Today we introduce a new feature to Australian Musician called Snippetz. We get so many pitches from artists, labels and management and just don’t have the resources to do major features on them all. With Snippetz, we can get across the main points of the artist’s news and give them some kind of exposure on a fairly regular basis. We’ll try to focus on Australian artists and labels but there will be some occasional international news items too. We hope this new section helps to get your music out there!
SNIPPETZ – Thursday March 14, 2024
LONTANO – ‘Depending On You’ (Album)
Melbourne-based outfit Lontano is delighted to announce that their second long player, Depending on you, is out now. This album is the follow up to Lontano’s 2021 self-titled debut, and features the 2023 singles Depending on you, Ten Fingers, and Somewhere Highway. It also features a sweary version of their current single, Déjà vu (radio edit) (WAV | MP3)
Lontano will be launching Depending on you with a rare full band show at Brisbane’s Doo-Bop Bar (101 Edward Street) on Saturday 23 March. Tickets are available via Trybooking, and you can find more information about the show via the venue’s event page or our Facebook event page. For everything else, visit linktr.ee/lontanoband.
LAZY GHOST – ‘Eat You Alive’ (Single/Tour)
Cavanbah/Byron Bay-based indie-pop purveyors Lazy Ghost have just returned with their whimsy cut ‘EAT YOU ALIVE’ – produced and mixed by Jack Nigro (DMAs, The Terrys, Pacific Avenue, Middle Kids). ‘EAT YOU ALIVE’ is a sun-soaked singalong that invites imagery of picturesque road trips and sprawling beaches, led by the carefree vocals of lead singer Kyle Leeming. To coincide with the release, the band have announced an east coast tour of Australia, with dates across Eora/Sydney, Naarm/Melbourne, Monmar/Mornington Peninsula, Bullenah/Ballina, Bundjalung/Coolangatta and Cavanbah/Byron Bay. The band has previously supported the likes of The Terrys, Daily J, Peach Fur and Sun Room (USA), and played to capacity crowds across Australia and sold-out shows in Christchurch, New Zealand.
‘EAT YOU ALIVE’ SINGLE RELEASE TOUR Tickets available now at lazyghostband.com
CHARLIE LANE – ‘Gold Drops’ (Single/Video)
An edgy and propulsive new sonic delight from Melbourne singer-songwriter Charlie Lane, the single Gold Drips out today meshes layers of indie pop and rock edges with some new wave charm alongside Lane’s trademark self-aware lyricism. Also accompanied by an aptly gold-themed music video (SINGLE + VIDEO), Gold Drips is a shimmering return from Lane ahead of launching her new track live onstage next Thursday March 14 at The Workers Club in Fitzroy. Soundcloud: GOLD DRIPS Stream: GOLD DRIPS Watch: GOLD DRIPS
HUSSY HICKS – ‘Swimming in Uncertainty’ (Album)
In a stunning testament to the power of community and direct support in the music industry, Hussy Hicks have shattered expectations by debuting at #16 on the ARIA Album Charts and clinching the #1spot on the Jazz and Blues Charts with their latest album, ‘Swimming in Uncertainty’, without the use of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. The Hussy Hicks have charted a return to traditional methods of music distribution, demonstrating that artists can indeed create a significant impact by cultivating a direct relationship with their listeners. The release of the new album ‘Swimming in Uncertainty’, has been strategically broken into two offerings – with fans either able to purchase physical or digital copies via the band’s website and live shows, or, they can wait for a monthly single release via streaming platforms – Obviously fans couldn’t wait for the monthly release! Hussy Hicks are currently on tour (When are they not?) Information and Tickets – hussyhicks.com/shows
WILLOW – Symptom of Life’ (Single/video)
This week sees WILLOW release a new single and music video ‘symptom of life‘, the first offering from her highly anticipated forthcoming album. This release sees WILLOW moving again in a new musical direction and marks the first album set to be released as part of the collaboration between Three Six Zero Recordings and its new distribution partner, gamma. Of the track, WILLOW shared, “The song has a very beautiful whimsical nature but holds a lot of mystery. There’s this beautiful light coming in through the piano, but also this syncopated rhythm of the bass bringing in that mysterious element. A juxtaposition of light and dark.”
‘symptom of life’- OUT NOW VIA THREE SIX ZERO RECORDINGS BUY/STREAM HERE
ANGUS LEGG – ‘Drugs With Friends’ (Single)
Melbourne’s Angus Legg returns with a release that marks the beginning of a new era; ‘Drugs With My Friends’ is an upbeat and bittersweet anthem driven by the spirit of moving on from past relationships and heartbreak. Following the release of Angus’ last single ‘Spaceship’, which was released late last year, ‘Drugs With My Friends’ is to be seen as a “continuation” of the previous track, according to Legg:
“‘Spaceship’ is about the sorrow surrounding the earliest stages of my breakup, whilst ‘Drugs With My Friends’ is representative of the genesis of my healing journey. The part where I realised I could begin to be myself again, reclaim my autonomy and freedom, simultaneously learning new things about myself. This is the exciting part of the healing journey with a chaotic counterpart, it can often be emotionally overwhelming and lonely, but mostly it’s playful and expressive.”
‘Drugs With My Friends’ is out now. Angus Legg: triple j Unearthed | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube| TikTok | X
sleepmakeswaves – ‘Ritual Control’ (Single)
Australian instrumental post-rockers sleepmakeswaves have released another single from their forthcoming album “It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It” following the addition of two more US shows to their growing world tour dates.
The new album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ was produced by the band themselves, at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, Australia. Written during the pandemic, it was originally recorded during 2022 just before the band embarked on a 3 month tour for their previous EP trilogy ‘these are not your dreams.’ Further recording was completed in 2023, including string arrangements by Simeon Bartholomew (SEIMS). The record was then mixed by Andrei Eremin (Closure in Moscow, Tash Sultana, G Flip, Luca Brasi) in Philadelphia USA and mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston USA.
‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ is out Friday 12 April through Bird’s Robe/MGM and Dunk Records.
Full back catalogue streaming online at: www.sleepmakeswaves.bandcamp.com
JAMES REYNE – Third and final run of dates added to 2024 Crawl File Tour (Tour News)
James Reyne is currently on the road, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Australian Crawl’s first greatest hits collection, CRAWL FILE. Due to overwhelming demand he has added a further 15 dates to the tour, rolling out from August 2. Catch James Reyne with an 8-piece band – guitarists Brett Kingman and Josh Owen, bassist Andy McIvor, with Sean Johnson on keys, drummer John Watson (who was part of Australian Crawl with James) and backing singers Melinda Jackson and Nicky Kurta. Crawl File plays like a classic gig, opening with the band’s debut single, ‘Beautiful People’, and closing with their most popular live song, ‘The Boys Light Up’. In between are some of the most-loved Australian songs of all time, including ‘Reckless’, ‘Errol’, ‘Oh No Not You Again’, ‘Lakeside’, ‘Downhearted’ and ‘Things Don’t Seem’.
Crawl File has been reissued on vinyl by Universal Music, see HERE. Tour tickets on sale now – see www.jamesreyne.com.au
SCOTT LAVENE – ‘Sadly I’m Not Steve McQueen’ (Single)
Essex storyteller, Scott Lavene gives another tantalising preview of his forthcoming album Disneyland In Dagenham with the engagingly quirky new single “Sadly I’m Not Steve McQueen”. Scott Lavene is the kind of artist that can be compared only to himself, he’s that voice in our ear who always has a tale more weird, more tragic, more funny than our own, but in whose experiences we can see our own. “Sadly I’m not Steve McQueen” contrasts the dreary romance of his Essex upbringing with his dreams of international stardom – a Malibu mansion next door to Keith Moon’s and a bright red open-topped sports car, but today such validation no longer matters. “Sadly I’m Not Steve McQueen”out now in Australia through local label Cheersquad Records & Tapes.
ARABELLA AND THE HEIST -’1769’ (Single)
Fueled by rock and rage, Melbourne’s femme-punk outfit Arabella and The Heist pack a punch with their fierce and seductive energy. Clenching their fists and gritting their teeth, they’ve released their snarling new single ‘1769’ (Friday, March 8). For those unfamiliar with the musings of Arabella and The Heist, the band debuted in 2021, then released a handful of singles, followed by their debut EP ‘The Back Woods’ last year. They’ve since been stirring a frenzy in Melbourne band rooms, playing events like Cherryfest and sold-out shows with their punk and rock contemporaries Vermantics, Battlesnake, The Ugly Kings and The Valiants. Most recently, they’ve supported German punks S.U.G.A.R and played Mordi Fest with The Vanns, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pierce Brothers and more. Arabella and The Heist – ‘1769’ – Listen
GRETTA RAY – ‘Roses’ (single/Video)
Australian singer-songwriter Gretta Ray unveils her latest single,”Roses,” a heartfelt reflection on her deep connection to London and the longing to return amidst the challenges of the pandemic. Co-written with collaborator Gab Strum, “Roses” is lifted from ‘Positive Spin +’ an extended version of her second album, and captures the essence of optimism tinged with melancholy, embodying Ray’s lush and expansive sound.
During the lockdowns of 2020, Ray found solace in creative collaboration with Strum, resulting in the creation of “Roses.” The song, adorned with layered vocals echoing the refrain “it’s all coming up roses,” paints a vivid picture of her affection for London and the nostalgia for the version of herself the city inspires. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Gretta Ray will be on tour in Australia alongside Maisie Peters in March. Click here for tour dates.
BAD WEATHER – ‘The Man or The Boy” (Single)
Perth indie act BAD WEATHER have just dropped their new single ‘The Man or The Boy’ following a first play on Unearthed Radio. The track was co-written and produced alongside multi-platinum engineer Michael Bono (Avril Lavigne, Blink 182), and sonically feels akin to some of the the throwback stylings found on ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ (2020) from The 1975 – with plenty of teen-drama feels, and a HUGE chorus that really will blow you away on the first listen through.
The band have previously played alongside Tia Gostelow, Cry Club, Death By Denim, STUMPS, Strangelove, End Of Fashion and more.
SMART URL Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Triple J Unearthed
JESSE DAYTON – ’The Hard Way Blues’ (Album release May 31)
Ahead his Australian tour with Samantha Fish, Grammy-nominated artist Jesse Dayton is set to unveil his highly anticipated album, The Hard Way Blues, on May 31st, via Hardcharger / Blue Élan Records. Produced by the acclaimed Shooter Jennings, this album marks a deeper exploration into Dayton’s blues influences, following his recent Grammy nomination for “Contemporary Blues Album of the Year” together with Samantha Fish. Accompanying the album announcement is the release of the title track, “The Hard Way,” alongside an energetic music video. Currently, Dayton is on the road previewing his new music while completing the final legs of the Death Wish Blues tour with Samantha Fish. Next week, Dayton will unveil headline tour dates for the first leg of his record release tour, which kicks off in June with his first Western U.S. shows in three years.
Jesse Dayton stands out as a dynamic figure in the landscape of Outlaw Country, positioned among the esteemed ranks of Texas’s musical icons alongside luminaries like Billy Joe Shaver, Doug Sahm, and Kinky Friedman. Renowned for his virtuoso guitar skills and distinctive style, Dayton blazed trails by seamlessly blending Texas Rockabilly and Country with Punk Rock through his band, the Road Kings.
PRE-ORDER HERE CONNECT Website | Instagram | Facebook | X
WINIFRED – ‘Blue Fire’ (Single/Video)
Winifred’s newest single ‘Blue Fire’ is OUT NOW, the sultry alt-pop number sees the songwriter deliver a hypnotising, infectious new single in her signature layered production and ethereal style. It is the latest glimpse into her awaited EP ‘Carpet of Flowers’, due for release in April. The third single from the EP peels back the curtain on the London-via-Townsville songwriter’s yearning for a desire that should be admired from afar: It’s out of my reach in the best way/No I don’t mind life in the fast lane but I won’t let myself/Burn up like a blue fire
“I wrote Blue Fire as a mood piece. To me it’s a sensory-inspired phrase. It’s a reflection on desire and self awareness. When your desire is just out of reach, maybe in some rare cases, that’s where it’s meant to stay,” said Winifred.
“Blue Fire began with me recording top line and chord ideas in my home studio in Townsville, and came full circle down in Melbourne with Jackson McRae. My aim was for the production to feel simultaneously ethereal and gritty while remaining kind of understated throughout. Low-key bedroom bop energy.”
https://mnrkaus.lnk.to/winifredbluefire
TUSKS – ‘GOLD’ (Album out April 12th). New single ‘BODY ACHE’ out now
Following two revered albums, ‘Dissolve’ in 2017 and ‘Avalanche’ in 2019, London-based electronic songwriter and producer Tusks, aka Emily Underhill, has returned with her third. ‘Gold’ is released on April 12th via One Little Independent Records.
‘Gold’ took form slowly over several months spent rewriting and reworking; half created at home in the middle of London and half during two solitary trips to Devon, where many of the songs found their inspiration. In need of some space, away from a shared house that had just been through a pandemic together as well as from a relationship that was coming to an end, she traveled to the south-west. It was here that she would get the bulk of her writing done, recognising there were some things she would have to work through alone, and in no small part it came to her in the form of a torrential storm. Bringing the album back to London, Tusks partnered with producer Tom Andrews to bring the tracks to life from studios like Ten87 in Tottenham and SS2 Recording in Southend.
New single ‘Body Ache’ perfectly encapsulates what ‘Gold’ is; a force of nature, as impactful in its quieter moments as it is when it strikes. Like the people and relationships it represents, it’s complex, with a depth and richness that’s observed within the smallest sonic eccentricity and decision. Like anything, Tusks knows that her artistic strength comes from a careful balance, a push and pull that can be felt tangibly across ‘Gold’ and its conception.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
TALL SHAUN – ‘Black Dog’ (Single)
Introducing Tall Shaun, the powerhouse blues outfit from the South Coast of NSW. Fronted by sensational vocalist Shaun Wessel – whose break-out performance on the 2022 season of The Voice put the veteran entertainers in the spotlight – Tall Shaun is setting a new benchmark in blues music.
Tall Shaun’s new single Black Dog is a song written to raise awareness to the importance of men’s mental health and keeping an eye on your mates in every form of life’s ups and downs. The song reaches deep into the fact that it ain’t weak to speak and that one conversation, one helping hand one shoulder to cry I can be life changing for a hombre that is fighting the black dog. This song is dedicated to anyone affected by mental health depression and anxiety. A common thread in life’s journey and we are all advocates for this and we are all here to help.
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD AUDIO AS WAV AND MP3HERE
BEN AVITRA – The River’ (Single/Video)
Following the release of his emotive and captivating single ‘The River’, Perth’s Ben Avitra is pairing it with a hauntingly powerful accompanying music video. Watch ‘The River’ Music Video
Known for his potent blend of alt-pop/indie-folk, Avitra’s latest offering delves into the depths of human experience, delivering a haunting narrative. ‘The River’ gracefully weaves from start to finish, blending Avitra’s heartfelt vocals with spacious acoustic guitar and stoic drums, stirring a gloomy, but hopeful disposition. Stream ‘The River’
Follow Ben Avitra www.benavitra.com
Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Youtube
STACEY ANN – ‘A Change In The Wind’ (EP)
Stacey Ann, the radiant indie/pop/soul bundle of joy from Boorloo/Perth has released her debut EP, ‘A Change In The Wind’ (Out now). Following the infectious single ‘Ripples’, Stacey Ann’s EP delivers a wholesome blend of vibrant melodies and heartfelt lyrics that find a sweet spot between contemporary indie and pop and soul of bygone eras. Stream ‘A Change In The Wind’
For Stacey Ann, ‘A Change In The Wind’ is a journey of her own self-discovery and growth over the past five years. Each track explores moments and experiences she has faced, encapsulating themes of love, loss, friendship, and resilience. Reflecting on the EP, Stacey Ann shares:
“This EP has been the biggest and most exciting project I’ve been able to work on so far, and over the last year my incredible band and I have been in the studio putting it together, layer by layer. I am thrilled to finally be able to put it out in the world and I am so proud of this body of work. ‘A Change In The Wind’ is a closing chapter of the coming of age and self-discovery journey of my adolescence. It represents the heartbreak, loss, love, growth and friendship that encompassed the last 5 years of my life. The release of this EP feels like a new beginning and the opening of the next chapter in my journey”
‘A Change In The Wind’ EP Launch
Sat, April 6 – Lyric’s Underground, Maylands WA | Tickets
Follow Stacey Ann Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube | Triple J Unearthed Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
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