 2nd October MELBOURNE, 170 Russell
Saturday 3rd October SYDNEY, The Metro
Pre-sale: Thursday 5th February at 10:00am local
Genreral Public On Sale: Friday 6th February at 10:00am local
Tickets From: https://metropolistouring.com/nouvelle-vague-2026/
SKINDRED Drop New Single, This Is The Sound. New Album, You Got This, Out April 17 via Earache Records
Welsh ragga metal legends Skindred have released their brand-new track ‘This Is The Sound’.
A fiery, fizzing, hook-laden blast of Skindred craziness, it’s the second track to be taken from their upcoming new album You Got This.
Frontman Benji Webbe says about the track, “Skindred’s sound has always been about fearlessly sailing on uncharted waters and using multiple influences to get the melting pot of ideas really smoking. ‘This Is The Sound’ pulls together evil dance hall vibes with a booming metal grind that hopefully makes you want to bang your head and scream along with the chorus.
THIS IS THE SOUND THAT MAKES YOU GO CRAZY!”
The track is accompanied by a brilliant Official Visualiser, featuring the band doing their thang to the max, filmed and produced by Matt Higgs and Very Metal Art.
Watch it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ95k_EWiHA
Listen to This Is The Sound at https://earache.lnk.to/ThisIsTheSound
You Got This is Skindred’s ninth album and is an all-killer-no-filler set which features everything that people love about the band – hard-hitting slammers, mega addictive hooks, earwormy soundclash elements, and dancehall vibes destined to ignite venues across the globe. The title track was released as the first single from the album late last year, accompanied by a brilliantly entertaining video.
Production came from the Grammy-winning Jay Ruston, who drummer Arya Goggin admires for having the songwriting chops to work with ‘80s power ballad master Desmond Child, while also producing Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Mike Patton’s, Mr Bungle.
The new album finds the Newport trio – completed by guitarist Mikey Demus – embarking on a thrilling journey to follow the mainstream breakthrough that came with 2023’s critically-acclaimed album Smile. That album shot straight into the UK Official Album Chart at #2 and Skindred went on to receive the Best Alternative Music Act Award at the MOBOs, also winning Best UK Act at the Heavy Music Awards.
Long-revered as one of the best live bands on the planet, they played their largest headline show to date at Wembley Arena and toured the world, smashing every festival and headline performance and winning tens of thousands of new fans in the process. Those new fans will join Skindred’s long-established rabid fanbase in lapping up every note and lyric of You Got This.
The tracklisting for You Got This is:
You Got This
Can I Get A
Born Fe Dis
This Is The Sound
Broke
Glass
Big ‘Em Up
Do It Like This
My People
Give Thanks
Dred Or Alive
You Got This will be released on April 17, Pre order now!
https://earache.lnk.to/YouGotThis
FOLLOW SKINDRED
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
ANDY JANS-BROWN ANNOUNCES NEW INDIE ROCK ALBUM ‘AIRPORT DEPARTURE LOUNGE’
An Indie Rock Reverie for a World on the Threshold
Acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Andy Jans-Brown announces his fifth studio album, Airport Departure Lounge; a cinematic, emotionally charged indie rock reverie taking off in 2026.
Moody yet propulsive, intimate yet widescreen, the album marks his second collaboration with long-time creative partner Cameron Spike-Porter, following the critically acclaimed 2024 release Falling.
Airport Departure Lounge unfolds like a film set in limbo; a place of delayed departures, missed connections, and moments of deep unsparing reflection beneath harsh fluorescent lights. It is an indie rock exploration of broken dreams, heartbreak, grief, disillusionment and the long stretched out shadow of mortality.
It’s a poetic outpouring, singing of endings and the transitions of relationships, illusions, beliefs, ideals, inherited myths, and the uneasy waiting that follows when the future has not yet arrived, but the old world is definitely receding.
Opening with Growing Pains, set both literally and metaphorically in 1984, the album draws a direct line between Orwell’s warnings and the present moment of surveillance culture, authoritarian drift, algorithmic control, and the sense that we are standing at the edge of a historical rupture.
From there, the record moves through heartbreak, avoidance, fear, longing, and ironic detours, such as phone calls unanswered, flights feared or missed and dreams deferred, before briefly lifting above the clouds to glimpse a moment of clarity, and landing again in the uneasy knowledge of our shared, fragile humanity.
More than a break-up album, Airport Departure Lounge is a meditation on suspension and the strange purgatory of modern life where time stretches and accelerates all at once. The vertigo of a world in freefall, where days feel long, but the years disappear, and everything seems delayed except for consequence.
Themes of aging, sleep paralysis, democracy in decline, percepticide and technological uncertainty are woven throughout, balanced by moments of playful irony, levity, melody, and hard-won perspective.
“These songs were born, or rather torn from one womb and placed into another. A waiting room. A strange purgatory.
But the shell is cracking and what emerges will shape everything that follows.” — Andy Jans-Brown
Musically, the album ranges from brooding, cinematic indie rock to lighter, radio-friendly pop structures that are often subverted by lyrical depth and irony. There are echoes of The
War On Drugs, The Cure and early U2’s atmospherics, mixed with Springsteen’s forward motion, Lennon’s raw vulnerability, and R.E.M.’s wry social observation, all filtered through Jans-Brown’s distinctly human voice and Spike-Porter’s epic cinematic guitar layering.
Building on the acclaim of ‘Falling’, which Keyline Magazine called “an indie rock masterpiece”, Airport Departure Lounge deepens Jans-Brown and Spike-Porter’s reputation for emotionally resonant, socially engaged music.
Jamsphere Magazine described the duo as “among the most creative forces in indie rock today,” while journalist Fernando Dávila wrote:
“Andy Jans-Brown is magic… his voice is bones, blood, soul, flesh and power; a real human giving all in a song.”
Airport Departure Lounge will be available on all major streaming platforms. Music videos and tour dates will be announced soon.
More information: www.andyjansbrown.com
Andy Jans-Brown is a prolific Australian artist working across music, film, theatre, and visual art. Across a decades-long career, he has built a body of work defined by emotional honesty, poetic insight, and a deep engagement with the social and psychological currents shaping contemporary life.
His four previous double albums; Letting Go! (2012), Sunshine Avenue (2014), Hell is Light (2018), and Falling (2024) have earned critical praise and a dedicated international following. He has shared stages with artists including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Phil Jamieson, Portugal. The Man, and The Preatures.
In 2018, Jans-Brown released Hell is Light, a darkly comic arthouse project that fused album and feature film to explore addiction and recovery in coastal Australia. The film won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Original Soundtrack at the 2019 Pinnacle Film Awards and screened at the Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Festival in Chicago.
An accomplished actor and theatre-maker, Andy’s work spans stage and screen, alongside a strong commitment to community-based arts practice. Since 2023, he has served as Project Manager for One Vision Productions, mentoring Indigenous students to create original hip-hop tracks and film clips that strengthen cultural pride, resilience, and self-expression through the Six Pillars of Mind Mastery.
As a songwriter, filmmaker, playwright, and poet, Andy Jans-Brown continues to create work that shines a light on the unseen, the unheard, and the beautifully broken, in a reflection that shimmers and resonates, offering some solace in connection, and meaning in uncertain times.
FROM JESUS TO JOHN FARNHAM! AS HE BEGINS HIS SOLD-OUT SOLO TOUR AND RELEASES A NEW EP, MICHAEL PAYNTER HAS NOW BEEN CAST TO PLAY JOHN FARNHAM IN NEW MUSICAL
Just as Australian powerhouse singer Michael Paynter is about to embark on his own “The Great Australian Songbook” national tour and release its companion EP, he has today officially been cast to play the legendary John Farnham in Sydney Theatre Company’s world premiere production, “Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical” at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in November 2026.
Following his 2025 award-winning turn as ‘Jesus’ in the blockbuster production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Paynter will now take on the most anticipated role in Australian theatre and the mantle of “The Voice,” bringing his signature range, power and finesse to the story and songs of an icon who defined Australia’s soundtrack.
“To be asked to help tell the story of the greatest voice this country has ever produced is an honour that is very hard to put into words,” says Paynter. “For me, John Farnham is the absolute zenith of male singers in all of history. The gold standard that I have spent my entire life being blessed and instructed by. After the whirlwind of the last year, being chosen to be a part of this Musical, on the Sydney Theatre Company stage, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I only hope I can do my best, with what I have been given, to honour the man and his legacy.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON ‘WHISPERING JACK’
While preparing for the landmark production – produced by Sydney Theatre Company in association with Michael Cassel and Gaynor Wheatley – Paynter has already become the hottest ticket of 2026. With an initial run of sold-out solo shows across the country, more dates have been added in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, along with new shows in Geelong, Richmond (Sydney), Canberra and Perth. The “The Great Australian Songbook” tour has blossomed from an initial 8 dates, to now over 20 – many of which are already sold out.
Responding to the overwhelming demand and requests from fans, Paynter will also release the songs he will perform at these shows in a deeply personal new EP called “The Great Australian Songbook LIVE Vol. 1.” Recorded in the stunning Somerville Mechanics Hall near his childhood home of Frankston, the tracks eschew modern “studio trickery,” capturing the music in a single, raw take using only a piano, a guitar, and Paynter’s soaring vocals.
“I was blown away by the reaction from so many people wanting to come and see me play that I wanted to give something back – something for them to listen to and watch after the show is done,” says Paynter. “I wanted to capture the essence of what the live show is about: my interpretations of the songs that mean the most to me. There are no edits here. It’s just the room, the song, my voice, and the moment.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE MICHAEL PERFORM “AGE OF REASON”
Out on Wednesday, February 4th, the EP features powerful renditions of Working Class Man (Jimmy Barnes), Crazy (Icehouse), Chandelier (Sia), and a poignant “sneak peek” into his upcoming role with covers of Farnham’s own Age Of Reason and Burn For You. The EP was also filmed live for YouTube and marks the first in a planned series, with subsequent volumes to be recorded in unique locations across Melbourne.
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN SONGBOOK IS TOURING NATIONALLY
TICKETS VIA MICHAELPAYNTER.COM
“WHISPERING JACK: THE JOHN FARNHAM MUSICAL”
PREMIERES NOV 2026. DETAILS: SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU
Sunday 8 February: Lyric’s Underground, Perth, WA – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 4 March 6.30pm: Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide, SA SOLD OUT
Wednesday 4 March 9pm: Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 7 March: Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston, VIC – SOLD OUT
Sunday 8 March: Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston, VIC – LIMITED TICKETS
Friday 20 March: Sopo Southport, Gold Coast, QLD
Saturday 11 April Matinee: The Foundry, Sydney, NSW – SOLD OUT
Saturday 11 April: The Foundry, Sydney, NSW – SOLD OUT
Sunday 12 April: Avoca Beach Theatre, Avoca Beach, NSW – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 22 April: The Foundry, Sydney, NSW – LIMITED TICKETS
Thursday 23 April: The Foundry, Sydney, NSW – LIMITED TICKETS
Friday 24 April: The Regent Theatre, Richmond, Sydney NSW
Saturday 2 May: Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD – SOLD OUT
Sunday 3 May: Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD – LIMITED TICKETS
Friday 8 May: Playhouse Theatre, Canberra, ACT
Friday 15 May: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC – SOLD OUT
Saturday 16 May: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC – SOLD OUT
Sunday 17 May: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC – SOLD OUT
Friday 29 May: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC – LIMITED TICKETS
Wednesday 3 June: Astor Theatre, Perth, WA
Saturday June 13: The Story Theatre, Geelong VIC – LIMITED TICKETS
Friday 10 July: Festival of Voices, Hobart, TAS
HUGH BAGLEY SHARES LUMINESCENT NEW SINGLE + VIDEO LAY LOW
Swaggering with modern sheen and effortless delivery, the new single Lay Low out today from rising Australian artist Hugh Bagley burrows deep with real-world thematics and Hugh’s deeply immersive signature charm, also arriving armed with an accompanying music video as Hugh looks ahead to his debut EP Land of the Freeks set to drop later this year.
Following the release of his debut single Sad Song in 2025, Hugh’s new sonic outing blends elements of hip hop, R&B and pop, nodding at times to the silken stylings of Post Malone, The Weeknd and Tame Impala while also colliding cinematic production that feels instantly effortless yet matured. A song that is the “representation of modern life”, as Hugh himself puts it, Lay Low also found Hugh join forces with ARIA Award-winning producer Konstantin Kersting (Tones and I, FISHER, Amy Shark) and close friend Luke Mariconte, emerging with a relatable ode to escaping the grind. “Lay Low is about living for the weekend,” Hugh shares. “It’s something every Australian can relate to and has felt at some point — being stuck in the same cycle, in your life or job. Then, come the weekend, we blow all our money chasing highs something most of us have done at one time or another.”
Via its accompanying music video, Lay Low takes visual flight with Hugh mirroring the track’s lyrical yearning and subtle angst, with the clip featuring a stalwart lineup of collaborators contributing to the slick end result, as Hugh elaborates, “I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Emmy-nominated Ben Nott, as well as Ian ‘Thistle’ Thorburn, Sharon Miller, Ava Doherty, Rachel Bagley, and many others. Everyone’s properly credited on my YouTube channel so I don’t wanna miss out on anyone. The story follows a guy trapped in the same endless cycle—stuck in a repetitive job during the week, then blowing all his money come the weekend. It dives into him daydreaming about different scenarios of what a lot of people imagine rich people have and do… wondering if any of that would actually fulfill him? I have a lot of extra footage we didn’t ’t use too that I’m gonna share across my social media. Big thanks to everyone who helped out, it turned out awesome and I couldn’t have done it without everyone.”
Starting his creative journey at a young age covering Shannon Noll’s version of What About Me, Hugh Bagley has gone on to cultivate a dedicated following via his dynamic live performances and raw yet compelling musical creations. Hailing from the Gold Coast/Brisbane scenes, Hugh’s authenticity and sonic dexterity has made waves around the modern Australian music landscape. A rising genre-defying force, Hugh’s debut single Sad Song set the gears in motion for his anticipated debut EP Land of the Freeks set for release in 2026, with this talented rising artist unafraid to delve into darker themes and shadows; and ultimately turn them into something electrifying. Armed with his inescapably soulful vocals and sharp modern style, Hugh Bagley is truly only getting started, with his new year bucket list spanning even more new music, his first ever EP – and a hometown hero for good measure!
“I’m always chasing a new, song, nothing replicates it,” shares Hugh. “Big plans to chase new music releases, and also to work with FISHER, 2026 is the year it will happen. If he’s reading this, I have plenty of ideas.”
“It’s refreshing to be releasing Lay Low to be honest,” Hugh adds. “I think starting 2026 off with good momentum is what I need and will set the tone for rest of the year. This track is second single from my debut project dropping this year, Land of the Freeks! I wrapped the last three songs just before Christmas with the insanely talented Blake Malone, and honestly, they’re some of my absolute favourites on the project. ‘Sway’ is one I’m super proud of—can’t wait for everyone to hear it all.”
Lay Low is out now.
VARIALS: METAL BAND VARIALS DROP VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE THE HURT CHAMBER
NEW ALBUM WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES ARRIVES FEBRUARY 27
Philadelphia’s VARIALS — Skyler Conder, vocals; Shane Lyons, guitar; Mike Foley, bass; Sean Rauchut, drums — re-entered the chat in a massively metallic way in 2025 by announcing their new album WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES. The album will arrive on February 27 via Fearless Records. Pre-order it here.
Now, they share the video for new single The Hurt Chamber.
Stream The Hurt Chamber here
The song moves at a measured and deliberate pace, and it’s one of the most melodic songs in the band’s catalog. With this track, Varials, known for erecting impenetrable walls of sound and for trafficking in pure metallic fury, prove that heavier-than-granite music doesn’t always have to mean fast. Heavy can also be slow and steady — and memorable. The beautifully eerie, keys-driven fade out could serve as the background music in the creepiest scene in your favorite psychological thriller.
“The Hurt Chamber is a song strictly about being addicted to a high that is inevitably difficult to break,” says Conder. “Whether that be love, drugs, or a certain type of situation, you become blind to what’s happening, all of the bad disappears because it always feels amazing. But it’s doing nothing but harming you throughout every time you become close to it. The ache becomes a salvation of sorts. You enter the hurt chamber and you never want to leave.”
Fun fact about the track — Conder cut his vocals in one take and on his first try. That’s a rarity but the immediacy is felt in the song. And it just…worked. The band recalls, “We debated amongst ourselves on trying different ideas and melodies and adding/changing small things, but ultimately decided the original take was too good and shouldn’t be messed with.”
Sometimes it’s best to leave things are they are.
Varials will hit the road on a North American headline tour this March with Unity TX, Heavy // Hitter and Boltcutter.
THE HURT CHAMBER – OUT NOW
WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES – OUT FEBRUARY 27
https://varials.ffm.to/wherethelightleaves
Where The Light Leaves Track Listing:
01. Where The Light Leaves
02. No Lie Untouched
03. Illusions of Loss
04. Conscious Collapse
05. Your Soul Feeds
06. The Hurt Chamber
07. [wouldyoufollowme]
08. Silent Demise
09. Blissful End
10. Romance II
11. Metanoia
13. [intothequiet]
About Varials: Varials deliver hardcore ferocity, monstrous breakdowns, and nu-metal groove with an adventurous atmosphere and unapologetic purpose. Born in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, Varials embody East Coast attitude and determination, pouring every ounce of struggle into their songs. Their fourth album, Where the Light Leaves, arrives with explosive energy and focus. Varials first established their place in the modern heavy landscape with Pain Again (2017) and In Darkness (2019). Tracks like Romance, Empire of Dirt, and Anything to Numb became anthems, blending metalcore strength with raw honesty that deeply resonated with audiences. Scars for You to Remember (2022) expanded that vision, further cementing their reputation as one of the most emotionally intense acts of the modern era. Produced by longtime collaborator Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Dayseeker, The Plot In You), Where the Light Leaves signifies a new chapter. An often chaotic and experimental process—creating dozens of demos—resulted in 13 songs that capture Varials at their most powerful and creatively ambitious. The performances are deliberately raw, embracing imperfections to forge an immediate, human connection. Guttural heaviness paired with new melodic textures delivers a sound that is both punishing and expansive. As demonstrated on tours with Knocked Loose, Wage War, and Kublai Khan TX, among others, Varials are a fierce and formidable live band, and that energy is reflected in Where The Light Leaves.
Album Launch Announcement Estudiantina of Melbourne Unveil Second Album – Ta Nisia (The Islands) Sunday, 15 March 2026 Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne
Estudiantina of Melbourne proudly announce the release of their highly anticipated second album, Ta Nisia (The Islands), with a special live launch event at the iconic Brunswick Ballroom on Sunday, 15 March 2026.Following the success of their debut album Journey to Rebetika, the ensemble returns with a work that captures both continuity and transformation. Ta Nisia is more than a musical homage to the sunlit Greek islands. It marks a pivotal evolution in the group’s artistic journey—honouring their roots in Smyrneika and rebetiko while boldly embracing new creative directions, and also celebrating two years together performing a staggering 26 concerts in that time.
Ta Nisia operates on both literal and metaphorical levels.The album forms a constellation of musical “islands”: each track stands alone yet remains connected to a wider narrative of migration, identity, growth and belonging. The ensemble’s core musicians for this album are: Maria Antaras-Dalamagas – Accordion, Vocals,Vagelis Ginis – Vocals Camille El Feghali – Qanun, Jenny Dixon – Violin, Alex Petropoulos – Guitar Paul Karalis – Bouzouki, Con Kalamaras – Bouzouki, Vocals, Rosco Heck – Percussion. But also expanding with guest artists Indra Buraczewska (double bass) and Tim Meyen (cimbalom – a rare 145-string Austro-Hungarian instrument) further enrich the soundscape, adding depth, texture and a gentle push into unexplored musical territories.
This album stands as a cultural snapshot of Melbourne’s vibrant multicultural landscape. It speaks to the universality of music—an international language that transcends borders, time and language. At the same time, it pays tribute to Melbourne itself: a city that has quietly but powerfully brought these musicians together. In many ways, Melbourne becomes an unspoken member of the ensemble—nurturing their creativity and shaping their collective voice.
This event is proudly supported by Brunswick Ballroom, ANT Pacific, The Greek Herald, The Hellenic Museum and the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Neos Kosmos.
https://www.estudiantinaofmelbourne.au/
JORN LANDE One Of The Greatest Rock Vocalists of All Time
Signs to Black Lodge Records. New Music Coming in 2026!
In a landmark move for classic hard rock and heavy metal, Black Lodge Records proudly announces the high-priority signing of Jorn Lande, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock vocalists of our time.
Jorn’s enduring influence, distinctive voice, and proven track record place him at the forefront of a renaissance in hard-hitting, melodic rock.
Described by fans and critics alike as the Norse God of metal, Jorn Lande has crafted a storied career characterized by clarity of tone, remarkable range, and a prolific output.
With more than 50 releases to his name, Jorn has become a global mainstay not only for his vocal prowess but also for his songwriting and lyricism.
His work has consistently topped charts and earned critical acclaim worldwide.
Jorn’s catalog stands as a testament to consistency and innovation. Since the formation of his principal project in 2000, he has released 21 albums, with 2022’s Over the Horizon Radar receiving widespread recognition and driving excitement for the next phase of his career.
2026 is already generating anticipation, with plans for a third edition of Jorn’s Heavy Rock Radio concept, featuring Jorn-ified renditions of beloved rock classics and collaborations with Leading artists.
Across his career, Jorn has collaborated with top-tier musicians, enriching every project with his unmistakable voice. His live performances are renowned for their power, emotion, and versatility, supported by a formidable lineup that includes Tore Moren and Adrian SB on guitars, Øyvind Stroenen on bass, Francesco Jovinoon drums, and Alessandro Del Vecchio on keys. This ensemble is prepared to deliver the kind of electric, wall-of-sound rock experience that fans have been waiting for.
Beyond his main band, Jorn has embraced a range of ventures, from touring worldwide with Avantasia to contributing to League of Legend’s virtual metal band Pentakill in the gaming world, showcasing his broad appeal and creative energy.
With this partnership, Black Lodge Records reaffirms its commitment to exceptional artists who push artistic boundaries while honouring the timeless spirit of classic hard rock. Jorn Lande’s signing signals an ambitious new chapter for both artist and label, promising exhilarating music, unforgettable live performances, and collaborations that will captivate listeners around the globe.
About Jorn Lande Jorn Lande is a legendary vocalist and songwriter whose impact on modern hard rock and metal is profound. Known for his dynamic range, distinctive timbre, and compelling lyrical storytelling, Jorn’s career spans decades of essential releases, live performances, and artistic experiments that have shaped the genre.
https://www.facebook.com/OFFICIALJORN
DARKTHRONE 40 Years of Norwegian Black Metal
The Fist In The Face Of God – Box Set. Released March 6 via Peaceville
An Epic 9-LP Deluxe Collector’s Boxset. Marking 40 Years Of The Norwegian Black Metal Legends
With Fresh Audio Masters & 48 Page Book & DVD with Exclusive Newly Recorded Interview.
Initially forming under the moniker of Black Death back in 1986, the star of Darkthrone has ascended with reverence and a degree of infamy over the course of four decades, to become one of the most notable metal bands to have emerged from Norway.
Highly inspirational to a whole generation of bands, and also uncompromisingly steadfast throughout their now extensive catalogue, the long-standing duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have remained dedicated to the art of the riff and forging their own path, relentlessly steering the band against the tide of trend. From the death/doom technicality of 1991’s debut masterpiece ‘Soulside Journey’, through the spearheading of the notorious “second wave of black metal” period of the earlier 1990s, & the integration of punk & heavy doom elements along with way, the Nordic titans have undoubtedly carved an exquisite & eclectic legacy.
To celebrate these four decades of existence, Peaceville will release this limited deluxe mammoth 10 disc boxset – ‘The Fist In The Face Of God’ on March 6.
“This box celebrates 40 years through forests and over heath and includes a filmed interview with us which is as rare as chicken teeth” Fenriz
The set focuses on the purer black metal period of the band. Featuring nine classic albums in this collection, from the “unholy trinity” of Peaceville albums spanning 1992’s genre-defining ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’ up until 1994’s ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ opus, the set concludes with Darkthrone’s 2004 swansong for then label, Moonfog Productions, in the form of
‘Sardonic Wrath’.
With each album having received a freshly updated master courtesy of Patrick Engel at Temple of Disharmony to ensure they remain in line with the originals, each title is also supplied with their original covers and sleeve designs & presented on heavyweight vinyl.
Furthermore, included in the set is a 48-page book written by longtime friend of the band, Harald Fossberg, detailing the career of Darkthrone through this essential period for the band’s development and output, and contains rare images from the period. Accompanying this is a DVD with an exclusive new interview, recorded in 2025, with both Fenriz and Nocturno Culto also conducted by Harald Fossberg, covering the full history of the band, plus bonus features in the form of a trilogy of interviews from 2003, plus the band’s rare 1996 live show in Oslo.
Finally, the set includes a selection of posters and art prints containing artwork and classic band photography.
Watch ‘The Fist In The Face Of God’ Box Set Trailer Here
https://youtu.be/JW2xAqNcHss
THE FIST IN THE FACE OF GOD
DISC 1 – ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’
DISC 2 – ‘Under A Funeral Moon’
DISC 3 – ‘Transilvanian Hunger’
DISC 4 – ‘Panzerfaust’
DISC 5 – ‘Total Death’
DISC 6 – ‘Ravishing Grimness’
DISC 7 – ‘Plaguewielder’
DISC 8 – ‘Hate Them’
DISC 9 – ‘Sardonic Wrath’
DISC 10 – DVD
NEW 2025 Band Interview with Harald Fossberg (Video) (53:16) +
2003 Interview + Live in Oslo, 1996
Pre-Orders Are Available Here https://darkthrone.lnk.to/The_Fist_In_The_Face_Of-God
Follow Darkthrone: Facebook | Instagram
FLYNN GURRY HARES STIRRING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO BONES
NEW EP GOLD DUE OUT MARCH 13 + GOLD EP TOUR STARTS MARCH 20
Harnessing heartbreak into a compelling new creative chapter, today Aussie singer-songwriter Flynn Gurry returns with a brand new single and music video Bones, which also powerfully heralds the release of a new EP Gold, due out on March 13. And to commemorate the upcoming release of Gold, Flynn will also embark on a tour from March to May, set to stun with his unforgettable live show that has previously seen 4ZZZ praise him as “a charismatic performer who knows how to engage an audience”.
Kicking off on Friday March 20 in Flynn Gurry’s hometown Warrnambool, Flynn will then trek through Buelah, Halls Gap, Winchelsea, McLaren Vale, Maroochydore, Brisbane, Melbourne, Wollongong, Newcastle, Bathurst, Canberra and Sydney, before closing out on Sunday May 10 iN Freshwater. Tickets for Flynn Gurry’s Gold EP tour are on-sale now.
An evocative and gifted storyteller, Flynn Gurry’s knack for fusing whimsical folk-pop with relentless relatability dovetails into an upbeat, earnest and gritty-folk ode to heartbreak on his latest single Bones, with the track notably marking a sonic expansion on his earlier work, as Flynn elaborates, “I am very excited but also quite nervous to be releasing Bones to the world, this song is SO MUCH FUN to play live and I have felt it translate really well on the live stage but do feel this track may surprise listeners from my previous work hence the nerves. The writing inspiration for Bones explores heartbreak through hindsight – one day you realise you’re two people who have stayed too long, given everything you had until there was nothing more to give. Love has become exhaustion. Sonically. artists that inspired the sound of this track are the likes of Kaleo and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.”
Co-written by Flynn alongside Naarm/Melbourne-based folk artist Cooper Lower, Bones also saw Flynn team up with producer Joel Quartermaine (Eskimo Joe, Dan Sultan, Meg Mac) and Edwin White (Vance Joy), with mixing courtesy of Phil Threlfall and Andrei Eremin. And further amplifying the gripping subject matter, the accompanying music video for Bones came to life with Flynn joining forces with Dead As Disco’s Dara Munnis and Pat Pierce (Tash Sultana, The Cat Empire, Yungblud, Jimmy Barnes). “The basic synopsis for the video is: a woman slowly gets the ick from her partner as they do normal couple things,” shares Flynn. “He gets her a cup of tea, looks at her lovingly. Every time we see him from her point of view, he is a skeleton. Having dinner, same thing. Couple more moments like that until towards the end of the song she finally packs her bags and leaves.
“The Final chorus has coloured lighting and movement on either side of me as I perform the song, then match cut to the same shot of the skeleton performing the song,” Flynn continues. “The concept behind the video came from my manager Pat Pierce and we began workshopping it in the van along the Great Ocean Road on the way to a gig.”
Powerfully centred around themes of dreaming, love and becoming, Flynn’s new EP Gold can also be summed up succinctly, as Flynn himself puts it: “the making of me”. Inspired by artists spanning Mumford & Sons through to Vance Joy and Ben Howard, this earnest and energetic collection of songs is as much a coming-of-age sonically as it is Flynn in his most matured and relatable form to date, with its origin story also as expansive as the stunning creations lying within
“The writing of this EP was the first time I had collaborated with fellow songwriters,” Flynn reveals. “It started in the Scotland Highlands (Brad Arthur) and was finished in the South-West Victorian town of Warrnambool (Cooper Lower). The track 8am was co-written by Caisha Sprout and Cooper Lower in Melbourne and features one of my favourite Aussie acts at the moment, Lottie McLeod, who is crushing it! A groove that Cooper and I fell into during the writing process of songs like “Gold”, “Shadows” and “Bones” was after we had given our absolute all to the song we would then need a release and the way we did that was by playing the most competitive games of backyard cricket you could expect from two songwriters.”
Opening with a flourish of warmth via the EP’s very own title track, Gold instantly showcases Flynn’s magnetic delivery and effortless songwriting prowess, bustling with folk hues, driving rhythms and glistening melodies. From here, the Gold EP dabbles between soaring choruses and intimate verses, forged with acoustic wizardry and powerful delivery (Shadows), buoyant folk pop that also deals with the reality of life on the road as a musician (Don’t Stop Dreaming), and a stirring balance of wistful rumination and tranquil arrangements (8am), ultimately leading into the energetic conclusion of hooks and heartbreak via today’s single, Bones.
Raised against the coastal backdrop of Warrnambool, Victoria, Flynn Gurry has catapulted from busking on Melbourne streets through to performing with the likes of Ian Moss, King Stingray, Ash Grunwald and Kim Churchill as a solo artist, while also relentlessly enamouring with his sparkling acoustic guitarwork, magnetic pop sensibilities, honeyed vocals and folk-hued charm. Winning triple j Unearthed’s One Night Stand competition in 2024, which saw him perform alongside G Flip, Ruel, What So Not and many more in his hometown Warrnambool, Flynn has since ticked off being a triple j Unearthed feature artist, supported The Dreggs and Pierce Brothers nationally, appeared onstage at the likes of Beyond The Valley Festival, Port Fairy Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and BIGSOUND, signed with Cult Artists for bookings and Woolstore Music, aka the management company helmed by indie folk icons Pierce Brothers, and inked a deal with ABC Records in 2025.
Following his first ever headline tour in 2025, Flynn’s upcoming 2026 Aussie run is guaranteed to bring his trademark knack for “crafting melodies that feel both intimate and expansive”, as described by Rolling Stone Australia, to life; but with some new surprises to equally match the incredible energy and magnitude of passion poured into the brand new EP. “Playing live is where I feel most at home,” explains Flynn, “and to see the songs translate so well on the stage whilst I was sneakily leaking them at shows like my residency at The Espy, Woodford Folk Festival has me really excited about touring this record. Fans can expect a bigger sound and more dynamic than previous live shows. I love to bring the energy for a big ol’ folk dance but also want to make you cry so that’s what I am aiming for.”
A timeless artist and storyteller with a sharp sense of identity and modern allure, Flynn Gurry’s music has continued to find him in demand both at home and on overseas stages. But in 2026, another spectacular chapter will take flight via the release of Gold, and, as Flynn concludes, these are songs geared to stay with you long after the stage lights have dimmed.
“When I listened to my EP in full for the first time, I really got the sense that I am becoming far more articulate in my sound and what I am trying to say with the music,” says Flynn. “I really had intention to bring energy to the music and the storytelling.”
“I feel as though I achieved all of this,” Flynn continues, “so all in all I am really excited for folks to get their ears around it. These songs are SO MUCH FUN to play live and I’m so pumped on the idea of folks being able to take the songs home after they hear them.”
Bones is out today.
Gold EP is due out March 13
Tickets for Flynn Gurry’s Gold EP tour are on-sale now
FLYNN GURRY – GOLD EP TOUR:
FRI 20 MAR | LIGHTHOUSE STUDIO, WARRNAMBOOL VIC
Tickets: https://www.lighthousetheatre.com.au/flynn-gurry-gold-ep-tour
SAT 21 MAR | WIDE OPEN SPACES FESTIVAL, VIC
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wide-open-spaces-festival-2026-tickets-1564957151969
FRI 27 MAR | PAPER SCISSORS ROCK CO, HALLS GAP VIC
Free show
SAT 28 MAR | ALT ROAD WINES, WINCHELSEA VIC
Free show
FRI 03 APR | DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, MCLAREN VALE SA
Free show
FRI 10 APR | SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE QLD
Tickets: https://tickets.solbar.com.au/outlet/event/adfe113d-3036-43d2-9f7d-254c7f80f484
FRI 24 APR | THE RETREAT HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/flynn-gurry-gold-ep-tour-tickets-1981660114748
FRI 01 MAY | TOWRADGI BEACH HOTEL, WOLLONGONG NSW
Free show
SUN 03 MAY | STAG & HUNTER, NEWCASTLE NSW
Free show
THU 07 MAY | LITTLE ALBERT’S, BATHURST NSW
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981664271180
FRI 08 MAY | SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT
https://www.smithsalternative.com/events/flynn-gurry-95188
SAT 09 MAY | GOLDEN AGE CINEMA, SYDNEY NSW
Free show
SUN 10 MAY | BOMBIES, FRESHWATER NSW
Free show
KOYO ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, BARELY HERE DUE OUT MAY 8 VIA PURE NOISE RECORDS
SHARE NEW SINGLE/VIDEO, IRREVERSIBLE PREORDERS AVAILABLE NOW
Koyo are back with the announcement of their sophomore album, Barely Here, arriving May 8 via Pure Noise Records. Clocking in at ten songs in just 28 minutes, Barely Here is a lean blast of incredibly anthemic punk. All of the band’s familiar Long Island DNA is there (the firecracker guts of The Movielife, the widescreen hooks of Taking Back Sunday, the tuneful grit of Silent Majority) but the sound of Koyo themselves shines through more than ever.
To mark the announcement the band have shared Barely Here’s lead single, Irreversible a revved up cut of huge guitars and melodies to match. It’s the perfect introduction to Koyo’s next chapter and sure to inspire singalongs on the band’s truly packed 2026 touring schedule.
Watch the video for Irreversible here: Koyo’s debut full-length, Would You Miss It? drew acclaim from listeners and critics alike for their unabashedly heart-on-sleeve blend of punk, hardcore, and emo, and now Barely Here hones that combination even further. “A lot of bands think their second album has to be this magnum opus epic that sews so many things together, and I think we’d actually taken more of that approach with our first LP. ” explains vocalist Joey Chiaramonte. “So with Barely Here we wanted to do the opposite of that trajectory–we wanted to refine our strengths instead of doing this purposeful departure. It’s a snapshot of what our band is in its most no-frills, perfected form.” Produced, engineered, and mixed by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, The Story So Far), and featuring guest appearances from Sammy Ciaramitaro of Drain and Marisa Shirar of Fleshwater, Barely Here sounds like a confident band who know exactly what they want to make and excel at making it.
Koyo have will be celebrating Barely Here with another round of truly relentless touring, starting with a lengthy run of UK/EU shows with Arm’s Length, followed by North American runs with Rise Against, Hot Mulligan, Joyce Manor, and more.
IRREVERSIBLE – OUT NOW
https://lnk.to/KoyoMusic
BARELY HERE – OUT MAY 8
https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/Koyo
Barely Here Track Listing:
01. Barely Here
02. Jet Stream Wish
03. Saying Vs Meaning (feat. Sammy Ciaramitaro)
04. It Happens to the Best of Us
05. You Hate Me
06. Selden Mansions
07. Oxidize (feat. Marisa Shirar)
08. What I’m Worth
09. Pace and Loiter
10. Irreversible
Biography:
There are few things more appealing in music than hearing a band who are unabashedly being themselves. It’s a harder feat than you might expect–avoiding contrivance or overthinking while still pouring everything into the art–and it only gets harder as a band progresses. On their sophomore album, Barely Here, Koyo were more than up for the challenge. It’s the kind of album that feels completely instinctual, an airtight blend of emo melodicism and hardcore ferocity where every note is permeated with passion and personality. It’s the sound of a band not only coming into their own, but owning it.
Koyo–vocalist Joseph Chiaramonte, guitarists Harold Griffin and TJ Rotolico, bassist Stephen Spanos, and drummer Salvatore Argento–emerged from the Long Island, NY, underground and quickly earned themselves a reputation for putting their own spin on the sound of their hometown’s legendary music scene. Their 2023 debut album, Would You Miss It?, propelled the band into a whirlwind of worldwide touring that never really stopped. When it came time to make their second album, Koyo found themselves trying to squeeze the writing process in between lengthy tours–even demoing songs from their RV on the road to prepare for the looming recording sessions. Rather than crack under the pressure, the group rose to the occasion by trusting that they’d developed into a well-oiled machine and allowing the songwriting to become completely intuitive. “I think we’d learned so much about our process from making Would You Miss It? that we knew exactly what we wanted going into this one and it came together with more of an instinctual kind of magic to it,” explains Chiaramonte. “A lot of bands think their second album has to be this magnum opus epic that sews so many things together, and I think we’d actually taken more of that approach with our first LP. So with Barely Here we wanted to do the opposite of that trajectory–we wanted to refine our strengths instead of doing this purposeful departure. It’s a snapshot of what our band is in its most no-frills, perfected form.”
Produced, engineered, and mixed by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, The Story So Far), Barely Here is a lean 10-song, 28-minute blast of incredibly anthemic punk. The band’s familiar Long Island DNA is there–the firecracker guts of The Movielife, the widescreen hooks of Taking Back Sunday, the tuneful grit of Silent Majority–but the sound of Koyo themselves shines through more than ever, a confident band who know exactly what they want to make and excel at making it. “We definitely don’t spend as much time talking about our influences anymore,” says Chiaramonte. “We just know what kind of band we are and do what comes naturally.”
But the assuredness of Koyo’s music didn’t happen overnight, it was hard-earned through those years of intensive touring and the variable lives of full-time musicians. Many of Chiaramonte’s lyrics on Barely Here explore the confusion and disillusionment of being so mentally and physically unmoored. “We played hundreds of shows, and amidst that a lot of life happens back home and a lot is happening around you that you have no control over–and you just have to live with that,” he explains. “I feel very grateful for how things have gone with our band but with that you miss a lot of things and you’re also subject to a lot of disappointment when you see how things operate behind the curtain. It puts your head in a weird place to feel powerless in all of it. You can lose your sense of what you’re doing and why.”
Tracks like the adrenaline rush opening salvo of “Barely Here” and “Jet Stream Wish” address the dissatisfaction and distance, with Chiaramonte’s melodic roar still sounding defiant against his circumstances. “I have a real sincere gratitude for what’s happened for us but I don’t want to pretend I’ve been in this awesome headspace the whole time,” he says. “There’s a lot of isolation and misplaced shame for choosing this kind of life.” Chiaramonte delves into these ideas on tracks like the fiery “Saying Vs Meaning” which features guest vocals from Drain’s Sammy Ciaramitaro, or the propulsive “You Hate Me.” On “Oxidize” (a driving duet with Fleshwater’s Marisa Shirar), the challenges back home take on a very real weight as Chiaramonte describes wanting to find more time with his grandmother as she deals with dementia.
Late in the album Chiaramonte brings all of his frustration to a head with “What I’m Worth,” a two-minute exorcism of negativity overtop of brooding chord changes that push Koyo’s sound into post-hardcore territory. The track is immediately followed by “Pace and Loiter,” a ray of light that breaks through the dark clouds with one of the biggest choruses Koyo have ever crafted–no small accomplishment for a band regularly trafficking in huge choruses. Its lyrics find Chiaramonte saving himself from the brink by appreciating moments where everything feels right. “It’s about those times when you really lock in and you’re surrounded by people you care about,” he says. “Those times when everyone’s just shooting the shit, everything gets shut off and the worst things all disappear–it’s so intangibly perfect. They’re so finite and I wish I could just catch that in a bottle and enjoy it forever.”
The making of Barely Here seems to have helped Chiaramonte process wild motion and upheaval from the past few years of his life, and ironically it’s also setting the stage for another round of non-stop touring. But this time he seems ready–better equipped to not only weather the chaos, but to also enjoy it more. “I think I’ve recently been able to lift my head up from the trenches and be like ‘hey we’re still here,’” he says. “I’m really grateful for that. I don’t think we’d ever want to be a band that overstayed our welcome and tried to force something to happen, we just want to do it as long as it feels right.”
YNG MARTYR REIMAGINES A 00s CLASSIC WITH TRAP-FUELLED NEW SINGLE ‘SINCE YOU BEEN GONE’
YNG Martyr reworks Kelly Clarkson’s iconic 00s hit ‘SINCE YOU BEEN GONE’ into a bass-heavy track that hits best at full volume
LISTEN TO SINGLE HERE
The track came together in Los Angeles during a session with longtime collaborator REYKO!, starting as a studio experiment before turning into a sub-loaded, metallic rework built for crowd energy.
YNG comments, “It’s made for jumping, moshing, gym sessions, all of it. The song’s pretty simple at its core. It’s about cutting a toxic person out of your life and finally killing it again:
since you’ve been gone, I’m winning again. Feeling sharper, more locked in, more myself. It’s ego-driven, a little vindictive, but mostly just that feeling of realising you’re way better off after cutting something that was holding you back.”
Originally never intended for release, the song gained momentum after Martyr shared a snippet in his Discord, casually captioned “this will probably never drop.” The response was immediate and overwhelming, fans made it clear the track had to see the light of day.
The official video for ‘SINCE YOU BEEN GONE’ was shot with director Josh Davis, whose raw, cinematic style – shaped by years filming independent artists and creatives across LA – feels built for the same feeds fans scroll every day, and edited by Nitetive, who injects bold cuts, glitch-leaning effects and internet-bred chaos into the visuals, turning the track into a high-impact visual experience that hits just as hard as the music itself.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
‘SINCE YOU BEEN GONE’ is the fourth single from YNG Martyr’s upcoming album CHALANT, following earlier releases ‘MILKSHAKES’, ‘UH-HUH’, and ‘GEEKD’. Across the album, Martyr steps away from manufactured mystique, opting instead for a more open, front-footed approach that reflects where he’s at now.
The new music is set to hit live this year, with YNG Martyr performing at Rolling Loud in Sydney and Melbourne this March 7 & 8, before an iconic performance at Red Rocks in Colorado on April 16 to share the stage with BBNO$ and Oliver Tree.
With over 350 million global streams, Martyr has steadily built one of the most recognisable voices in Australian hip-hop. His rise includes performances at Split Milk, Falls Festival, and SXSW, tours alongside Iann Dior and DC The Don, and consistent airplay across triple j, CADA, and triple j Unearthed.
Beyond music, Martyr’s impact continues to grow. He wrote ‘Still Humble’ for WWE champion Logan Paul, now one of the most recognisable entrance themes in professional wrestling.
From underground buzz to global takeover, YNG Martyr’s run speaks for itself – ‘Nike Ticks’ storming past 90 million streams, ‘BURR’ lighting up TikTok with 210k creations, and ‘GLEAMING’ has been making noise worldwide, its slick production and emotional punch turning first-time listeners into instant fans.
LISTEN TO ‘SINCE YOU BEEN GONE’ HERE
FOLLOW YNG MARTYR TIKTOK | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE
sleepazoid step into a NEW AGE with highly anticipated sophomore EP ahead of Laneway Festival appearance
Touring Australia in March 2026
With just one week to go until their festival debut at Laneway in Melbourne, rising alt-rock outfit sleepazoid today reveal their eagerly anticipated second EP NEW AGE. Listen HERE.
Featuring the triple j high rotation title track ‘NEW AGE’, as well as the introspective and heartwrenching ‘FIG TREE’ and striking end-of-the-night slowburn ‘3AM’, sleepazoid’s songwriting evolution is on full display across the record’s five dynamic tracks. The EP’s brooding closer ‘ITS FINE’ arrives as the group’s latest focus, with its eerie guitars swirling under frontwoman Nette France’s delicately confident vocals. Watch the video for ‘ITS FINE’ HERE.
sleepazoid’s unique approach to songwriting and production has turned heads throughout their year-and-a-bit of releasing music. On NEW AGE sleepazoid wield misdirection like a magic trick, with their songs often taking surprising turns through texture and structure. While their debut EP running with the dogs (featuring breakout single ‘ALICE’) saw them make quite the entrance, NEW AGE is even more self-assured, cementing sleepazoid as an essential act in the next wave of Australian music.
Looking forwards, sleepazoid are set to venture overseas for their first international shows later this year, appearing at The Great Escape in Brighton with additional UK dates to be announced in the coming months. Before then though, they will take NEW AGE on the road in Australia, playing venues in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Having sold out headline shows and supported the likes of Faye Webster, Fcukers, and DZ Deathrays over the past twelve months, sleepazoid’s live appeal transcends genre, and as such they’re bringing mesmerising alt-folk duo Beryl on the road with them for all dates. Tickets are on sale now and available HERE.
In October, sleepazoid were selected for triple j Unearthed’s Feature Artist, and shortly after took out the Unearthed competition to perform at Laneway in Melbourne alongside the likes of Wolf Alice, Alex G, Geese, Wet Leg, and more. Following a whirlwind string of showcases at BIGSOUND last year, the band’s empowering second EP single ‘NEW AGE’ debuted on triple j’s Drive program before being added to high rotation, and has since clocked over half a million global streams.
Across their releases, sleepazoid’s music has been rallied around by community radio, with rotation adds to FBi, 2SER, Edge, and SYN amongst airplay nationwide, and a debut on AMRAP’s Metro Charts. The band have been supported by DSPs across the globe, including multiple playlist covers, editorial playlist adds, and frequent appearances on Spotify’s New Music Friday lists in Australia, Bangladesh, Japan, UK, Indonesia, France, Netherlands, India, and many more. Their tracks have received international airplay throughout Europe and the UK, including spins on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 6, and covered by the likes of Rolling Stone Australia, The Music, Beat, Frankie, Tone Deaf, Somersault, Happy Mag, Fuzzer, and 10 Magazine.
NEW AGE was produced and mixed by Jack Nigro at Sonora Studios, and mastered by Joe Carra. The EP is out now via Surreal Sound.
sleepazoid
NEW AGE EP Tour
with special guests Beryl
6th March – Dissent w/ Body Shirt – Ngunnawal/Ngambri / Canberra, NSW
7th March – Waywards Ballroom – Eora / Sydney, NSW
12th March – Blute’s Bar w/ Koady – Meanjin / Brisbane, QLD
14th March – Ed Castle w/ Placement – Kaurna / Adelaide, SA
21st March – Northcote Social Club – Naarm / Melbourne, VIC
NEW AGE EP out now via Surreal Sound
Connect with sleepazoid https://www.instagram.com/sleepaz0id/
RYAN OAKES ANNOUNCES JUNE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
It’s been a long time coming for fans and the artist alike but this coming June, RYAN OAKES will be unleashing his hyper-charged shows in Australian venues nationwide.
For the Virginia-born, Los Angeles-raised rapper, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, this trip is an opportunity to connect with some of his biggest supporters, while also debuting a stacked catalogue of material in this area of the world for the first time.
The talented multi-hyphenate has crafted a unique style of performance that matches an expert blend of hip-hop and alternative music – a signature sound that a community of music fans quickly fell for, and have become extremely loyal to. Oakes’ steadfast dedication to creating art that speaks to his individuality, bolstered by a DIY and independent approach, has garnered over 47 million streams: a figure that continues to blow up with each release.
Collaborating with a varied range of artists including MOD SUN, State Champs and Hollywood Undead, Oakes has earned a reputation for himself as being a versatile artist and one unafraid to be spurred on by the spirit of his peers – and vice versa.
In 2025, Oakes released his latest studio album, OPUS, a project that demonstrated the fiery ambition that remains threaded through the DNA of his work. It also reminds the listener that Oakes is far from done with pushing the boundaries of where he wants his music to go.
In coming to Australia, he is excited to share the new music with fans, as well as finally putting on a show his Australian community fans have long been hanging out to witness.
“Australia has been some of my biggest supporters for years now and a tour has been long overdue. We are going to make sure this is a truly special experience for everybody by including free meet and greets at every single show. At the end of my set I’m going to head to the merch booth and shake as many hands and take as many pictures as I can. This is a one time thing to show the fans how much I truly appreciate them holding me down down undah for so many years. Can’t wait to finally meet everyone and give them a show that makes up for the ten year wait!” RYAN OAKES
RYAN OAKES AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Tickets via destroyalllines.com
Pre-sale from 11am local time Monday 9 February
General sales from 11am local time Tuesday 10 February
Friday 19 June Crowbar Brisbane
Saturday 20 June Corner Hotel Melbourne
Sunday 21 June Oxford Art Factory Sydney
Tuesday 23 June Zhivago Adelaide
Thursday 25 June Magnet House Perth
RYAN OAKES: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | YouTube
GRIM RHYTHM RELEASE SECOND SINGLE ‘GUNS’ AHEAD OF UPCOMING ALBUM
HOMETOWN ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW AT THE TOTE!
Following their long-awaited return with cracker single Forever Eating Sh*t, Melbourne cult favourites Grim Rhythm double down with Guns, a sharper, heavier second cut from their upcoming album. The band have also announced a hometown album launch at the Tote, of course.
Guns was one of the first songs written for the new record Forever Eating Sh*t, out March 11 on their own label, Suspect Records.
“It really sets the tone for the whole album,” explains Matt Verinder (bass). “We started to steer away from the 70s rock-inspired riffs and lengthy jams on our previous record, and went straight ahead into proper heavy metal. Drawing heavily from classic early thrash and heavy metal records, we really wanted to dig into that fast and evil sound but with that rock and roll swing still intact.”
“Instead of eight-minute songs of repetitive riffs and solos expected of instrumental bands,” he continues. “We sought out to write fast, aggressive and straight-to-the-point heavy metal songs. Songs that punch you right in the face, melt it off, and before you know it they’re over and it’s onto the next one.”
To celebrate the release of Forever Eating Sh*t, the band will take over The Tote on April 4 with Reaper and Techno 666 for the album launch. There will be plenty of opportunities to catch them between now and April, but the Tote is the real party. New album, no brakes.
Get your tickets (for only $15+bf ) here.
You can also catch Grim Rhythm at the following shows in Naarm:
Feb 20 – Ten Years of Last Chance w/ FLY!
Feb 26 – Shotkickers w/ Frenzee
March 1 – Sydney Road Street Party at Stay Gold (FREE)
March 20 – Singing Bird, Frankston w/ Frenzee
March 21 – Luliepalooza
April 4 – Forever Eating Sh*t Album Launch at the Tote
GRIM RHYTHM: GUNS
Out Now Via Suspect Records
GRIM RHYTHM: FOREVER EATING SH*T
OUT MARCH 11 Via Suspect Records
FOLLOW GRIM RHYTHM https://grimrhythmband.bigcartel.com/
HERMITUDE RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE “OVER YOU”
Australian Music Prize-winning duo Hermitude return in full force with “Over You”, a high impact, pulsing anthem built for shared experience and collective release. Designed to pick you up, throw you into a 90s warehouse rave, then pull you clean through into 2026.
Already tested and trusted on Kindred Radio and festival floors at Astral People’s Day Party and Factory Summer, the track reinforces Hermitude’s deep connection to club culture and the communal energy of the dancefloor.
Channeling the raw abandon of early rave while sharpening it for an inspired new era, “Over You” feeds the collective joy of the room and invites everyone into the party. It marks a continued evolution in Hermitude’s sound, fully embracing high-octane electronic music and club buzz with renewed focus and confidence.
Hermitude shares: “Over You sparked early 90s rave energy and we dived into that world drawing on pivotal teenage inspiration from The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers”.
Working alongside mastering engineer Matt Colton (Aphex Twin, Tame Impala, Little Simz), Hermitude enter this next chapter refreshed and forward-looking. It’s an inspired shift for this award winning, multi-platinum selling duo who’ve played renowned stages, such as Boiler Room, Sydney Opera House, Coachella, Glastonbury and Splendour in the Grass as well as having toured extensively internationally throughout Australia, Europe and North America. More recently they’ve sold out a series of pop-up parties in Hobart, Fremantle, Sydney, Melbourne and Blue Mountains.
With a career spanning more than two decades, Hermitude have cemented themselves as one of Australia’s most influential and pivotal electronic acts. Their breakthrough album Hyperparadise earned the Australian Music Prize, with its title track charting on the ARIA Charts, along with Flume remixing the track, surpassing 200 million streams. Follow up record Dark Night Sweet Light debuted at #1 on the ARIA Charts, propelled by the success of “The Buzz” with 250 million+ streams and hitting Platinum, firmly placing them on the global map.
“Over You” follows recent singles “Royalty” feat. Adrian Dzvuke, it rings out over rapturous synths and staccato percussion, while “For The Night” feat. DEVAUR is the idea that some moments stretch forever, yet feel light as breath. Hermitude rang in the New Year dropping the synth-heavy track “Movement”.
“Over You” is out now and it hits hardest in the room together.
HERMITUDE WEBSITE I FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
METRIC ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM – ROMANTICIZE THE DIVE
OUT APRIL 24TH. RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “VICTIM OF LUCK”
Metric have announced their new album, Romanticize The Dive, arriving April 24 on Thirty Tigers, and shared its first single, “Victim Of Luck.” The official music video is out now. The disarming first track doubles as a mission statement, tracing the band back to their early days and revisiting the tension, vulnerability, and hunger of youth. Through the lens of hindsight, Metric revisit where it all began, with lead singer Emily Haines opening the band’s tenth studio album with these lines: ”Let me take you back, it was the start of something, I was there not long before all the stardom. Now I’m in front of you and all I’m seeing is all my flaws. I was a starving artist but I was fearless. Now I don’t know what we are, frightened of heights we knew, scared to go too far, how I might look to you. Now who have I become, trash that mirror let my black mascara run.” Fans can pre-order the album HERE.
EMILY HAINES ON “VICTIM OF LUCK” “The song ‘Victim Of Luck’ and really the entire album is about the romance of a less than perfect life. It’s about dropping the mask of self-consciousness and vanity. It was a long journey for me to get out of my own way and I wanted this song to be a rallying cry for that, better late than never. You can be as much a victim of good luck as bad. So when we started out yes we were broke and we were playing to ten people and there was nothing for us to fall back on but we refused to give up, and it’s not as though we’re all superstar billionaires now, but that was never what we were after. It turns out the grind is the thing you wouldn’t trade and the bonds you made can’t be faked. What we wanted is what we have and we’re not victims of anything. We dedicated our lives to each other and it’s the best feeling in the world”.
Metric have released a companion video for the song composed of previously unseen archival footage of band life, riding in vans, smoking cigarettes, playing in clubs and goofing around in shitty dressing rooms. The past is layered with the present as we are given a sneak peek into Metric’s recent reunion with indie sleaze photographer Mark the Cobrasnake, who captured some of the first images ever of the band when they were starting out in Los Angeles and has returned to the fold for this new album.
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR ‘VICTIM OF LUCK’
More About Metric: Metric is Emily Haines (vocals, keys), Jimmy Shaw (producer, guitar, keys), Joshua Winstead (bass guitar, keys) and Joules Scott Key (drums). They have spent over 20 years together in creative partnership and are releasing their 10th studio album in 2026 maintaining the original lineup.. “The band has become Canadian indie-rock icons,” says Pitchfork. “Metric [has] their own increasingly rare success story.” The band resisted major label offers in favor of starting their own label and retaining control of their own material and career, and for the last two decades have found themselves on an unusual trajectory of increasing success while continuing to push their own artistic boundaries past conventional expectations.
Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw are also early members of Broken Social Scene. While Metric has always been their first priority, they have both written and performed songs on all of the collective’s albums from 2002-2017 including such tracks as “Almost Crimes,” “Swimmers,” “Sweetest Kill,” “Sentimental X’s” and “Protest Song.” Emily’s most notable contribution to the group is the breakout hit “Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl,” from the award winning album You Forgot It In People. Haines has also collaborated with numerous other artists, most famously striking up a strong creative connection with the late Lou Reed, who performed “Wanderlust” on Metric’s album Synthetica and joined Metric on stage at their sold out headlining show at Radio City Music Hall in 2013 to perform “Wanderlust” and the Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes.” Haines worked with Lou Reed on various additional live events overseen by the late producer Hal Willner as well as performing “Ballrooms of Mars” on Willner’s final tribute album, Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs Of Marc Bolan and T. Rex alongside U2, Nick Cave, Joan Jett, and others. Haines has released three solo studio albums, including the acclaimed Knives Don’t Have Your Back. Jimmy Shaw has also released a solo album and works as a sought after, JUNO award-winning producer
Metric have a long history of creating music for film, starting in 2004 with their appearance in Olivier Assayas’ Clean, acting and performing their song “Dead Disco.” In his Scott Pilgrim series, graphic novelist Bryan Lee O’Malley based his fictional band Clash at the Demon Head on his experience of live Metric performances, and director Edgar Wright used their song “Black Sheep” in his 2010 film adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs The World. Also in 2010, Metric contributed the theme song “Eclipse (All Yours)” to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack which they co-wrote with Howard Shore. In 2012, they won a CSA (Canadian Screen Award) for their score of David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, also with Howard Shore. Metric songs have been featured in numerous feature films and television shows including Grey’s Anatomy, The L Word, Zombieland, Nikki Glaser’s HBO Special Good Clean Filth,the hit animated film Nimona, and popular Netflix shows Wayward and I Love LA in 2025.
Both Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw grew up surrounded by art. Haines was born in New Delhi where her father, poet Paul Haines, was writing the lyrics for Carla Bley’s monumental Escalator Over the Hill and her activist/teacher mother Jo ran a household steeped in experimental art and discourse stemming from their years in the Greenwich Village scene in the early 1960s. Born in the UK and raised in Toronto, Jimmy Shaw spent the first half of his life immersed in classical music and was accepted at the age of fifteen to the Curtis Institute in Boston and later graduated from the Juilliard Music School in New York. Metric has been nominated for numerous Polaris Music Prize and JUNO Awards, including five wins. Metric has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Later…With Jools Holland and have toured extensively, playing headline shows and festivals around the world.