SNIPPETZ: THURSDAY August 27, 2026
This week’s Snippetz includes: More Specials, Large Mirage, 8 Ball Aitken, Gwyn Ashton & Ross Wilson, Lucky, The Bures Band, Olivia Lay, Sammi Heaney, Twiggs play The Allman Brothers, Navy June, Vince Staples, Goodfrnd, Loose Bricks, Spike F*ck, Joan & the Giants, Safe Listening Calculator, Brayden King, Rob Zombie, Keb’ Mo’, Baker Boy, Vera Blue, Joy Oladokun, Jorja Smith, Enslaved, Waiting For Brenda, Nickelback, Shygirl, Chelsea Wolfe, Surprise Chef, Stand Atlantic, Rebell Yell, Jamie Webster, Melanie Dyer, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem, Tom Mac, The Smith & Western Jury, Radio Free Alice, Jade Rich, Sweetie, Polyphia, Avrak, ANGELUS APATRIDA, Black Spikes, Walls of Jericho, Flotsam and Jetsam, Frozen Crown, Aether Realm, Rock is Not Dead at The Prince, RARE RECORDS PRESENTS 35 & Still Alive, Mark Holden and more.
MORE SPECIALS: TWO HOURS INSIDE THE MUSIC OF THE SPECIALS
On Saturday 5 September 2026, More Specials comes to Thornbury Bowls Club for its first full two-set headline performance, presenting two hours devoted to the music of The Specials.
Created by members of Loonee Tunes, Australia’s longest-running regularly performing ska band, More Specials grew from more than four decades spent playing, listening to and absorbing ska. The project approaches The Specials not simply as a collection of familiar singles, but as a remarkably varied body of work that connected Jamaican ska and rocksteady with punk, pop and the social realities of late 1970s and early 1980s Britain.
Formed in Coventry in 1977, The Specials became one of the central bands of the Two Tone movement. Their music brought together musicians and influences from different cultural backgrounds at a time of considerable racial, political and economic tension in Britain. Under the direction of Jerry Dammers, the band combined dance music with songs addressing unemployment, racism, violence, class, relationships and the unease of everyday life.
That combination produced records that could be immediate and infectious without being musically or lyrically simple. Their 1979 debut album, The Specials, produced by Elvis Costello, included A Message To You, Rudy, Nite Klub, Concrete Jungle and Too Much Too Young. The following years brought Rat Race, Do Nothing, Stereotype and, in 1981, Ghost Town, a record whose atmosphere and subject matter captured something of the social dislocation taking place across Britain at the time. More Specials draws from across this catalogue.
Across two sets, the Thornbury show allows the band to move beyond the restrictions of a conventional support set or festival appearance. Well-known songs including Gangsters, A Message To You, Rudy, Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town sit alongside album tracks and less frequently performed material, providing a broader picture of the songwriting, arrangements and musical ideas that made The Specials distinctive.
At the centre of the project are musicians who have spent much of their lives playing ska.
Loonee Tunes formed in Melbourne in 1982 and have continued performing for more than four decades. During that time the band has appeared at festivals and venues around Australia and shared stages with artists including Bad Manners and From The Jam. More Specials emerged from that history, bringing the musicians’ experience of ska rhythm, ensemble playing and live performance specifically to the catalogue of The Specials.
The project has quickly developed an audience of its own. Its first More Specials performance with Black Market Clash at Brunswick Ballroom sold out, followed by another packed show at the John Curtin Hotel with Baggy Trousers. The Thornbury Bowls Club concert is the first opportunity for the group to devote an entire evening to the material, with two sets and approximately two hours of music.
For Pop Preservation Society, which presents the show, the extended format is important. Rather than reducing The Specials to a short sequence of their best-known songs, the additional time provides room to explore the catalogue and the different sides of the band that emerged across its recordings.
The setting is equally deliberate. Ska has always been music with a physical relationship to its audience. The rhythm section, keyboards, guitars and horns make considerably more sense in a room of people dancing than they do as an exercise in musical nostalgia. More Specials is built around that live experience.
The evening also continues Pop Preservation Society’s interest in reconnecting live performance with physical recorded music. A strictly limited number of ticket and vinyl packages have been made available for the Thornbury show. Groups purchasing five tickets can add $4 to receive The Specials (40th Anniversary Edition), the half-speed mastered 180 gram 45 RPM double vinyl edition of the band’s debut album. Only eight of these packages are available, with the records collected at the venue.
More than forty years after The Specials’ original recordings were released, the circumstances surrounding them belong to another period, but the music has proved unusually resistant to becoming a museum piece. The rhythms still invite people onto a dance floor, while many of the tensions and observations within the songs remain recognisable.
More Specials exists because that music is still worth playing, and because there is a considerable difference between remembering these records and experiencing the songs live.
EVENT DETAILS: MORE SPECIALS: A Two-Hour Celebration Of The Specials
Date: Saturday 5 September 2026
Venue: Thornbury Bowls Club
Address: 27 Ballantyne Street, Thornbury, Victoria 3071
Event: 7:00pm
Performance: Two sets, approximately two hours of the music of The Specials
Tickets & More Specials Official Website: morespecials.com.au
LARGE MIRAGE LIGHT THE FUSE WITH EXPLOSIVE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘WILDFIRE’ + ANNOUNCE ‘WILDFIRE SINGLE TOUR’, KICKING OFF WITH BIGSOUND SHOWCASE
LARGE MIRAGE are turning up the heat, unleashing their new single Wildfire – an exhilarating collision of guitar riffs, soaring melodies, infectious hooks and fearless musicianship, accompanied by an official video clip that is out now, and a single tour that kicks off at BIGSOUND next week and wraps on the big stage at Bonfest in Scotland, UK.
Some bands borrow from rock history, LARGE MIRAGE are writing its next chapter. Following a breakthrough year that has seen the band open two sold-out shows for AC/DC at Accor Stadium, TISM at PICA, headline their own sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne, appear at some of Australia’s leading festivals (Woodford Folk Festival, Lost Paradise, King St Summer Crawl, and Meatstock), and build one of the country’s most talked-about live reputations, LARGE MIRAGE return with their biggest statement yet, Wildfire. It’s loud, it’s melodic, it’s emotional, and above all, it moves.
Recorded by Melbourne’s acclaimed Michael Badger (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Amyl & The Sniffers, You Am I, Full Flower Moon Band), Wildfire combines the swagger and visceral energy of their live recording style (no click) and authentic songwriting and classic production, and showcases a band rapidly stepping into its own lane.
Harking back to 2019 when lead singer and guitarist, Kolya Chan was living in the Blue Mountains, Wildfire was inspired by an experience when Kolya went for a Jam with bass player Blake Rochester at a studio in Tennyson (Hawkesbury). Black Summer had gone from looming to wreaking havoc, forging deep into Hawkesbury country, and that placed Kolya in a car heading straight into the fire. “This one is very introspective for me. It’s about seeing how bushfires affect communities and in turn communities rebuild after, it is about banding together and being able to overcome almost anything,” explains Kolya. “It is about the power people have and never giving up, and even without a bushfire, it exudes the spirit of CARPE DIEM and to seize the day and make the most of your life.”
The new track arrives at a pivotal moment for the band, who have transformed a relentless live schedule into serious momentum. From opening for AC/DC, to packing out headline dates of their own, LARGE MIRAGE have emerged as one of the most exciting forces in Australian rock, with a live reputation that is spreading fast, and the new single, Wildfire proves they’re only just getting started.
The WILDFIRE SINGLE TOUR 2026 kicks off in spectacular fashion on Thursday 3 September at BIGSOUND in Brisbane, where LARGE MIRAGE will take over the Oztix BIGSOUND Party as part of Australia’s most important week for discovering the next generation of artists. And this is no ordinary tour opener. BIGSOUND is where the industry comes looking for what’s next – and LARGE MIRAGE are arriving with something to prove. Following their explosive ascent this year, the band will hit Brisbane ready to deliver the full-force live show that has already earned them a rapidly growing legion of fans and the attention of the Australian music industry.
From there, the Wildfire tour barrels through Queensland and New South Wales, taking in intimate venues, festival stages and major events before culminating in an international milestone at BONFEST in Kirriemuir, Scotland in April 2027. The run includes a hometown-style string of dates across the east coast, Rock The Boat Cruise from Sydney to Noumea, and an appearance at Crafted Festival in Newcastle, giving fans plenty of opportunities to experience LARGE MIRAGE at full volume, and there are more shows to be announced.
Wildfire is out now. Tickets to the shows are available now from www.largemirage.com
LARGE MIRAGE – WILDFIRE SINGLE TOUR 2026
Tickets available from www.largemirage.com
Thu 03 Sep 26 – Oztix BIGSOUND Party, Brisbane QLD
Fri 04 Sep 26 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Southport QLD
Fri 18 Sep 26 – The Whalers Mosman Club NSW
Sat 19 Sep 26 – Ocean View, Wamberal NSW
Fri 25 Sep 26 – Marlin Hotel, Ulladulla NSW
Sat 26 Sep 26 – Dicey Riley’s Hotel, Wollongong NSW
Sun 25 Oct – Sun 1 Nov 26 – ROCK THE BOAT CRUISE, Sydney > Noumea
Sat 07 Nov 26 – Crafted Festival, Foreshore Park Newcastle NSW
Fri 30 Apr 27 – BONFEST, KIRRIEMUIR, SCOTLAND
GOODFRND SHARES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ‘LANDING’ ANNOUNCES DOES TODAY REALLY HAVE TO HAPPEN? EP. OUT THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26
Australian alt-pop artist GOODFRND writes coming-of-age songs that turn real fallouts into big, hooky sing-alongs, and today he opens the next chapter, sharing ‘Landing’, the confident, nostalgia-soaked first single and video from his forthcoming EP Does Today Really Have to Happen, out Thursday November 26.
LISTEN TO ‘LANDING’ HERE
Written and produced with long-time collaborator and ARIA Award-winning producer Agnus Beats (The Kid Laroi, Allday, JK-47, Oliver Cronin, Logan), ‘Landing’ carries the sound GOODFRND has built his name on: big drums, crunchy guitars and slick synths, pulling as much from the 2000s pop-rock he grew up on as the contemporary edge of ROLE MODEL, Dominic Fike and Jeremy Zucker. It’s built to sound happier than it is, the kind of melody you’re singing back before you’ve clocked how much it’s actually saying.
The video was shot in a single afternoon in Sydney with his friend Imogen, a budding film producer who reached out looking to collaborate just as GOODFRND was working out how to bring the song to screen.
He explains: “I reached out to my friend Imogen, who’d just gotten into production, when she posted a story looking to collaborate. I went down to Sydney and stayed with her sister, one of my best friends. Imogen had it all planned shot by shot, a concept about growth through three stages of the song, told through three outfits. We shot the whole thing in about three hours, part in public, part at her sister’s place, including a skateboard dolly shot down their hallway with the whole crew pitching in to pull it off. All my friends really came through that day. It was epic.”
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
‘Landing’ is the opening line of a much bigger story. Does Today Really Have to Happen is about a falling out, and everything that unravelled and rebuilt in its wake. Rather than telling that story from a safe distance, the record moves through it in real time, from the first bitter swing to standing his ground, through softer and more vulnerable reflection, rediscovering who he is on his own, and finally arriving somewhere that feels like acceptance.
Sad, grateful and at peace, sometimes all in the same song, it’s proof that GOODFRND has never treated falling hard into things, whether that’s people, films or whichever activity is currently consuming his life, as a flaw. Feel everything at full volume, deal with what comes, and somewhere down the line you look back grateful it happened.
Since his debut EP, it’s added up to a sold-out headline show at Howl & Moan Records, national tour support for Colliflowers, a headline show in Madrid, a Breaking Sound performance in LA, and nearing 800,000 global streams, with a fanbase that stretches from the US to Spain and keeps growing. Coverage has come from Unraveled Edit, BLEACHED, The Partae, Australian Music Scene and AMNplify.
What GOODFRND is really building is a bubble, somewhere everyone’s welcome to feel what they feel and let it out.
FOLLOW GOODFRND INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | TRIPLE J UNEARTHED | YOUTUBE
8 BALL AITKEN & GWYN ASHTON + ROSS WILSON ’SUGAR RUSH’ (SINGLE)
Spotify HERE
Youtube: https://youtu.be/aSyEW2Ntf1E
When two internationally renowned guitarists join forces with one of Australia’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll pioneers, you know it’s going to be a hip-swingin’, blues & boogie party!
8 Ball Aitken, Gwyn Ashton & Ross Wilson have teamed up on a new diabetes inducing song release ‘Sugar Rush’.
In and out of the USA 8 Ball Aitken joined up with European based guitarist Gwyn Ashton to write and recorded a dueling slide guitar track ‘Sugar Rush’.
The song was recorded in 8 Ball’s studio on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.
Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock’s frontman Ross Wilson played harmonica and contributed backing vocals. Don’t be surprised if this one is 2026’s swingin’ dance blues groover of the year.
Sugar Rush is highly addictive, so get your fix where you usually get your downloads!
8 Ball Aitken
New Album NIGHTBIRD: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Jkpt6xg0f3Zhx6OqonmSY?si=VpkpB7S8TA637XLnQZ9Cog
► MUSIC & MERCH STORE: https://www.8ballaitken.com/8ball-aitken-shop
► SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/8ballaitken
► WEBSITE: http://www.8ballaitken.com
► FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/8ballaitkenmusic
► INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/8ballaitkenmusic
► ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/8-ball-aitken/219690404
► SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LLlMQFnYUd7M9H7dYLR78
LUCKY RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE ‘TAKE IT’ + EXTENSIVE TOURING COMING UP
Melbourne based artist Lucky returns with new single ‘Take It’, arriving ahead of a huge run of touring.
Lucky will hit the road for her debut international headline shows across Europe and the UK, before supporting Dear Seattle/Seahaven (US) and G Flip in Australia, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers in the North America. She will also appear at Yours and Owls and Crafted festivals.
Lucky says; I’m really excited to be releasing ‘Take It’, it marks a new chapter for me. This song is sonically its own. It still carries a lot of what shaped my debut record ‘Biting Heels’, but it definitely pushed me into a territory I hadn’t fully dove into before. The last twelve-ish months have been full of so many amazing experiences connected to the EP, so I’m eager to share it, and see how the next part of my journey unfolds.
She continues, “I’m also excited to play it on tour in Europe and the UK next month, and in North America with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers in November. I still can’t believe I get to play so many bucket list cities before the end of the year. It’s been very humbling to have experiences like this to look forward to.”
The new music follows on from the release of her anticipated debut EP Biting Heels which contains tracks ‘Perfect Pain’,‘Lady Beetle’, ‘Adored’, ‘Clover’ and the EP title track.
Lucky’s intimate songwriting and hazy, guitar-driven textures have fuelled a breakout 18 months; high rotation on national radio locally and an addition from tastemaker US radio station KEXP, two coveted spots on Spotify’s Fresh Finds global playlist, and a win of the triple j unearthed slot at Beyond The Valley. She’s played SXSW in Austin, supported ’90s icons Garbage amongst others, and landed on NME’s Global 100 list.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Dear Seattle & Seahaven (US) support
30 Aug – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
3 Sep – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
4 Sep – Barwon Club, Geelong
6 Sep – Uni Bar, Wollongong
Europe/UK
15 Sep – Rat & Pigeon, Manchester, UK
16 Sep – Third Man Records, London, UK
17 Sep – Third Man Records, London, UK
18 Sep – Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
19 Sep – Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
21 Sep – Supersonic, Paris, France
G Flip support
1 October – UC Refectory, Canberra
Festival Appearance
4 Oct – Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers support
31 Oct – Schubas Tavern, Chicago
1 Nov – Ace Of Cups, Columbus
3 Nov – The Garrison, Toronto
5 Nov – The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub, Cambridge
6 Nov – Racket NYC, NYC
7 Nov – Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia
8 Nov – Union Stage, Washington DC
10 Nov – The Grey Eagle, Asheville
Festival Appearance
21 Nov – Crafted Festival, Melbourne
https://www.instagram.com/luckyisours/
THE BURES BAND ‘OZONIA’ NEW ALBUM OUT THIS FRIDAY AUGUST 28
Fresh from a breakout international year that has seen them perform at SXSW Austin, record a live session for KEXP and continue their ascent as one of Australia’s most captivating live acts, Western Australia’s cosmic folk-rock outfit The Bures Band release their highly-anticipated third album Ozonia.
Available on digital and vinyl through Love Police Records & Tapes from Friday August 28, Ozonia is introduced by its sweeping title track – a song that captures the expansive spirit of the record and marks a bold new chapter for the five-piece.
Written during a period of personal and creative transformation, “Ozonia” serves as both an invitation and a destination; a place imagined somewhere between the Australian landscape, memory and myth. Equal parts road song and reverie, it finds The Bures Band leaning further into the rich harmonies, jangling guitars and widescreen arrangements that have become their calling card.
“Ozonia is a world unto itself,” says The Bures Band guitarist and producer Stephen Bailey. “It’s about searching for something just beyond reach – a place that feels familiar but doesn’t quite exist. The album became our way of mapping that journey.”
Drawing from the golden age of folk-rock, psychedelic country and kraut-rock-inspired experimentation, Ozonia is The Bures Band’s most ambitious work to date. Recorded in Perth, Western Australia, the album expands upon the foundations laid by 2023’s Birds Nest and 2024’s Fool Circle, while embracing a broader, more cinematic and psychedelic palette.
The release follows recent singles “Delta” and “High Tide”, which offered listeners a glimpse into the emotional depth of the new record. Earlier album cut “Avon Valley” similarly hinted at the band’s evolving sound – one that feels at once timeless and unmistakably Australian.
Since forming in Perth in 2022, The Bures Band have carved out a reputation as one of the country’s most exciting emerging acts. Their rise has been marked by a reissue of Birds Nest through Love Police Records & Tapes, widespread acclaim for their second album Fool Circle, and a growing international audience drawn to the band’s cosmic blend of folk, rock and blues.
Their live credentials are equally impressive. The band has performed at SXSW Austin TX, Panama Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Out On The Weekend, Dashville Skyline and Wave Rock Weekender, while sharing stages with Tyler Childers, Grace Cummings, Leah Senior, M. Ward and Thee Sacred Souls.
With momentum building both at home and abroad, Ozonia arrives as a defining statement from a band operating at the height of its creative powers.
The Bures Band’s Ozonia is available on Friday August 28, 2026 on digital and vinyl through Love Police Records & Tapes.
To celebrate the release of The Bures Band’s new album Ozonia, the band will play a run of shows along the East Coast and closing out in the band’s hometown of Perth in October. Tickets on sale now.
LOVE POLICE PRESENTS
THE BURES BAND OZONIA TOUR
OCTOBER 2026
17 – Botany View Hotel, Sydney, NSW with MFV
20 – Junk Bar, Brisbane, QLD with Shade Hadie
21 – Eltham Hotel, Eltham, NSW with Sterling Drake
24 – Archies Creek Hotel, Archies Creek, VIC with Bookrunner
25 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC // Love Police Takeover
30 – Camelot Arts Club, Perth, WA
with Anna Schneider & Jeremy Laurence and the Hang Gliders
The Bures Band
Ozonia
Track listing:
1. Avon Valley
2. Ozonia
3. Delta
4. High Tide
5. Play
6. Highway Lines
7. SLPM
8. Divine Division
9. Sonny
Recorded and Produced By Dan Carroll at RADA Studios in Fremantle.
Mixed By Stephen Bailey.
Mastered By Mikey Young.
All Songs Written By The Bures Band
OLIVIA LAY – LIVING LIFE LIKE IT’S ART (SINGLE)
‘Living Life like it’s Art’ is a country-folk, acoustic-roots tune taking listeners on a journey while instilling a sense of uplift and nostalgia.
With lyrics following the process of writing a song while out in nature, the tune is carried by a catchy melody performed on guitar and banjo.
Recorded in Bruthen, Regional Victoria, Olivia embraces a new direction in this upbeat, multi-genre production while staying true to her acoustic, storytelling roots.
ABOUT OLIVIA LAY
Olivia Lay is a singer/songwriter from Gippsland, Australia, known for her compelling guitar playing and storytelling inspired by the likes of John Mayer, John Butler and Newton Faulkner.
Some of her career highlights include supporting Thirsty Merc, Ruby Fields, Nathan Cavaleri, Ross Wilson, the Rubens and Daniel Champagne, as well as performing at the National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, NYE on the Hill Festival, and St Kilda Blues Festival.
Her performances comprise intricate guitar techniques such as right hand tapping and percussive guitar, complimenting her profound lyricism and melodies, with her genre ranging from folk to blues and roots to alternative, to country and a bit of something you can’t quite put your finger on.
With three albums under her belt already Olivia is working hard and forging a name for herself in the Australian music scene.
INTRODUCING SAMMI HEANEY. SINGER-SONGWRITER DEBUTS SINGLE AND HEARTBREAK ANTHEM ‘GUILTY’. OUT NOW VIA SAFELIGHT RECORDS
LISTEN HERE
Australian-based rising singer-songwriter Sammi Heaney releases her debut single, ‘Guilty,’ out now via Safelight Records. After sharing snippets of the track online that quickly racked up millions of views, Heaney officially unveils the song, a raw and emotionally charged introduction to her artistry. Capturing the sting of seeing an ex with a new lover, ‘Guilty’ pairs punchy acoustic guitar with viscerally honest lyrics, transforming the pain of heartbreak into an instantly relatable anthem. LISTEN HERE.
Opening with an infectious “do-do-do” hook, ‘Guilty’ quickly pulls listeners into the all-too-familiar feeling of watching someone you once loved move on. The song was born from a real-life moment when Heaney was out with friends in Melbourne and spotted her ex with someone new. Caught off guard by the sight, she quickly jotted down the one question she wished she could ask him: “Don’t you feel guilty?” Through deeply personal songwriting and unmistakable emotion in her delivery, Heaney puts herself in an incredibly vulnerable position, laying her heartbreak bare for listeners to experience alongside her.
Heaney says of the track: “Guilty was inspired by the idea of a past partner moving on and becoming intimate with somebody else. I remember being out at a bar and spotting someone that I used to see with a bunch of girls around him, and it genuinely made me want to throw up, so I caught an uber home and wrote this song in tears on my bedroom floor.
The song actually took me quite a while to write, going through many renditions until I was happy with the lyrics and melody. I’d say it honestly took a couple of weeks to write. I brought the track into Holly and we produced it out together, and it was so incredible to see it come to life, but also a bit of a challenge trying to find a balance of keeping it as raw as possible to encapsulate the way in which I wrote the song.”
At first, Heaney’s own self-criticism led her to believe ‘Guilty’ wasn’t particularly unique within her growing body of work. Her audience quickly proved otherwise. When she first uploaded a preview of the song, it amassed 100,000 views overnight, signalling an immediate connection with listeners who recognised Heaney’s knack for capturing the complexities of romantic fallout.
Heaney had already begun sharing snippets of early material online, exploring the struggles and emotions that come with entering adulthood. A lifelong creative, she acted, wrote poetry, and even spent time working in the circus. But during Australia’s strict pandemic lockdowns, she found herself at home with little outlet beyond learning new instruments and experimenting with songwriting. Soon, the songs began pouring out. When normal life resumed, Heaney started debuting her music at Melbourne open mic nights, often performing for little more than her parents and a handful of senior citizens. Still, she knew she was onto something.
For more info on Sammi Heaney, visit;
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY
THE MUSIC OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND Saturday 12 September | Martha Salt Music, Mt Martha
Few bands have left a mark on blues and roots music quite like The Allman Brothers Band.
Fusing Delta blues, Southern soul, jazz improvisation, country and rock, they created a sound that changed American music forever. Their legendary live performances and timeless songs continue to inspire musicians more than 50 years on.
On Saturday 12 September, Martha Salt Music proudly presents TWIGGS – The Australian Allman Brothers Experience, an outstanding seven-piece band dedicated to capturing the spirit, musicianship and energy of this iconic catalogue.
Drawing from classic albums including The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, Eat a Peach and Brothers and Sisters, TWIGGS delivers the songs that defined a generation.
Expect favourites such as Statesboro Blues, Whipping Post, Jessica, Dreams, Trouble No More, Melissa, Ramblin’ Man and more, performed with the passion, improvisation and authenticity that made the originals legendary.
At the heart of the show is the unmistakable Allman Brothers sound – soaring twin lead guitars, the powerful groove of two drummers, soulful Hammond organ and extended musical interplay that made every performance unique.
Featuring:
Paul Slattery – vocals (Moreland City Soul Revue, Blues Roulette)
Duncan Schmoll – guitar
Glenn Ford – guitar
Tim Neal – keyboards (Checkerboard Lounge)
Craig Kelly – bass (Neil Murray, Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife)
James Barwick – drums (Rosewood)
Johnny Tesoriero – drums (Blues Roulette)
Check out the band on Youtube: www.youtube.com/playlist
Whether you’re a lifelong Allman Brothers devotee or simply love outstanding blues, Southern rock and roots music, this promises to be an unforgettable evening of exceptional musicianship and songs that have stood the test of time.
Keep on truckin’… and don’t miss this special celebration of one of the greatest live bands in music history.
TIX: trybooking.com/DOTXK
You may bring your own food/snacks to the venue. Bowlo bar open with great prices. CARD ONLY.
Doors from 7:30pm | Show 8:15pm
General Admission $45 + BF (7 piece band)
@ door (if still available)
NAVY JUNE Confront the Things Left Unresolved on ‘routine avoidance’ Single Out NOW
Some situations are easier to avoid than confront, but eventually, the things left unresolved have a way of catching up. Wrestling with that uncomfortable space between holding on and moving forward, Boorloo/Perth-based band navy june return with a bittersweet single, ‘routine avoidance’, out now.
Following the release of ‘mister’ back in January, navy june have been on the grind. Alongside appearances at Bloom Fest, Blues at Bridgetown and Spaced Out Fest, the band has shared stages with Old Mervs, Great Gable, The Vanns, Fool Nelson, Cheeky Leash, Death By Denim, Sophian, Ruby Hoo, Nana’s Pie, Devon Street and Darcie Haven, while also receiving a WAM Song of the Year nomination.
Now, with ‘routine avoidance’, navy june dance between intimate, acoustic-led folk and heart-crunching indie rock. What starts out with an understated, innocent folky bedroom softness gracefully blooms with fuzzed-out electric guitars, powerful drums topped with aching vocals and harmonies that pry at the heartstrings.
Beneath its warm melodies, the track carries a captivating aura to it. ‘routine avoidance’ lingers in the uncertainty that follows heartbreak, exploring the difficult process of growing beyond someone while remaining haunted by unanswered questions and everything left unresolved. Rather than offering easy closure, the track finds beauty in that emotional in-between, where resilience is built one step at a time. Speaking on the track, Ruby Barton-Taylor states:
“‘routine avoidance’ tells the story of heartbreak, resilience, and taking back control. It’s about being torn between wanting their validation and needing to let go, spiralling through grief, anger, and obsession while searching for a way to move forward.”
Avoidance might be a coping mechanism, but it rarely brings closure. Fortunately, ‘routine avoidance’ is one thing worth confronting. Then, catch navy june launch the single at Lunar Fest in Fremantle on Friday, September 4, before an intimate acoustic performance at Sullivan Hall on Sunday, September 6.
Upcoming Shows
Friday, September 4 – Lunar Fest, Fremantle | Tickets
Supports include: Symmetrical Dogs, Jack Hamilton, Slow Horse, Oakabella Mae, Clare Perrott, Free Aviary, CNTR, Nugzy
Sunday, September 6 – Sullivan Hall, Fremantle | Tickets
Supports include: Caitlin Mias, Nadya Kadisha
Follow navy june
https://linktr.ee/navyjuneband
Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp
VINCE STAPLES (US) announces Cry Baby Australian headline shows. Also headlining sold out Beyond The Valley festival
Recently announced as one of the headline artists of the now sold out Beyond The Valley festival, US music heavyweight Vince Staples will return to Australia in January 2027 for a run of solo headline shows. Presented by Untitled Group and Beyond The Valley, Staples will bring his Cry Baby Tour to Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
One of the most revered voices of his generation, Vince Staples is a celebrated multi-hyphenate making his mark across TV, film and contemporary culture, though music remains where he most naturally pushes boundaries as an artist, storyteller and creative force.
Following a string of acclaimed introspective projects, Ramona Park (a melancholic tribute to his hometown) and Dark Times (deeper, more personal themes), Cry Baby marks a more outward-facing artistic statement and piece of social commentary, and sets the tone for this run of Australian dates.
The album was preceded by a run of stunning and thought-provoking visuals, with iconography and themes carrying from one to the next. Despite the deeply embedded themes present in the clips for “Blackberry Marmalade,” “White Flag,” and “Cotton,” each was delivered without comment, giving them space to speak for themselves.
Beyond the lyrics and subject matter, Cry Baby signals a bold musical and sonic shift as well. Staples built each track around live instrumentation, underscoring the album’s immediacy and urgency. The result is a dynamic, confrontational body of work that captures the tension, absurdity, and emotional weight of America – an album that doesn’t just document the times and its precedents, but actively wrestles with them.
These headline shows mark his first in Australia since 2018, and will give fans the chance to catch Staples commanding each venue, following his upcoming sold-out appearance at Beyond The Valley.
Don’t miss Vince Staples live in Australia in January 2027.
TICKETS
Untitled Presale:
Monday 31 August, 3pm AEST
Sign up for access to presale here
General On Sale:
Tuesday 1 September, 3pm AEST
Tickets available here
VINCE STAPLES
CRY BABY TOUR
Saturday 2 January 2027
Ice Cream Factory
Perth, WA
Tuesday 5 January 2027
The Tivoli
Brisbane, QLD
Wednesday 6 January 2027
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, NSW
Thursday 7 January 2027
Forum
Melbourne, VIC
Also playing Beyond The Valley
MELBOURNE INDIE ROCK OUTFIT LOOSE BRICKS DELIVER FIRST NEW MUSIC IN THREE + YEARS WITH ‘ANOTHER DAY’. TOURING AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBER
Following a three and a half year break, Melbourne’s LOOSE BRICKS have made their return an impactful one, serving up their first taste of a new musical chapter with fresh single ‘ANOTHER DAY’.
For the group of musicians and best mates, this is a stride forward into new territory, embracing maturity in both perspective and songwriting skills; pouring themselves back into the artistry that has earned them a strong following right around the country.
Recorded at the band’s home studio in Melbourne, ‘Another Day’ is a prime example of the ease with which Loose Bricks are able to take inspiration from real life experiences, bringing them together with a sound that is all their own.
“Our music pulls a lot of inspiration from real life experiences, struggles and hardship of depression and keeping the black dog at bay. Other themes focus on love and deep connection, falling in love, falling out and trying to navigate through this world as a young adult. The initial skeleton of the song is usually written by Levi on his acoustic guitar but just recently we have been in our home studio laying down ideas all together. We find that we end up having a more complete sound right from the first demo.” LOOSE BRICKS
Loose Bricks have enjoyed significant growth over the years, evolving an electric live presence on stages around the country – headlining countless sold out shows and supporting acts including DICE, The Belair Lip Bombs, Kingswood, Hoodoo Gurus and more. With over 18 million streams to their name, Loose Bricks return rejuvenated and ready to build once more upon a tight foundation of music and successes that have gotten them to this point in thor journey.
The band will be celebrating the release of ‘Another Day’ as well as previewing what is still in store, with a number of Australian shows this November.
LOOSE BRICKS TOUR DATES
Friday 6 November Northcote Social Club MELBOURNE
Saturday 7 November Jive ADELAIDE
Friday 13 November Burdekin Hotel SYDNEY
Sunday 15 November Black Bear Lodge BRISBANE
‘ANOTHER DAY’ IS RELEASED WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST
LOOSE BRICKS: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Triple J Unearthed
SPIKE F*CK ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM EVIDENCE. OUT OCTOBER 2 VIA NEW LABEL, SACRED BONES RECORDS
SHARES SINGLE & VIDEO ‘ALL BY MYSELF’
NATIONAL TOUR BEGINS OCTOBER 2
Spike F*ck (he/him) announces debut album, evidence out October 2 via iconic NYC-based label, Sacred Bones Records (David Lynch, Suicide, Molchat Doma), to which he recently signed. Lead single and video, ‘ALL BY MYSELF’ lands today, following the announcement of Spike F*ck’s six-date Australian tour beginning October 2.
evidence is a brazen proof of life statement. Convicted by the outlandish idea of evidencing a ‘you had to be there’ mentality, the record honours presence in body, a record to be felt, never to be rationalised. On evidence, Spike shares, “this record is carnal and confident. I wanted to approach songwriting in the same way a director shooting a slasher film does. Get to the point and make people feel it all. I want this record to cut like a sharp knife”.
evidence isn’t forthcoming in providing explanations of Spike’s absence. It isn’t a tell-all collection of songs about obsession, guilt, nor is it a document of the subsequent transformation, or enlightenment. Spike’s prior fixations on the questions of man or woman, drug addict or ascetic, trickster or rockstar, have driven an unmitigated pursuit of knowing a ‘true self’. This pursuit is no longer his chief concern, nor is he plagued by over conceptualization of who he is but simply, when he is. This is Spike F*ck and this is evidence.
Lead single ‘ALL BY MYSELF’ is an expert fusion of new wave, glam and soul with a vocal performance that oscillates between being blasé, vulnerable and manic. With its feelgood, family-friendly punk doo-wop production, Spike is misleading on if his joy comes from the pride in solitude, or from loneliness and a ‘give me everything’ mentality in the act of shooting heroin. On ‘ALL BY MYSELF’ and its video, Spike says:
“If someone asks: ‘what does it mean?’ We’ve done the job. As society has abandoned mythologies, we must create our own… that sounds trite and I’m not quite sure how to defend that statement really. We’re not existentialists. In any case, we also live in a completely schizophrenic society in this sense, so the idea to create a story of a war hero/criminal undergoing an absurdist spiritual transformation seemed almost obligatory. Purgatorial musings, heaven and hell, redemption, fantasy, a mushroom that talks so on and so forth.
People understand truth through analogy, moreover, parables. We sought to create something about redemption, forgiveness, faith, hope and charity that is available to whomever seeks it. I may not be the most reliable narrator, I admit that freely, yet the fantasy of it all is healthy. So is a dose of whimsy or even a small dash of grand delusion.
So this video, along with the entire record, is a series of clues, a collection of pieces of evidence… Hopefully this video raises more questions than it answers.”
For ten years, Spike F*ck has existed more as a messy myth than an artist; sporadic works forever poised on the precipice of triumph, rumours of death or insanity and so on. His Smackwave EP (Partisan), now a decade old and certified cult classic, was aptly censored by media outlets. The release addressed themes as literal as the title suggests; drug use, gender identity, Catholicism and existentialism.
Soon after the release of his Smackwave EP, Spike was swept up in the whirlwind of unexpected success, going from underground warehouse parties and impromptu performances on Melbourne trams to catching the eye of Rick Owens, draped in high fashion and editorial photoshoots accompanied by interviews in which he gave unrelenting and uncensored details of his life. On the precipice of breakthrough, Spike disappeared. It had all happened in a flash, he was gone; and it seemed as if the artist witnessed by others was merely a relic of that time period, or possibly a figment of their imagination. Bootleg uploads and comments on old YouTube videos discussed possibilities that seemed wild but believable, given Spike’s nature, fueling rumours of monastic solitude, relapse, or reinvention. Only the most sincere kept the myth alive. The recent return to performance showcased that Spike had been thoroughly consecrated in underground memory, with a string of sold out shows in Melbourne, NYC and LA.
Luckily, the devotion to his music has persevered, somewhat bolstered by his inconsistency and inaccessibility. This goodwill towards his artistry is perhaps partly due to Spike’s timeless, pained and confessional lyricism, though more pointedly, the fragility of a life mired in addiction. His being or works does not question the virtue of life, but simply addresses the numb, pragmatic and far more immediate matter of surviving another day, an almost ineffable sentiment only justified by his distinct, poetic audaciousness.
While plans had been in motion to release his now-shelved, ‘original’ debut record, Pure O, Spike was gripped by an insatiable urge to complete and present evidence. Written and recorded in three months alongside producer Adam Hyde (Keli Holiday), the record is informed by the realization he could not think his way into a state of emotion, only graduate into it; a process outside his control. There was a desire to evidence the mix of frustration, confusion and resentment; all too familiar feelings Spike had tried in vain to repress.
Citing Pere Ubu, New York Dolls, The Temptations and Bettye Swan as key influences, and inspired by the banned 1971 manual, The Anarchist Cookbook, Spike sought to create something unsettling and perplexing, yet simple. It’s a rush to listen to, as if tagging along on a particularly wild night out. At once it is fun and memorable, but also truly life-altering as if one hit a pedestrian in a vehicle and fled the scene, left to grapple with the thrill, guilt and fear of being caught.
evidence is an album that lives outside the limits of discourse; its purpose is eponymous and self-evident. It is what it is, and is subject to interpretation. There is no point in interrogating attachments, virtue or value. The only rightful way to live is to be.
Last week, Spike F*ck announced a six-date national tour kicking off in Eora/Sydney on release day Friday, October 2, before hitting Meanjin / Brisbane, Walyalup / Fremantle, Yours & Owls Festival in Woolyungah / Wollongong, Tarntanya / Adelaide and Naarm / Melbourne. The tour then rolls on to a mammoth twenty three-date European and UK tour beginning October 23. Tickets are on sale now.
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Friday, October 2, 2026 – Oxford Art Factory, Eora / Sydney NSW – TICKETS
Saturday, October 3, 2026 – Crowbar, Meanjin / Brisbane QLD – TICKETS
Saturday, October 3, 2026 – Yours & Owls Festival, Woolyungah / Wollongong – TICKETS
Friday, October 9, 2026 – Wyola Club, Walyalup / Fremantle WA – TICKETS
Saturday, October 10, 2026 – Jive, Tarntanya / Adelaide – TICKETS
Saturday, October 17, 2026 – Thornbury Theatre, Naarm /Melbourne – TICKETS
EU/UK TOUR DATES – TICKETS
Friday, October 23 – Left of the DIal, Rotterdam, NL
Saturday, October 24 – Left of the DIal, Rotterdam, NL
Tuesday, October 27 – Cactus Club, Bruges, BE
Thursday, October 29 – The Croft, Bristol, UK
Friday, October 30 – Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield, UK
Saturday, October 31 – Zerox, Newcastle, UK
Sunday, November 1 – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK
Tuesday, November 3 – The Abbey, Manchester, UK
Wednesday, November 4 – Oporto, Leeds, UK
Friday, November 6 – The Dome, London, UK
Saturday, November 7 – Illion Plus, Athens, GR
Sunday, November 8 – Thessaloniki, GR – Eightball Club
Tuesday, Nov 10 – Cafe Kotur, Skopje, MK
Wednesday, Nov 11 – Molotow Industrial Bar, Zagreb, HR
Thursday, November 12 – Mills, Munich, DE
Sunday, November 15 – Urban Spree, Berlin, DE
Monday, November 16 -Molotow Top Ten Bar, Hamburg, DE
Tuesday, November 17: Krakow, PL – Klub RE
Wednesday, November 18: Ostrava, CZ – Barrak Club
Friday, November 20 – Freakout Club, Bologna, IT
Tuesday, November 24 – Whelan’s, Dublin, IL
Friday, November 27 – Le Hasard Ludique, Paris, FR
Sunday, November 29 – Paradiso (Upstairs), Amsterdam, NL
Spike F*ck – evidence
Out October 2 via Sacred Bones Records – PRE-ORDER
JOAN & THE GIANTS return with Oscar Dawson-produced single ‘Looking For A Reason’
Perth-raised, Melbourne-based powerhouse Joan & the Giants share their anthemic new single ‘Looking For A Reason’. Listen HERE and watch the music video HERE. Tonight, the group took to the stage at Fitzroy’s iconic Old Bar for the final night of their month-long Tuesday residency this week and were joined by local singer-songwriter Nick Keogh
A highlight of their recent performances, ‘Looking For A Reason’ was recorded with Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson at Premises Studio in London earlier this year. Joan & the Giants frontwoman Grace Newton-Wordsworth reflects fondly on the process, describing it as “such a wonderfully collaborative song for us as a band. It’s basically a live recording — we were all set up in the room together, tracked it at the same time, and within a couple of hours, the song was done.”
As with most of the band’s songs, on ‘Looking For A Reason’ Grace leans into her own experiences for lyrical inspiration, and channels real emotion during the process. “At the time we were making this, I was going through a pretty terrible time,” she says. “I was depressed, dating chaotic people, spending way too much money on going out and not nearly enough on looking after myself. I remember being at home one day, feeling really down about my life, opening up a Logic session, and somehow the entire song — lyrically and melodically — just came out in about 15 minutes. It was so easy to write because I wasn’t overthinking it. It almost felt like writing a diary entry.
“To me, the lyrics have this kind of satirical quality to them, but they’re also completely honest. Sometimes you just want a song that sits in the shit with you rather than trying to pull you out of it, and I think that’s what this song does for me.”
Having been welcomed with open arms into Melbourne’s vibrant music scene after relocating from Perth last year, Joan & the Giants have celebrated their community through curating lineups of exceptional local talent each week of this month. Previous guests at their residency have included the likes of Saint Victoire, Ethan Conway, Mathilde Anne, Emma Yue, Sam Sly, and Paige Barnard.
Earlier this year, Joan & the Giants released their heartwrenching and hopeful track ‘Mamma Don’t Cry’, before flying to the UK for a run of electric showcases at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton
A staple on the Australian live circuit, Joan & the Giants have supported the likes of Everything Everything, The Vaccines, Weyes Blood, Teen Jesus and Jean Teasers, Sly Withers, Pacific Avenue, P!NK, Tones & I, Belinda Carlisle, Coterie and many more. Last year, they ventured over to the USA to make their SXSW Austin debut, and closed out 2025 with a national sold out tour in support of The Fray, as well as the release of their striking Seb Szabo collaboration ‘Figure It Out’.
‘Looking For A Reason’ out now
CONNECT WITH JOAN & THE GIANTS WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
SAFE LISTENING CALCULATOR COULD SAVE YOUR HEARING
“Curious if your studio monitors are damaging your hearing, or if you can actually hear the difference between lossless audio and standard files? TheAudioStuff has released two free, browser-based tools for musicians and audiophiles. A Safe Listening Calculator to track daily exposure limits, and an ABX Blind Test Tool to put your ears and gear to the ultimate test.”
ABX Blind Test Tool link: https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/abx-test/
Safe Listening Calculator: https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/safe-listening-calculator/
BRAYDEN KING Delivers Breakout Hit “We Got Beer” on His Way to Australia
American Idol “Golden Ticket” winner sets his sights on Australian country radio and stages off the back of his biggest single to date
Canadian country artist Brayden King is bringing his breakout single “We Got Beer” to Australian audiences, arriving on the back of the biggest chart run of his career to date across North America.
“We Got Beer” is currently Top 30 on both the Billboard and Mediabase Canada Country airplay charts, new career peaks on what is Brayden’s best-performing single to date.
The milestone caps a rapid rise for the young artist, who first broke through after earning a “Golden Ticket” on Season 21 of American Idol. In 2023, he landed three singles inside the Top 100 on Canadian Country Radio and has since been championed by genre heavyweights with Luke Bryan describing King as “the perfect mix between Ed Sheeran and Stapleton.”
Standing 6′9″ and known for his larger-than-life stage presence, King has built his reputation on the road as much as on the charts, delivering more than 100 shows a year across North America. In just two years, he has earned recognition as the largest rising star in Canadian country — both literally and figuratively — carving out a lane at the intersection of rock ’n’ roll and country and embracing the genre’s edgier side.
“We Got Beer” is available now on all streaming platforms and is being serviced to Australian country radio from August 24, 2026. King will support the release with a run of Australian club shows in October, marking his first live dates in the country.
Australian Tour Dates
Thursday 1 October — Northcote Social Club, Northcote, VIC
Saturday 3 October — Beer DeLuxe Albury, Albury, NSW
Sunday 4 October — Smiths Alternative, Canberra, ACT
Friday 9 October — Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 10 October – Wallaby Hotel, Gold Coast, QLD
Sunday 11 October – Distillery Road Market, Eagleby, QLD
Thursday 15 October – Factory Floor, Sydney, NSW
Friday 16 October — Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield, NSW
Tickets and updates: braydenkingmusic.com
ROB ZOMBIE Releases New Music Video For ‘Black Rat Coffin’
‘BLACK RAT COFFIN’ MUSIC VIDEO: https://youtu.be/O0kXXObnlDU
Rock and metal icon ROB ZOMBIE has unveiled the official music video for ‘Black Rat Coffin,’ another standout track from his acclaimed new studio album, The Great Satan, available now via Nuclear Blast Records.
One of the album’s darker and more sinister cuts, ‘Black Rat Coffin’ delivers Zombie’s unmistakable collision of heavy grooves, twisted imagery and horror-soaked rock ‘n’ roll.
Released earlier this year, The Great Satan finds Zombie firing on all cylinders across 15 tracks, including ‘Punks And Demons,’ ‘Heathen Days,’ ‘(I’m A) Rock ‘N’ Roller,’ ‘F.T.W. 84,’ ‘The Black Scorpion,’ ‘Tarantula’ and ‘Black Rat Coffin.’
Purchase/Stream The Great Satan: https://robzombie.bfan.link/the-great-satan
“a riot from start to finish. Hail Sa – no, Hail Zombie.” – Kerrang.com (UK)
“it rocks like an absolute motherfucker.” – Blabbermouth.net (US)
“this album is fucking fantastic” – GhostCultMag.com (US)
“No one does it like Zombie.” – Classic Rock (UK)
The Great Satan Tracklist:
01. F.T.W. 84
02. Tarantula
03. (I’m a) Rock ‘N’ Roller
04. Heathen Days
05. Who Am I
06. Black Rat Coffin
07. Sir Lord Acid Wolfman
08. Punks And Demons
09. The Devilman
10. Out of Sight
11. Revolution Motherfuckers
12. Welcome To The Electric Age
13. The Black Scorpion
14. Unclean Animals
15. Grave Discontent
About ROB ZOMBIE: As a rock icon and filmmaker with a unique vision, Rob Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of both music and film. He has sold more than fifteen million albums worldwide and is the only artist to experience unprecedented success in both music and film as the writer/director of nine feature films including “HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES,” “THE DEVIL’S REJECTS,” “THE MUNSTERS” and the number one smash “HALLOWEEN.”
After five years, Rob Zombie is back with new music as he announces his latest record, THE GREAT SATAN, out on Nuclear Blast in 2026. The new music brings Zombie back to his Hellbilly roots with frenetic cuts such as ‘Punks And Demons,’ ‘Heathen Days,’ ‘(I’m a) Rock ‘N’ Roller’ and ‘Tarantula.’
Rob Zombie has achieved great success in the music industry, first as a member of the multi-platinum band White Zombie and later as a solo artist with even greater results collecting numerous multi-platinum and gold albums along the way including Hellbilly Deluxe, The Sinister Urge and Educated Horses. Rob Zombie’s most recent record, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021), debuted at #9 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, making it his 7th consecutive solo album to debut in the top 10.
Follow ROB ZOMBIE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | X | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music
Keb’ Mo’ Releases New Album The Breakdown via Concord Records
Performance Video For “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To” Out Now
5x GRAMMY-winner Keb’ Mo’ has released his new album The Breakdown via Concord Records. The 10-song collection is his most stripped-down and personal album to date, marking a first in his celebrated career as he pares each recording down to just his guitar, voice and carefully selected vocal contributions from the Soweto Gospel Choir and gospel sextet Take 6.
Alongside the album’s release he shared an acoustic performance video of “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To,” which features Take 6 on the album version.
Order/Listen to The Breakdown: https://i.concordjazz.com/kebmo_thebreakdown
The Breakdown was recorded at his home studio outside Nashville and written in the wake of life-saving open heart surgery, the end of his nearly 20-year marriage, and a period of profound personal upheaval. Stark and deeply honest, The Breakdown is Keb’ at his most revealing, grappling with the passage of time and the inevitability of change while still holding on firmly to the hope, faith, and love that have always guided him.
Americana Highways praised the “pristine” collection and proclaimed “The songs reflect stark & deeply honest themes, but his voice has no scars,” while Rock & Blues Muse said, “You may never hear a more honest and optimistic record.” Folk Alley said, “On The Breakdown Keb’ Mo’ opens his heart, revealing and working through his own struggles in spare and intimate songs that resonate emotionally with us.”
“It felt like death was tapping me on the shoulder,” Keb’ explains. “I’d been going around feeling healthy and strong all these years, and suddenly I had to face the possibility that I might not make it. I had to go through some difficult experiences to get these songs, but I learned a lot looking back on my life and my relationships and taking inventory of everything in a new light.”
That newfound perspective is front and center on The Breakdown, which manages to turn pain and uncertainty into hope and resilience at every turn. “I’m turning 75 this year,” Keb’ reflects, “and I know I won’t be around forever. All you can do is make the most of what you’ve got and be grateful for every step of the journey.”
Keb’ Mo’ will hit the road for an album release tour starting November 8 in Greenville, SC and will make stops in Chattanooga, Athens, Akron, Cincinnati and more. For more details visit his website.
The Breakdown:
01) Fussing and Fighting
02) Every Step of the Way
03) They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To (feat. Take 6)
04) More Yesterdays
05) We Make Love
06) Walking on Water
07) Hand It Over (feat. Soweto Gospel Choir)
08) Living in the Moment
09) Stitched Up Heart
10) One Day Away
Follow Keb’ Mo’: Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter.
BAKER BOY’S DJANDJAY (DELUXE) ALBUM OUT NOW
OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR ‘YOLŊU FEVER’ IS OUT NOW
WINNER OF 3 x 2026 NIMA’S, INCLUDING ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR DJANDJAY
Hip-hop and pop-culture sensation Baker Boy today releases DJANDJAY (Deluxe), the expanded 17-track edition of his acclaimed album DJANDJAY, featuring two previously unreleased songs, ‘YOLŊU FEVER’ and ‘DISAPPEAR’ feat. BVT.
The release follows Baker Boy’s return to Yolŋu Country for a landmark performance at Garma Festival and a remarkable three-award sweep at the 2026 National Indigenous Music Awards. He took home Song of the Year and Film Clip of the Year for ‘THICK SKIN’, his powerhouse collaboration with Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn and Jada Weazel, before claiming Album of the Year for DJANDJAY, which Baker Boy proudly dedicated to his late grandmother and album namesake.
For Baker Boy the deluxe edition was far from an afterthought but rather a final chapter of DJANDJAY. “These tracks belong in the world of DJANDJAY. I can’t take them into the next era but I can’t leave them on the cutting room floor. They make DJANDJAY whole”
Speaking on the lead single, Baker Boy shared; “YOLŊU FEVER was one of the earliest demos for DJANDJAY. I worked on it with Jacob Farah, and it has always been a favourite. But idk, I think I let people get in my head about it; I got feedback that it was just another party track or that maybe it sounded too much like Gela. I really took my time on DJANDJAY to grow as a person and an artist. I was conscious of sharing emotions, allowing myself to be vulnerable, to be angry, and I think maybe to a degree it didn’t let me feel enough joy. ‘YOLŊU FEVER’ is that joy. I need that joy, DJANDJAY needs that joy and I think the world does too”.
Alongside the new music, Baker Boy also shares the official video for ‘YOLŊU FEVER’, once again collaborating with the team who brought the DJANDJAY five-part video series to life, Jordan Ruyi Blanch and Aurie Indianna. The video plays into an edgier aesthetic for Baker Boy, taking a step back from fast paced cuts to build anticipation, with moody aesthetics and a touch of sexual tension. Symbolising a true transformation from Baker Boy to Baker Man, he delivers a staunch confident performance that still oozes that trademark Baker Boy charisma.
On the video Baker Boy said “It’s kind of spooky kind of sexy. YOLŊU FEVER is cheeky and playful and I wanted to capture that in the visuals.”
Upon its release, DJANDJAY garnered widespread critical acclaim.The Guardian Australia, claimed it as Baker Boys “most politically charged” work to date, while Esquire praised it as being “as personal as it is powerful”. Other notable mentions include The Australian lead review (4 stars), The Sydney Morning Herald/THE AGE, NIT, Rolling Stone Australia (Record of The Week), Beat Magazine, The Music, UnSEEN Journal and many more. The album debuted #3 on the Australian ARIA Album Chart and secured #1 ARIA Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums.
DJANDJAY was named triple j’s feature album and later nominated for triple j’s Album of the Year. The record was selected as RRR Album Of The Week, while multiple videos were added to RAGE with “PEACEKEEPER” chosen as their Feature Of The Week. Across DJANDJAY Baker Boy received extensive support across DSPs with Spotify placements across New Music Friday, Local Hype, Turn Up Aus, Big Ancestor Energy, Proppa Bars, Deadly Beats and Local Noise, including coveted cover features on Proppa Bars and Local Noise. Apple Music’s New Music Daily, New in Hip-Hop, The New Australia, FIRST, BLAKLIST, New in Pop, Heaps Local, Heaps Local Hits, Teen Pop Hits, Today’s Hits, Aussie Hip-Hop, A-List Pop, and Viral Hits. Amazon Music’s Brand New Music placement and cover feature, while YouTube supported across RELEASED, Australia Hitlist and HIP-HOP & R&B – Vevo ANZ.
Off the back of the album’s success, Baker Boy was crowned GQ Musician of the Year at the 2025 GQ Men of the Year Awards and performed at the 2025 AFL Grand Final with Snoop Dogg.
DJANDJAY is currently shortlisted for the 22nd Soundmerch Australian Music Prize (AMP) with the winner announced at the end of the year.
To celebrate the release, Baker Boy is taking DJANDJAY (Deluxe) to WA, taking the stage tonight at Freo.Social in Fremantle, before heading to Albany for Live @ The Town Hall on Saturday night.
BAKER BOY LIVE SHOW DATES
Oct 10 Sat @ The Night Cat (AA Matinee & 18+) – Melbourne, VIC
Nov 28 Sat @ Queenscliff Music Festival – Queenscliff, VIC
For all ticket and touring details here
ABOUT BAKER BOY
Proud Yolŋu man, renowned artist, and 2019 Young Australian of the Year, Danzal Baker OAM, also known as Baker Boy, originates from Milingimbi and Maningrida in North-East Arnhem Land.
Baker Boy has become a pop-culture sensation, earning acclaim such as the National Indigenous Music Awards’ Artist of the Year in 2019, 2020, and 2022, and accumulating over 90 million global streams. In 2021, he was honored with the Order of Australia (OAM) medal, and he released his debut album ‘Gela’, a reflective journey of identity and personal growth. The album, featuring the ARIA Platinum-certified hit ‘Cool As Hell’ debuted at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and garnered five ARIA Awards, including Album of the Year. The album also birthed singles, ‘Meditjin ft JessB’, ‘Ride ft. Yirrmal’ and ‘My Mind ft. G Flip’, with major sync placements in campaigns for Menulog, AFL & NRL Indigenous Round across Fox Sports and Google and to date, Baker Boy has eight entries in triple j’s Hottest 100. Last year, he dropped the powerful single ‘King’ featured in Google’s Pixel 9 campaign and teamed up with Imagine Dragons for a reimagined version of the US group’s single ‘Take Me To The Beach’.
Baker Boy has graced stages at local and overseas festivals including Laneway, Womadelaide, Golden Plains, Splendour In The Grass, Red Bull Music Festival, Now & Forever and Aussie BBQ SummerStage in NYC. Following a memorable performance at the 2021 AFL Grand Final in Perth before an audience of 60,000, Baker Boy embarked on his largest national headline tour in Australia in 2022, followed by his inaugural North American tour and a performance at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. A portrait of Baker Boy by Matt Adnate took out the 2024 Packing Room Prize in Australia’s most prestigious art awards, the Archibald Prize. Most recently he was selected as 1 of 10 Australian Artists to take part in ARIA Collab, a landmark program designed to catapult local talent onto the global stage. He was also crowned GQ Musician of the Year at the 2025 GQ Men of the Year Awards and performed at the 2025 AFL Grand Final with Snoop Dogg.
Since Baker Boy’s breakout single ‘Cloud 9’ in 2017, he has captivated the Australian music scene with his infectious optimism, passion for music and dance, and deep cultural roots.
VERA BLUE RELEASES THIRD STUDIO ALBUM MODERN RITUALS
SHARES NEW VIDEO FOR SINGLE ‘IN MY HEAD’
ON MODERN RITUALS NATIONAL TOUR SUPPORTED BY JEM CASSAR DALEY
Vera Blue today releases her third studio album Modern Rituals – an eight-track exploration of patterns that shape, comfort and sometimes confine us.
The album arrives as Vera Blue kicks off her eagerly awaited Modern Rituals National Tour tonight in Brisbane – her first national tour in four years – before heading to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Supporting Vera Blue on tour will be indie-pop artist Jem Cassar Daley.
Across Modern Rituals, Vera Blue (aka Celia Pavey) turns inwards, tracing identity, self-discovery, anxiety, self-sabotage, and personal growth through blending electronic, pop, and cinematic sound. Each song on the album centres on a different personal ritual, capturing the cycles we repeat and the tension between the lighter and darker parts of ourselves.
Arriving alongside the album is the vibrant new single ‘In My Head’, produced and co-written in Los Angeles with TimFromTheHouse (Charli xcx, Tove Lo) and co-writer Kristin Carpenter (Jisoo,Nessa Barrett, Sasha Alex Sloan). ‘In My Head’ moves through the cycle of trying to release something while simultaneously being consumed by it with lyrics like “No matter how hard I try to silence it, it keeps finding it’s way back into my head.”
Written across sessions in Australia and Los Angeles, as well as during intimate periods of solo writing at home, Modern Rituals draws inspiration from artists as varied as Madonna, Nine Inch Nails, AURORA and Enya. Working alongside Grammy-nominated producer Lachlan Bostock (Dom Dolla, ODESZA), Grammy-winning producer Eric J Dubowsky (Flume, Dua Lipa), Ross James, Chris Collins and Jono Ma, Vera Blue brings electronic detail, widescreen atmosphere and close-up vulnerability together in a cohesive new body of work.
The album’s title reflects both the speed and intensity of the present day and the ancient, recurring experiences of being human. Each track holds a mirror to a different ritual. ‘Brittle Wings’ confronts the ritual of destruction – an internal battle fought entirely within the mind – while ‘Maze’ traces the ritual of return: the deeply human tendency to circle back to familiar places, actions and thought patterns, even when they no longer serve us.
‘Go Lucky’ lifts the record into euphoric, skyward pop, while ‘In the Corner’, the first taste of Vera Blue’s new era, moves through darker and more hypnotic territory. The closing track ‘Parallel Desire’ was the first song written for the project and brings the album to an eerie conclusion, pairing an almost incantatory vocal melody with sweeping orchestral flourishes.
Vera Blue recently returned to triple j’s Like A Version, delivering a striking cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ alongside a performance of album track ‘Maze’. Watch ‘Creep’ here and ‘Maze’ here.
She also recently joined the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a one-night-only, sold-out performance in Melbourne.
Along with the Modern Rituals National Tour fans can also see Vera Blue at two special signing and acoustic performance events:
Monday 24 August at 6pm
Music Farmers, Wollongong
Signing and acoustic performance
Tuesday 25 August at 6pm
Popcultcha Records and Books, Geelong
Signing and acoustic performance
VERA BLUE MODERN RITUALS ALBUM TOUR
SUPPORTED BY JEM CASSAR DALEY
THU 27 AUG – THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA
FRI 28 AUG – THE RECHABITE, PERTH, WA
For all touring and ticket information HERE
ABOUT VERA BLUE
Vera Blue is an ARIA-nominated and APRA award-winning singer-songwriter with over 500 million artist streams, 12 x Platinum and Gold ARIA accreditations, hit collaborations with Flume, and two standout albums in Perennial (2017) and Mercurial (2022). Her 2020 hit single with Flume, “Rushing Back” scored two ARIA nominations and an APRA award. She’s supported Flume, Matt Corby and Maggie Rogers, sold out five national tours, and played to full houses in the US, UK and Europe. Vera Blue has performed at festivals including Lollapalooza, Splendour in the Grass, Field Day, and Beyond the Valley.
JOY OLADOKUN SHARES NEW SONG “SAGE” FEATURING ADEKUNLE GOLD
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM HOPE IS A HEAVY THING OUT SEPTEMBER 25
Acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer and performer Joy Oladokun shares her new song, “Sage,” featuring celebrated Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold
“‘Sage’ is the sonic marriage of the music that raised me,” Oladokun reflects. “African music and Folk music have been two of my favourite genres my entire life. From Paul Simon and King Sunny Ade, to I’m With Her and Tems, both genres have been foundational to me navigating the world and finding my own artistic voice. Adekunle and I wrote ‘Sage’ at the height of the pandemic about needing to shake off the weight of things we couldn’t control. It’s so easy to rush to want to make a change without being able to acknowledge the grief of things not being as we think they should be. Collaborating with him feels like such a full circle moment for me.”
“Joy is one of those rare artists who tells the truth so beautifully that you feel it from the first listen,” shares Gold. “Being part of ‘Sage’ was an honour. This song has been a long time coming and I’m grateful she invited me into her world.”
“Sage” is the latest song unveiled from Oladokun’s highly anticipated new album, Hope Is A Heavy Thing, out September 25 via Concord Records.
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.
Ahead of the release, Oladokun has shared two additional album tracks: “Zombie” and “Kind,” the latter of which Stereogum praises, “‘Kind’ showcases Oladokun’s silky vocals. She even sounds comforting when her lyrics take a dark, vulnerable turn,” while Atwood Magazine declares, “We could all use a little more Joy in our lives. This song is a welcome, much-needed breath of humanity in the world.” Watch the powerful music video for “Kind” directed by Grammy-nominated artist, producer and filmmaker Jesse Boykins III.
“‘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 ’60s and ’70s. 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. 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.
PRE SAVE ‘HOPE IS A HEAVY THING’
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
JORJA SMITH ANNOUNCES 2027 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
BRISBANE | SYDNEY | MELBOURNE
ALONGSIDE THE RELEASE OF THIRD ALBUM
WHAT ARE THE ODDS
OUT VIA FAMM / THE ORCHARD
ARTIST & ALBUM PRESALE: 12PM AEST WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST
HANDSOME TOURS PRESALE: 12PM AEST THURSDAY 27 AUGUST
GENERAL ON SALE: 12PM AEST FRIDAY 28 AUGUST
Brit phenomenon Jorja Smith today announces her return Down Under, set to light up stages in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in November 2027. This upcoming East Coast run follows a landmark year, the news landing as Jorja Smith unveils her third album, What Are The Odds, out now via FAMM / The Orchard.
Rooted in dance music, What Are The Odds brings together UK Garage, Grime, 2-Step, UK Funky, Soulful House and Afro House. Euphoric and propulsive without losing the intimacy of Jorja’s writing, it explores friendship, grief, betrayal, loneliness, love and self-discovery. These 2027 Australian dates are the first time local crowds can hear tracks including “What’s Done Is Done”, Alive” and “I Lied, You Lied” live, reconnecting with Jorja and her joy of making music. The tour kicks off at Brisbane Riverstage on Saturday 6 November, before taking over Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Tuesday 9 November and wrapping up at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday 13 November.
“This is music to make you move”, says Jorja. “This is a record for driving and vibing”. Already awarded four stars by NME, What Are The Odds captures Jorja at her most confident and creatively free. It began with a loose conversation with longtime collaborator P2J following “Little Things”, before the majority of the record took shape across just three instinctive, pressure-free studio sessions.
Across its twelve tracks, Jorja pairs that physical energy with some of her most personal writing. “For Life” considers loving a friend through addiction, “Pretend” confronts betrayal and the title track reflects on growing up in public. “This City” features grime legend Devlin’s classic verse from “London City”, which he re-recorded for the album, while “Alive” brings Jorja together with Wizkid.
Created independently through FAMM, What Are The Odds is the sound of Jorja trusting her instincts and celebrates the artists, sounds and communities that have shaped her while placing them firmly within the present and future.
2026 marks ten years since “Blue Lights” first introduced Jorja Smith’s singular voice. Earlier this year, she celebrated the anniversary, contributed “Price Of It All” to Riz Ahmed’s Prime Video series ‘Bait’, and performed during the debut season of ‘Saturday Night Live UK’. On the live front, she recently opened six stadium shows for Harry Styles in Mexico City, before tonight co-headlining All Points East in London alongside Tems – with a lineup curated by Jorja and FAMM in collaboration with the festival.
Australia has been quick to claim Jorja as our own, with Sydney sitting among her top three cities worldwide for monthly listeners on Spotify. Her most recent singles received praise from 10 Magazine Aus, The Music, The Note and AAA Backstage, as well as across triple j, CADA and Radio Metro on-air. Her global wins have continued stacking across BBC Radio, NME, Rolling Stone, Dazed and ELLE UK just to name a few.
Jorja Smith was last here in October 2024 for her falling or flying tour, packing out an arena in Melbourne and a stacked show in Adelaide before wrapping up with a massive, sold-out finish in Sydney. Over three years and a new album later, What Are The Odds places the independence, instinct and emotional honesty that have always defined Jorja within a bold new frame.
Fans who buy What Are The Odds via store.jorjasmith.com will receive early access to tickets for the 2027 dates.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS – OUT NOW VIA FAMM / THE ORCHARD
JORJA SMITH
JORJA SMITH AUSTRALIAN 2027 TOUR
Saturday 6 November – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tuesday 9 November – The Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Saturday 13 November – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
TICKETS
Artist & Album Presale: 12pm AEST Wednesday 26 August
Handsome Tours Presale: 12pm AEST Thursday 27 August
General on sale: 12pm AEST Friday 28 August
Find more info at handsometours.com
ENSLAVED Announces New Studio Album MIÐ + Reveals New Track/Video ‘Solar Will’
Progressive trailblazers Enslaved have officially announced their forthcoming studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Throughout their 35 year journey, across 17 albums, the Norwegian vanguard have continually redefined the boundaries of progressive black metal, weaving Old Norse histories and sacred traditions into complex modern soundscapes. With their latest offering, Enslaved turn their gaze toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.
Alongside this news, the band have unveiled the transcendant new single ‘Solar Will’, both a paean to a divine spark, and a testament to the album title’s fundamental concept: a centre whose reach is infinite. It’s accompanying video was created by Kolibri Media, long term partners of Enslaved based in Bergen.
Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson stated: “There have been sun cults as long as Magic Man has been around (at least). The Sun is a nurturing and terrifying parent that can grant as well as obliterate life totally. Such a classic and awe-inspiring object of our worship and myths requires classic and awesome riffs, Bonham-esque drum grooves and blistering melodic flares celebrating its horrific glory. This is what that sounds like to me: “Solar Will”!”
Voicalist / bassist Grutle Kjellson adds: “Solar Will explores archetypal conflicts, those that manifest in nature, the cosmos, mythology, and, above all, within the human mind. In this instance, the central struggle is expressed through one of the enduring rivalries found in Norse mythology, embodied by two important, though often somewhat overlooked, figures within the pantheon. Readers familiar with the Norse mythological tradition will likely recognize the identities rather instantly, yet I shall refrain from naming them, allowing each reader the opportunity to engage with and decipher the lyrics on their own. After all, perhaps this is one of the essential functions of lyric writing: to invite interpretation and cultivate a sense of wonder? The conclusion, or more precisely, the absence of one, suggests that, for human beings, chaos and dreams are at least as significant as the realities we perceive through our senses. Ultimately, the work advocates not for resolution, but for the acceptance, assimilation, and shaping of these often contradictory forces.”
Pre-order Mið here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/mid
Stream ‘Solar Will’ here: https://enslaved.bfan.link/solar-will
Watch the video for ‘Solar Will’ here: https://youtu.be/K8yPilIDAH0
Mið is available to pre-order in the following formats:
CD Jewelcase
CD Digipack (w/ bonus track & sticker)
LP gatefold vinyl (black, transparent blue, arctic blue pearl, blue/white/dark green/black marbled)
Mið – Tracklisting
1. Non-Being
2. I Am Ice (featuring Johan Sara Jr)
3. Solar Will
4. Mountain
5. Spirit Helper (featuring Kevin Kicking Woman)
6. Parting
7. Tales of Trees
8. I Miðju
Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene’s indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.
It’s a rare and remarkable feat that 35 years and now 17 albums in, Enslaved’s horizons still continue to expand. Every stage of the Bergen band’s evolution, every new phase entered, has felt like an organic act of discovery and renewal. Their journey has been at once a commitment to a promise that found its embryonic form in the Norwegian black metal scene they emerged from, and a willingness to challenge both orthodoxy and themselves from the off to make that potential manifest.
Enslaved’s new album, Mið, an Old Norse word for ‘centre’, or ‘middle’, marks another departure, and another new beginning. The band have always dealt in states of transition, nor least on the thematically linked, mythology-steeped rites of passage that were 2020’s Utgard and 2023’s Heimdal. What lay beyond, however, was… unexpected.
Mið is an album that sheds light on harmonies and dialogues embedded all around us: between the ways of the past, and how they can bring enlightenment to the present, between small kernels of truth and their ability to project onto the most universal on canvases, and between band members relying on instinct and each other to create a record that galvanises on every possible level.
ENSLAVED are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals, bass
Arve ‘Ice Dale’ Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards
Iver Sandøy | drums
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music
WAITING FOR BRENDA – GIVING ME NOTHING ON GIVEN TERRACE (SINGLE)
Songwriter Brenda Lee Kelly shares her lost weekend living in Paddington in share houses with the sounds of fiddle, dobro, harmonica, bass, drums and guitars with a choir of backing vocals echoing the frustration of no emotional response.
There is even a surprise ending which captures the feeling of the song in that it is a funny title but like a lot of Brenda’s songs, there is poignancy within, which captures that feeling of being female particularly in the late 80’s or 90’s where you had to laugh off a lot of bad behaviour.
Waiting for Brenda is the original music of Brenda Lee Kelly who leads the band on vocals with acoustic guitar, joined by friends and seasoned musicians: Garry Bain (guitar), Peter Cheney (bass), John Harrison (dobro/harmoica), Luke Mysliwy (fiddle), and Craig Tobin (drums).
Their music is a distinctive blend of countrified indie alt-country, with unexpected shades of 80s new wave. It’s raw and heartfelt with a dash of grit.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waitingforbrenda
Website: https://brendaleekelly.com/wfb-electronic-press-kit-epk
Insta: @waitingforbrenda
NICKELBACK RELEASE NEW SINGLE “LEAVE ME BEHIND” OUT NOW
Following the explosive arrival of “Rattle The Cage” (feat. John 5), Diamond-certified rock band Nickelback today release their new single “Leave Me Behind,” the third offering from their highly anticipated new studio album, Everything Under The Sun, arriving October 30, 2026, via Virgin Music Group.
STREAM OR DOWNLOAD “LEAVE ME BEHIND” HERE.
PRE-ORDER “EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN” HERE.
Where “Rattle The Cage” (feat. John 5) kicked open the door to Nickelback’s next chapter with a blistering rush of guitars, pounding riffs and arena-sized energy, “Leave Me Behind” reveals another side of the album – one rooted in vulnerability, loyalty and the instinct to stand beside someone when they need it most.
Built around an emotional promise of unwavering support, “Leave Me Behind” finds Nickelback transforming heartbreak into resilience. The song speaks to carrying someone through their darkest moments, finding the pieces when everything feels shattered, and ultimately letting go of the pain that has been holding them back.
At the heart of the track is a simple but powerful message: “Spit out the poison and leave it behind.” Yet beneath that call to move forward is an equally personal plea – “Just don’t leave me behind.”
Together, those sentiments capture the emotional tension at the centre of the song: helping someone overcome what has hurt them while asking them to stay connected through the journey.
“There’s a lot of weight in this song, but there’s also a lot of hope,” says Chad Kroeger. “It’s about being there for someone when they’re dealing with the things that have broken them down – picking up the pieces, taking some of that weight off their shoulders, and reminding them they don’t have to go through it alone. At the same time, there’s that feeling of not wanting to be left behind. We liked that tension. It makes the song feel really personal.”
“Leave Me Behind” follows “Rattle The Cage” (feat. John 5), and the chart-topping song “Bones For The Crows,” which marked Nickelback’s first new music since 2022’s Get Rollin’ and introduced the world to Everything Under The Sun. The album arrives at a moment of renewed momentum for one of rock’s most enduring acts, following the global success of the acclaimed documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback and the record-breaking Get Rollin’ World Tour – the fastest-selling and highest-attended tour of the band’s career.
Collectively, the three singles offer an early glimpse into the breadth of Everything Under The Sun. True to its title, the album explores the complete spectrum of what has made Nickelback one of the biggest rock bands in the world: towering arena anthems, massive guitars, undeniable melodies, reflective songwriting and the unmistakable chemistry that has defined the band for more than three decades.
From humble beginnings in Hanna, Alberta, Nickelback have grown into one of the most successful rock bands of the 21st century. Since emerging onto the global stage with Silver Side Up and the era-defining hit “How You Remind Me,” the band has built an unparalleled catalog of rock staples, earning multiple Grammy Award nominations, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, JUNO Awards and international acclaim along the way.
With nearly 60 million albums sold worldwide, billions of streams across digital platforms and more than 50 million monthly listeners across digital platforms, Nickelback remain one of the most streamed and commercially successful rock bands in the world. Their music continues to resonate across generations, finding new audiences through streaming while maintaining a devoted global fanbase that has filled arenas for more than two decades.
That enduring appeal reached new heights over the past several years. The Netflix documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback became a global sensation, spending weeks in the platform’s Global Top 10 while offering fans an unprecedented look inside the band’s remarkable journey. At the same time, the Get Rollin’ World Tour shattered attendance records and reaffirmed Nickelback’s reputation as one of rock’s premier live acts.
Everything Under The Sun builds on that momentum while looking firmly ahead. It is both a celebration of everything Nickelback have accomplished and a statement that their creative fire burns as brightly as ever.
The album also marks Nickelback’s first release with Virgin Music Group, the world’s leading partner to independent labels, artists and entrepreneurs.
As Nickelback enter this new chapter, “Leave Me Behind” demonstrates that the band’s ability to connect with listeners goes far beyond the volume of their guitars. At its core, the song is about showing up – finding every piece when someone feels broken, offering a hand when they need it, and reminding them that they are not alone.
Everything Under The Sun arrives October 30, 2026, via Virgin Music Group.
About Nickelback
One of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of the 21st century, Nickelback have sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide, amassed billions of streams, and continue to attract more than 50 million monthly listeners across digital platforms. Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the multi-platinum quartet – Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, rose to international prominence with their breakthrough album Silver Side Up, featuring the era-defining global hit “How You Remind Me,” before cementing their status as rock mainstays with a catalog of enduring anthems including “Photograph,” “Rockstar,” “Far Away,” “Someday” and “Burn It to the Ground.”
Their impact on Canadian music history was formally recognized in 2024 with their induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, underscoring their status as one of the country’s most successful musical exports. In addition, Nickelback are among a select group of artists to have achieved Diamond certification in both Canada and the U.S., further reflecting their exceptional commercial reach and cultural impact both domestically and around the world.
Over the course of a career spanning more than three decades, Nickelback have earned multiple Grammy Award nominations, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, JUNO Awards and more while consistently ranking among the world’s biggest touring rock acts. Their 2023 documentary, Hate to Love: Nickelback, introduced the band’s story to a new generation of fans, while the Get Rollin’ World Tour became the fastest-selling and highest-attended tour of their career.
Now entering a bold new chapter with Virgin Music Group, Nickelback continue to push forward with the same unmistakable sound, arena-sized ambition and enduring connection with fans that have made them one of modern rock’s defining bands.
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CONNECT WITH NICKELBACK Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | Website
SHYGIRL RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘ALYSE’ + SHARES ACCOMPANYING CINEMATIC VISUALS
Single out now via Because Music
Today, Shygirl shares new single ‘Alyse’. ‘Alyse’ is her first offering of music this year and marks a new era for the multidisciplinary artist. The single arrives with cinematic visuals. Out now via Because Music.
Written and produced by Shygirl alongside longtime collaborator Karma Kid and JD Reid, ‘Alyse’ sees Shygirl’s vocals delicately woven between the cinematic raw harmony of the cello and distorted sonics as she describes the comfort love can bring in moments unknown.
The ‘Alyse’ visuals, developed from an original story and script by Shygirl and her writing partner George Smale and directed by Francesco Loy Bell and Oliver Bell, show a story unfold in 3 acts. The film is centered on a high octane chase scene, wrapped around love and desire explored in the darkest of spaces, from back alley trysts to an interrupted daddy’s girl. For now, Shygirl isn’t the main character but an allusive provocateur, both being watched and, finally, looking right back.
2026 will see Shygirl take the stage across Europe starting in Netherlands for Draaimolen, before heading to Italy, Iceland and Spain.
Last year saw Shygirl celebrate 5 years of her debut project ALIAS with remix project ALIAS is ME which followed on from her multi-media installation and live performance at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, her collaboration with sexual wellness brand HOWL and the ALIAS 5th Anniversary Skin Box, a hand made silicone covered collectors edition box limited to just 25 copies.
Connect with Shygirl https://shygirl.tv/
CHELSEA WOLFE RELEASES NEW ALBUM THE DARK
OUT NOW VIA LOMA VISTA
RELEASES NEW SINGLE SEETHE
Acclaimed musician, songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist Chelsea Wolfe releases her acclaimed 9th studio album The Dark via Loma Vista Recordings. CD and vinyl editions will follow on September 18th – pre-order here.
The album release is accompanied by the thundering new single and video Seethe. Following a spellbinding, intimate, sold out show at London’s The Dome on Tuesday and a headline set at ArcTangent Festival, Wolfe has also announced her largest London headline show to date for December 17th at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.
Watch the visualizer for Seethe here:
The Dark is an album imbued with mystery, symbolism, and solace. Drawing inspiration from the idea of entering the woods at the darkest point and becoming the thing you fear in order to feel more brave, Wolfe began writing with cowriter Jennifer Decilveo alongside long term collaborator Ben Chisholm, intentionally stripping away the sonic layers to give deserved space to what would become the finest songwriting of her storied career.
Featuring Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails), Matt Chamberlain (Pearl Jam), Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens Of The Stone Age), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Nine Inch Nails, St Vincent), the album’s 10 tracks see Wolfe at the height of her powers, her voice buoyed by a newfound confidence. Each exquisite track feels like its own invocation – a calling down of forces, primordial, bone-shaking, self-altering.
Earlier this summer Wolfe reemerged from her cocoon with a flurry of announcements – as the face of a line of five bespoke perfumes by Heretic named ‘GHOSTS’, the double a-side single The Dark / Death Is Not The End, and a tour announcement.
Over her career, Chelsea Wolfe has become one of the most singular artists in the world, moving fluidly between doom metal, folk, industrial, electronic music, and spectral balladry. She has collaborated with artists including Deftones’ Chino Moreno, Xiu Xiu, and Converge, had her music featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones, co-wrote the score for the A24 horror film X with Tyler Bates and turned heads at last year’s Ann Demeulemeester show at Paris Fashion Week.
Known for building immersive worlds where darkness and beauty are indistinguishable, Wolfe has cultivated a devoted global following through music that explores transformation, spirituality, grief, longing, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. With these new songs and GHOSTS arriving in close succession, she opened the door to a new chapter that feels unmistakably her own.
Last month, Chelsea Wolfe launched a secret pre-order via her mailing list, selling out in under 30 minutes. Fans who secured an order will unveil what they’ve purchased later this summer. To get early access to future releases and exclusive opportunities, join the mailing list at https://chelseawolfe.com/.
Listen to Seethe here: https://i.chelseawolfe.com/seethe
Stream/pre-order The Dark here: https://i.chelseawolfe.com/thedarkalbum
SURPRISE CHEF ANNOUNCE FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM
FROGS IN A POND, OUT OCT 23 ON CONCORD JAZZ
& SHARE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
LISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE ‘LEG DAY’
THE NAARM-BASED INSTRUMENTAL QUARTET WAS INSPIRED BY ITALIAN GIALLO CINEMA + ‘60S/70S EUROPEAN FILM COMPOSERS TO CREATE NEW ALBUM AS THEMATIC 40-MINUTE SUITE
Australian quartet Surprise Chef live and breathe music together. Three members of the band share a house in Coburg, outside of Melbourne, which is also home to their self-built, analog College of Knowledge studio. Their closeness, honed over a decade of playing together, is felt in every note. For their fifth studio album Frogs In A Pond, out October 23, and their first release as a newly signed artist to Concord Jazz, they bring their oft-described “cinematic” sound to new heights, with a lush, intricately and beautifully crafted 40-minute suite. Today they share the funk-studded first single ‘Leg Day’.
Surprise Chef will preview the new album with a series of shows down the east coast through September and October, including a very special release day celebration at Quadraphonic Club in Brunswick, VIC. This run of shows was intentionally put together to take them through some very different venues. They wanted to play rooms that reflect the different sides of their music, from intimate band rooms to listening spaces with world-class sound, to feel how each room shapes their tracks. A North American tour will follow, marking their fourth time traversing the U.S.
Frogs In A Pond, was inspired by Italian giallo cinema of the 1960s and ‘70s, an approach to film scoring that relished in the avant-garde, embracing the strange and mysterious. It’s an invitation from Surprise Chef to sit down, unplug and listen for a while and take a journey into the dark unknown.
The four core members gather at College of Knowledge every Thursday to rehearse. But the gestation of Frogs In A Pond found Surprise Chef taking a different approach. Thursdays turned into putting up a pot of coffee and sitting around the table, imagining what a crafted suite of music could be. They created The Palette–a framework of musical ideas and guidelines to adhere to, including an instrumentation that would work within the limitations of their 8-track tape recorder. Then they dug into their collective influences, including the aforementioned Italian film composers–notably Piero Umiliani and Piero Piccioni (including Camille 2000 and Colpo Rovente)–and set to work on creating what they envisioned as a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist.
Frogs In A Pond was recorded over a continuous nine-day session, almost entirely live with minimal overdubs. The instrumentation includes drums, electric bass, electric guitar, nylon acoustic guitar, piano, clavinet, Arp Odyssey, vibraphone and tuned wood blocks, inspired by European composers’ approach to film in the ‘60s and ‘70s that opted for small ensembles over orchestras. Great care was taken in the sequencing of the album; establishing a flow was as crucial as each individual song. Listeners will notice rhythmic and melodic motifs interpolated with different instruments throughout.
Themes emerged during and after the recording process, and the album became a reflection on how people co-exist, an expression of shared human experience. Surprise Chef says that they also became “frogs in a pond” during the session–a microcosm created in which the band had little contact with the outside world for a brief period. Characters emerged, including The Thief, represented by the cloak and dagger-clad frog on the album cover. Guitarist Lachlan Stuckey found cloak and dagger imagery in a book he inherited from his grandfather, and it became one of the characters invoked throughout the suite.
Frogs In A Pond follows 2025’s Superb, featured on Rolling Stone Australia’s Best Albums of 2025 list. Surprise Chef have been celebrated across the globe for a sound informed equally by their isolation in Australia and their deep love for soul, hip-hop, funk, David Axelrod and other contemporary instrumental artists including Menahan Street Band. Highlights include support from KCRW, KEXP and Gilles Peterson, praise from Questlove, and festival appearances at Reeperbahn, Desert Daze, Pickathon and London Calling. They’ve been sampled for a collaboration between 88 Rising’s Rich Brian and Ghostface Killah, and provided the soundtrack to a Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime commercial.
Surprise Chef is guitarist Lachlan Stuckey, keyboardist Jethro Curtin, bassist Carl Lindeberg and drummer Andrew Congues, with producer/composer/percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Hudson Whitlock also on the recording. Special guest Leon Michels performs flute on several songs on Frogs In A Pond.
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Thursday 24 Sept – Phoenix Central Park, Sydney, NSW
Friday 25 Sept – Crowbar, Sydney, NSW
Thursday 15 Oct – The Brightside, Brisbane, QLA
Friday 16 Oct – A&I Hall, Bangalow, NSW
Friday 23 Oct – Quadraphonic Club, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday 25 Oct – The Tote, Melbourne, VIC
TICKETS ON SALE HERE
Surprise Chef ‘Frogs In A Pond’ – Out Oct 23 via Concord Jazz
CONNECT WITH SURPRISE CHEFWEB | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | TIK TOK
STAND ATLANTIC SHARE NEW SINGLE “EDGE OF VEGAS”
OUT NOW VIA VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP
BUY/STREAM HERE
AHEAD OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES THIS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
NEW ALBUM GODBREATH IS OUT FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
PRE-SAVE / PRE-ORDER HERE
Australian four-piece Stand Atlantic drop an irresistible alt-pop gem, “EDGE OF VEGAS”, out now via Virgin Music Group. The new single assumes a stand-out moment within the band’s forthcoming fifth album GODBREATH, out Friday 23 October, and follows the news of an Australian tour this October and November.
“EDGE OF VEGAS” emerges with one of the biggest, most immediate hooks Stand Atlantic have ever written – their knack for unguarded songwriting and sharp musicianship shapeshift into a memorable melodic track that’ll be stuck in the head for days. Masterfully refined and turning inward, the band explores the space between hustle and breaking point: the race towards chaos while teetering on the edge, ultimately realising that nobody gets through it solo. Unbounded by any self-inflicted pressures to chase a certain sound or feeling, the track emerges from a place of creative freedom. It captures a safe space in time where sidestepping every passing trend sees Stand Atlantic craft something timeless.
Vocalist and songwriter Bonnie Fraser continues, “I went into this album knowing that I was happy and having a great time, so I was just going to lean into that instead of trying to manufacture some wounded feeling. At the same time ‘Edge of Vegas’ is totally unfiltered. It’s as honest as we can be. As soon as we’re genuine in what we’re doing, we don’t have to try too hard to do anything. It is always the best outcome every time.”
“EDGE OF VEGAS” music video
On forthcoming album GODBREATH, Stand Atlantic venture into uncharted waters yet have never felt closer to home. Genuine feeling shines across the record – from the uncompromising, stream-of-consciousness songwriting of Bonnie Fraser, to the symbiotic musicianship captured in the live tracking of each recording. Wonderfully fierce and refreshingly free, the collection is littered with timeless and timely bangers, pulling as much from turn-of-the-century pop-rock vibrancy as modern day pop-punk bounce. Already teased by ecstatic new singles “Velcro” and “LUCID”, the body of work sees the band audaciously step out of their comfort zones, while connecting with their truest selves.
The band will take their newly minted fifth album on tour across Australia later this year, bringing special guests Knuckle Puck for the ride – stopping at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Friday 23 October, followed by hometown Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Saturday 24 October, Melbourne’s Forum on Wednesday 28 October, Adelaide’s Hindley St. Music Hall on Thursday 29 October and wrapping up at Fremantle’s Metropolis on Sunday 1 November. Tickets are on sale now at standatlantic.com/tour.
Over more than a decade together, Stand Atlantic have earned a reputation for shifting perceptions, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to make alternative music shimmer – quietly growing into one of the country’s most successful contemporary exports of the alternative world. Their extensive touring and electrifying live set has cemented their international acclaim, selling out headline shows and tens of thousands of tickets across Australia, the UK, Europe, USA and more. They’ve supported the likes of Sum 41, MOD SUN, ONE OK ROCK, A Day To Remember and I Prevail, while appearing at festivals around the globe including Spilt Milk, Good Things, Reading & Leeds, MAYDAY!, Warped Tour, Slam Dunk and many more. In another huge year of touring the band will be the main supporting act for Simple Plan arena shows in the UK, and special guests along a US tour with Story of the Year and Silverstein.
From their breakout 2017 EP Sidewinder and across four acclaimed studio albums, the four-piece have amassed a global fanbase and over 500M streams across their catalogue. Once named by Kerrang! as one of the “Hottest Rock Artists” in the world, they’ve collected Feature Album, #1 Most Played and Album of the Weekend accolades across triple j, BBC Radio 1 and more, to charting on Billboard genre charts, UK’s Top 200 and ARIA’s Top 10 charts. Their ARIA-Platinum single and smash hit “Deathwish” feat. nothing,nowhere. sits on over 57M streams to date, while their triple j Like A Version cover of Juice WRLD’s “Righteous” landed in the first triple j Hottest 100 of Like A Version.
Catch Stand Atlantic on a meteoric uptick with their new single “EDGE OF VEGAS”, taken from their fifth album GODBREATH.
“EDGE OF VEGAS” IS OUT NOW VIA VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP
BUY/STREAM HERE
TAKEN FROM FORTHOMCING ALBUM GODBREATH
OUT FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
PRE-SAVE / PRE-ORDER HERE
STAND ATLANTIC
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK
THE GODBREATH TOUR AUSTRALIAN DATES
with special guests Knuckle Puck
Friday 23 October – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 24 October – Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
Wednesday 28 October – The Forum, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 29 October – Hindley St. Music Hall, Adelaide SA
Sunday 1 November – Metropolis, Perth WA
Tickets on sale now at standatlantic.com/tour
EU / UK / US TOUR DATES
20 September – NEXUS – Nerd Rock Festival 2026, Leipzig, Germany
2 October – O2 Apollo, Manchester, UK*
3 October – OVO Arena Wembley, London, UK*
14-15 November – Vans Warped Tour 2026, Orlando, Florida US
16 November – Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA^
17 November – Knitting Factory – Spokane, Spokane, WA^
19 November – Hard Rock Live Sacramento, Wheatland, CA^
21 November – Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside, CA^
22 November – The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA^
25 November – The Criterion, Oklahoma City, OK^
28 November – Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA^
29 November – Jannus Live, St Petersburg, FL^
1 December – The Ritz, Raleigh, NC^
2 December – Nevermore Hall, Baltimore, MD^
4 December – The Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA^
5 December – Agora Theater & Ballroom, Cleveland, OH^
8 December – The Rave / Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI^
9 December – Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI^
11 December – Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA^
12 December – Palladium Times Square, New York, NY^
13 December – Citizens House of Blues, Boston, MA^
*supporting Simple Plan
^supporting Story of the Year & Silverstein
GODBREATH TRACKLIST
1. LUCID
2. NEXT2U
3. Velcro
4. SO COOL
5. Favourite Flavour
6. finger
7. d.L.M.A
8. EDGE OF VEGAS
9. teeth
10. HeadRush
11. Gimme A Show
REBEL YELL shares “Miss Worldwide” EP, music video for ‘Heaven’s Blade’ + AU tour dates
On REBEL YELL’s exhilarating new EP Miss Worldwide (out now via Dinosaur City), the prolific Eora/Sydney producer has ransacked Pitbull’s famous catchphrase for a collection of carnal, funny and sweet songs about self-assurance, bound to take over filthy dancefloors across the globe. The EP was recorded and produced by REBEL YELL—AKA Eora/Sydney-based artist Grace Stevenson—with additional production by Sydney producer and artist Grasps.
“These are hype songs for all different facets of life, that return to REBEL YELL’s origins of being very tongue-in-cheek” says REBEL YELL.
This is clear on single “Burner” a pounding, bratty retort to shit-talkers in the local music scene, afflicted with tall poppy syndrome. On the track, REBEL YELL, alongside vocals and lyrics by Naomi Kent (of Sydney punk bands Carnations and Perfect Actress), taunt the naysayers and confront the hearsay with squelchy synths and a good dose of defiant cheekiness—”my frequent flyer bursting at the seams!” sings REBEL YELL.
“Burner” pokes fun at people’s insistence that one shouldn’t abandon their city in search for greater pastures”, says REBEL YELL. “Naomi brings a hard ass verse warning listeners to watch their mouths because the truth will always come out… and may even come back to bite you! Though her lyric ‘to ignore it is bliss’ is a guiding declaration, it reminds us that despite the hurt, we can move on.”
Meanwhile “Scorpio” is a grimey club track about the prowess of a Scorpio, partially inspired by the unabashed sensuality of musicians such as Shygirl, SOPHIE and Robyn. The song mirrors the quickening heart palpations, with pummelling industrial beats. “[“Scorpio”] is designed to make you sweat. It’s short and sweet, but naughty to the core.” says REBEL YELL.
In contrast, ethereal epic—and EP focus track—“Heaven’s Blade” mixes up the club music of Underworld and Orbital for a song about REBEL YELL’s upbringing. Here, she reflects on the wonderment of childhood, and reminisces about the ways in which her mother cultivated her youthful belief in fairies. “The song is about realising how pure and incredible childhood was, and how overcoming depression without medication in adulthood has allowed me to love life again. Now I can experience the heart-expanding ‘sweet overload’ and joy first felt as a kid.”
REBEL YELL “Heaven’s Blade” Music Video | Watch HERE
Collaborating with director Throne (known for their long-standing creative partnership on clips like “Kombat” and “The Heat”), the clip was originally imagined as a Sailor Moon-style transformation. What emerged instead was something more euphoric and trance-like: a journey through green landscapes and portals that lead to a dark, pulsing club where Naarm legends converge for a hypnotic live performance.
“’Heaven’s Blade’ is a track that walks the line between dreamy and jagged,” says Throne. “We approached the video with the same concept, showing an ethereal world that gives way to a rough, hard underbelly.” Grace adds: “Grace and I work well together as we have a very similar ethos of pushing DIY to its limits. With “Heaven’s Blade” we wanted to achieve something cinematic with as little resources as possible—something made possible by the friends who were willing to donate their time and energy, and the generosity of Sub Club.”
But perhaps Miss Worldwide is best summed up by the outro, a personal “Theme” song where REBEL YELL name checks her back catalogue, her beloved collaborators and sings “It’s REBEL YELL… / Put you under my spell / I dress like a fairy / I dress like an elf […] When you come and see me / I like to raise hell.”
Miss Worldwide is out now on Dinosaur City. Catch REBEL YELL live in Melbourne this weekend, and across Sydney, Thirroul, Canberra and Adelaide over the next two months.
STREAM + SHARE MISS WORLDWIDE EP
REBEL YELL Miss Worldwide EP
1. Heaven’s Blade
2. Scorpio
3. Burner ft. Naomi
4. Theme
5. Heaven’s Blade [Radio Edit]
Written by REBEL YELL
Mixed and mastered, with additional production from Grasps
© 2026 Dinosaur City
Since 2016, REBEL YELL has been making pummelling industrial pop with a soft centre. Her oeuvre (including full-length records Desolation, Fall From Grace and Hired Muscle) is characterised by brutal basslines, emotionally-searching subject matter and some of the most imaginative merch in all of Australian music (including the 2023 REBEL YELL elf plushie, outfitted with a sword pendant and a USB of album Desolation). REBEL YELL has toured her music across the globe, played Splendour in the Grass and performed support slots for the likes of Charli XCX, Orbital and Lydia Lunch. She has been nominated for a coveted fbi.radio SMAC Award, guest programmed ABC Rage and scored a sync on Season 4 of hit Netflix series, Heartbreak High. Her expansive discography has been met with praise and plays from The Guardian, NME, Sydney Morning Herald, Beat Magazine, VICE and BBC6 among others.
Upcoming Shows
Aug 22 – Bell City, Naarm / Melbourne
With EN V & Jemi Gale, Red Hell, LXRP and ASPS DJ | Tickets
Aug 28 – Kiss my Brass, Eora / Sydney
With Agony, Louisa and Round-Abouts | Tickets
Sep 5 – Trust Club Cafe, Canberra
With Prudns, Wanja, Quails and Boy Days Radio | Tickets TBA
Sep 6 – Franks Wild Years, Thirroul
With Tired Girl | Tickets
Oct 31 – Ancient World, Kaurna / Adelaide
Tickets TBA
Stay up to date with REBEL YELL on Instagram and Bandcamp.
JAMIE WEBSTER RELEASES NEW UPLIFTING OUTSIDER ANTHEM … ODE TO ME AND YOU
AUSTRALIA TOUR ON SALE NOW
Thu 10 Dec – The Triffid, Brisbane
Fri 11 Dec – Paddo RSL, Sydney
Sat 12 Dec – Max Watts, Melbourne
Sun 13 Dec – Freo Social, Fremantle
Tickets from troubadourpresents.com/events/jamie-webster/
Jamie Webster’s (UK) new album, Running Round The Sun released Fri 4 September 2026 – PRE-ORDER
Following a hugely successful Australian tour in 2024, acclaimed Liverpool songwriter Jamie Webster returns to Australia this December for a special run of Australian headline shows, celebrating the release of his forthcoming fourth studio album, Running Round The Sun, out on September 4.
Jamie Webster today releases his new single, Ode To Me And You – OUT NOW celebrating the enduring relationship between artist and audience. An uplifting single built on togetherness, gratitude and shared experience, the renowned Liverpool-based artist lands a heartfelt tribute to the people who have travelled alongside him throughout his remarkable journey, while revealing further compelling sonic dimensions of his most ambitious long-player to date.
Following the single releases of Just Begun, Small Town Life and Turning Point, Webster’s choice of next single is the opening track of his fourth album, Running Round The Sun, released with Modern Sky on Fri 4 September 2026. Paying attention to the intricacies of song selection and listener expectation, the rousing firing pistol of Track One is purposefully placed to give those loyal fans a taste of the Jamie Webster they’ve come to know and love, whilst pushing their shared story determinedly forwards.
With huge arena tours in the UK, growing demand around the world and wildly successful songs such as the mega-streaming street-folk anthem, Weekend In Paradise, the pressures and contradictions of recognition have occasionally broadsided the fiercely independent singer-songwriter. Past every milestone and beyond every moment of uncertainty, however, Webster still appreciates the one thing that has remained unchanged over the last decade above all else: the bond he shares with the thousands who continue to turn up for him wherever he goes.
Ode To Me And You is a celebration of not only Webster and his audience’s communal joy and pain, but the extraordinary relationship that exists between any artist, established or starting out, whose songs have become woven into other people’s lives. For Webster, with three hugely successful albums behind him, the song acknowledges that it’s the same, loyal audience that has made it possible for every subsequent song to be heard.
“Ode To Me And You is a celebration of the journey my fans and I have been on together,” says Webster. “They’ve given me a life in music, and hopefully I’ve given them songs that have become part of their lives, whether songs at weddings and birthdays or songs that got them through difficult times. When I’m feeling beaten black and blue, I remember the road we’ve travelled together, and that always helps.”
Recorded during Webster’s extended stay at the legendary Rockfield Studios alongside producer collaborators Dave Eringa and Tim Cunningham, Ode To Me And You shines light on Webster’s evolution as a songwriter and musician. Written in the open DADGAD guitar tuning and informed by Webster’s growing admiration for the harmonic richness of Joni Mitchell, the timeless craftsmanship of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the wider Laurel Canyon canon, the single espouses a sophisticated musical vocabulary.
Running Round The Sun follows Webster’s two most recent UK Official Albums Chart Top Five albums, 2022’s Moments and 2024’s 10 For The People. Alongside Cunningham on bass, the album features Webster’s long-standing bandmates Danny Murphy (guitars) and Jim Sharrock (drums), whose chemistry has become an integral part of the album’s evolved sound.
MELANIE DYER ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING ALBUM + SHARES TITLE TRACK ‘DAISIES FROM DIRT’
After years spent carving her own path from regional Australia to Nashville, Melanie Dyer returns with ‘Daisies from Dirt’ – a rousing country-pop statement of resilience and self-belief – out today via ABC Music.
Serving as the fifth single and title track from Melanie’s highly anticipated third studio album set for release on October 23 (via ABC Music) and available for pre order now, ‘Daisies from Dirt’ captures the defining moment when hope turns into action. Rather than waiting for the right opportunity to arrive, it’s about creating your own.
“It’s a reminder that the biggest things in life start small, and that our toughest seasons are often exactly what we need to grow,” explains the singer-songwriter. “It’s an uplifting anthem about the moment you stop waiting for luck or validation and start planting your own path.”
Co-written in Nashville alongside multi-platinum, APRA Billions List hitmakers Amy and George Sheppard – the songwriting force behind the global smash ‘Geronimo’ – the track became the emotional cornerstone of the forthcoming album almost immediately.
“It was such a fun, effortless day collaborating with George and Amy for the first time in Nashville. We immediately clicked, and as the song was pouring out in real time, I knew it had to be the title track for the album.”
Built around soaring melodies, driving country-pop production and lyrics that transform life’s setbacks into opportunities for growth, ‘Daisies from Dirt’ delivers an optimistic message without losing sight of the hard work that sits behind every success.
Recorded at Saxman Studios in Nashville and produced by acclaimed producer Grady Saxman, the recording pairs an arena-sized sound with the heartfelt storytelling that has become a hallmark of Melanie’s music.
Growing up on her family’s farm in Mount Russell, New South Wales, Melanie began writing songs at just twelve years old before making regular trips to Tamworth and Sydney to pursue music. That determination has since taken her around the world, earning three CMAA Golden Guitar nominations, three APRA Award nominations for Most Performed Country Work, more than 12.6 million global streams, and performances across Australia’s biggest festivals as well as Nashville’s CMA Fest and SXSW in Texas.
Momentum has only continued to build since Melanie relocated to Music City in 2025. Her previous single ‘If She Only Knew’ climbed to #31 on the CountryTown Hot 50 Airplay Chart, reached #14 on the Country Songs Top 40 Australian Airplay Chart and secured extensive editorial playlisting across Spotify and Apple Music.
Meanwhile the country-pop songsmith hasn’t forgotten her roots. She’s already secured dates at the renowned Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2027, including a headline show at The Press Basement Bar, with further tour dates in Australia to be announced.
As the title track of her forthcoming album, ‘Daisies from Dirt’ signals Melanie Dyer’s next season; an artist confident in who she is, clear on where she’s headed and proving that perseverance has a way of paying off.
SHOW DATES:
24th October – Sapphire City Festival – Inverell, NSW
25th Oct – Chop ‘N Chill – Port Macquarie, NSW
29th October – Little Albert’s – Bathurst, NSW
1st November – Camden Hotel – Camden, NSW
19th January 2027 – The Press Basement (Headline Show) – Tamworth, NSW
(further dates to be announced)
*Tickets on sale now and available via www.melaniedyer.com.au
CONNECT WITH MELANIE DYER https://www.facebook.com/melaniedyermusic/
CHLOE MARKS & THE MAYHEM RELEASE ‘DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE’ AHEAD OF FORTHCOMING DEBUT ALBUM ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS LATE NIGHTS’
Brisbane country outfit Chloe Marks & The Mayhem return with their honky tonkin’ new single ‘Don’t Make Me Choose’ – a freewheeling slice of classic country and americana that explores the impossible choice between chasing a dream and holding onto the people you love.
Lifted from the band’s highly anticipated debut album Bright Lights Late Nights – due for release on 11 September (pre-order here) – the track was inspired by a first-hand experience.
“’Don’t Make Me Choose’ is an incredibly personal song to me and the whole band,” admits Chloe. “It was one of the very first songs I ever wrote for Mayhem, inspired by watching one of my bandmates’ relationships fall apart after their partner gave them an ultimatum: music or the relationship.”
Through the lens of twanging guitars and an energetic barroom beat the song tussles with the sacrifices that often accompany a life devoted to music. While it’s deeply personal for the band, the heartache is universal.
“It’s a situation that’s sadly relatable, not just for musicians, but for anyone whose passion leads them down an unconventional path. Chasing music takes an incredible amount of commitment, sacrifice, and resilience, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Through this song, I wanted to honestly capture both the drive that keeps us pursuing this dream and the desperation of wanting someone you love to understand why it matters so much. It’s a feeling every member of this band has experienced in one way or another.”
Produced by Michael Muchow and recorded between RagTag Studios and Hunting Ground Studios, the track was intentionally captured with the raw chemistry that has become a hallmark of Chloe Marks & The Mayhem’s live performances.
“We brought the song to life in true Mayhem fashion by recording it live. The foundation was tracked together in the same room, just as we perform it on stage. Every musical moment was intentional, almost as if we were answering the song’s message through the music itself.”
The accompanying music video, directed by Connor Sharpe of Deliverance Collective, combines genuine behind-the-scenes studio footage with professionally shot performance scenes at one of the band’s spiritual homes, Chattahoochee Joes in Brisbane.
“We wanted the video to portray the themes of the song, showing why musicians are so passionate about their craft, and also those fun moments that add joy to all the challenging moments where we sacrifice so much for our music.”
The new single follows ‘Ayodele’, which reached #46 on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart, continuing the band’s impressive momentum. Both singles are set to appear on the band’s soon-to-be-released debut album, which also features previous singles that secured national airplay support and editorial playlisting on Apple Music.
Written across three transformative years, the forthcoming album documents heartbreak, resilience, friendship, healing and hope, drawing from real-life experiences shared by Chloe and her bandmates. Each song tells a different chapter, collectively forming an honest portrait of a band that has weathered life’s toughest moments together.
Since forming in Brisbane, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem have become one of Australia’s most exciting emerging country acts, performing at Town & Country Festival, Groundwater Country Music Festival, Urban Country Music Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, and Lasso CMF, while also supporting artists including James Blundell and Tori Forsyth. The band is also set to appear on the Toyota Park stage during the 2027 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
With ‘Don’t Make Me Choose’, taken from their forthcoming album Bright Lights Late Nights, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem deliver an authentic country anthem that celebrates the people willing to risk everything for the thing they love most.
“Turning such a painful experience into something we’re all so proud of has been incredibly healing. I hope this song not only tells our story but also resonates with anyone who’s ever been asked to choose between the life they love and the people they love.”
Pre-order Bright Lights Late Nights here
SHOW DATES:
Friday 4th September – Leftys Music Hall – Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 5th September – Honky Tonks – Brisbane, QLD
Friday 11th September – Chattahoochee Joes – Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 12th September – Laidley Spring Festival – Laidley, QLD
Sunday 4th October – Album Launch Show @ Brooklyn Standard – Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 14th November – Country Festival – Distillery Road Market – Beenleigh, QLD
Friday 20th November – Chattahoochee Joes – Brisbane, QLD
Monday 18th January 2027 – Americana in the Park – TCMF – Tamworth, NSW
CONNECT WITH CHLOE MARKS & THE MAYHEM
TOM MAC SHINES A LIGHT ON BLENDED FAMILIES WITH NEW SINGLE + VISUALISER ‘BRAVE’
Rising Australian country artist Tom Mac delivers his most personal release yet with ‘Brave’ – a soaring country rock anthem that celebrates the complexities of blended families.
The new single follows the success of his previous release ‘Larrakia Sunset’, which was added to Spotify’s ‘Heaps Country’ editorial playlist, reached #38 on the Country Songs Top 40 Australian Airplay Chart and earned placement on Apple Music’s ‘New in Country’ editorial playlist.
‘Brave’ continues Tom’s remarkable artistic evolution. With more than one million global artist streams to date, the new release further cements his reputation as one of Australia’s most authentic storytellers.
Inspired by the early days of his relationship with his partner Erin, ‘Brave’ offers a rare perspective. Written before Tom had even met his partner’s children, the song captures the uncertainty, hope and vulnerability of stepping into a blended family, while giving voice to the emotional realities experienced by children navigating family separation.
“I only knew them as the little voices in the background of our phone calls,” he recalls. “I quietly wondered whether there’d ever be room for me in their lives.”
Tom draws from conversations his future stepchildren shared with their mother, contrasted against his own hopes for acceptance – creating a deeply human narrative that resonates far beyond traditional love songs. “Loving the most beautiful woman I’d ever met meant accepting I’d never be her number one – and learning that real love doesn’t ask to be. Brave is for anyone who’s chosen love despite the uncertainty, and for every family finding a new way forward.”
Recorded in Kyneton, Victoria alongside longtime collaborator Luke Batterbury (Taxiride, Pete Murray, Hanson), the sessions carried added significance as they marked the final recordings inside the producer’s home studio before it was dismantled.
“It was actually the final week he was living in the house. So, the studio was the only thing left in the house. I helped him rip the studio down essentially in the days after we’d finished.”
When Tom received the final master, he realised just how much the song meant to him and his family. “In the week or so after the master came back Luke would often comment that this song was the best one I’d done yet. I agree. Given its rawness and the meaning it holds within my family now that we’ve grown to fully accept and now embrace and advocate our unique family dynamic, ‘Brave’ is sure to act as an anthem for us.”
Growing up in the sheep farming region of western Victoria before his family were forced to leave their property and relocate interstate, Tom’s music has always been shaped by themes of belonging, resilience and finding home. Now settled in Southern Queensland after years of travelling Australia, his latest body of work fuses contemporary coastal country with the unmistakable sound of the didgeridoo, creating a style that is uniquely his own.
“I’m incredibly proud to finally share ‘Brave’ with audiences around the country. These songs are deeply personal, but I’ve learnt that the more honest you are, the more people see themselves in the story. I can’t wait to get back on the road and play these songs for everyone who’s supported this journey.”
With its soaring hooks, heartfelt storytelling and universal message of choosing love despite uncertainty, ‘Brave’ is Tom Mac’s most courageous release to date – an anthem for modern families, second chances and the strength found in opening your heart.
SHOW DATES:
Wednesday 26th August – The Alley – Yeppoon, QLD
Friday 4th September – Blue Hole – Darwin, NT
Thursday 10th September – Chattahoochee Joes – Brisbane, QLD
**Tickets on sale now and available via https://www.tommacmusic.com/shows
CONNECT WITH TOM MAC www.tommacmusic.com
THE SMITH & WESTERN JURY ‘HELL MUST BE EMPTY’ (SINGLE)
‘Hell Must Be Empty’ was written a year ago, when femicide was dominating the news and rallies were being held across Australia to end sexual violence.
That same week, I walked alone to my car after dinner with friends, keys clenched in my hand, checking my surroundings, crossing the road to avoid the darker side, and walking quickly. Before we left, we all asked each other to text when we got home. These precautions have become second nature to so many women, because almost every woman I know has a story of feeling unsafe, being harassed, touched, or worse.
Heartbreakingly, this song is still just as relevant today.
After a busy year on the road The Smith & Western Jury return to their favourite Melbourne dive, Lulie Tavern, to celebrate the release of Hell Must Be Empty, the third single from their forthcoming album.
A cinematic Western anthem with a dark and deeply personal story, Hell Must Be Empty was written in response to a horrific story of femicide in Australia — a reality that is tragically all too common.
At its heart is the line “Hell must be empty, the devils are all here.” Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, lead singer Sam reimagines the quote through the lens of her own lived experience, capturing the everyday acts of self-protection many women know too well. Gripping your keys, pretending to be on the phone, and choosing the well-lit route home.
Wanting to turn a confronting subject into positive action, the band have partnered with Australian charity ‘Safe Steps’, donating $10 from every ticket sold to their Melbourne show at Lulie Tavern on October 3rd to the charity. Safe Steps provides 24/7 crisis support to people experiencing family and domestic violence across Victoria.
Joining the band on the night will be the fiercely talented female mariachi band Queen of Hearts, making this a special night of music, community and solidarity.
Ticket link here
RADIO FREE ALICE ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM ‘WHAT’S IN BETWEEN’
ARRIVING FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER VIA ATLANTIC RECORDS
& SHARES NEW SINGLE “CRYING WITH YOU”
AMIDST MASSIVE EUROPEAN FESTIVAL RUN & NEWLY ANNOUNCED DATES
Naarm/Melbourne’s new wave/post-punk exports, Radio Free Alice, announce their charging and battered debut album What’s In Between, set for release on Friday 30 October via Atlantic Records. The news is heralded by racing new single “Crying With You”, which arrives alongside an official music video directed by Milo Hume (Geese, Quarters).
The announcement follows a DIY pop-up show in London last week, where over 500 fans turned out and tracked the band down under a railway bridge in Bermondsey off nothing but a teaser post, getting an early glimpse of music to come. A fitting warm-up for Reading Festival this weekend and a return Stateside, with Chicago’s Riot Fest and Austin City Limits festival both newly added. Today the run gets bigger again, with the announcement of an extensive UK/EU tour in November.
Propelled by crisp new wave layerings and commanding melodies, lead singer Noah Learmonth says on the new single, “We wrote ‘Crying With You’ whilst on a writing retreat in Joshua Tree in California. We were staying at this beautiful property owned by producer Nicolas Vernhes, surrounded by desert and Joshua trees for about a week and recorded a handful of demos and jams. The verse and chorus were originally different songs, but we stitched them together, which is something we like to do quite a lot”
“It’s a huge relief to finally announce the album. We’ve lived with these songs for such a long time and they’ve become such a big part of our lives, so knowing there’s now a date when they’ll finally exist outside of us feels incredibly cathartic,” he reflects.
The track and the album at large see the band continue their work across continents with respected producer Peter Katis, known for his work with Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie, The National and many others. Their work with Katis sits alongside production contributions from British producers Ewan Pearson and Finn Billingham.
Radio Free Alice – “Crying With You” (Official Video)
Last month, the band shared “Kick in the Shins”. Like a frenzied stumble through whatever life deals them on any given day, the narrative is driven by Learmonth’s quick-witted storytelling and punctuated by the sharp uppercut of Michael Phillips’ saxophone.
To kick off the summer, Radio Free Alice made their debut release on Atlantic Records with the single “Lunch Money”. That weekend, they went on to make their debut Gov Ball performance in NYC along with a sold-out after-show at Baby’s All Right. Recent performances and singles have received praise from the likes of Rolling Stone US, PAPER, Billboard, NME, the FADER and many others. At home, the band continue to draw support from Rolling Stone AU, Tone Deaf, 10 Magazine, The Music, Happy Mag and The Note, with radio love from triple j, fbi, Edge Radio, 4ZZZ and more.
Over the last year, Radio Free Alice released their EP Empty Words as well as the breakout track “Rule 31”, the latter of which received praise from Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Alternative Press, a live session on BBC 6 Music and more. They played their first North American tour with three sold-out performances in New York City, stops at The Lot Radio and WFUV and a set at Shaky Knees in Atlanta. In the UK, they sold out six London shows last year before performing at Reading and Leeds Festival. While back home, they opened stages for Geese’s highly in demand sold-out Australian tour, plus sold out headline shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Spending all of my time listening to “Crying With You” – out now, with What’s In Between slated for Friday 30 October via Atlantic Records.
“CRYING WITH YOU”
WHAT’S IN BETWEEN OUT FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER VIA ATLANTIC RECORDS
RADIO FREE ALICE
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
JADE RICH Finds Beauty In The Lows With Introspective New Single & Video ‘quite the view (underwater)’
Announces Single Launch Shows In Brisbane & WA
Following the critical success of her triple j-backed single ‘How We Were’ earlier this year, and a high-profile support slot for UK indie giants Amber Run, double WAM Award-nominated alt-pop artist Jade Rich releases her highly anticipated new single, ‘quite the view (underwater)’. The new single arrives alongside an arresting and ethereal video.
To celebrate the single’s release, Rich announces a handful of intimate shows from next week including Wednesday 2 September at Brisbane’s Royal George Hotel (ALMBC Sideshow at BIGSOUND – 3pm), Friday 11 September at Perth’s The Bird and Sunday 20 September at The Banksia Tavern in Busselton.
Drawing sonic inspiration from the likes of Holly Humberstone, Olivia Dean, and Griff, “quite the view (underwater)” is a vulnerable, atmospheric track that tackles the modern tug-of-war between digital distraction and grounded presence. Rather than framing a mental “rock bottom” as a place of panic, the 33-year-old Perth artist reframes being underwater as a sanctuary of quiet surrender – a beautiful realisation that grace meets you exactly where you are.
“This song was my day one in the studio,” shares Rich. “I was desperately craving a deeper connection to my artistry and to my spirituality, but I kept finding myself picking up my phone ‘just for a second,’ only to realise I’d been scrolling for two hours. I was losing the quiet time I meant to spend meditating and writing to the noise of the world.”
Embracing the messy, non-linear nature of personal growth, the track’s central lyric – “Meet me underwater” – serves as a powerful visual metaphor.
“I realised that no matter how far down I am – even at my lowest or most imperfect – I am still met exactly where I am,” Rich explains. “There is so much comfort and light in that. When you’re at the bottom of the ocean floor, the absolute stillness invites a beautiful surrender. Sometimes, even at rock bottom, it’s quite the view.”
The single arrives during a landmark year for the artist. Following her second creative development trip to Los Angeles to collaborate with producer Stephen Beerkens on her upcoming album, Rich has been riding a massive wave of momentum.
Her May 2026 single, ‘How We Were’, earned national airplay on triple j’s Home & Hosed, alongside widespread praise for her sincere emotional language and “trend-defying vocals.” With a showcase at Bloom Fest under her belt now too, Rich continues to solidify her place as one of Western Australia’s most compelling indie/alt-pop voices.
“quite the view (underwater)” is available on all streaming platforms now.
TOUR DATES
Wed 2 Sep | Royal George Hotel, Brisbane | ALMBC Side show at BIGSOUND (3pm)
Fri 11 Sep | The Bird, Perth | Single launch w/ supports TBA – TICKETS
Sun 20 Sep | The Banksia Tavern, Busselton w/ supports TBA – TICKETS
Jade Rich
‘quite the view (underwater)’ – OUT NOW
LISTEN
SWEETIE ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR AND TAKE AIM AT THE GIRLBOSS ON NEW SINGLE/VIDEO ‘PAY RISE’
DEBUT ALBUM DOGTOOTH, OUT SEPT 25 VIA BLOSSOM ROT RECORDS
Sydney trio Sweetie announce tour spanning the east coast of Australia, in support of their debut album Dogtooth, due for release on 25 September via Blossom Rot Records. Today, they share the album’s third single, ‘Pay Rise’, alongside a playful video that takes aim at corporate culture, with the trio dominating a self-created miniature world.
Recorded with Australian producer heavyweight Anna Laverty (Courtney Barnett, Folk Bitch Trio, Peep Tempel), mixed by Wade Keighran and mastered by George Nicholas, Dogtooth captures the raw nerve of what it feels like to inhabit a body politicised by default.
Post-punk unease, gothic country melancholy, and snarling rock sensibilities form the record’s backbone, but it’s the band’s instinct for storytelling that gives it bite. Across 11 tracks, the trio draw on gothic Australian narratives, mythic archetypes and the slow rot of late capitalism to craft a visceral portrait of what it means to be a woman in contemporary Australia.
The final single ‘Pay Rise’ speaks on the repetitive nature of life. Drummer Rikki Clark further explains, “Pay Rise is about finding myself on the train every morning, not really remembering getting on, and gearing up for another day of corporate entanglement while I make empty promises to myself about doing a bit of good when I get some free time. It’s about wanting to bring the nice wine to the party and wear the cool-girl clothes, while also boiling over with rage at how flippantly my generation perpetuates a culture of disposability and excess. Mostly, it’s about realising I don’t know how to get off the train.”
The accompanying video, directed by Sweetie themselves, sees the trio navigating a miniature pastel cityscape. The video “is a playful swing at the problematic icon of millennial feminism: the Girlboss. We wanted to create a world in which our characters have made it to the top of the corporate ladder and beyond, free to reign over men and toy cars. These big chicks are all powerful in their cardboard castle, but with their insatiable appetites they outgrow the space, and it begins to suffocate rather than sustain them.”
‘Pay Rise’ follows the band’s recent single ‘Godzilla’ and title track ‘Dogtooth’, which reintroduced Sweetie as bold, snarling and spiky, marking a new era for the band and a huge step forward sonically. Drawing inspiration from PJ Harvey, Goat Girl, gothic fiction and spaghetti westerns, Sweetie turn unlikely reference points into something immediate, gritty and unmistakably their own.
Formed during 2020’s lockdowns, Lily Keenan (vocals, guitar), Rikki Clark (drums) and guitarist Lucy Warriner started Sweetie with little more than a desire to learn how to play. A band felt like the quickest way to figure it out. Six years on, Sweetie isn’t interested in smoothing their rough edges – they’d rather sharpen them.
Following the runaway success of their first single ‘Boundary Queen’ in 2021, the band released two EPs, Collision and Punch the Shark, which were recorded and produced by Cloud Control’s Alister Wright and Party Dozen’s Jonathan Boulet respectively and released via their label home at Blossom Rot Records. The singles received airplay across BBC Radio, triple j, Double J and widespread community radio support.
Sweetie have since shared stages with the likes of Tops, Body Type, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Murlocs, Polish Club, The Black Lips, and Floodlights; played festivals alongside the likes of The Arctic Monkeys and Lil Nas X; and sold out shows of their own.
With Dogtooth, Sweetie sidestep rock’s tired macho mythology, instead embracing a sound that is feminine, complex, but still armed with a razor-sharp bite.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘PAY RISE’
DOGTOOTH ALBUM TOUR
Friday, 30 October – Junk Bar, Brisbane/Meanjin
Sunday 8 November – The Servo, Port Kembla/Dharawal
Saturday 14 November – Thornbury Bowlo, Melbourne/Naarm
Saturday 28 November – Heaps Normal Health Club, Sydney/Gadigal
Sweetie Dogtooth
out Sept 25 via Blossom Rot Records
CONNECT WITH SWEETIE INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY
POLYPHIA Announces New Album, Be Not Afraid, Out Oct 23 with Rise Records
New Single “Power In The Blood” Out Now
The genre-defying instrumental rock innovators Polyphia announce their fifth full-length studio album Be Not Afraid out October 23 with Rise Records.
With the news, the band also released their new single off the record “Power In The Blood” with an accompanying music video.
Watch it here https://youtu.be/fDltPLFdkYI
Listen to the track here polyphia.lnk.to/PITB
Filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this video finds the band playing against the ornate, gold-leaf Baroque backdrops from the São Francisco da Penitência Church. The powerful visual lays the foundation for what’s to come off the new record, directed by Caleb Young.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, Polyphia worked together in various locations in Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas alongside co-producer RJ Pasin and guitar phenom Spiro Dussias. Guitarist Tim Henson took a different approach to composition, initially singing lines aloud and then translating them onto guitar, creating a process that encouraged the entire band to build on each other’s ideas in real time. More than anything, the sessions were defined by how much fun they were having creating music together. By the time the album was finished, they had reached a point where they could let go of any expectations about what would happen next and simply enjoy what they had created together.
“Instead of going wide on BE NOT AFRAID, we went as deep as we could,” Henson shares. “There are so many layers to pull back. Every time you listen to it, you’ll notice something new. Thematically, it’s by far the most meaningful record we’ve ever made.”
“We physically can’t make the same album twice,” adds guitarist Scott LePage. “We have a yearning to evolve. It was so much fun to write this one together too – the writing sessions for past Polyphia records typically looked like us gathering our ideas separately first and bringing them to each other second, so we took a different approach with BE NOT AFRAID by treating the sessions like an opportunity to create with everybody in the room first before getting into the separate writing. It was a much more communal approach that led to us having so much fun making it that the fun itself was the magic being captured.”
The collective thread together a three-dimensional offering of otherworldly metal, future-facing prog, and pulsating house sealed tightly with carefully curated samples, inventive beat-craft, and the guitar eloquence that Tim and Scott remain renowned for. This time around, the instrumental push-and-pull invokes the polarity of the ultimate extremes: good and evil.
When speaking on the album Henson adds, “The album takes you through the extremes of two different worlds / moods: one being very uplifting and triumphant, the other being spine-chilling and terrifying. There are moments on the record that legitimately scare me when I listen to them.”
Earlier this year, Polyphia teased their new chapter with the release of their first single in over four years, “CAN YOU FEEL IT.” Pushing boundaries in ways the band never has before with a hybrid of metal and dance music, their music video showcased an electrifying performance by the band amidst a crowd of fans.
“During the making of this record, we went down some pretty dark rabbit holes. We kept coming across things that were so depraved they sounded insane when you said them out loud. Then some of the very things we had been talking about started appearing in documents released to the public. You can read that stuff and feel disgusted, demoralized, and completely powerless. BE NOT AFRAID is our response to that. Rather than allowing the ugliness of the world to paralyze us, we put everything we had into making something beautiful. We weren’t afraid of whether something was too different or whether people were going to understand it. We just followed what excited us and made what I believe is our best record to date,” Henson explains.
Be Not Afraid is available for pre-order now
polyphia.lnk.to/BENOTAFRAID
**********
Polyphia have always said what they need to say with their instruments. Since their emergence in 2010, the Texas-bred outfit—Tim Henson [guitar], Scott LePage [guitar], Clay Gober [bass], and Clay Aeschliman [drums]—have organically progressed across a series of acclaimed albums, including Muse [2014], Renaissance [2016], New Levels New Devils [2018], and Remember That You Will Die [2022]. The latter bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart and cracked the Top 40 of the Billboard 200. Tallying hundreds of millions of streams, it established the band as rare outliers equally suited to collaborations with either pop singer Sophia Black, multiplatinum rapper SNOT, guitar hero Steve Vai, or iconic Deftones frontman Chino Moreno (on the same body of work).
It’s no wonder Guitar World readers unanimously voted it “The Best Guitar Album of 2022.” Beyond headlining sold-out tours, the group incited the applause of Wired, Revolver, and Rolling Stone who described Tim as “reinventing the instrument for more than a decade.” However, the quartet make a particularly provocative and powerful sonic statement on their fifth full-length offering, BE NOT AFRAID [Rise Records]. The collective thread together a three-dimensional tableau of otherworldly metal, future-facing prog, and pulsating house sealed tightly with carefully curated samples, inventive beat-craft, and the guitar eloquence that Tim and Scott remain renowned for. This time around, the instrumental push-and-pull invokes the polarity of the ultimate extremes: good and evil.
To stay up to date on all the latest news from the band via @Polyphia
AVRAK The New Band Of Darkthrone’s Ted Skjellum Join Peaceville Records
The Titanic Debut Self-Titled Studio Album Of Heavy Rock And Metal To Be Released On October 9
“Unborn” The Debut Single & Video Out Now
Recently unveiled Norwegian Heavy Metal juggernaut-in-the-making AVRAK was founded in November 2023 by guitarists Anders Hegna (Nød, El Kayenne, Svidd Grevling) and Ted Skjellum; notable for being half of legendary duo, Darkthrone. The pair had known each other for many years, and with a mutual passion for old, classic rock and metal they finally embarked upon this new journey together under the banner of AVRAK.
It quickly became evident that both were on the same page, with AVRAK’s first compositions taking shape within just 5 days. Ted had declared from the beginning that he would not carry out main vocal duties in the band, and so it was Anders – with his own vocal grit a comfortable match anyway – who assumed the role. Several weeks later, Terje Kråbøl (Gjendød, Sarke, Faustcoven) was brought in on the drums and, from there-on, with his percussive presence backing up some thunderous riffing, the creative work accelerated, culminating in the self-titled, hook-laden and doom-laced rock debut, ‘AVRAK’.
Stream Unborn here https://orcd.co/avrak_unborn
Watch the lyric video created by Matthew Vickerstaff https://youtu.be/2BIYrOnSzuw
Suitably and epically defined as a monumental “Heavy Metal voyage from the peak of the mountains to the depths of the seas”, and delivering themes relating to empowerment in the face of increasingly corrupt times, ‘AVRAK’ is a combination of a vast multitude of influences, as the eclectic, deceptively nuanced nine track offering features a classic heavy metal and doom rock backbone, with further experimentation including synth passages, and even some traces of black metal riffing in its DNA.
‘AVRAK’ was recorded, mixed and mastered in Mølla Studio by Knut Magne Valle, in February 2026.
AVRAK subsequently held its debut show in their local town of Porsgrunn in late April 2026, backed by new bassist & final piece of the puzzle, Steinar Gundersen (Khold, Sarke, Satyricon), with more live shows intended in future to support the release.
‘AVRAK’ is to be released on 9th October on CD classic black vinyl LP silver vinyl LP & digitally
Pre Order Avrak here
AVRAK is
Anders Hegna – Guitars, vocals, bass
Ted Skjellum – Guitars, Moog guitar/synthesizer, additional vocals, effects
Terje Kråbøl- Drums
Steinar Gundersen – bass
FOLLOW AVARAK
ANGELUS APATRIDA Spanish Thrash Metal Force Sign With Napalm Records!
New Single, “Cycle Of Ruin”, Out Now
New EP, The Reckoning, Drops November 19
Spanish thrash metal heavyweights ANGELUS APATRIDA are entering a new era, officially signing with Napalm Records! Formed in 2000, the Spanish quartet has spent more than two decades establishing themselves as one of the leading forces in the international thrash metal scene, performing at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop and Download and building a reputation as a formidable live act.
To kick off their new chapter, ANGELUS APATRIDA unleash “Cycle Of Ruin”, their first single via Napalm Records. The crushing track combines razor-sharp riffs, powerful vocals and driving mid-tempo grooves before culminating in an explosive guitar solo. It also serves as the first taste of the upcoming three-track EP The Reckoning, arriving November 19, 2026 and featuring “Cycle Of Ruin”, “Burn It Down” and a furious reinterpretation of Sepultura’s “Propaganda”, the latter being already digitally available on all streaming services.
ANGELUS APATRIDA about the signing:
“Now it’s time to turn the page! Napalm Records had been chasing us for years, and now the time has finally come. From day one, we felt their excitement, ambition and understanding of who ANGELUS APATRIDA is and where we want to go next. We’re still as hungry as ever, and it feels amazing to finally call Napalm Records our new home!
And we’re not coming empty-handed! The Reckoning is our new three-track EP and the first release of this new chapter. Produced by the band, recorded by our homie Juanan López, and mixed and mastered once again by our longtime partner in crime Zeuss, it’s aggressive, heavy, uncompromising and exactly where we are right now.”
Watch the official music video for “Cycle Of Ruin” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlQkwPRHWzE
ANGELUS APATRIDA about “Cycle Of Ruin”: “And it all starts with ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. We knew the first song of this new chapter had to make a statement, and ‘Cycle Of Ruin’ felt like the obvious choice: fast, relentless and straight to your face, a fresh and modern take on the old-school thrash metal that has always been at the heart of this band.
And we wanted the video to capture that same energy, so we threw a real pool party, brought a bunch of friends together and let the madness happen. This is ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. Enjoy it!
We couldn’t think of a better way to start this new journey. A cycle ends. Another begins. Welcome to THE RECKONING!”
Pre-Order your copy of The Reckoning
lnk.to/AngelusApatrida-TheReckoning/napalmrecords
BLACK SPIKES Lithuanian Avant-gardists Release New Single, “DULKĖS”
Modern Progressive Album, Ydos, Will Be Released This Friday, August 28
With mere days to go until the release of their sophomore album, Ydos, Lithuanian force BLACK SPIKES releases another single. “DULKĖS”, Lithuanian for “dust”, is Ydos’ mystical album closer. Versatile, yet grasping, the five-piece breakout band solidifies its upward trajectory with this powerful track. Initially driven by slow modern drum sounds and singer Agni’s captivating whispers, “DULKĖS” quickly explodes into a thrilling headbanging invitation.
Always keeping up the exceptional balance between sensitivity and heaviness, the song wraps up BLACK SPIKES’ bleak exploration of humankind’s relationship with its vices. Ydos is a creative twist on modern metal, a progressive sweeping blow reaching out with fierce claws never to let you go. The album releases this Friday.
BLACK SPIKES about “DULKĖS”:
“The final song of Ydos, ‘DULKĖS’, closes the whole fairy tale by returning everything to dust. It is about the shortness of human life and what remains after we are gone. Our bodies disappear, the past fades, and the future belongs to others. But dust also carries the possibility of new life, reminding us that everything ends only to begin again.”
Watch the Official Music Video for “DULKĖS” https://youtu.be/ubCR46WMd3s
Emerging from the shadows are BLACK SPIKES, bringing the darkness right along with them on their new album, Ydos, out August 28, 2026. The Lithuanian breakout band’s first release with Napalm Records, coming shortly after their nomination at their home country’s Grammy-comparable M.A.M.A. Music Awards, deals with the eponymous flaws of humanity, conceptually interwoven with modern progressive metal, serving as a complex mirror for us all.
The depth of its concept is reflected in every note of Ydos, from every heavy riff to every proggy twist. Leaning into electronic music while holding on firmly to their metal roots, the Lithuanian band creates a distinctive sound, alluringly dark and captivatingly heavy. BLACK SPIKES venture into gloominess, filling the void with spine-tingling philosophical thoughts and posing as Janus-faced companions on a fateful journey into the self in which every step should be taken with caution because a trap just might snap …
BLACK SPIKES about Ydos:
“Ydos is a conceptual album—a dark fairytale about human vices. The idea was there from the very beginning and guided the entire songwriting process. Each vice has its own name and story, and many songs will be brought to life through music videos where these vices take shape. It was our first time creating a conceptual album, and we really enjoyed starting with an idea and expressing it through music.”
Get Your Copy Of Ydos lnk.to/BlackSpikes-Ydos/napalmrecords
WALLS OF JERICHO Legendary Hardcore and Metalcore Force Unleash Incendiary New Single “Agency”
New Album System Error: Humanity, drops November 13
Legendary hardcore force WALLS OF JERICHO are back with their long-awaited new album System Error: Humanity dropping November 13, 2026 via Napalm Records. Following the triumphant release of their first single “The Ascent” praised by fans and critics for its “fierce breakdowns and demolishing riffs” (Metal Injection), today, WOJ unleashes its exceedingly ferocious follow up “Agency”.
Like a bullet from a gun, “Agency” takes off at 100 miles an hour in explosive thrash excellence, before turning around and dropping you on your head with a tectonic breakdown. Iconic frontwoman Candace Buckingham gives a moving sermon of self-actualization, galvanizing listeners to fight for their inalienable, human rights.
Frontwoman Candace Buckingham on “Agency”: “Agency is a song about freedom. The kind that lives within you, the kind no one can take away, and the kind you have to fight for every single day.”
Watch the Official Video for “Agency” https://youtu.be/T_v4OG8Pqkk
Order Your Copy of System Error: Humanity lnk.to/WallsOfJericho-SystemErrorHumanity/napalmrecords
Clobbering listeners out of the gate with “True Til’ Death”, the band affirms the triumph of their comeback with rabid aggression: iconic frontwoman Candace Buckingham immediately commands listeners with her gargantuan growls. The discordant violence of tracks like “The Ascent” and “Untouchable”, tap into something truly primal and kick you back a reading level with their claustrophobic chord work, while more thrash driven tracks like “The Flame” and “Agency”, take off at 100 miles per hour, plowing through a plethora of protein packed riffage and solos. Lyrically the band is stoking the flames of discontent, with tracks like “Agency”, “Borrowed Ground”, and “Last Judgement”, delivering empowering messages of reclamation, self-determination, and human rights, encouraging listeners to fight for a better world. The record also features a premier slew of guests including Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe on “Broken Mouths Can’t Speak”, his beckoning howl joining Candace on a ferocious duel attack; and Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord on “Humanity”, propelling the groove laden pit starter into cataclysmic levels of chaos. After some more delicious violence, and a transcendent slow burn in the form of “A Brighter Fire”, “The Reckoning” finishes things off with an epic, catastrophic energy that is bookended with one of the album’s most punishing breakdowns, bound to send some unlucky concertgoers to the dentist.
Legendary producer and Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (NAILS, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Code Orange, and Every Time I Die) is behind the boards, capturing the band’s ferocious live energy while maintaining a pristine presentation. Powerful, fierce, and stirring, WALLS OF JERICHO re-emerge with righteous purpose and brutal dedication, humanity may be the source of the system error, but we are the system, and we are the solution.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Thrash Legends Unleash Incendiary Third Single “The Edge of Nowhere”
New Album Rats in the Temple Out via Napalm Records August 28
Thrash metal legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are gearing up for the release of their Napalm Records debut record, Rats in the Temple, out this Friday. Today, they offer fans the third and final glimpse of the flames broiling within. “The Edge of Nowhere” builds suspense with eastern scales before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle through thrash metal excellence. Churning like magma beneath the Earth, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and Rats in the Temple see the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awestriking blaze.
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson says about the track:
“‘The Edge of Nowhere’ is about knowing when to dig your heels into the ground and hold the line. We wanted to write a track that made people feel strong when things get tough. Always speak your mind. Even if 9 times out of 10, it takes you nowhere. You never know when you’ll get that 1 time that pushes you through.”
Check out the Lyric Video for “The Edge of Nowhere” https://youtu.be/76uJFzdV0SQ
Thrash metal icons FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, known for their trailblazing blend of blistering thrash and soaring power metal—established on breakthrough records like the Kerrang! championed classic Doomsday for the Deceiver, (1986), No Place for Disgrace, (1988), and Cuatro, (1992) and refined in their current renaissance with the German chart climbing The End of Chaos, (2019), Blood in the Water, (2021), and I Am the Weapon, (2024)—are back with their newest diamond, and Napalm Records debut, Rats in the Temple, out August 28, 2026. With nearly four decades on the scene, countless world tours, and appearances at prestigious festivals like Wacken, Graspop, Bloodstock, Alcatraz, and Rockhard, they’ve carved their sound down to a fine point, piercing listeners with earth-shattering blast beats, scorching guitars, epic string arrangements, and exalted frontman A.K. Knutson’s unmistakably haunting wail.
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson about the album:
“This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!”
Pre-Order Your Copy of Rats in the Temple
lnk.to/FlotsamAndJetsam-RatsintheTemple/napalmrecords
Rats in the Temple opens strong with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of “Harvesting The Hate” and “Damnation”, before delving into thrash virtuosity on “Absolution”. The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like “Blame The Knife” and “Rats In the Temple”, then continue to flex their metal muscle on “The Ghost Behind My Door” and “First on the Spike”, invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummeling modern menace. “The Edge of Nowhere” builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into “Last Rites”, another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem “A Taste For War”, their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. “Her Blood Your Pain” brings ornate, medieval guitarmonies before “Anthem For The Broken” goes full balls to the wall, and “Going Down That Way” hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. Rats in the Temple remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band’s metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences.
Churning like magma beneath the Earth, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and Rats in the Temple sees the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awe-inspiring blaze. For fans new and longstanding, you cannot escape them; they’re through the walls.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM LIVE 2026
“Monsters Of Thrash” Australian Tour 2026
30.09.26 AUS – Brisbane / Crowbar
1.10.26 AUS – Adelaide / Lion Arts
2.10.26 AUS – Melbourne / Max Watt’s
3.10.26 AUS – Sydney / Crowbar
FROZEN CROWN Italian Power Metallers Release Third Single, “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven”
New, Darker Album, The Legend of the Six Kings, Releases October 2
FROZEN CROWN determine the direction of their new narrative approach with their new single, “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven”. “Who wants to burn in Heaven if you can rule forever down in Hell?” the choir-powered, groovy song exclaims, illustrating the Italian band’s new-found darkness. A heavy metal riff turns into an epic melody, with a powerful vocal delivery by both Giada “Jade” Etro and Federico Mondelli following. The accompanying album, The Legend of the Six Kings, releases October 2, 2026 via Napalm Records.
Giada “Jade” Etro about “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven”:
“‘Who Wants To Burn In Heaven’ is the natural follow-up to ‘I Am The Tyrant’, one of our most popular and beloved songs, with its driving martial pace and the singalong emotional chorus. The song is a statement of uniqueness and freedom. Better to stand as a king among outsiders (the misunderstood, the unconventional, the beautifully imperfect) than to beg for a place among those who worship conformity and call it perfection. Their Heaven may look flawless from the outside, but it will punish and make you burn if you try to shine with your own light.”
Watch the Official Music Video for “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-BM745woEU
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.
AETHER REALM Southern Melodeath Masters Announce Incendiary New Album Season of Bloodshed
Album Out December 11, 2026 via Napalm Records
Soaked in blood and craving more, North Carolina’s melodic death metal masters AETHER REALM have undergone a violent transformation, emerging with their ferocious new album Season of Bloodshed, to be unleashed December 11th, 2026 via Napalm Records.
Since the band’s 2020 album Redneck Vikings From Hell, AETHER REALM have held on by the skin of their teeth through a global pandemic, the historic Hurricane Helene, and a mid-record lineup change, with former guitarist Donny Burbage departing and new guitarist Chris Jones entering the fray. Season of Bloodshed clutches you in its blood-soaked claws and guides you on an intense exploration of an existential transformation fueled by rage.
About the album the band states:
“This is an album born from an anger that was allowed to fester for too long. At the confluence of the great injustices of our time and the insignificant wrongs that get under our skin every day, we can find ourselves transformed into our worst selves. It is in the expression of this feeling—through these cruel riffs, shredding solos, and crushing breakdowns—that we may find peace.”
Pre-Order Your Copy of Season Of Bloodshed https://lnk.to/AetherRealm-SeasonofBloodshed
From its first heartbeats, the album bares its teeth. The vampiric opening track “The Blood Is Calling” is layered with thunderous kick drums and cataclysmic string arrangements setting the stage for something truly ghastly. Propelled by blast beats from drummer Tyler Gresham, ornate guitar harmonies, and Martin Gonzalez’ enveloping orchestrations, the first track is a herald of a new era as the band transforms into something darker. “Control” opens with a triumphant harmonized guitar duel before taking off at one hundred miles per hour with virtuoso guitar duo Heinrich Arnold and Chris Jones weaving riff tapestries, embracing listeners in a dystopian dream of the future. Always looking to experiment with the form, “Broken Fist” enlists guest vocalist Taj Jewett to lend their rage to a track that fuses nu metal and prog into a showcase of infectiously bouncy grooves and unstoppable riffage.
The aptly titled “Get Fukt” is as vitriolic as the title suggests. Bassist and frontman Jake Jones delivers a venomous verbal onslaught alongside driving harmonized riffs clearly developed at the school of Bodom. “The Weight” offers the album’s first brief respite with serene synths paving the way for another hellish breakdown, tectonic drums crack the ground as flaming guitars emerge from the rubble and lash at the sky. Featuring the impeccable orchestration composer Wayne Ingram (known for his work in Wilderun and on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok), the track expands into mesmerizing grandeur. Opening with a serene folksy respite provided by departing guitarist Donny Burbage and violinist Sarah Stepanik, “Path of The Wind” emerges as an explosive blackened folk song with singalongs and blasts beats that tells the tale of how the band emerged physically unscathed from Hurricane Helene. Further honoring their southern roots, “Achilles’ Heel” opens with intimate banjo strums dancing around vocalist Jake Jones’ heartfelt croon, sung from the perspective of Patroclus, the companion of the titular mythological Greek hero Achilles. This bitter song honors the epic with guitar and string orchestrations of equally grand composition, coupled with a chorus that you can’t resist stomping your foot to.
Album closer “Terminus Ominum,” a Latin phrase translating roughly to “The End of All Things”, opens with cinematic, Game Of Thrones level pounding drums—courtesy of orchestrator and mix engineer Rob Carson—beating a cataclysmic opening for the record’s most expensive track. Enlisting the Western North Carolina Pagan Choir there is a level of finality in the arrangement akin to a Elden Ring boss battle.
Despite the obstacles put in their path, AETHER REALM emerges revitalized, determined, and simmering with anger while maintaining their trademark complex melodies and ferocious guitar attack.
ROCK IS NOT DEAD Two Days of Pure Rock ’N’ Roll In St Kilda This Weekend!
Feat Cassidy Paris, Wicked Smile, Riff Raiders, The Dreadful Tides, Audio Reign + more
If anyone still needs convincing that rock isn’t dead, Melbourne is making a fairly compelling argument this weekend.
Rock Is Not Dead 3 takes over The Prince Bandroom in St Kilda this Friday, 28th and Saturday, 29th of August, bringing together 12 Australian rock acts, showcasing some of Australia’s finest emerging rock ‘n’ roll bands via a community built around supporting the next generation of Australian rock.
Friday night belongs to the women.
Headliner Cassidy Paris returns home for her only Australian show of 2026, having spent much of the year dominating stages overseas.
Riff Raiders make their long awaited return to the stage in support of their latest album, Welcome To Mars, while Albury-Wodonga’s Empress & Aces arrive fresh from the studio armed with new material. Their track The Greatest Plan was named 2025 Australian Rock Song of the Year by Canada’s CGCM Rock Radio, who have now partnered with Rock Is Not Dead to make the collaboration and award an annual fixture.
Karly Jewell rounds out Friday night’s bill, also fresh from the studio, while her ARIA charting release There’s A Jewell In Town continues to find new fans.
Then on Saturday, things get a bit more rowdy.
Doors open at 2:30pm for an afternoon and evening featuring some of Australia’s best hard rock.
Saturday headliners Wicked Smile are also fresh from overseas, with their second album When Night Falls earning attention around the world. RIND is quite possibly their only Australian appearance for 2026.
Adelaide’s Audio Reign literally released their killer new New Way To Live, last week, and Melbourne favs Warbirds are set to make their first live appearance since February after spending recent months locked away in the studio.
The Dreadful Tides are hot on the heels of latest single Love Sick and several sold out shows. The RIND crowd will be the first to get an early taste of their new material.
WA is sending their best in the form of Electric State, armed with new single Head In Hands, and Parabelum will make their interstate debut with their collision of aggressive melodic metal and pure live energy.
Gold Coast progressive theatrical rockers Kalatone make their Melbourne debut after winning over the crowd at Rock Is Not Dead 2 in Brisbane, while The Revolation kick off proceedings with an acoustic set led by Dean Wittman-Lamb and featuring latest single Promised Land.
If you’re looking for rock in Melbourne this weekend, you aren’t going to have to look very hard.
Rock Is Not Dead (RIND) is the brainchild of Dunwell Touring’s Shane Dunn, whose approach has been to build something closer to a rock community than a conventional touring brand.
Dunwell Touring & Promotions is quickly establishing itself as part of a new generation of independent Australian promoters, driven by Dunn’s passion for local talent and determination to put Australian bands onto bigger stages around the country.
That community extends beyond the bands.
There are the RIND Angels, a crew of volunteer music fans who help promote the events, wrangle artists, manage merchandise and generally keep the whole machine moving.
Then there’s the FLL: The Fvcking Legends Lounge.
FLL guests get access to band meet and greets, catering and a few other perks, with fans travelling from around Australia for the RIND experience.
As far from the corporate rock show as you can be, RIND is all about Australian bands, fans and a promoter who still believes in putting on a great rock show.
Rock Is Not Dead. Who said it was?
ROCK IS NOT DEAD 3
Friday, August 28
Cassidy Paris
Riff Raiders
Empress & Aces
Karly Jewell
Doors 7pm
Saturday, August 29
Wicked Smile
Audio Reign
Warbirds
The Dreadful Tides
Electric State
Kalatone
Parabelum
The Revolation
Doors 2:30pm
Prince Bandroom, St Kilda
One and Two Day passes available now via Oztix.
RARE RECORDS PRESENTS 35 & Still Alive – Halloween @ 170 Russell
Mammal, Sydonia, .Hinge, Bushido, Tyson & Forbes (Rook / The Khyber Belt)
Celebrating 35 Years of Rare Records & 25 Years of the Rare Records Label
Thirty five years is a long time to keep anything alive in the music business. A record store? That’s bordering on miraculous.Long before streaming, social media and algorithms decided what music you should listen to, record stores were where music fans went looking for something new. The really good ones became something more than just a place full of CDs and T-shirts. They were meeting places, hang outs and information exchanges. It was where people who liked music beyond the mainstream could find each other.Rare Records was one of those places.Doug Bear started Rare Records in Melbourne in 1991 as a mail-order business run from home, which quickly moved to a regular weekend market stall in Cheltenham. On February 2, 1996, Rare became a physical record store for the first time when the doors opened in Hughesdale. But it was during Rare’s years in St Kilda that something truly special happened.
From the early to late 2000’s, Melbourne’s collective of independent heavy, progressive and experimental bands was at its all time high and Rare Records didn’t just sell their music, it gave them somewhere to belong. At one point the store carried more than 1000 different independent and local releases. There wasn’t an elaborate selection process or someone deciding whether a band was important enough to deserve shelf space either.
If an independent artist wanted Rare Records to stock their CD, Doug put it on the shelf.
Some of those artists started hanging around the shop like it was a scene out of Clerks.
Members of Karnivool, Full Scale, Mammal, Rook, .hinge, Bushido and Sydonia became regular visitors. All of them would eventually play inside Rare Records.
Then there were the slightly bigger visitors.
Lamb Of God once brought 2200 people to an instore signing, the line stretching downstairs and around the block. They stayed for hours until every fan got what they needed.
The Mars Volta wandered in one day and proceeded to spend thousands of dollars on vinyl.
Another day, Doug’s friend, legendary Tour Manager, Steve Varga, arrived with the entire Osbourne family and every member of Ozzy Osbourne’s band.
There were appearances and signings from Stone Sour, Mr Bungle, Karnivool and countless others.
But ask Doug about that period now and the international stars aren’t necessarily the thing that mattered most. It was the local instores. Bands, friends and kids crammed into a record shop together. Young fans discovering bands in real time because somebody behind the counter pointed them in the right direction. Rare Records became a true community.
And that community looks after its own. Rare Records would go on to be publicly voted Best Record Store by TheMusic.com.au and Best Record Store in Melbourne by Triple M. Recognition that meant more because it came from the people, not the industry.
But some of the musicians coming through Rare had a problem. They were making great music and nobody wanted to release it. Doug was managing several bands at the time and was getting nowhere with the major labels, so, in 2001, he did the logical thing. He started his own!
The first Rare Records label release was The Grand Silent System’s They Who Built.
Doug’s All Time Top 5 Rare Records releases:
1. Flow – The Parallel Development (CD) (The band that became Twelve Foot Ninja)
2. The Grand Silent System – Gift Or A Weapon (CD)
3. Sunk Loto – Between Birth And Death (VINYL)
4. Testeagles – Non Comprehendus (VINYL)
5. Bushido – Mercina
The philosophy behind the label wasn’t particularly complicated either. Doug heard great music he thought was being criminally underrated, so he used every contact he had to try to get people to hear it. Twenty five years and more than 20 releases later, the Rare Records label is now entering another particularly active period, with 14 releases scheduled over the coming 12 months.
And some of the records from those early years are about to come back too.
Which brings us to Halloween 2026.
35 & STILL ALIVE
How do you celebrate 35 years of Rare Records and 25 years of its record label?
You start by getting the family back together.
On Halloween, Rare Records will bring Mammal, Sydonia, .hinge, Bushido and Tyson & Forbes from Rook / The Khyber Belt together for one very special night celebrating not simply a record store or record label, but the people and music that grew around them.
For some, it’s been a very long time. .hinge split in 2010 and will reform their original lineup exclusively for 35 & Still Alive. Doug wasn’t even convinced they’d say yes. “I’m so excited for .hinge because I love their music and they’re all bloody great humans. When I asked them to do this I honestly wasn’t expecting them to say yes. But to my surprise they did, so happy days!”
Sydonia will return to a Melbourne stage for the first time since supporting Apocalyptica in 2016, appearing with a new guitarist and drummer.
Then there’s Mammal, whose connection to Rare began before there really was a Mammal. Back in 2005, Zeke Ox walked into Rare Records carrying a three track cassette demo and said “Have a listen to this.” At that point Mammal consisted of Zeke and Pete. There was no bass player or drummer yet, the drums on the demo were programmed and Doug believes he was the first person outside the pair to hear it.
Mammal would soon become one of the most important bands emerging from the rapidly growing scene surrounding Rare, making their place at the top of 35 & Still Alive particularly fitting.
Bushido return as another important part of that same Rare Records family, while Tyson & Forbes will represent Rook with special acoustic performances throughout the evening and introduce the night’s proceedings. The full Rook lineup couldn’t be assembled, with members currently overseas, but there was no way Doug wanted to celebrate this chapter of Rare Records history without them represented.
THE RECORDS ARE BACK TOO
The musicians aren’t the only things returning. Three records from the Rare Records family will be released on vinyl for the first time ever to coincide with 35 & Still Alive.
Sydonia – Given To Destroyers
20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition
Bushido – Mercina
20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition
.Hinge – Something To Adore
21st Birthday Vinyl Edition
Each release will be strictly limited to 150 copies and available exclusively through Rare Records.
Pre-orders will be available for collection at the show, giving fans the opportunity to have their copies signed by the bands, with a limited quantity also available from a special
Rare Records pop up store inside the venue on the night.
There will also be giveaways featuring rarities from previous Rare Records label releases and a $250 Rare Records gift card for the best dressed.
After 35 years, countless records, thousands of independent releases, packed instores, international rock stars wandering through the doors, local bands playing between the racks and an entire generation of musicians and fans passing through its various incarnations, Rare Records is still here.
But Halloween isn’t really about looking backwards. For Doug, it’s much simpler than that, he gets to see his friends again. “I’m really just looking forward to seeing all my old friends in the same room again. It’s going to feel like one giant Brady Bunch family reunion, a room full of old faces, old stories, and hopefully a few new memories to add to the collection.”
35 years of Rare Records.
25 years of the Rare Records label.
Old friends, old records and a few bands we thought we might never see again.
Saturday, October 31
170 Russell, Melbourne
Presale: Fri, Aug 21 until Mon, Aug 24 @ 8.00am
Tickets
On Sale: Mon, Aug 24 @ 8.00am
Tickets
MARK HOLDEN RELEASES NEW ALBUM ‘ NOW & THEN & SHIRLEY MACLAINE’
Mark Holden will release his first full-length album in decades on all digital platforms on the 28th of August through his own label, Dream Dealers, with MGM.
The album features Mark’s next single, a cover of Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda).
Mark Holden first caught the public eye in 1974. Now, more than fifty years later, the former teen heartthrob, hit songwriter, producer and ‘Idol’ judge has re-emerged with Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine – an extraordinary album of new and re-imagined songs.
Listen or Download “Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine”
It is indeed the kind of record only made possible by a lifetime in showbusiness – a document of dizzying highs and devastating lows, delivered by a voice of wisdom and experience that has maintained just enough of the innocence and optimism required to do it all over again, with a ‘new’ voice. A post-cancer treatment voice.
The clues to this album’s contents are all in the title: Now refers to Mark’s recent creative burst, inspired by reconnections with old friends and spurred on by new cross-cultural and generational collaboration. Then, on the other hand, it applies to the reimagining of four unheard songs Mark penned decades ago in his working-songwriter days. As for Shirley MacLaine, well, he conjured her up on a trip to the USA via Hawaii.
All of Mark’s choices on the record prioritise communicating feelings over conforming to genre norms and limitations.
In his own words, Mark says, “This record is the postcard to my future grandchildren. It’s a box of photographs. A story about family”.
Somehow, he has found a way to make a reworked Tom Waits classic and a haunting Anthony Callea cameo sit comfortably within a track list that includes disco remixes, neo-spirituals and beautiful love songs.
Mark has released two original singles from the album to date: ‘Every Little Thing’ and ‘Shirley MacLaine’.
His first single ‘Every Little Thing’ signalled his comeback and was featured when Mark’s visited The Morning Show on Channel 7 in July. The song also debuted on 2DayFM Breakfast with Nath and Emma.
The next single to come into focus from the album is the cover of Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda). The song is a tribute to Matilda Bee Britvan, who was one of 15 people who lost their lives on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. Mark Holden grappled with the immensity of the tragedy along with millions of Australians. He found himself listening to Tom Waits’ song Tom Traubert’s Blues and its chorus, Waltzing Matilda, and ‘became’ Tom Traubert at Bondi. After receiving support and appreciation from her family in helping preserve Matilda’s legacy, the track was laid down.
Mark chose to use AI to capture the emotion in the visuals for the accompanying video, which he felt was necessary to convey the emotion behind it and the sensitivity it deserved.
“This song holds an incredibly deep and personal place on the album, and one I believe carries a story that deserves to be told. I want to give a massive thank you to the Britvan family for trusting me to honour their daughter’s legacy. May Matilda Bee’s spirit live on.”
Mark Holden ‘Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine’
Release Date: Friday 28 August 2026
It’s fair to say that Mark Holden has come a long way since his days as the carnation-carrying pop star in the fledgling years of Countdown. His early Aussie success as a singer and soap star took him to the USA, where he signed a major-label deal while becoming a late-night talk-show guest and a fixture on the glamorous Hollywood party scene. Songwriting stole his focus through the 80s and 90s, during which time he penned hits for Motown legends The Temptations, dance-queen Kathy Sledge and pop-songstress Belinda Carlisle.
In the late 90s, Mark reinvented himself as the manager, producer and writing partner of Aussie teen sensation Vanessa Amorosi, once more scaling the charts with now-iconic songs such as Shine and Absolutely Everybody. This was followed by a return to Australian TV screens, which included a tumultuous but memorable tenure as a judge on the early seasons on Australian Idol and a bold, if ultimately unsuccessful stint on Dancing with the Stars.
A retreat from television, a cancer diagnosis and a return to school (to finish a law degree in his 50s) punctuated the 2010s for Mark. He recovered, became a barrister and spent several years in and out of Melbourne courtrooms before returning to the stage with a one-man theatre show – a self-deprecating and autobiographical piece that drew rave reviews at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
It was that show, and particularly the research that went into it, which began Mark’s journey back to writing original music for himself – a journey that has culminated in this new album. As he learned his family’s history as early European settlers, Mark was drawn to Victorian Indigenous culture, where activist, artist, and Gunditjmara Elder Richard J Frankland welcomed him. The process of co-writing and producing Richard’s Discovering Leerpeen Mara album was transformative. A rejuvenated Mark reached out to old mates like LA songwriter Richard Feldman, and new ones like the furiously creative young producer Tyler Sunshine.
In fact, the cast of characters Mark put together to make this record was extensive – each individual tasked with helping to bring sensitivity and cohesion to Mark’s broad vision. It was lovingly pieced together in studios from Los Angeles to Northcote, and stands as a testament to Mark Holden’s status as a serious songwriter and producer.