SNIPPETZ: THURSDAY July 30, 2026
This week’s Snippetz includes: Greg Williams, Goon and Daunt, James Keith, Jackie Marshall, LayDee KinMee, From First To Last, Sunset & The Windy Hills, Joy Oladokun, No PROMISES, The Avalanches with Karen O, Hellcat Speedracer, Saralyn, the Snuts, MESHUGGAH, BEHERIT, The Marais Project, Callum Padgham, Grub, Sheri Moon Zombie, King Diamond, North Sea Echoes, Frozen Crown, Blatant Saint, Oscar Litchfield, Ian Noe, Olivia Coggan and more.
GREG WILLIAMS RELEASES THROUGH MY HANDS SINGLE FROM STONE ON STONE ALBUM
Greg Williams has returned with Stone On Stone, his first solo album of the century and a deeply rewarding collection that showcases the songwriting talent behind The Young Homebuyers, Play Loud, The Everys and Splurge.
Already attracting airplay in Australia and overseas, Stone On Stone has earned a place on numerous critics’ favourites and best albums lists. The 12-track release pairs melodic, guitar-driven songwriting with a distinctly Australian rock spirit, drawing comparisons to Crowded House, The Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus and Oasis while carving out its own identity.
The album boasts an impressive supporting cast, with acclaimed guitarist Ashley Naylor (Paul Kelly, The Church, Even, The Stems) joined by Steve Nieve, James Black, Greg Arnold and Richard Pleasance. Renowned producer Kevin Shirley (Cold Chisel, Silverchair, Hoodoo Gurus, Divinyls) captures the songs with a punchy, organic sound that lets Williams’ songwriting shine. A limited-edition 180-gram vinyl pressing, due next month, will also include the bonus Unturned collection of previously unreleased acoustic recordings.
The album has already received glowing praise internationally, with reviewers hailing Williams’ songwriting craft and drawing favourable comparisons to Australian greats including Paul Kelly, Grant McLennan, The Triffids and The Go-Betweens. Adding to the momentum, music videos for three songs from the album have been recognised at the Berlin Music Video Awards across 2024 and 2025.
The latest single, Through My Hands, further highlights Williams’ gift for memorable melodies. A shimmering slice of jangly guitar pop, the track explores themes of loss and resilience, wrapped in a spacious Kevin Shirley mix that features a rich wall of guitars-all played by Williams himself. The accompanying animated video, created in shifting sand by lighting designer Kait Hall, adds another layer of artistry to the release.
Through My Hands is the seventh single lifted from Stone On Stone, following the indie radio success of Every Day It’s Your Birthday, which became Williams’ biggest airplay hit to date. Released as an expanded EP featuring additional tracks, the new single continues the impressive run of a record that confirms Greg Williams as one of Australia’s most accomplished yet understated singer-songwriters.
http://gregwilliamsingsongs.com/
GOON / DAUNT Embrace the Cold on Collaborative Album ‘COLD FRONT’
‘COLD FRONT’ Out Friday, July 24
Boorloo/Perth artists Goon and Daunt unite for their first full-length collaborative album, ‘COLD FRONT’, out Friday, July 24. Across 18 tracks, the hip hop, R&B and electronic concept album tackles heartbreak, toxic relationships and self-sabotage head-on, anchored by Daunt’s genre-blurring production and Goon’s introspective lyricism.
Years in the making, ‘COLD FRONT’ marks a significant milestone for the pair, who spent two years building their own South Perth studio, Hive6. Having collaborated regularly throughout their careers, this is their first complete body of work together, showcasing the chemistry forged through years of writing and creating side by side.
A unique combination of simple, laidback house and chaotic, complex electronic production, ‘COLD FRONT’ pairs raw, creative lyricism with an unmistakably Australian authenticity. Split into two distinct halves, the album first confronts heartbreak, addiction and the consequences of past decisions before turning towards acceptance, resilience and the determination to move forward.
Featuring exciting guest appearances from Wesley Black, Nxlly, Lil Ducky and Lozza, ‘COLD FRONT’ brings together a cross-section of Perth’s hip hop community while remaining firmly centred on the chemistry between Goon and Daunt. The project also marks Daunt’s first vocal performances on record, stepping behind the microphone on ‘Yearning’ and ‘Address’.
Already recognised for his intricate lyricism and memorable songwriting, Goon delivers some of his most personal material to date, while Daunt’s production shifts seamlessly between chill house and bass-driven hip hop. Beyond producing every track, Daunt also recorded, mixed and mastered the album at Hive6, making ‘COLD FRONT’ a fully independent release created entirely in-house.
Created to be played through the heart of winter, the album feels equally at home beside a crackling fire, on a late-night drive with the heater on full, or through a packed venue sound system. However it’s heard, Goon and Daunt have crafted an album that proves even the coldest seasons can ignite something powerful.
‘COLD FRONT’ from Goon and Daunt is out on Friday, July 24. Celebrate the release with Goon and Daunt at the official album launch on Friday, July 31 at Perth’s Rosemount Hotel.
‘COLD FRONT’ Album Launch:
Friday, July 31 – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Follow Goon
https://linktr.ee/goon.aus
Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube
Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram
Follow Daunt
https://linktr.ee/dauntstudios
JAMES KEITH Finds Home in Uplifting New Country Pop Track ‘This Life’
Single Out Friday, July 24 | Album Out Friday, October 9
From the coastline of Sydney’s Northern Beaches to his hometown roots in Orange, NSW, Australian country-pop musician James Keith celebrates the realities of living the good life and embracing what surrounds you in his upcoming single, ‘This Life’, due for release Friday, July 24. The track serves as the final single ahead of his sophomore album, ‘I Call It Magic When I’m With You’, due for release October 9, 2026.
Following the release of his ARIA Country Albums Chart-topping debut ‘Life Is Good Today’ in 2024, Keith has continued to build the world surrounding his upcoming album. After a successful run of singles, ‘This Life’ follows May’s ‘Cruel Game’, further showcasing Keith’s multifaceted songwriting and heartfelt storytelling while adding another humble touch of Australiana to his growing catalogue.
The sixth single from ‘I Call It Magic When I’m With You’, ‘This Life’ explores the feeling of unwavering love and finding your home within a person, no matter the location. A true devotion to life with a loved one, the track pairs emotional vulnerability with fluttering guitar tones and joyous trap-country elements, while its lyrics pay subtle homage to Australia’s diverse landscapes and the love that can be found within them.
Exuding sincerity at every turn, the feel-good country song radiates the all-encompassing feeling of familiarity and excitement for the road ahead, regardless of the destination. As though the keys to the future have been handed to him through the eyes of another, James Keith explains:
“[‘This Life’ is] a song about love, gratitude and making the most of every moment together, because life really is better when you’ve got the right person beside you.”
Driven by warm guitar tones, delicate moments, tender danceability, and a singalong chorus, this uplifting country-pop track captures excitement and heartfelt devotion through a fresh country sound.
‘This Life’ is out Friday, July 24, serving as the final preview of James Keith’s upcoming sophomore album, ‘I Call It Magic When I’m With You’, due for release on October 9.
Follow James Keith https://www.jameskeith.au/
Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music | YouTube
JACKIE MARSHALL The Last Of The Human Troubadours (SINGLE)
The Last Of The Human Troubadours is the fifth and latest album of songs from Jackie Marshall, featuring long-time collaborator Chris Pickering, and new friends, the inimitable Black Square Quartet, performing exquisite arrangements by renowned composer Robert Davidson.
The title (and opening) track of the album delivers a coda-like first-person lament on the fate of the imagined ‘last’ organically formed traveling song artist, in the implied face of a fast-moving artificially intelligent takeover of the arts in all its multifarious parts, in equation with the inevitability of the dowsed sentient spirit springing up anew on the planet at some point in the distant future long after life in its present form has been forgotten.
The album and accompanying concert series features songs written by Marshall exploring various aspects of ‘how to get on with things’ in good spirits and maddening times (Nobody Tell The Birds, Chop Wood Carry Water, The Next Right Thing), a song dedicated to Aunty Delmae Barton on owning and expressing one’s sovereign voice (I Am Heard), an obscure Joni Mitchell cover (Nathan La Franeer), an Irish/Scottish traditional (The Parting Glass), a co-write with Greg Cathcart about disconnected friend (Cool, Calm, Connected), a treatise on being-versus-doing (Crickets For Claudia), a poem by Slovene legend Uroš Zupan set to music (A Prayer), and finally, the oldest surviving written musical composition in the Western canon, the 2000 year old Seikilos Epitaph, with its simple lyric “While you live, shine, hold no grief at all… Life exists only for a short while, and time demands its due”.
The pairing of Black Square Quartet with Jackie Marshall is a meeting of soulful virtuosity delivered with intention, supporting an unapologetically rugged truth and tunefulness. The Last Of The Human Troubadours is a life-affirming creation surely greater than the sum of its parts.
JACKIE
Jackie Marshall is many things: an inveterate creative, multi-artform explorer, and “that rare thing: an Aussie original” (Weekend Australian). But she might describe herself as many other things too: mother, mystic, restless spirit, moon-gazer, forest-lover, surivor, spontaneous adventurist, heart-centred anarchist, and eternal optimist. With her unrestrained spirit and immense talents, this Wiradjuri-born Magandjin-based artist shines as an acclaimed singer, musician, songwriter, poet, illustrator and actor.
She is an acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter, musician, composer and actor whose distinctive work move between folk, alt-country, rock and art music. Her debut album, Fight n’Flight, was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize, and she has toured with Missy Higgins and performed alongside Colin Hay. A fearless, deeply oridingal storyteller, Jackie continues to create adventurous music, most recently releasing her fifth album, The Last Of The Human Troubadours.
CHRIS PICKERING
Chris Pickering is a songwriter, composer, academic and musician based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. He was born and raised on Githabul Country in south-east Queensland, and learned to play guitar, drums, bass, and piano alongside writing songs and playing in bands. From 2009-2013 he moved to Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, USA, where he wrote songs on Music Row and performed and toured as an independent artist. He has released four full-length albums of original material, and composed many works that bridge the worlds of popular and art music.
BLACK SQUARE QUARTET
Black Square Quartet was founded in 2018. Inspired by the iconic and controversial artwork The Black Square by Kasimir Malevich, one of the first true examples of artistic minimalism, the quartet aims to challenge and inspire audiences with unique and innovative repertoire choices. Strong advocates of new & Australian music, the quartet has premiered works by composers including Thomas Green, Ken Thomson, Cathy Likhuta, Marike Van Dijk, Brenda Gifford, Richard Grantham, and Philip Eames. They have collaborated with some of Australia’s finest musicians and ensembles, including Trichotomy, Shugorei, Sarah Curro, Aaron Brown, Steve Newcomb, and various others.
WEBSITE https://jackiemarshall.com/ points to https://linktr.ee/jackiemarshall which includes links to music, vid, merch etc
INSTAGRAM @jackiemarshallonthemoon
FACEBOOK @jackiemarshallmakesmusic
YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbIDvmzjyH0 song “A Prayer” from album The Last Of The Human Troubadours
ONLINE STORE https://jackie-marshall.square.site/
LAYDEE KINMEE IS DONE WAITING: AUSTRALIA’S YODELLING DRAG QUEEN STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT WITH “HERE I AM”. Award-winning Entertainer Releases New Single and Music Video About Courage, Identity, and Owning Your Moment
The world doesn’t remember the people who waited their turn. It remembers the people who stepped forward. The people who took the risk. The people who believed in themselves before the rest of the world did. The people who chose authenticity over acceptance. The people who refused to let fear have the final word. The people who stopped asking for permission and finally said, “Here I am.”
That fearless declaration is the heartbeat of LayDee KinMee’s powerful new single, “Here I Am.” Known worldwide for powerhouse vocals, magnetic stage presence, and larger-than-life
performances, LayDee has spent more than a decade captivating audiences throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Europe. Many first discovered the award-winning entertainer following a memorable appearance on Australia’s Got Talent, where a show-stopping yodelling performance earned a standing ovation from all three judges and introduced audiences to one of the country’s most unforgettable performers.
Now, the award-winning performer channels that same fearless spirit into a song that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. “One of my favorite things about ‘Here I Am’ is that everyone who wrote it interpreted it differently,” says LayDee. “That makes it a song people can truly make their own. At its heart, it’s about finding your light and finally stepping forward.”
Written alongside acclaimed Australian artists Bec Caruana, who has shared stages with artists including Kasey Chambers, Amber Lawrence, and Lyn Bowtell, and award-winning songwriter and producer Michael Carpenter, the song was born during the trio’s very first writing session together. “Bec brought Michael and me together to write for the first time,” explains LayDee. “‘Here I Am’ was already the title, and we each brought our own ideas about what those words meant until they became one story.”
For LayDee, the song became much more than another recording. “Writing this song felt like an awakening,” she says. “I’d been playing life pretty safely, and it reminded me that sometimes you have to step into the unknown to discover what’s possible.”
Produced by Michael Carpenter, “Here I Am” transforms that personal realization into an anthem for anyone standing on the edge of a new chapter, whether that’s chasing a dream, embracing who they are, changing careers, or simply finding the courage to believe in themselves.
That message continues in LayDee’s debut official music video, directed creatively by Sarah Maxwell and filmed by David Moussa of Sydney Classic. Rather than relying on elaborate storylines or a large cast, the visual keeps the focus exactly where the song intended. “The song is called ‘Here I Am,’ so what better person to have in the clip than myself?” says LayDee. “Instead of overcomplicating it, we literally shined a light on me. It felt like the perfect visual for what the song is saying.”
Filmed in David Moussa’s West Ryde studio, the video combines carefully planned imagery with spontaneous moments that capture LayDee’s personality. “The orange globe wasn’t planned at all,” she laughs. “It was sitting on a bookshelf, matched our colour palette, and ended up becoming one of my favourite shots in the whole clip. We had so much fun making it, and I hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it.”
“We all have that inner self-doubt that can hold us back,” says LayDee. “We watch life pass us by while others chase the things we wish we had the courage to pursue. Life is about reaching for what you want, putting self-doubt aside, and making your dreams known.”
The message feels especially fitting coming from a performer whose entire career has been built on authenticity, individuality, and fearless self-expression. Portrayed by Jace Pearson, LayDee KinMee has become one of Australia’s most celebrated drag performers, earning multiple ACE Awards, MO Awards, and DIVA Awards while building an international career
across festivals, theatres, cruise ships, television appearances, and major events around the world.
Many first discovered LayDee through Australia’s Got Talent, but the journey to becoming “The Yodelling Drag Queen” began much earlier. While performing at a theme park in Taiwan, LayDee taught herself to yodel between daily shows before later refining the technique with a vocal coach back home in Australia. That determination has become one of the defining traits behind every performance. Standing 5’11” out of drag and nearly seven feet tall in full drag, LayDee has spent years proving that what makes you different is often what makes you unforgettable. “I hope people find this song empowering,” says LayDee. “I want people to know it’s never too late to make your mark. More than anything, I hope they have as much fun singing along to it as we had writing it.”
Because sometimes the most powerful thing a person can do isn’t wait. It’s stepping forward and saying, here I am.
For more information on LayDee KinMee and to follow her, please visit https://www.laydeekinmee.com/home
About LayDee KinMee
LayDee KinMee is one of Australia’s most celebrated and distinctive drag entertainers, known for powerhouse vocals, magnetic stage presence, and a career that has taken her from local club stages to international festivals, cruise ships, television screens, and concert halls around the world.
Portrayed by award-winning entertainer Jace Pearson, LayDee KinMee has spent more than a decade building a reputation as a world-class performer, captivating audiences throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and beyond. Whether hosting major events, headlining pride festivals, or delivering unforgettable live vocal performances, LayDee is renowned for creating genuine connections with audiences through humor, heart, and undeniable charisma.
Many first discovered LayDee following her memorable appearance on Australia’s Got Talent, where her unique yodelling performance earned a standing ovation from all three judges and introduced audiences to “The Yodelling Drag Queen.” Since then, she has gone on to become an award-winning entertainer, touring internationally and earning recognition through multiple ACE Awards, MO Awards, and DIVA Award nominations and wins.
As a recording artist, LayDee KinMee brings the same authenticity, theatricality, and vocal versatility that have defined her live career. Drawing inspiration from pop, country, cabaret,
musical theatre, gospel, and classic storytelling traditions, her music celebrates individuality, resilience, joy, and self-expression. Her releases blend larger-than-life entertainment with heartfelt messages, creating songs that are equally at home on a festival stage, pride celebration, or personal playlist.
Now entering a new chapter of her recording career, LayDee KinMee continues to expand her artistic reach while remaining true to the qualities that have made her a fan favorite for years: authenticity, connection, and the belief that every performance should leave audiences feeling a little brighter than when they arrived.
FEARLESS RECORDS WELCOMES FROM FIRST TO LAST TO GLOBAL ROSTER
BAND SHARES LYRIC VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE YOUR NAME IN RED INK
FEARLESS RECORDS is thrilled to welcome iconic, ’00s band FROM FIRST TO LAST to its global roster!
The label and band are kicking off this new partnership with the new single YOUR NAME IN RED INK.
Listen to Your Name In Red Ink here and watch the lyric video below:
You might be quick to think the band is “back” with the explosive Your Name in Red Ink — but then again, have they ever really gone away? No, they haven’t, at least not in the hearts and minds of the disciple-like fanbase that may have grown up but retains a burning hot passion for the band and its music.
While FFTL’s lineup and activity levels have shifted over the years, they prove they are here to stay with the definitive and dynamic Your Name in Red Ink, featuring new singer Lil Lotus, who certainly knows his way around a microphone, having performed in both scene and hip-hop acts in his career. Clattering, tinny riffs, melodic bluster, and volcanic breakdowns abound throughout this dangerously raw track. This is no nostalgia play; this is your new millenium favorite band coming back with a vengerance unrivaled. Look (and listen) a little more closely and you’ll see that the red ink your name is written in may very well be blood…
“We are excited to drop our first song off the EP and announce we are working with Fearless,” states singer Lil Lotus. “Your Name in Red Ink is a good blend of all the different stuff I love about FFTL — plus new and old screamo/emo. I am really excited to see how everyone receives it.”
Just after the turn of the century, band co-founders Travis Richter and Matt Good connected through the local Florida scene. Seeing beyond the boundaries of the zeitgeist’s pervasive pop-punk movement at the time, the musicians rallied around a shared vision for what post-hardcore could be without sonic or emotional guardrails. The group turned heads with the Aesthetic EP in 2003 and landed their first proper deal. Long before it was commonplace, they hit the internet hard and built a presence on social media. Searching for a guitarist, Matt linked up with Sonny Moore on MySpace, flew him out for an audition, and the collective welcomed him as a vocalist. This seminal lineup quietly left an indelible imprint on alternative music and culture with Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount [2004] and Heroine [2006].
Throughout the ensuing years, they toured with everyone from Fall Out Boy and The All-American Rejects to Pierce The Veil, Hawthorne Heights, and Every Time I Die, performed on late-night television, and landed high-profile syncs in Madden, FIFA, and Need For Speed. They leapt headlong into another decade, tapping Periphery frontman Spencer Sotelo and fellow innovator as vocalist for 2015’s Dead Trees. Coming full circle, Sonny lent his voice to the 2017 fan favorite Make War, and Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens handled vocal duties for Mirror Soul in 2025. Now, From First To Last are joined by Lil Lotus on the microphone, the band picks up where it left off.
YOUR NAME IN RED INK – OUT NOW
Northern Rivers-based SUNSET & THE WINDY HILLS, featuring Australian surf identity ANDREW KIDMAN, release the first of two 15-year retrospective compilation LP’s, DIRTY POWER
New collection includes “TOOTH ‘N’ NAIL”, the much talked-about track co-written with WESTERN BULLDOGS AFL coach LUKE BEVERIDGE, and “ONCE HAD A GIRL”, which is now also a video featuring French-American surfer LEE-ANN CURREN
Sunset & The Windy Hills – Once Had a Girl Featuring Lee-Ann Curren
(Official Video – The music video features Lee Ann-Curren, Stephanie Gilmore & Gus Kidman riding surfboards shaped by Andrew Kidman )
A musician, film maker and author, Andrew Kidman is the former editor of Waves magazine and an Australian surf renaissance man whose work has made its mark around the world.
With his band his Northern Rivers-based band Sunset & The Windy Hills (previously just The Windy Hills) – which also includes Andrew’s lead guitar playing rock journo pal Martin Jones (who is also a former editor of both In-Press and Rhythms magazines), bass player Paul Brewer and multi-instrumentalist/studio wiz Jay Kruegner – Kidman has today release the new collection, Dirty Power, on Brisbane label SoundPressing. A second Sunset & The Windy Hills collection will follow on SoundPressing later in the year.
Recorded over the last 15 years and recently remixed, Dirty Power is not so much a ‘best-of’ but a collection of songs that have laid the foundation allowing the band to tour locally and internationally.
It includes the much-discussed new track “Tooth ‘n’ Nail”, co-written by Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge. Beveridge and Kidman connected a few years back after Kidman sent Beveridge a collection of surf-related books and films resulting from his work over the years. Having already prompted Beveridge’s 2026 season theme for the Bulldogs, the track was the talk of the AFL and footy media early in the season, and Beveridge himself was moved to sing it in his post-game chat with Fox Footy after the Bulldogs scrapped out a 5-point win over the reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, in the opening round of the season. “Tooth ‘n’ Nail” is both an inspiring and contemplative modern rock anthem. (Indeed, it exists in a number of different mixes which highlight its unique qualities, and potential uses, with the “Game Day Mix” the most likely to get a Bulldogs home crowd at Marvel Stadium singing along.)
The album also includes the track for which the new video has been made, “Once Had A Girl”. The track features French-American surfer, musician and filmmaker Lee-Ann Curren whose father, three-time world champion Tom Curren, passed on the gifts of surfing and music. Her mother Marie-Pascale, was also top-ranked European surfer in the 1980s. A pro-surfer and a musician, Lee-Ann, like Andrew Kidman, is someone for whom surfing and music-making are inexorably connected. As she told Huck magazine, “It’s always a good time to make music, just like it’s always a good time to surf. It’s all intertwined and, for me, one doesn’t exist without the other.” The new “Once Had A Girl” video, made by Andrew Kidman, features Lee Ann-Curren, Stephanie Gilmore & Gus Kidman riding surfboards shaped by Kidman.
Today Andrew Kidman is a surfboard shaper, filmmaker, author and songwriter who has been soundtracking his own oceanic visions for over 35 years. Sunset & The Windy Hills provide the freedom to chase any sonic suspicion – from whispered acoustic reflections to psychedelic sound storms.
From stringing up bedsheet movie screens in sweaty New York abattoir basements to performing at Wilco’s Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts, to selling out the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall with their Spirit of Akasha – Celebrating Morning Of The Earth shows (the 2014 album of which was nominated for a Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album ARIA Award), to providing Northern NSW supports to the likes of Sunnyboys, Ed Kuepper & Jim White, Dinosaur Jr, Ben Howard and Bonnie Prince Billy, Sunset & The Windy Hills are quiet champions of Australia music-making, and Dirty Power is a beautiful summation of a decade and a half of creation.
Sunset & The Windy Hills’ Dirty Power is out now on limited edition 12″ gatefold Algae Green vinyl or standard 180-gram 12″ gatefold Black vinyl from:
https://sunsetandthewindyhills.bandcamp.com/album/dirty-power
sunsetandthewindyhills.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetAndTheWindyHills
https://www.instagram.com/andrewkidman/
https://linktr.ee/soundpressing
JOY OLADOKUN RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM HOPE IS A HEAVY THING ON SEPTEMBER 25
NEW SONG “KIND” OUT NOW
Acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer and performer Joy Oladokun will release her anticipated new album, Hope Is A Heavy Thing, September 25 via Concord Records. Ahead of the release, Oladokun unveils a new song from the project, “Kind,” out today.
Produced by Oladokun with additional contributions from Nigerian producer Spellz, the new 12-track project marks a bold new chapter, expanding Oladokun’s sound while continuing to prove her ability to not only bend genres but also to bridge cultures.
Across the album, Oladokun explores identity, connection and self-discovery with the emotional honesty that has become a hallmark of her songwriting. In addition to “Kind” and the previously shared track “Zombie,” the album features a collaboration with Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold.
“‘To understand your future you have to confront your past.’ This is the driving theme behind Hope Is A Heavy Thing,” shares Oladokun. “It’s a collection of 12 songs that I wrote to help myself find my light again after burning out.”
Produced in Nashville, New York, and the back of a speeding tour bus, this album is sonically an homage to all of the music that inspires me. On this record you’ll find music that nods the brilliance of the Soulquarians, the rawness of Bob Dylan, the rhythms of afrobeats, and the sampling prowess of J Dilla. Not to mention a callback to the Ronettes and a few songs that find inspiration in rock and roll protest music of the 60’s and 70’s. You’ll also find me at the most authentic I’ve been able to be as an artist. It is a record I wrote for anyone who finds themselves wondering how to hope in these times. Sometimes it means looking back and digging through the muck to find what’s worth fighting for again.”
Hope Is A Heavy Thing follows Oladokun’s critically acclaimed albums in defense of my own happiness (2021), Proof of Life (2023) and Observations From A Crowded Room (2024), which led NPR Music to call Oladokun “one of the great singer-songwriters pushing beyond roots or conventional singer-songwriter music today.” Additionally, The New York Times praised, “her songs are conversational and confessional, and her hooky but profound melodies turn her lyrics into mantras,” while Consequence declared, “One of the most refreshing voices coming out of Nashville…there’s a deeply honest quality to her music that makes her hard to shake.”
Oladokun is one of today’s most compelling genre-defying voices, using deeply vulnerable songwriting to seamlessly connect folk, soul, pop and rock with striking emotional clarity. A queer Black musician and daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Oladokun has become a vital cultural voice, writing songs that explore identity, faith, mental health, and social justice with honesty and restraint. She earned a nomination for Americana Artist of the Year and her protest anthem, “i see america,” was a finalist for the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Award for Best Song for Social Change.
PRE SAVE ‘HOPE IS A HEAVY THING’
Oladokun has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CBS Saturday Morning’s “Saturday Sessions,” TODAY, PBS’ Austin City Limits and NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series. Widely respected by her peers, Oladokun has collaborated with artists such as Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Maxo Kream, Jack Antonoff, Jason Isbell and Noah Kahan and has joined Isbell, Kahan, John Mayer, Hozier, My Morning Jacket, Tyler Childers, Pink Sweat$, Leon Bridges and Manchester Orchestra on the road.
HOPE IS A HEAVY THING
TRACK LIST
1. Raised By The Radio (A Reintroduction)
2. Dear Maria
3. Easy Company
4. Kind
5. TOGIAIM
6. Sage (feat. Adekunle Gold)
7. The End Of The World
8. Zombie
9. Toothache
10. Don’t Call Me Baby!
11. Die Young
12. Time Is A River
No PROMISES ‘SIREN’ ALBUM
No PROMISES Deliver Their Most Ambitious Release Yet With Siren
Australian alt country duo No PROMISES are set to captivate listeners with the release of their stunning new album Siren — an emotionally rich collection inspired by the golden era of seventies country rock.
Produced, engineered and mixed by acclaimed producer Matt Fell and mastered by William Bowden at King Willy Sound, Siren is warm, and exciting — a record steeped in the spirit of classic albums from artists like Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles, while still sounding unmistakably like No PROMISES.
At the heart of the album are Eric Collier and Janine Garvey, whose songwriting and musical chemistry continue to evolve with every release. Producer Matt enlisted an exceptional lineup of musicians to help bring Siren to life.
Renowned drummer Josh Schuberth delivers performances that give the record its unmistakable Fleetwood Mac-esque heartbeat, while Matt Fell’s bass work anchors the songs with depth and power. Together they form a rhythm section that elevates every track.
Eric Collier’s electric guitar work is gritty, bluesy and deeply expressive, weaving throughout the album with confidence and restraint. Fellow guitarist Sam Leske adds layers of shimmering texture and soaring lead work, blending so seamlessly with Eric’s tones that it becomes difficult to tell where one player ends and the other begins.
Additional standout performances include Shane Reilly on pedal steel for “The Weight,” a contribution that transforms the song into something truly unforgettable, and Randall Muir whose keys on “Midnight Rider” inject a touch of Linda Ronstadt-style honky tonk energy. Long-time No PROMISES live member Neil Marshall also makes a grand entrance on rhythm guitar for “If It Wasn’t For Love.”
Janine not only delivers lead vocals across most of the album, but also performs all backing vocals and harmonies — showing how she earned her reputation as the “harmony queen.” Her instinctive vocal arrangements along with producer Matt Fells fantastic ear for harmonies and thinking outside the box, bring emotional depth and spine-tingling moments throughout the record. Eric takes lead vocal duties on “Wildside” and “The Weight,” adding another dimension to the album’s storytelling.
Track Highlights:
Opening track “Siren” sets the tone immediately — mysterious, hypnotic and drenched in Fleetwood Mac influence, echoing shades of “Rhiannon” and “Sisters of the Moon.” Eric’s guitar playing is immersive and masterful, rewarding headphone listeners with layer upon layer of detail.
“If It Wasn’t For Love” channels pure seventies rock nostalgia, complete with melodic choruses and the unforgettable line: “If it wasn’t for love, what’s the point of it all? Put the needle on the record let the music rain over your soul.” Featuring standout vocals recorded by Chris Gale at Scarlett Sound.
“Seasons” is driven by an infectious jungle-style drum groove, with Sam Leske delivering Mark Knopfler-inspired guitar tones that sit perfectly against Eric’s country grit. Lyrically, the song wrestles with revisiting old relationships and old mistakes, culminating in a heart-wrenching outro carried by Janine’s emotional vocals and haunting harmonies.
Lead single “Midnight Rider” has already found strong support across radio stations (vocals and backing vocals recorded by Chris Gale at Scarlett Sound), while “The Weight” sees Eric take the reins vocally in a deeply relatable song about carrying life’s burdens. Shane Reilly’s pedal steel work pushes the track to another level entirely.
“Atmosphere” showcases Janine’s Stevie Nicks-inspired vocal style in a passionate, uplifting ballad, while “Rise Again” — a finalist in the Roddy Read Songwriting Competition at the Maldon Folk Festival — explores soulmates and reincarnation through soaring melodies and classic guitar work reminiscent of The Eagles.
“So Goodbye” is an angsty, cathartic breakup anthem packed with energy, while “The Surface” tackles the growing influence of AI in the music industry with sharp lyrical insight: “Take me back to the start. Automatic, problematic, it’s like love with no heart.”
“Wildside,” featuring Eric on lead vocals, is a fearless anthem about leaving behind the nine-to-five grind to chase your dreams.
Closing track “Broke My Heart” is a tender and bittersweet ode to lost love, inspired by Janine listening to Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” one too many times.
With Siren, No PROMISES have crafted an album that feels timeless — rich, warm, emotional and deeply human. It’s a record overflowing with exceptional songwriting, world-class musicianship and authentic performances.
And in many ways, producer Matt Fell may have outdone himself this time.
Here come No PROMISES.
THE AVALANCHES + KAREN O ‘BLUE SHADOWS’
The Avalanches’ ‘Blue Shadows’ with Karen O is HERE
“Blue Shadows was an idea of Andy’s that was almost lost to time until Tony stumbled across it in an old folder and began championing it as a potential album song. It’s since become one of my favourite Avalanches tunes. Many moons later and thanks to the kindness of Claudio Casalini and the estate of Celso Valli, it looked like Tony’s dream for Blue Shadows might come true.
I included it in a selection of song ideas for Karen, we wanted her to hear it although I never imagined a vocal would be possible; the demo had such a peculiar, singular mood. What she recorded still amazes me after months of listening, it’s so achingly forlorn and somehow sounds as if it always existed as a song. I don’t know how that is possible, or what she was channelling, some people just have access to a higher plane I suppose!” Robbie Chater
“When Robbie sent me Blue Shadows I jumped at the chance to collaborate. The Avalanches last record We Will Always Love You was a gift to humanity in 2020 and I’ll count it as one of my Top 10 forever. The Avalanches frequency is high, I’m so happy to be asked to slide into it.” Karen O
Takumi Digital Archives proudly partners with BD-R. “At Takumi we understand that digital archives are more than data repositories – they are institutional memory, intellectual property, and cultural heritage”
‘Blue Shadows’ heralds the second collaboration between The Avalanches and Karen O, the iconic solo artist and Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman having featured on “Dial D For Devotion” from the band’s 2020 album ‘We Will Always Love You’. ‘Blue Shadows’ also marks the third taste of new music from The Avalanches in 2026, following ‘Every Single Weekend’ with Jamie xx – hailed as “dancefloor-ready, Jet2-coded” (DIY), “straightforwardly joyful… euphoric” (whynow) and a “summer-ready banger” (NME) – and ‘Together’ with Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza and Prentiss, described by CLASH as “a riot of colour – the group’s plunderphonic inclinations remain, and this feels rooted in the club experience.”
The Avalanches recently performed at Primavera Sound Barcelona and announced a run of London headline shows as part of Pitchfork Music Festival in November. Upcoming DJ sets include All Together Now (Ireland), Freakquencies (France, alongside The Dare), Poplar and C2C (Italy), and Les Nuits Weekender (Belgium), with more dates to be announced. Click HERE for more information.
‘Blue Shadows’ cover art – Jonathan Zawada
ABOUT THE AVALANCHES
“Better than just about any music ever made” – Pitchfork
The Avalanches are Robbie Chater, Tony Di Blasi and Andy Szekeres. There are few artists on the planet as influential and original as The Avalanches. Their debut album ‘Since I Left You’ laid a global footprint for collaborative sampology in the 21st century.
With over 1 million album sales and 700 Million streams, the group’s mark on popular culture has expanded across two more acclaimed LPs ‘Wildflower’ and ‘We Will Always Love You’, coveted collectables & a legion of fans spanning the globe. In 2024 the band featured on Jamie XXs acclaimed ‘In Waves’ album with collaboration ‘All You Children’.
ABOUT KAREN O
Born in Seoul and raised in New Jersey, Karen O is a vocalist, songwriter, artist and the iconic frontwoman of the eight-time Grammy-nominated Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a focus on film, she has helped redefine the possibilities of rock performance over the past two decades, influencing a new generation of artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Japanese Breakfast and the Linda Lindas, among many others.
With the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, O has released five acclaimed studio albums, including the Grammy-nominated Cool It Down, the band’s celebrated 2022 return after a nine-year recording hiatus. It earned Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” featuring Perfume Genius.
Beyond the band, O has built an adventurous multidisciplinary career spanning music, film, visual art and performance. She released the acclaimed solo album Crush Songs; wrote and performed music for Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are; and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “The Moon Song” from Jonze’s Her. Her experimental rock opera Stop the Virgens premiered at New York’s St. Ann’s Warehouse before touring internationally.
O has collaborated with artists including David Lynch, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, as well as fashion house KENZO. Her 2019 collaborative album with Danger Mouse, Lux Prima, received widespread critical acclaim, earned a Grammy nomination for the single “Woman,” and inspired the immersive multimedia installation An Encounter with Lux Prima, which premiered at Los Angeles’ Marciano Art Foundation.
Karen O lives in Los Angeles with her husband, director Barnaby Clay, and their son.
THE AVALANCHES’ ‘BLUE SHADOWS’ WITH KAREN O – OUT NOW
HELLCAT SPEEDRACER Announce New EP ‘forever never here.’
out Friday September 4
Share new single ‘Ultraviolet’ OUT NOW
Riding high on an impressive wave of recent dancefloor-ready anthems, the Sydney electro duo Hellcat Speedracer are turning up the heat once again, announcing their second EP ‘forever never here.’ out Friday September 4. Alongside the announcement, they have treated fans to a glittering new single ‘Ultraviolet’.
There’s a familiar feeling running through ‘forever never here.’ – one foot on a sticky dancefloor at 2am, the other somewhere far away. Across five tracks, Hellcat Speedracer bottle the rush of late-night euphoria, indie melancholy and the shimmering nostalgia of 90s and 00s electronica into their most fully realized project to date. The duo share, “forever never here. is not just our EP, but a state of being. We coined this phrase as a way to give meaning to the lifestyle we have been living in our 20s moving towards 30. It is a sub-conscience experience creating a constant state of reflection of one’s life, much like hangxiety after a big night.
Written between Australia and the UK, ‘forever never here.’ unfolds like a night out from dusk until sunrise. It opens with the euphoric pulse of ‘Ultraviolet’, drifts into the cinematic emotion of ‘Minutes Of You’, hits peak dancefloor energy with ‘Stay Blessed’ with LEGZDINA, before slipping into the hazy escapism of ‘Meet Me At The Afterparty’. The journey culminates with ‘Back To Life’ ft. KOATES – an anthemic finale that captures everything at the heart of the record: soaring melodies, emotional songwriting and festival-sized production that feels equally nostalgic and forward-looking.
The project brings together an impressive cast of collaborators, including legendary British producer Richard X (Sugababes, Kelis, Pet Shop Boys), London-based producer Pat Alvarez (The Blessed Madonna, Griff, Joy Crookes, Jon Hopkins), Latvia-born London-based artist LEGZDINA (Idris Elba, Sara Landry) and London-based DJ and producer KOATES (John Summit, Camden Cox).
The latest release, ‘Ultraviolet’ is the project’s biggest dancefloor moment yet, a thumping high-energy cut inspired by the golden era of 90s and 00s electronica with vocals by Ollie. The track delivers euphoric synths, infectious hooks and a feel-good energy, balancing nostalgia with a fresh, modern production. The future anthem is accompanied with a cinematic visualizer created by highly acclaimed creative director and cinematographer Billy Zammit who beautifully captures the rhythmic ecstasy the song encapsulates.
The upcoming EP arrives off the back of a defining run for Hellcat Speedracer. Previous singles ‘Stay Blessed’, which earned support from Capital Dance, KISS Dance, BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and triple j, while the viral medieval-inspired creator campaign attracted more than 2,000 new followers across social platforms, and ‘Minutes Of You’ was celebrated with a sold-out Sydney headline show at Bootleggers Newtown, further cementing the duo’s growing live reputation. Away from streaming, Hellcat Speedracer recently performed at the official launch of Netflix’s Heartbreak High Season 3 alongside Kobie Dee and signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, marking another major milestone ahead of the EP.
On ‘forever never here.’, Hellcat Speedracer don’t simply revisit the sounds that shaped them – they reshape them into something distinctly their own. Equal parts euphoric, melancholic and endlessly replayable, it’s a record built for dancefloors, festival fields and the quiet drive home after the lights come up. Hellcat Speedracer are hoping they can help everyone work out their forever never here. and want you to know it’s going to be okay! But for now, they will see you at the afterparty with more club-ready bangers and show dates soon.
ABOUT HELLCAT SPEEDRACER
Hellcat Speedracer are a mind-bending live electronic duo hailing from Sydney, Australia. Oliver and Alex formed their love of 90’s/2000’s electronic music over recent years with their passion blooming into the project Hellcat Speedracer. Over time they began learning about each other’s unique creative processes and differentiating what each side could bring to this new project. With Alex taking a more analytical approach and Oliver being a risk-taker, the duo has been able to curate a creative process that works hand in hand, playing on each other’s strengths both emotionally and musically. Hellcat Speedracer have already made a mark with their debut EP ‘No Chaos, No Future’ that featured collaboration singles with Zoe from The Buoys, DZ Deathrays and lead single ‘The One’. They have also released 3 editions of their hard-hitting Melomaniac mixtapes and addictive hit singles ‘Lovestruck’ + ‘Jump’ and ‘Maroubra Villain’ with Kobie Dee. The duo has over 2 million global streams across their discography and collaborated with some of Australia’s exciting voices including Kobie Dee, The Buoys, DZ Deathrays, Millie Ford and Medhanit. They have shared stages with Joy Anonymous, Peking Duk, PNAU and Cosmo’s Midnight, and enjoyed not only successful headline tours across Australia but also appeared at festivals like Party In The Paddock, Beyond The Valley, Splendour In The Grass, Yours & Owls, Rhythm & Vines, Rhythm & Alps and more.
FOLLOW HELLCAT SPEEDRACER HERE
SARALYN ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING DEBUT EP WITH DEEPLY PERSONAL TITLE TRACK ‘GOLDLINE’
After introducing audiences to her powerhouse vocals through The Voice Australia and a run of acclaimed singles, rising Australian Country songbird Saralyn is preparing to unveil her most personal music yet. Her latest single ‘Goldline’ serves as the emotional centrepiece of her forthcoming debut EP of the same name, arriving August 28.
Inspired by a lifetime of loss, love, healing and hope, the song traces an invisible thread connecting life’s darkest moments to its brightest possibilities. ‘Goldline’ is a deeply personal reminder that even through heartbreak and uncertainty, there is always something pulling us forward.
“Goldline is the most personal song I’ve ever written” shares Saralyn. “As I was creating my debut EP, I found myself reflecting on the moments that have shaped me. The loss, the love, the heartbreak, the healing, and the hope that carried me through it all. The song begins with the loss of my sister and grows into a reflection on every challenge I’ve faced since.”
Produced by Rhys Zacher at Spinlight Studio, with Adam Osmanovic (The Viper Creek Band) on guitar, the recording balances classic country warmth with contemporary polish, allowing Saralyn’s unmistakable honey-dipped vocal to remain firmly at the forefront.
“Goldline was one of those rare songs that felt special from the moment it was written, and recording it was nothing short of magical. Rhys created a space where the song could breathe and become everything I hoped it would be. Adam Osmanovic’s guitar work brought such beauty and emotion to the track, weaving through the lyrics like its own story. Listening back to the final recording, I felt every chapter of the journey that inspired it – and still do. It’s a song I’m incredibly proud of and one that feels deeply connected to who I am as an artist.”
The single offers a more complete picture of Saralyn’s forthcoming debut EP, a collection of songs exploring resilience, love, freedom and purpose through deeply personal storytelling. While each song stands on its own, together they tell the story of an artist finding strength through life’s defining moments.
Since appearing on The Voice Australia in 2025 (team Ronan Keating), Saralyn has continued building momentum with more than 350,000 global streams, a #1 AMRAP Country, Blues & Roots charting single, performances at Gympie Music Muster, Deni Ute Muster, and recognition as Most Promising Future Star at the 2026 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
To celebrate the release, Saralyn will hit the road on her ‘Goldline Tour’, taking the new music to audiences across regional and metropolitan Australia. Proudly supported by Sound NSW, the tour marks another milestone in a breakout few years that have seen Saralyn build a loyal following through authentic storytelling and unforgettable live performances.
More than simply the title track to her forthcoming debut EP, ‘Goldline’ is the thread that ties Saralyn’s story together – a deeply human reminder that even life’s hardest chapters can lead us somewhere worth going.
SHOW DATES:Saturday 8th August – The Paterson Court House Hotel – Paterson, NSWSaturday 22nd August – The Oaks – Albion Park, NSWFriday 28th August – Shoal Bay Country Club – Shoal Bay, NSW
THE SNUTS release new single ‘In Motion’
Fourth album Joy In Short Moments out 23rd October
via Happy Artist Records / Virgin Music Group
The Snuts today release their new single ‘In Motion’, the latest track taken from their forthcoming fourth album, Joy In Short Moments. The record is out on 23 October via Happy Artist Records in partnership with Virgin Music Group.
Returning to the anthemic, guitar-driven sound of the band’s early festival favourites, ‘In Motion’ became a standout moment during their recent sold-out European tour, earning an incredible response from the crowd each night. The run included sold-out shows in Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne, alongside an appearance at Lollapalooza Berlin last week.
‘In Motion’ – the new record’s opener – reflects frontman Jack Cochrane’s search for meaning in everyday life. Inspired by the idea that the choices we make today set our futures in motion, the song explores impermanence, personal growth and the enduring connection between two people moving through life together.
Speaking about the track, Jack Cochrane says:
“Yung Pueblo describes ‘in motion’ as the essence of life and healing, emphasising that our present actions, driven by self-awareness, set our future in motion.
I jotted the title down in my notebook and felt that a time would present itself during the writing process to explore what it could mean for me. Joy In Short Moments became as much a navigational instrument for life as it did a record. It allowed me to better understand where the decisions I make on a daily basis might be leading me.
Within the track, I’m exploring the idea of making peace with the busyness and pace of life. I’m accepting impermanence in a way that previously would have terrified me. It also explores the idea of a life companion and the devotion you feel towards the person you’re travelling through the cosmos with.”
The Snuts have established themselves as one of the most successful breakthrough bands of recent years. Their debut album, W.L., entered the charts at Number 1 in 2021, followed by Top 3 second album Burn The Empire in 2022. Their independently released, self-produced third record, Millennials, reached Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, making them the first act since One Direction to achieve three Top 3 albums in three consecutive years.
The band have also sold out headline tours across Japan, Australia, Europe and North America, and recently headlined their first Scottish arena show at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro.
‘In Motion’ out now
Joy In Short Moments out 23rd October
Connect with The Snuts Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube
MESHUGGAH Release Remastered Anniversary Editions of Destroy Erase Improve and Catch Thirtythree
The Illustrious Swedish extreme metal band MESHUGGAH mark two notable milestones with Destroy Erase Improve: 30th Anniversary Edition and Catch Thirtythree: 20th Anniversary Edition. Released today via Reigning Phoenix Music, MESHUGGAH honor two of their most influential works with these remastered anniversary editions. Both titles are available on vinyl, CD digipack, and digitally, featuring the original album artwork and newly remastered audio.
Alongside the arrival of Destroy Erase Improve: 30th Anniversary Edition, the remastered single “Suffer in Truth” is featured as one of the most revered songs on the track list.
Listen to ‘Suffer in Truth’ here: https://meshuggah.rpm.link/suffer30PR
Order the Destroy Erase Improve: 30th Anniversary Edition here: https://meshuggah.rpm.link/destroy30PR
In celebration of Catch Thirtythree: 20th Anniversary Edition, the remastered “Dehumanization” has been unveiled as one of the album’s most momentous offerings.
Listen to ‘Dehumanization’ here: https://meshuggah.rpm.link/dehumanization20PR
Order the Catch Thirtythree: 20th Anniversary Edition here: https://meshuggah.rpm.link/catch20PR
Originally released in 1995, Destroy Erase Improve marked a decisive turning point not only for MESHUGGAH, but for the future of heavy music itself. The album introduced a sharpened and unmistakable version of the band’s evolving language: machine-like rhythmic precision, dissonant riff architecture, jazz-fusion flashes, and a level of technical control that would become foundational to progressive, extreme, math, and djent-adjacent metal in the decades that followed. Widely regarded as one of the defining metal albums of the 1990s, Destroy Erase Improve remains a blueprint for the sound MESHUGGAH would make entirely their own.
A decade later, MESHUGGAH pushed their vision even further with Catch Thirtythree. Released in 2005, the album stands as one of the band’s most singular statements: a continuous 47-minute composition divided into 13 movements, built around hypnotic repetition, shifting rhythmic illusions, crushing eight-string guitar work, and an atmosphere that remains uniquely immersive within the band’s catalog. Self-produced by MESHUGGAH, Catch Thirtythree also marked the band’s only full-length album built with programmed drums, using Toontrack’s Drumkit From Hell technology as part of its stark, futuristic design.
Both anniversary editions reaffirm the lasting impact of MESHUGGAH’s work across generations of heavy music. From the genre-redefining force of Destroy Erase Improve to the monolithic conceptual scope of Catch Thirtythree, these remastered releases offer longtime followers and new listeners alike the chance to experience two essential chapters in the band’s history with renewed clarity and weight.
About MESHUGGAH:
Formed in Umeå, Sweden in 1987, MESHUGGAH have spent more than three decades redefining the outer limits of heavy music. Known for their groundbreaking use of complex polyrhythms, down-tuned guitars, dissonant atmospheres, and surgically precise execution, the band has become one of the most influential forces in extreme and progressive metal.
Across their catalog, MESHUGGAH have continually pushed their sound forward, from the technical thrash foundations of their earliest work to the genre-altering breakthroughs of Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere, Nothing, Catch Thirtythree, obZen, and beyond. Their music has had a profound impact on modern metal, inspiring generations of artists and helping shape the rhythmic vocabulary later associated with the djent movement, while remaining unmistakably singular in vision and execution.
Rather than following trends, MESHUGGAH have built an entire language of their own: mechanical yet human, cerebral yet crushing, and as hypnotic as it is devastating. With a reputation for uncompromising innovation and formidable live performances, MESHUGGAH continue to stand as one of the most original, challenging, and revered bands in heavy music.
Connect with MESHUGGAH:
Website: https://www.meshuggah.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meshuggah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meshuggah
X / Twitter: https://x.com/meshuggah
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meshuggahofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxLbFcGicScOE07gwngd18g
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/@meshuggah
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ggwAqZD3lyT2sbovlmfQY
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/meshuggah/17304969
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B000QKH3NQ/meshuggah
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/2175
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/artist/3542781
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/meshuggah
BEHERIT Australian Tour December 11th – 13th, 2026 With guests PORTAL
A leading force of the early nineties Black Metal scene and revered as one of the genre’s most influential and pioneering acts, BEHERIT offers Australia their first ever, and only ever shows, this December. Formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, BEHERIT quickly gained a reputation for their raw, unfiltered sound and blasphemous themes, laying the foundation for the atmospheric and ritualistic side of black metal. Their music ranges from savage and chaotic to deeply meditative, embodying both the aggression and mysticism of the genre. The unrelenting vision and willingness to experiment have secured their place as legends in the extreme metal underground.
PORTAL is a twisted vision, with a multitude of horror scapes seen through a distorted lens of filth. Elaborate darkness weaved into masses of Death Metal in its own antiquity of sonic violence and perpetuating the mythos self-created. The henchmen within this brood pledge to open up it’s gates to feed upon mortal terror, a duty to destroy the senses and sanity.
BEHERIT with PORTAL performing at:
Dec 11th – Melbourne, Max Watts
Dec 12th – Sydney, Manning Bar
Dec 13th – Brisbane, Princess Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE 9.00am AEST Thursday July 30th at:
MELBOURNE – www.oztix.com.au
SYDNEY – www.moshtix.com.au
BRISBANE – www.ticketmaster.com.au
www.facebook.com/beherit
www.facebook.com/PORTALDEATH
https://swdpresents.com
FANTASIA AFTER TELEMAN – THE MARAIS PROJECT (SINGLE)
Move Records is pleased to announce the release of Fantasia after Telemann, the second single from The Marais Project’s forthcoming album Exquisite Harmonies, which will be released on 7 August 2026.
Available on Apple Music and iTunes from Wednesday 29 July, Fantasia after Telemann showcases Anthony Abouhamad’s imaginative contemporary response to the music of Georg Philipp Telemann. Performed by acclaimed viola da gambist Jennifer Eriksson and harpsichordist Anthony Abouhamad, the work offers a striking bridge between Baroque tradition and contemporary Australian composition.
If you missed it, you can also watch the recently released music video for the first single, Les Pleurs, below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGd19Vc9sPs
CALLUM PADGHAM releases radiant & strikingly-earnest debut EP ‘LOVE IS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE’
Alongside extraordinary doco-style OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO capturing the unique recording process from scratch
SMART URL | STREAM | MUSIC VIDEO | MEDIA ASSETS
Melbourne-based artist Callum Padgham has unveiled his debut EP ‘Love is the Centre of the Universe’, a jubilant and heartfelt release featuring 2 brand-new singles plus 2 singles that have already received 500K+ TikTok views, 50+ radio spins & national press coverage.
Dropping on vinyl and all streaming services, this 4-track pop odyssey is a meticulously-crafted
labour of love that took Callum and an army of 27 collaborators – from international composers to legendary turntablists – 3 years to create. Born from lived-experiences, Callum’s lyrical themes share an immediately apparent sense of purpose at their core – to meaningfully improve as many lives as possible.
“I’m so proud of the perspective I’ve gained through life’s challenges and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to help others find this within themselves, too!”
CALLUM PADGHAM
In addition to the acclaimed breakout singles ‘Everything is a Blessing’ & ‘When I Was a Little Boy’,
the EP also features 2 never-before-heard singles as intimate as they are universal:
Whatever I Need I Already Have, a Tim Minchin-esque piano-pop anthem of gratitude, boasting a stunning orchestral arrangement by US-based composer Samuel PK Smith (Keeping Up with the Kardashians) and Honour Yourself by Honouring Others, a 90’s-inspired ode to self-care, featuring bespoke vinyl scratching by luminary Melbourne turntablist Agent 86 (DJ of the Year, Inpress).
WATCH THE OFFICIAL ‘WHATEVER I NEED I ALREADY HAVE’ MUSIC VIDEO
Alongside the EP, Callum Padgham presents the extraordinary official music video for ‘Whatever I Need I Already Have’, a fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the studio, capturing a truly unique recording process:
Both the song and music video were created on the same day, from scratch.
“I vividly remember a sense of nervous energy – this was the first time we’d all been in the same room together, let alone made any music… I first showed the band my demo at 9am and somehow, by the end of the day, we had a finished song AND video!” CALLUM PADGHAM
From DJing at Burning Man in the USA and Balance Festival in Croatia, to supporting Aussie icons Sneaky Sound System, Flight Facilities, Eskimo Joe, and hosting some of the world’s top DJs on his ground-breaking talk show Coburg Up Late, Callum Padgham (AKA DJ Be Kind to Other People) first stepped out from the DJ booth at the end of last year with his uplifting debut single
‘Everything is a Blessing’, to joyous acclaim:
“A phenomenal launch for the artist, blending perfectly executed pop hooks with genuine, deep-seated creative vision.” BROKEN 8 MUSIC
“An irresistibly upbeat debut from a true creative spirit.” THE AU REVIEW
Then, Callum defied all expectations with the release of his follow-up single ‘When I Was a Little Boy’ – a touching & vulnerable self-portrait of the artist’s life-long journey from shame to self-love – capturing a universal truth and transmuting pain into positivity.
“Highlighting an incredible songwriting talent… When I Was a Little Boy is a beautiful ballad that enriches the human spirit and will most likely leave your eyes a little moist.” SCENESTR
“Sonically gentle yet emotionally heavy, ‘…Little Boy’ is a testament to Padgham’s artistic evolution.”
AAA BACKSTAGE
“Padgham continues to prove he is one of Melbourne’s most versatile and brave creatives.”
BROKEN 8 MUSIC
Now, Callum Padgham leaves it all out on the table with his complete debut EP
‘Love is the Centre of the Universe’ – a wholehearted body of work that reminds us of the profoundly simple truth that beneath all of life’s dramas & distractions, love is the ultimate motivator.
“Honestly, I couldn’t imagine naming my debut EP anything else…
Through every adversity, I have truly found that love is all there is.”
CALLUM PADGHAM
‘Love is the Centre of the Universe’ is out Tuesday July 28th on vinyl and all streaming platforms
CALLUM PADGHAM: Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Facebook | Unearthed
FREMANTLE POWERHOUSE GRUB ANNOUNCE SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM
SHARE LEAD SINGLE “SHAKE IT”
Fremantle five-piece GRUB officially stamp their arrival with the announcement of their self-titled debut album, due out October 9 via Wing Sing Records, and the release of blistering lead single “Shake It”.
What started as late-night bar shifts and shared ideas among friends at Fremantle’s iconic Mojos Bar has grown into one of Australia’s most formidable musical forces. Fronted by songwriter and lyricist Matilda Beales, GRUB brings together an all-star WA lineup featuring Peter Bibby (drums), Edo Ekic (bass), Duncan Strachan (guitar) and Mitch McDonald (guitar).
A frenetic plunge into GRUB’s world, “Shake It” crashes together raw garage-punk energy with an infectious dark-disco pulse. Beales’ unapologetic, visceral vocals tear through a relentless rhythm section, as the track becomes a purging of hard feelings.
“Shake It is our offering to dark disco and to dance.” says Beales, “It’s my ejection of hard feelings through a B-grade horror film.”
The single offers an early glimpse into GRUB, a nine-track debut that dives headfirst into the beautiful mess of being human, anchored by Matilda Beales’ songwriting—darkly funny, brutally honest and unfiltered.
The band’s undeniable pull first caught the attention of Blake Scott of The Peep Tempel. After hearing an early single on RTRFM while driving over the Fremantle bridge, Scott was so struck he pulled over just to catch the back announcement. What began as a roadside discovery quickly evolved into a massive trajectory for GRUB, landing them a coveted support slot on The Peep Tempel’s recent Tales 10th Anniversary shows and, ultimately, a home on Wing Sing Records.
Scott describes the band as only he can:
“It’s four lost men, welded into a sure rock n’ roll spine. Muscled and fleshed by the gargantuan lyrical cosmonaut, Matilda Beales, who shits and spits their way through an impossibly beautiful, sequin-splashed odyssey of dark, dank, dance floor terror.” – Blake Scott (The Peep Tempel)
Loud, vulnerable, unsettling and impossible to pin down, GRUB arrives as a striking debut from a band already making serious noise in Western Australia’s underground. This is just the beginning.
GRUB – GRUB
Out October 9 via Wing Sing Records
FOLLOW GRUB
Cult Icon SHERI MOON ZOMBIE Unveils Debut Single & Video ‘I Love My Robot’
Limited Edition Picture Disc Featuring Rob Zombie Available For Pre-Order Via Nuclear Blast
Cult icon, actress, designer, and longtime horror favourite SHERI MOON ZOMBIE expands her creative universe today with the release of her debut single and music video, ‘I Love My Robot.’ Helmed by acclaimed producer Zeuss and accompanied by a video directed by ROB ZOMBIE, the track blends retro sci-fi, playful camp, and infectious hooks into an irresistibly offbeat anthem that is unmistakably SHERI.
Equal parts tongue-in-cheek and surprisingly timely, ‘I Love My Robot’ offers a witty take on life in an increasingly algorithm-driven world. Beneath its infectious energy and B-movie charm, the song celebrates imagination, individuality, and the simple joy of thinking for yourself. It’s a playful reminder that while technology may make life easier, nothing can replace genuine creativity or human connection.
Coinciding with today’s release, Nuclear Blast has launched pre-orders for an exclusive 12-inch picture disc featuring ‘I Love My Robot’ on Side A and Rob Zombie’s ‘Sir Lord Acid Wolfman’ on Side B. Limited to just 600 copies worldwide (500 US / 100 EU), the one-time pressing is scheduled for release on October 30, making it an essential collector’s item for fans of the Zombie universe.
The release also arrives ahead of ROB ZOMBIE’s North American summer tour with MARILYN MANSON in support of his latest studio album, The Great Satan, further celebrating a creatively prolific year for the ZOMBIE camp.
Pre-order 12-inch Picture Disc & Stream ‘I Love My Robot’:
https://smz.bfan.link/i-love-my-robot
‘I LOVE MY ROBOT’ MUSIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yt2WUfc6Pc
Follow SHERI MOON ZOMBIE:
Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music
KING DIAMOND Welcomes Legendary Guitarist Gus G. to the Band!
KING DIAMOND is thrilled to announce the addition of guitar virtuoso Gus G. (FIREWIND, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE) to the band’s lineup. Gus G. joins as guitarist and will compose, record, and tour with KING DIAMOND going forward, marking an exciting new chapter in the band’s storied history.
The band extends their deepest gratitude and utmost respect to Andy LaRocque, whose extraordinary 40-year contribution to KING DIAMOND has left a permanent and irreplaceable mark on the band’s legacy and on heavy metal as a whole. Andy’s musicianship, dedication, and artistry have been an essential part of what makes this band what it is, and that will never be forgotten.
Comments KING DIAMOND, “It’s a Big Honor for me to Welcome Gus G. as our new guitarist. Gus will still continue with all his current projects, FIREWIND, Solo Project etc. No restrictions, just careful planning. We are already working with Gus and I simply can’t wait for you to hear all the new King Diamond music with him playing guitar on it!!! STAY HEAVY — King”
One of heavy metal’s most celebrated and in-demand guitarists, Gus G. — born Konstantinos Karamitroudis in Thessaloniki, Greece — has built one of the most impressive resumes in the genre. As founder and driving force behind FIREWIND for over two decades and ten studio albums, and as Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist from 2009 to 2017 — contributing to the Grammy-nominated album Scream (2010) — Gus G. has proven himself one of the most versatile and technically gifted players in metal. A celebrated solo artist with six albums to his name, he has also appeared as a guest on records by Bruce Dickinson, Arch Enemy, Doro Pesch, In This Moment, and many more. He has graced the covers of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer, and Young Guitar, and earned accolades including Metal Hammer’s Golden God Award for Best Shredder. His addition to KING DIAMOND represents a pairing of two of heavy metal’s most iconic forces.
KING DIAMOND and Gus G. are already deep in the creative process together, working on what promises to be one of the most anticipated new chapters in the band’s career. Fans can expect new music from the full lineup in the future. Stay tuned for further announcements.
Follow Gus G.:
https://www.instagram.com/gusgofficial
About KING DIAMOND:
KING DIAMOND is quite possibly the most recognizable and prolific personality ever in heavy metal. Revered by icons as big as Metallica and Pantera and inspiring newer upstarts globally, KING DIAMOND, the man and the band, have left an indelible mark on the history, and now again, the future of heavy metal.
In August of 2008, KING DIAMOND joined Metallica on stage at Ozzfest in Dallas to perform the Mercyful Fate medley made famous from the Garage, Inc. album. Additionally, KING DIAMOND was featured alongside Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister as a playable character in Guitar Hero: Metallica in 2009.
By 2012, KING DIAMOND was prepared to return to the stage for a select number of shows. The band’s triumphant return were the highlights of both the Hellfest and Sweden Rock festivals in France and Sweden. Fans were treated to the largest and most involved stage production in the band’s storied history. KING DIAMOND continued to hit the stage from 2013 to 2018 including performances at Rock Hard Festival (DE), Copenhell (DK), Graspop (BE), Bloodstock Open Air (UK), Loudpark (JP), Wacken Open Air (DE), and Psycho Las Vegas (US), among many others.
In 2019, after the release of KING DIAMOND’s first new single in twelve years, “Masquerade Of Madness,” the band hit the road with a series of live shows across Europe and North America.
In 2024, KING DIAMOND completed a massively successful North American headlining tour, during which they premiered new material live for the first time in years — including the brand new track “Electro Therapy” — before an ecstatic fanbase. On December 17th, 2024, the band released “Spider Lilly,” their first new single in five years and the first single and video taken from their forthcoming new Horror Trilogy, of which part one is titled Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920. Mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk and directed by David Brodsky of My Good Eye Visuals — with footage filmed at the notoriously haunted Pennhurst Asylum outside of Philadelphia — the single features a special guest appearance by Danish vocalist Myrkur. Written entirely by KING DIAMOND, “Spider Lilly” was met with an enthusiastic global response, reaffirming the band’s place at the forefront of heavy metal and whetting fans’ appetites for the full trilogy to come.
KING DIAMOND’s forty+ year musical career is one of the most storied in the history of heavy metal, but the tale is not yet over. The most recent album, 2007’s Grammy-nominated Give Me Your Soul…Please, stands as one of the most critically acclaimed albums in an already iconic discography. Future albums will feature entirely new horror stories, concepts, haunting orchestrations, and the band’s signature brand of heavy metal. Many more albums, tours, and ventures lay ahead.
KING DIAMOND Lineup:
King Diamond – vocals
Gus G. – guitars
Mike Wead – guitars
Pontus Egberg – bass
Matt Thompson – drums
https://www.instagram.com/kingdiamond
https://www.facebook.com/kingdiamond
NORTH SEA ECHOES
“I’ll Leave A Light On” Video From Project Featuring Ray Alder And Jim Matheos Of Fates Warning Now Playing
How To Cast A Shadow Full-Length Out Now On Metal Blade Records!
NORTH SEA ECHOES – featuring progressive metal pioneers, singer Ray Alder and guitarist Jim Matheos, of Fates Warning – today deliver their video for “I’ll Leave A Light On.” The track appears on the band’s latest studio album, How To Cast A Shadow, out now on Metal Blade Records!
Comments Alder, “’I’ll Leave a Light On’ is much heavier than anything on [2024’s] Really Good Terrible Things, the first NORTH SEA ECHOES album. It has a darker, melancholic feel that fits well on this record. I loosely based the lyrics on a character from my favorite sci-fi series. I won’t say which, but they do use the quote ‘out there in the black.’”
Watch NORTH SEA ECHOES’ “I’ll Leave A Light On” video
Watch NORTH SEA ECHOES’ previously released video for “Enjoy The View”
https://youtu.be/sbXCX_P617k?si=fjiIx3k4eM6cMtKi
On NORTH SEA ECHOES’ Really Good Terrible Things full-length, Alder and Matheos garnered rave reviews for songs that possessed, “liberating sonic space and emotional vulnerability… from somnambulant electro-fog to gritty, overdriven disquiet, to the quietly devastating (Blabbermouth).” With How To Cast A Shadow, the band’s identity is further expanded upon and explored.
“This record is a bit heavier,” asserts Matheos, “with several more songs featuring real drums, played by Dennis Leeflang. It wasn’t necessarily intentional or planned, just the way things shaped up and how they emerged this time.”
The duo’s shared and separate histories help to forge a fresh creative opus. Alder has been the vocalist and main co-writer for prog metal heroes Fates Warning for 37 years, recording ten albums between 1988 (No Exit) and 2020 (Long Day Good Night). Rounding out his discography are seven albums with Redemption, two solo records, and the band A-Z, which debuted in 2022.
Revered guitarist and producer Matheos is a cofounder of Fates Warning, the lineup debuting with 1984’s Night On Bröcken on Metal Blade. In addition to thirteen albums with Fates Warning, Matheos launched several solo albums, four LPs alongside former Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore under the name OSI, and Kings Of Mercia, which launched in 2022.
From the radio-ready rock of “All That Comes After” and the intimate, escalating “A Time Of Innocence And Purpose” to the powerful, timeless ballad “Villains Or Saints,” How To Cast A Shadow cohesively crosses genres and challenges aural preconceptions.
If Really Good Terrible Things kickstarted NORTH SEA ECHOES’s career with “hovering subtleties, introspective thoughtful reflections” and lyrics with “wisdom and authenticity,” How To Cast A Shadow ups the promise of its predecessor. Provocative words of hope, sorrow and consciousness are paired with Matheos’ equally emotive, varied and deeply moving guitar work.
How To Cast A Shadow is out now on CD and digital formats.
Preview/purchase the record at:
FROZEN CROWN Italian Power Metallers Release Second Single,“Reborn”
New, Darker Album, The Legend of the Six Kings, Releases October 2, 2026 via Napalm Records
Italian heavy power metal band FROZEN CROWN share the second single from their upcoming album, The Legend of the Six Kings, out October 2, 2026 via Napalm Records. “Reborn” is a powerful anthem of steadfastness as well as a bolstering tale about team spirit, perfectly encompassing the more narrative approach the band takes with their new album. With infinitely catchy “Reborn”, FROZEN CROWN also show magnificent instrumental abilities through a majestic guitar solo.
Drummer Niso Tomasini about “Reborn”:
“‘Reborn’ continues the narrative arc begun with ‘The One’, with bright light manifesting a rebirth after dark. As Samwise Gamgee said, ‘Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.’ On this track, vocalist Giada ‘Jade’ Etro’s voice takes some melancholic shades in the verses that find a great contrast in the powerful and cheerful anthemic choruses, running on a more straightforward, hard-and-heavy-inspired rhythm. In the videoclip, our director Raoul Noise captured the band’s new dark fantasy aesthetic on a clear white background, embracing the theme of frost while keeping FROZEN CROWN’s signature live-performance approach, showing the energy and the alchemy between the band members.”
Watch the Official Music Video for “Reborn”
The legend starts: FROZEN CROWN head into their very own age of gold with The Legend of the Six Kings, coming October 2, 2026 via Napalm Records. Taking a more narrative approach than previous releases, their sixth album sends the Italian band on an epic quest. The ten brand-new heavy power metal tracks expand their dynamic repertoire into a slightly darker, but nevertheless illustrious, direction. With lead vocalist Giada “Jade” Etro changing her formerly cheerful approach to claim the sinister titular frozen crown, the band shows its true form with this straightforward punch of a record.
The Legend of the Six Kings has FROZEN CROWN take the throne deserving of their band name. A powerful work of rousing heavy power metal and massive vocal arrangements, the six-piece delivers a glorious performance filled with energetic melodies and catchy choruses. The Legend of the Six Kings matures the band’s trademark sound and makes sure that these six kings and queens will remain what the title states: legends. The album is open for pre-order now—find various formats below.
FROZEN CROWN about The Legend of the Six Kings:
“With our sixth album—our second on Napalm Records—we continue our search for the quintessential FROZEN CROWN tune, distilling the key elements of our sound and style into increasingly concise and straightforward songs, stripping away all unnecessary frills.
The Legend of the Six Kings draws directly from our debut album The Fallen King, continuing the saga of the Kings and the Tyrant, as we are—thanks to a brilliant newly extended team—finally able to do justice to what we had in mind with the original concept of the band. The visionary genius of Raoul Noise (the video maker behind all our new videos and band photos), the masterful craftsmanship of Daria Gislon (who designed and built the throne and the literal ‘frozen crown’) and of course the outstanding artistic talent of Sheila Franco (who hand painted our album cover art) gave life to the vibrant, obscure, frozen world we had in mind since the very beginning of the band, somewhere between J. R. R. Tolkien’s harmonious and regal aesthetics and Robert E. Howard’s brutality.
The Legend of the Six Kings brings not only new visuals, but also an empowered sound, with the young war hearts getting older on the battlefield and becoming an increasingly leading force of the Crown (with drummer and multi-instrumentalist Niso Tomasini becoming a more integral part of the songwriting together with singer Giada ‘Jade’ Etro and mastermind Federico Mondelli) and new warriors joining our ranks (Aleksandra Stamenkovic and her scorching, old school, abrasive guitar leads).
This sixth album depicts the strength of our six band members, and our personal idea of Power Metal infused in ten catchy tracks touching the most varied nuances of the genre, from raw and uncompromising Speed Metal, to the sumptuous magniloquence of Symphonic Metal, to the occasional linear chaos of Melodic Death Metal, but always sounding as FROZEN CROWN as ever!”
Get Your Copy Of The Legend of the Six Kings
lnk.to/FC-TheLegendoftheSixKings/napalmrecords
The speedy opener “Lightning in the Sky” situates the band on a battlefield, swords shining bright and fire in their eyes, setting the theme for the rest of the album on which FROZEN CROWN deal blow after winning blow. “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven” determines the direction the band takes with their campaign: the choir-powered, groovy song illustrates Hell as the realm of their eternal rule, calling on their legions to join in on their chants live. The following epos, “Reborn”, is a powerful anthem of steadfastness as well as a bolstering tale about team spirit. “The One” continues the theme of The Legend of the Six Kings being inspired by Tolkien’s masterpiece “The Lord of the Rings”, wrapping the band in mysterious darkness with sweeping songs shining bright. Here, FROZEN CROWN also show magnificent instrumental abilities through a majestic guitar solo where the three guitars intertwine, beautifully harmonizing together. Going extra catchy, the Italian band slides in a cover of “Iris”: originally by American alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls, this 1998 track became an international superhit. FROZEN CROWN take its power and make it power metal, covering the entire spectrum from waltz-time ballad to high-speed drums and vocals full of pathos. “I just want you to know who I am” should be a given thing hereafter! “Winter Hearts” contrasts this venture into the mainstream instantly with easily recognizable heavy riffs to start, growls to hammer in the message, and a chantable chorus to close the deal—a grand track, reminiscent of the band’s classic songs from their 2018 debut, The Fallen King. The epic storytelling continues throughout melancholic “River of Time” and assertive “Through the Fire”, singalong potential included. “To the Stars” gifts The Legend of the Six Kings additional live character before the title track, “The Legend of the Six Kings”, rises to full glory. Nearing epic melodic death metal in its growled verses, the song is another duet between Jade and guitarist Federico Mondelli, who adds fierce growls and clean vocals.
BLATANT SAINT – INSANITY – (SINGLE)
Insanity is the newest release from shoegaze/alternative rock band Blatant Saint “Insanity is about the way losing someone can slowly take over your mind. It’s that feeling of replaying conversations, questioning yourself, and getting stuck in your own thoughts. It’s about grief, anxiety and the search for something to hold onto when everything feels like it’s falling apart. ” Blatant saint is a heavy shoe gaze band hailing from Brisbane city. Carving their name into the underground music scene with walls of distortion, haunting melodies and raw vocals of desperation, and emotional unraveling. Since the band’s first release, the band has evolved from indie shoegaze into something heavier and more emotionally cutting – a melodic sound that delivers, hits hard and lingers long after the last note Taking inspiration from band such as Title Fight, Greet Death and Flesh Water Insanity will be available everywhere on July 30th
OSCAR LITCHFIELD ‘KOOKABURRA’ SINGLE
Oscar’s 2026 is ready to channel the grit and determination he gained from his time mining into both his music and rural fencing contracting business in WA’s wheatbelt. Kookaburra, his first self recorded release from his 170 year old cottage on the Avon River, baptises a new chapter for the ambitious country singer/ songwriter.
The track was written while living in NSW on a property on his own, in the Snowy Mountains. The track captures the reality of betrayal, young love & the journey of growing from a boy into an independent young man.
After leaving his underground career as a shot firer, he’s committed to growing his music organically and authentically with a home studio he built himself. Oscar is set to record more tracks this way, blending the hard work from his past & present with his passion for music. This new chapter reflects his resilience and dedication to pursuing his dreams on his own terms.
Born & raised on a sheep & cattle farm in the NSW Snowy Mountains, Oscar always had an affinity for music, more specifically the craft of songwriting.
Moving to WA in late 2022 after a mining contract was offered to him promoted his eventual move to a small town in the Wheatbelt where he would put down roots to continue to chase his music his own way.
Since making the decision to leave behind a career in underground mining in May 2025, Oscar has built a small fencing contracting business to compliment his touring & recording career.
No stranger to playing live, clocking hundreds of thousands of kilometres across Australia chasing his passion for music playing live, Oscar brings authenticity & strives for longevity in his writing & live performances.
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IAN NOE ANNOUNCES NEW CONCEPT ALBUM, CANYON FALLS TRAILER BAND, RELEASED SEPTEMBER 25
VIA THIRTY TIGERS
PRE-SAVE HERE
KENTUCKY ACCLAIMED SINGER-SONGWRITER DROPS TIMELESS NEW SINGLE “THE HEIDELBERG FISHERMAN’S BALL” – LISTEN HERE
MEET THE CANYON FALLS TRAILER BAND, A FICTIONAL BAND CREATED BY NOE
BORN AS A CLOSING ALBUM TO THE TRIFECTA OF HIS PRIOR RECORDS,” THIS AMBITIOUS CONCEPTUAL “LIVE ALBUM” CAPTURES THE LEGENDARY STORIES AND PERFORMANCE FROM IMAGINERY BAND
BOLD AND DEEPLY IMMERSIVE ALBUM FEATURES REAL LIFE COUNTRY ROYALTY CHARLIE MCCOY, BILLY CONTRERAS, RUSS PAHL AND A REMARKABLE BODY OF WORK FROM ONE OF THE DEFINING SINGER-SONGWRITERS OF OUR GENERATION
Ian Noe has announced the release of his highly anticipated third studio album, Canyon Falls Trailer Band, forthcoming on September 25th via Thirty Tigers.
Canyon Falls Trailer Band is a sweeping 16-song concept album drawing on sounds from folk rock to country and is Noe’s most ambitious project of his career. The album imagines a legendary fictional band (Canyon Falls Trailer Band), who perform for one night only as a showcase seeking industry approval. The imaginary band explored a disparate range of genres in an attempt to entice the music industry. Their fate is unknown but their unforgettable performance remains the stuff of music legend.
Noe released a new single from the album, “The Heidelberg Fisherman’s Ball,” a lively celebration set at an Eastern Kentucky fishing gathering and marks a pivotal moment in Noe’s creative process. Noe was struggling through a rut ruminating on similar, minor chord songs he wasn’t happy with and a Youtube clip of legendary songwriter Craig Wiseman turned the page. It became one of the defining pieces (along with title track Canyon Falls Trailer Band) to birth the central storytelling scene of the album. Inspired by Wiseman’s philosophy of letting ideas flow without overthinking them, the song arrived immediately.
“This is simply the story of a fisherman’s gathering down by the riverside where the various women of Heidelberg present themselves like a date auction and try to find a mate. That is the Heidelberg Fisherman’s Ball.”
Recorded with longtime collaborator Andrija Tokić at Nashville’s acclaimed The Bomb Shelter, the majority of the album was tracked live during an intensive week of recording before months of overdubs and mixing added texture without sacrificing the live sound they were looking to capture. The album features an extraordinary cast of real musicians, including Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy on harmonica, acclaimed fiddler Billy Contreras, and pedal steel virtuoso Russ Pahl.
Following the critical acclaim of Between the Country and River Fools & Mountain Saints, one of our most respected storytellers utilized his Canyon Falls Trailer Band to continue his celebration of the people, places and enduring spirit of Eastern Kentucky. Noe explores a rich cast of characters, perspectives and musical styles within this cohesive body of work. From the darker tale of “Kentucky Hurricane” to the reflective “Leann” and the album’s title track, every song stands on its own while contributing to a larger narrative.
A natural conclusion to a body of work that began with his debut Between the Country. While Noe never intended the album to be a trilogy, Noe believes this album both bookends a decade of songwriting inspired by his Appalachian upbringing, and also could be considered a prequel in the lineage of his previous albums.
“It feels like the parent or maybe the grandparent of the first two records,” he says. “Once it was finished, I realized it brought together everything I’d been writing about over the last seven or eight years.”
The result is a deeply immersive album that captures every facet of Ian Noe’s artistry, from stark Appalachian storytelling and richly drawn characters to timeless country melodies and ambitious visionary songwriting. Both deeply personal and universally resonant, Canyon Falls Trailer Band is the culmination of a musical journey that began nearly a decade ago and firmly establishes Noe as one of the defining voices in modern music and cement Noe as one of our defining singer-songwriters.
TRACKLIST
1.) Canyon Falls Trailer Band
2.) The Heidelberg Fisherman’s Ball
3.) Tobacco Moon
4.) She’s Familiar (In the Strangest Ways)
5.) Kentucky Hurricane
6.) What I’d Give
7.) Redneck Mess
8.) Antarctica
9.) Another Night Like That
10.) Bible County
11.) Leeann
12.) Return of the Interstellar Angels
13.) Whiskey to Work
14.) Jukebox Blues (For Blaze Foley)
15.) Dixie Speed
16.) Kickin’ it in Nashville
OLIVIA COGGAN SHARES ETHEREAL NEW SINGLE FAULT LINE
Like a glowing sunset on a warm summer’s day, the brand new single Fault Line out today from Australian indie folk-pop songstress Olivia Coggan radiates with lush arrangements and dreamy melodies. Also armed with a powerful personal narrative, Fault Line follows on from Olivia’s previous 2026 singles lend me your heart and bulletproof.
Raw, heartfelt and dazzling with authenticity, Fault Line finds Olivia nodding to the likes of Maggie Rogers, Hazlett, The Japanese House, Del Water Gap, Jeremy Zucker and Gracie Abrams, with a serene merging of indie-folk and pop charmed further by Olivia’s evocative vocals. Produced by Tim Goodburn and mastered by Paul Blakey, Fault Line ultimately channels Olivia’s own experiences into her stunning new creation, as she elaborates, “The song was inspired by my own experience of navigating change over the past year and learning to trust my instinct to follow what feels right, even when it’s scary. Fault Line is really about that pull towards the unknown — standing on the edge of something bigger and hearing a quiet inner voice that keeps guiding you forward, even when you can’t see exactly where it’s leading. It sits in that space between excitement and fear, in that moment before change where everything feels uncertain but full of possibility at the same time.”
Introduced to music from a very young age, Olivia’s innate knack for winsome indie earworms with a touch of folk and coastal hues stems back to her upbringing, reflecting her early life growing up in the Illawarra region in New South Wales as well as spending much of her childhood in dressing rooms of theatres and falling asleep behind the merch desk at her father’s shows, the award-winning Australian musician and actor Darren Coggan. Harbouring a love for music and singing for most of her life, her passion for songwriting sparked while in high school. From there, Olivia’s creative journey saw her accepted into a talent development project before leaving high school and being taken under the wing of Kasey Chambers; and the rest truly was history, with the support and guidance of her father Darren, and also an ongoing creative collaboration with her brother Gabe whose visuals feature across Olivia’s entire catalogue.
With her earliest influences spanning Cat Stevens through to James Taylor, Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers and John Mayer, Olivia has gone on to tour with some of her own musical heroes, including Missy Higgins, Boy & Bear, The Dreggs and Kim Churchill, while also performing at festivals with the likes of Sons of the East, Pacific Avenue and Matt Corby, and has landed radio airplay across NOVA and triple j along the way.
“I think music goes much deeper than just a catchy tune,” Olivia shares. “It’s a universal language and something that has always been there for me to turn to no matter what. It has been a part of my life since I was born, and it means everything to me. I listen to such a wide range of different genres and artists that really inspire me and help me feel seen, heard and understood. I think it’s really cool that musicians can do that. As an artist in today’s music scene there are a lot of hurdles and things to navigate but my love for it and my calling in it, is what allows me to keep pushing through, and I do. With things like AI, fast tracking the creative process and creating instant material is really sad. I don’t know anyone who wants to skim over the creating part, that is where the joy in it all is for me. Music gives me purpose and a voice to speak up and connect. That is something I’ll never take for granted. I’ll love it forever.”
Starting next month, Olivia will hit the road armed with her brand new track Fault Line, performing at The Espy in Melbourne on Thursday August 6, La La La’s in Wollongong on Friday August 21 and The Eveleigh Hotel in Sydney on Friday August 28. Set to bring her full band and plenty of new tunes to be christened live in action for the first time, it will truly be a run of unforgettable shows from one of Australia’s brightest up-and-coming storytellers.
“I’m so excited to be heading on tour with my full band in celebration of my new song Fault Line,” says Olivia. “I’ll be playing a lot of my new material live for the first time, and I can’t wait to share those moments with audiences. These shows feel really special already. With so much artificiality in the world right now, especially with things like AI, I wanted to create a show that brings people to feel things that are REAL. A live show that’s honest, emotional, fun and shared among everyone.
“My goal is always to create a space where people can step out of whatever is going on in their lives and just be present for one night of music,” Olivia concludes. “I feel really lucky to be joined by incredible support acts Callum Mac, Lani Faith and Madeliene Cope, along with some special guests throughout the run. There are so many moments to share, and I can’t wait to bring everyone along for the ride.
Fault Line is out today.
OLIVIA COGGAN – UPCOMING SHOW DATES:
THUR 06 AUGUST | THE ESPY, MELBOURNE VIC | FREE SHOW
RSVP AT https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/094a1274-9d22-475b-80d6-afaeddf62a4e
FRI 21 AUG | LA LA LA’S, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+
Tickets available from https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/olivia-coggan-the-faultline-tour-w-callum-mac-lani-faith/196585
FRI 28 AUG | THE EVELEIGH HOTEL, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets available from https://events.humanitix.com/olivia-coggan-the-faultline-tour
https://www.instagram.com/oliviacogganmusic/