LARGE MIRAGE have been turning up the heat with their latest single Wildfire – an exhilarating collision of guitar riffs, soaring melodies, infectious hooks and fearless musicianship, accompanied by an official video clip, and a single tour that kicked off at BIGSOUND and wraps on the big stage at Bonfest in Scotland, UK. To celebrate Large Mirage’s fabulous life, lead singer and guitarist, Kolya Chan ponders Six Quix for Australian Musician magazine
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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 tour has been barreling 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
Sun 25 Oct – Sun 1 Nov 26 – ROCK THE BOAT CRUISE, Sydney > Noumea
Sat 07 Nov 26 – Crafted Festival, Foreshore Park Newcastle NSW