SNIPPETZ: THURSDAY JULY 10 ,2025
This week’s Snippetz features: Emily Wurramara, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem, Gaupa, Merpire, The High Kings, Horizon, Cordrazine, Kesha, No Promises, Estelle Conley, The Dirty Beat, Geese, Yorke, Schism 21C, Benny Morrell, Meghna, Russell Dickerson, Yorke, Sachém, Dayseeker, Ally Row and many more.
EMILY WURRAMARA ‘ADORE ME’ (Single)
lutruwita/Tasmania-based multi-award-winning artist, author, producer, activist and proud Warnindhilyagwa woman hailing from Groote Eylandt & Milyakburra/Bickerton Island Emily Wurramara (she/her – pronunciation guide here) shares ‘Adore Me’ – a sun-lit alt/indie/folk-pop meditation on love of all kinds for anyone who “has their sh*t together, but doesn’t at the same time”, contrasting sonic euphoria with deep layers of lyrical frustration – her first official release since she made history by being the first Indigenous woman to ever win an ARIA for Best Adult Contemporary Album thanks to her second album NARA (2024), took out the J Award for Australian Music Video of the Year 2024, and sold out multiple stops on the album’s double run of tour dates. It follows a massive ten months for the acclaimed artist since NARA’s release, with 4x current nominations each at this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards and AIR Awards, 3x songs eligible for triple j’s Hottest 100 of “Australian” Songs – most recently selling out her headline show @ Sydney Opera House for VIVID with additional performances at City Recital Hall for Mardi Gras, and upcoming dates across July on Turtle Island/so-called Canada at Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, a headline show on Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Land/Vancouver, and at Garma Festival on Yolngu Country in the so-called NT this August – all dates below. ‘Adore Me’ is out now via ABC Music – stream/purchase HERE.
“You can look away / And tell me that you’re sorry
Fight for me to stay / Just tell me you adore me”
Written around the NARA tour following the album’s historic ARIA win and landing alongside a warm, diaristic video documenting this momentous time, ‘Adore Me’ is a love song with a twist – all jubilance and sunlight on first listen as it opens with the spellbinding woozy synths Emily Wurramara laid down on the track’s original demo, building to a buoyant pop groove – but there is an ache for reciprocity underneath the surface, as she reflects on “the flaws and patterns humanity engage with” when it comes to love in all its forms – whether internal, external or universal: “all these different concepts of love we need to look at and embrace as society” Wurramara says – to meditate on what we deserve from these relationships, especially when there is “so much pain in the world”. Co-produced by Wurramara with longtime collaborator James Mangohig (A.B. Original, Daniel Johns), decorated with rhythmic flourishes of various bells, medicine bowls and chimes and inspired by the way artists like Florence + the Machine and James Blake blend emotive lyrics with atmospheric soundscapes, the song was recorded on Larrakia Country’s/Darwin’s Sands Studios with many more of NARA’s players including Caiti Baker on vocal engineering duties and a rapturous chorus of friends, with additional production, mixing and instrumentation via Tony Buchen (G Flip, Mildlife – bass, synthesiser) at Church Street Studios who worked with Declan Kelly (Bernard Fanning – drums, percussion). ‘Adore Me’ stands as a testament to Wurramara’s ability to ask the big, endlessly complex questions in the most healing, gorgeous, heart-on-sleeve ways – as she did on NARA – in a more expansive way than ever before, leaning further into the production instincts that helped to make her second album so singular.
Wurramara explains: “I’m a chord girl – so after laying down the chords for ‘Adore Me’, I just sat there at two o’clock in the morning improvising. I heard the hook first, recorded it and then improvised the verse, which hasn’t changed since then. When it comes to songwriting, I feel like love songs are my superpower; I’m very well-versed and experienced in that. I’ve got a big heart, I’m a lover, and sometimes that can lead to challenges in the self and also within a relationship. But it’s all about growth. You’ve gotta go through that to understand the love you deserve and need. You grasp onto this idea of what adoration means, in the hope you find that, only to realise that, hey, maybe you should love yourself first? Set that standard for how you want to be loved. Relationships are a lot of work and I firmly believe that fostering these discussions, around love and vulnerability, can lead to greater understanding and connection between people who are longing for that profound experience. I think ‘Adore Me’ really captures that essence – and there’s this continuation of community with the way we recorded it, which I loved.”
Dubbed one “of the country’s greatest voices” (Double J), songwriting helps Emily Wurramara make sense of the world. “To me, songwriting is like a ceremony, it’s sacred,” she shares. “It allows connection to happen; not to the physical, but to the soul, to the spirit.” An important, impactful voice in so-called-Australia’s musical landscape, the internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning artist has amassed 35+-million streams on Spotify alone thanks to her breath-taking talents as an artist, storyteller and performer who is known for her ability to evoke feeling through intimacy and appreciation of life’s subtleties and complexities.
A self-described “rebirth” album titled for the Anindilyakwa word meaning “nothing”, 2024’s NARA – debuting at #17 on ARIA’s Aus Albums Chart, #9 on the Digital Albums chart, and #6 on the AIR Albums Chart, also longlisted for the Australian Music Prize – featured triple j-added singles ‘STFAFM’ ft. Arringarri, ‘Lordy Lordy’ ft. Tasman Keith, as well as ‘Magic Woman Dancing‘ & ‘Midnight Blues‘ and attracted high praise from musicians, actors, comedians and media figures alike from The Wiggles to Nicky Winmar, Barkaa to Ben Lee, Fanny Lumsden, Sean Millis and many more. The album drew glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, The Age, The Australian, Beat Magazine, The Big Issue, The AU Review and support via The Guardian, The Brag Media (Record of the Week), Junkee, SBS Living Black with Karla Grant, ABC News, ARIA Amplified, NITV, Daily Telegraph, Witchology Magazine UK and was added at Double J, highlighted in a myriad of end of year lists ranging from KEXP’s Sounds of Survivance DJ Kevin Sur, The Guardian (Best AU Albums of 2024), Rolling Stone (#11 – Best AU Albums of 2024), JB HiFi (Best AU Albums of 2024), The Music (Best AU Albums of 2024), Double J (#12 – Best Albums of 2024), Happy Magazine (Best AU Releases of 2024), Kill Your Darlings Culture Picks, RUSSH’s ARIA-Winning Albums to Listen To, Outside My Inside (Best Albums of 2024), Suffragette Records (Best Selling/Favourite Albums of 2024), named top “AU” album of the year by Heavy and Weird and Music Farmers, The Footy Almanac (#5 – Best AU Albums of 2024), and Bernard Zuel, with Angie McMahon cementing ‘STFAFM’ as one of her Hottest 100 votes via triple j and Zan Rowe shouting the track out as one of her favourites of the year; plus rage highlighting in their Best New Music Videos 2024 (‘Lordy Lordy’ – also #2 in the rage 50) and Wurramara herself as one of their Best of the Guests 2024. The record was also named Feature / Album of the Week across 8 community radio stations nationally with strong DSP playlisting support and a breathtaking debut on triple j’s Like A Version, covering Hozier’s ‘Too Sweet‘.
When universally acclaimed second album NARA won Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards, Wurramara became the first Indigenous woman to take out this category since the award’s inception in 1987, with the record also nominated for ARIA’s Best Independent Release, longlisted for the Australian Music Prize and saw her nominated as the APRA Awards Emerging Songwriter of the Year. Previously, the Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore-directed film clip for ‘Lordy Lordy’ ft. Tasman Keith was announced as the 2024 J Award winner for Australian Music Video of the Year, with the station adding the track to full rotation as well as another album single, the rollicking mental health anthem ‘STFAFM’ ft. Arringarri. Her debut studio album, 2018’s Milyakburra – named after Milyakburra/Bickerton Island, her ancestor’s established home of the Wurramara tribe – won the AIR Award for Best Independent Blues And Roots Album, a moment that came full-circle at the 2024 ARIA Awards where she presented that same award to its new recipient. A six-time Queensland Music Award winner, Emily Wurramara is also a passionate advocate for environmental issues, mental health awareness and beyond with musical collaborations including The Wiggles (on ARIA-winning Re:Wiggled! as well as Emma! 2), PNAU and Empire of the Sun’s Nick Littlemore (on the highly-praised ‘So High‘ from PNAU album Hyperbolic which also featured Khalid, Ladyhawke, Troye Sivan and Bebe Rexha), Reuben James (Tori Kelly, Sam Smith), GRAMMY Award-winning producer Q Million, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn, Fred Leone, DRMNGNOW, Bumpy and more on heartfelt tribute ‘Forever 15‘, JK-47, Kutcha Edwards, The Wiggles, Tibetan musician & activist Tenzin Choegyal, Mereani Masani (PNG) and many more, including on Bad//Dreems’ triple j Like A Version alongside Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil) and members of Mambali which placed in the station’s Hottest 100 that year.
Wurramara’s striking live performances are at once intimate and brimming with an overwhelming sense of community, packed with full-chested sing-alongs, heartfelt stories, raw honesty and laughter in a showcase of her incredible skill and sleek melodies, taking the audience along with her on a profound journey of growth and healing – “I love to turn my audiences into my backing singers”, she says – selling out headline shows at venues from intimate to mid-size to the Sydney Opera House and sharing stages with renowned artists including the late Uncle Archie Roach, Missy Higgins, Thelma Plum, Baker Boy, Mavis Staples, ICEHOUSE, Rob Thomas, Midnight Oil and many more, plus appearances at high-profile festivals across so-called Australia like Bluesfest, Sydney Mardi Gras, Groovin The Moo, VIVID, A Festival Called Panama, RISING, Treaty Day Out, WOMADelaide, Port Fairy Folk Festival, YABUN Festival and many more live appearances including the Protect Our Oceans benefit series, the Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea, at TEDx and with the Queensland Orchestra, as well as internationally on Turtle Island/so-called USA & Canada, Sweden, France, and beyond.
Emily Wurramara – ‘Adore Me’ Out now via ABC Music Stream / Purchase
LIVE DATES
July 10 – 14 – Winnipeg Folk Festival, Turtle Island/CAN
Jul 17 – Vancouver Civic Theatres, Turtle Island/CAN
July 18 – 20 – Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Turtle Island/CAN
July 24 – 26 – Calgary Folk Music Festival, Turtle Island/CAN
August 1 – 4 – Garma Festival, Yolngu Country NT
Tickets here
CONNECT WITH EMILY WURRAMARA
GEESE SHARE ‘TAXES’ SINGLE & VIDEO. ANNOUNCE ‘GETTING KILLED’ ALBUM FOR SEPTEMBER 26
New York City’s Geese announce their new album Getting Killed and share the lead single ‘Taxes’ with a music video, out now via Partisan Records. The new single is a fitting opening statement for Geese’s next musical chapter, an accomplished smorgasbord of sounds jammed together to form a melodic whole, led by the divine jestering of frontman Cameron Winter’s soaring, aching vocals.
Single out now via Partisan Records
Listen / Watch Now
Pre-Save Album
Geese’s third studio album, Getting Killed, obliterates any expectations the band has set with their discography to date. After lighting the fuse with the beguiling post-punk experiments of their 2021 debut album Projector and the rollicking cowboy rock record followup of 2023’s 3D Country, Getting Killed examines the wreckage of blowing up those ideas and picking up the pieces to form their own bold and exacting vision. The album was recorded with renowned producer Kenneth Blume in his LA studio over a month-long stretch and what Geese emerged with is a chaotic comedy of epic proportions. Getting Killed balances a disarming new tenderness with an intensified anger, with each member of the band wielding an earned, unshakeable confidence and a hearty disdain of conventional music structures.
Last month, Geese announced ‘The Getting Killed Tour’, which will see the band headline shows across North America later this year. This tour is the biggest headline run of the band’s career yet, launching in Burlington, Vermont, on October 10th and concluding with back-to-back hometown shows at Brooklyn Paramount on November 20th and 21st.
The band’s 2023 sophomore album 3D Country has developed into a modern classic, with Rolling Stone calling it “one of the best New York rock albums of the past few years” and Paste calling it the “best rock record made by Zoomers ever.” Geese have played festival sets at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Dog Days, Pickathon, Newport Folk Festival, ACL and more, and have toured with the likes of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Greta Van Fleet, Spoon, Jack White and Vampire Weekend. Geese first started teasing music from the new album at festival sets earlier this year, whipping up fans into an absolute frenzy on the heels of frontman Cameron Winter’s widely-lauded and mildly befuddling solo debut Heavy Metal. Critically-acclaimed by The New York Times, Pitchfork, i-D, GQ & more, Winter’s idiosyncratic, soul-searching personal journey has led him back to Geese, who have a bold, powerful new record in the chamber with Getting Killed.
Geese – Taxes (Official Music Video)
Geese – The Getting Killed Tour US Dates
10 OCT 2025 / US / South Burlington, VT / Higher Ground Ballroom *
11 OCT 2025 / CA / Toronto, ON / Opera House * **SOLD OUT**
13 OCT 2025 / US / Detroit, MI / El Club * **SOLD OUT**
15 OCT 2025 / US / Chicago, IL / Thalia Hall * **SOLD OUT**
16 OCT 2025 / US / Chicago, IL / Thalia Hall * **2nd date added**
17 OCT 2025 / US / Madison, WI / Majestic Theatre * **SOLD OUT**
18 OCT 2025 / US / St. Paul, MN / Amsterdam Bar & Hall * **SOLD OUT**
20 OCT 2025 / US / Englewood, CO / Gothic Theatre * **SOLD OUT venue upgrade**
24 OCT 2025 / US / Seattle, WA / Neumos * **SOLD OUT**
25 OCT 2025 / CA / Vancouver, BC / Hollywood Theatre * **SOLD OUT**
26 OCT 2025 / US / Portland, OR / Wonder Ballroom * **SOLD OUT**
28 OCT 2025 / US / San Francisco, CA / The Fillmore * **SOLD OUT**
30 OCT 2025 / US / Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda Theatre * **SOLD OUT**
31 OCT 2025 / US / San Diego, CA / Quartyard ^
01 NOV 2025 / US / Phoenix, AZ / Crescent Ballroom ^
04 NOV 2025 / US / Fort Worth, TX / Tulips ^
05 NOV 2025 / US / Austin, TX / Scoot Inn ^ **SOLD OUT**
06 NOV 2025 / US / Houston, TX / White Oak Music Hall ^
08 NOV 2025 / US / Atlanta, GA / Terminal West ^ **SOLD OUT**
09 NOV 2025 / US / Asheville, NC / The Grey Eagle Music Hall ^ **SOLD OUT**
10 NOV 2025 / US / Carrboro, NC / Cat’s Cradle ^ **SOLD OUT**
12 NOV 2025 / US / Washington, DC / 9:30 Club ^ **SOLD OUT**
13 NOV 2025 / US / Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer ^
14 NOV 2025 / US / Boston, MA / Paradise Rock Club ^ **SOLD OUT**
15 NOV 2025 / US / Woodstock, NY / Levon Helm Studios ^ **SOLD OUT**
20 NOV 2025 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Paramount **2nd date added**
21 NOV 2025 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Paramount *^ **SOLD OUT**
* w/ support from Racing Mount Pleasant
^ w/ support from Dove Ellis
Geese – Taxes Single out now, Getting Killed out 26 September via Partisan Records Listen here
CHLOE MARKS & THE MAYHEM ‘SKIP SEPTEMBER’ (SINGLE)
Hot on the heels of their debut release, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem are back with their electrifying second single, ‘Skip September’. Blending the fierce heart of Americana country with smoky blues and gritty rock, this track continues the band’s bold exploration of modern life through vivid lyricism and genre-defying soundscapes.
Led by powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Chloe Marks, the Brisbane-based five-piece have quickly established themselves as a must-watch act in Australia’s contemporary country scene. Following the heartfelt storytelling of their debut single ‘Carolina’, the new track pushes emotional boundaries with a moodier, more rebellious edge.
“Skip September is about those moments in life when you just want to fast-forward through the hardest parts” Chloe says. “It’s about remembering moments of grief, and trying your hardest to resist the urge to hit pause or skip altogether. I wrote it during a time of deep transition and my biggest life struggles, and my aim was for that rawness to come through.”
Produced by Michael Moko, ‘Skip September’ is a sonic evolution for the band, pairing Chloe’s evocative vocals with a rich, textured backdrop of electric guitar, driving basslines, earth moving drums and layered harmonies. It’s a track that stings and soothes in equal measure.
With an album in the works and a growing list of live shows lighting up venues across Brisbane and beyond, Chloe Marks & The Mayhem are proving that they’re not just here for a moment, they’re here to make one.
SHOW DATES:
Saturday July 12 – Leftys Music Hall – Brisbane QLD
Saturday August 2 – Leftys Music Hall – Brisbane QLD
Sunday August 10 – Beechmont Hotel – Gold Coast QLD
Saturday August 16 – Chattahoochee Joes – Brisbane QLD
Friday August 22 – Honky Tonks – Brisbane QLD
Saturday August 23 – Moreton Bay Food & Wine Festival – Brisbane QLD
Thursday September 4 – Leftys Music Hall – Brisbane QLD
Friday September 12 – Honky Tonks – Brisbane QLD
Saturday September 20 – Honky Tonks – Brisbane QLD
Saturday October 4 – Urban Country Music Festival – Brisbane QLD
CONNECT WITH CHLOE MARKS & THE MAYHEM
GAUPA Release Lyric Video For ‘Lion’s Thorn’ New Mini-Album FYR Is Out Now
Acclaimed progressive stoner rock powerhouse GAUPA have released a video for their song, ‘Lion’s Thorn’, the blistering opening track of their brand new 4-track mini-album FYR, out today via Nuclear Blast Records (digital) and Magnetic Eye Records (physical).
FYR is the follow-up to the Swede’s highly acclaimed sophomore album MYRIAD, and features some of GAUPA’s heaviest and most absorbing work to date
Emma Näslund (vocals) commented: ”In a world full of chaos I hope these songs will bring you dance, hope and lust to resist oppressors.”
Vinyl and CD editions of FYR contain the physical-formats-only track ‘Sömnen / Febersvan (Live at Monkey Moon Studios, 2023)’.
PURCHASE OR STREAM THE NEW MINI ALBUM FYR:
https://gaupa.bfan.link/fyrWATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘LION’S THORN’:
https://youtu.be/4UrsItCpVkY
MORE ABOUT GAUPA:
Since the release of their self-titled EP in 2018, Sweden’s GAUPA – which translates as ‘lynx’ in English – have continued to pave new ground within the stoner and psychedelic scene, building their own unique cosmos defined by enchanting lyrical surrealism and mind-altering sound.
In 2020, their debut album Feberdröm pushed them into the international spotlight with its outstanding blend of progressive metal, doom, stoner and folk, steered by the entrancing vocal of frontwoman Emma Näslund. Just one year later, they found their label home at Nuclear Blast Records.
Following the arrival of 2022’s Myriad, with the track ‘Exoskeleton’ reaching over a million streams on Spotify (the EP’s Febersvan now has over 4 million), GAUPA went on to deliver countless unforgettable performances with appearances at festivals including Sweden Rock, Hellfest, Wacken, Mystic and Desertfest, as well as on tours with heavyweights such as Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, Blood Ceremony and Graveyard.
Now, they’ve reached a turning point in their journey. After former co- guitarist Daniel Nygren left in 2024 to focus on family life, GAUPA found themselves at a standstill, having to relearn how to orchestrate the band without one of its core members. In the summer, they began writing their first full offering in three years, a four-track mini album titled FYR, a play on words with multiple translations meaning “lighthouse”, “to set something on fire” as well as the number “four” in Swedish.
The four-track mini album marks GAUPA’s fourth release, as well as the start of their next chapter as a four-piece band. However, despite their newly slimmed-down line-up, FYR is anything but slight; with the help of new mixing engineer Karl Daniel Lidén, it serves as their heaviest material to date. Recorded in the autumn of 2024 in Svenska Grammofonstudion, Göteborg and Estethuset studios, Falun, FYR is a genre-bending journey through enthralling psychedelia, groove-laden stoner rock and heavy prog metal.
Showcasing more of Näslund’s playfully perplexing and surreal lyricism, FYR loosely explores the concept of time, “what is real, what is not, and what is a dream”, additionally inspired by science fiction novels, nature and animals.
Later this year, Gaupa will continue to cement themselves as live extraordinaires, playing festivals such as Stoomfest in the UK, Krach Am Bach in Germany and Motocultor in France.
GAUPA ONLINE: https://linktr.ee/GAUPAband
BRAZEN BARBIE ‘AIN’T NO DUMMY’ (SINGLE)
Grit and glam go hand in hand as Kenyan-Australian musician Brazen Barbie unveils a brand new cut and music video, Ain’t No Dummy, with the lush new single taken from her forthcoming new mixtape, BRAZEN, set for release on Friday August 1.
Bustling with vibrant production, razor-sharp flow and a dynamic fusion of R&B, hip hop and rap, Ain’t No Dummy is a playful yet powerful outing that incorporates nods to some of the greats like Missy Elliot, Duke Deuce, Project Pat and Eve, while also flexing Brazen Barbie’s powerhouse ability to fuse influences without imitation – and inject lashings of empowerment. “Ain’t No Dummy is about knowing better and still doing it anyway, but on your terms,” shares Brazen Barbie. “It’s playful and a bit messy, sitting in that space where you’re fully aware, but still choosing chaos for the fun of it. There’s contradiction in it. being petty but self-aware, letting things slide but clocking everything. It’s also about people underestimating you, thinking you’re naive, when really you’re ten steps ahead.”
Working with MixedByDaniel, aka Daniel Roberts and beat producer David Arcade, Ain’t No Dummy also arrives today armed with a new music video, with Brazen Barbie teaming up with artist NBreezy to ultimately conjure the playful yet inescapably substantial messaging to visual life. “The video leans into the contradictory side of the song,” says Brazen Barbie of the brand new clip. “It’s playful, hyper feminine, super dolled up and taps into the bimbo coded look, like we may look sweet and naive but looks can be deceiving. It’s fun and animated on the surface but there’s intention behind everything.”
With 12 tracks lying in wait on her upcoming mixtape BRAZEN, Brazen Barbie fiercely and triumphantly embodies her namesake, with bold and exuberant sensuality in tandem with resilience, vulnerability and plenty of fresh rap, hip hop and R&B twists and turns to captivate from start to finish. Whether doling out serpentine swagger (Can’t Hang), moody, trap-soaked flow (Been That), hypnotic lucidity (Sneaky), sparkling self-awareness with a glossy punch (Ain’t No Dummy) or oozing into contemporary R&B splendour (What Do I Care), BRAZEN captures a kaleidoscope of raw honesty and sheer talent into this singular mixtape, significantly heightened by Brazen Barbie’s effusive creative DNA and an ingrained ability to get deep without losing the twinkle in her eye. “BRAZEN is a self portrait,” shares Brazen Barbie. “Each track is a snapshot of a different mood or moment in my life, and a different version of the voice in my head. I wanted it to feel like turning up, in your head, and in a diary all at once. The themes that come across the project are self worth, resilience, power, and owning every part of myself, the good, the gritty, the tired. The themes run deep even when the delivery is playful.”
Beginning her creative journey at a young age, Brazen Barbie grew up surrounded by music at home and went on to play cello and sing as a kid – “but hip hop was what always really grabbed me,” she reveals. “I just vibed with how real it felt, the stories and attitude”. Spurred by a hunger to push her own boundaries and vulnerabilities, Brazen Barbie’s ability to inject her own voice into music that is simultaneously raw and fresh has seen her repeatedly (and vigorously) turn heads, with hits like CHECK and DON’T TALK celebrating confidence, independence and divine femininity. And while her braggadocious bars enamour on their own, it’s also Brazen Barbie’s playful punchlines that soften the gritty blow of her lyricism, revealing a depth and aptitude equally as powerful as her magnetic releases. Previously performing at Sydney Fringe Festival, BIGSOUND, SXSW and Promiseland, Brazen Barbie was also inducted into the Acclaim Magazine All Stars Class of ’24, and has also garnered features on VICE and Acclaim amongst many others.
Now poised to release her mixtape BRAZEN this August, the stage is tantalisingly set with the arrival today of Ain’t No Dummy; and, as Brazen Barbie concludes, this lush new track opens the door to some fresh sonic terrain. “I’m honestly so excited to drop Ain’t No Dummy,” enthuses Brazen Barbie. “It’s one of those tracks that just feels alive and shows a side of me that is different to my past releases. It’s pretty contagious, I’ve had it on repeat since I recorded it.
Ain’t No Dummy is out now. BRAZEN mixtape is due out Friday August 1.
Stream: AIN’T NO DUMMY
Watch: AIN’T NO DUMMY
MERPIRE ‘MILK POO’ (ALBUM)
Naarm/Melbourne’s MERPIRE aka Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt (she/her) today shares her highly-anticipated second album MILK POOL – a indie/alt/dark-pop album for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change, punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery – its title representing “the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it”, a second teenagehood for Merpire that finds her “wading playfully and trustingly into the unknown” in a deeper, darker, more personal way than her globally-acclaimed debut album Simulation Ride (2021). MILK POOL arrives ahead of a run of intimate solo tour dates presented by Craft Music across mid-late Aug in so-called VIC, NSW, QLD & ACT, with Naarm/Melbourne selling out x2 shows in <72hrs, as well as a local album launch and an appearance at Town Folk Festival this November – details below. MILK POOL features vibrant focus track + video ‘Fishing‘ as well as previously-released trilogy of starry-eyed singles ‘Premonition‘, ‘Bigger‘ & ‘Leaving With You‘ and is out everywhere now – stream HERE / purchase on vinyl HERE (limited splatter edition sold out).
Angled toward her deep, abiding love for her artist community through thick and thin and co-produced by Merpire and James Seymour (Pillow Queens, Elizabeth M. Drummond, Jacob Diamond), buoyant alt-pop/indie-rock focus track ‘Fishing’ immediately hooks in heart-first with its opening lyrics and bright, fuzzed-out guitar – “I’m just a little bit in love with all of my friends / Oh how I need them” – a beautiful celebration of friendship and connection and a testament of the fierce and unshakeable love Merpire has for her community. Written at the end of 2020 after a huge year as a founder of globally successful live streaming series ISOL-AID through the pandemic, finishing her debut album Simulation Ride, starting another one-off project and releasing a collaboration EP, Merpire shares it’s “a song for every artist who makes huge sacrifices every day, while still being able to support other artists for the love of art” – and that through all the “learning and pushing and grieving, I was ever-proud of the resilience of the music community” – also saying of the 90s-inspired video, directed by rcstills (Public Figures, Juice Webster) with additional shots by Brooke Painter (Heathers: The Musical, Urinetown): “It was essentially a big party of creatives, some of whom had met before and some who hadn’t, all coming together to express joy. By the end of the shoot we just wanted to actually live out what we were capturing – making new friends, chatting and laughing til the wee hours. It was truly beautiful and that love just beams out of the clip.”
Fluid and metaphysical as the tides, MILK POOL is for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change – a dark-pop album punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery, its title representing “the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it”. A premonition in itself, MILK POOL was written at a crossroads in Merpire’s life where she felt called to make huge changes, including stepping away from her achievements as a founder of live music streaming series ISOL-AID during the pandemic – an effort she began to bolster the struggling artist community which featured 146+ artists incl. Angie McMahon, Courtney Bartnett, Sarah Blasko and more – and from interpersonal relationships – recorded at Melrose Place on Wurundjeri Country with production by Merpire, James Seymour (Pillow Queens, Elizabeth M. Drummond, Jacob Diamond), and contributions via James Dring (Nilüfer Yanya, Genesis Owusu, Porches) and Elizabeth M. Drummond, mixed by Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding, Perfume Genius).
MILK POOL’s themes – diving into the unknown, sexuality (‘Internet’, ‘Rosanna’) & pure crush (‘Premonition’, ‘Leaving With You’, ‘Bigger’), home in community (‘Fishing’), putting the final stitches over past traumas (‘fig.8’, ‘Canine’, ‘Cinnamon’), restlessness, rediscovery of self and values (‘Retriever’, ‘You Are Loved’) – echo Merpire’s lived experiences, intentionally written to eddy & swirl in meaning depending on the listener – without ever losing her trademark sense of humour, buoyed by the human connection we share & a deep romanticism for people, places and how they inevitably change over time. The album features paw-scratching & paw-padding from Jane the cat and instrumentation via Merpire (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, synths, tambourine), James Seymour (backing vocals, piano, ukulele, electric guitars, bass, programmed drums, synths, percussion), James Dring (electric guitars, bass, drums, beats and percussion), Elizabeth M. Drummond (backing vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, programmed drums, synths, bass), Jess Ellwood (drums) & Jeremy Gara (drums, percussion) – and is the result of an artist doggedly reclaiming her body, her joy and her desire, intended for anyone who could use the physical release. Merpire shares of the album: “I recently overheard a quote by the Russian composer Rachmaninov on writing music. He said, ‘It should be the product of the sum total of a composer’s experiences’. It was comforting to find such correlating eternal values in music between myself – a female, queer, Australian contemporary artist living in the 21st century and a male, straight, composer who lived in the 19th-century. Like life, the only constant on this record is change. MILK POOL is finding home and displacement. While I’ve written lyrics and created production elements to fit my emotional connection with the personal meaning of each song, the album is open to interpretation. Why put a song in a box when art is meant to be free? MILK POOL has served my needs to express myself and my experiences. It is now literally “released” as an open gift for whoever wants to listen to explore their own meanings and emotions.”.
Merpire – MILK POOL out independently now
CATCH MERPIRE LIVE
Fri 15 Aug – Junk Bar – Magandjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD
Sat 16 Aug – Lazy Thinking – Eora/Sydney, Gadigal & Wangal Country NSW
Sat 17 Aug – Smith’s Alternative – Ngambri/Canberra, Ngunnawal Country ACT
Thurs 21 Aug – Merri Creek Tavern – Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country VIC **SOLD OUT IN UNDER 24HRS
Thu 28 Aug – Merri Creek Tavern – Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country VIC **SOLD OUT IN UNDER 48HRS
Sat 15 Nov – Town Folk Festival, Castlemaine, Dja Dja Wurrung Country VIC
WATCH: Merpire – ‘Leaving With You’ (Live from Happy)
CONNECT WITH MERPIRE merpiremusic.com
KESHA ‘PERIOD’ ALBUM
Multi-platinum global pop superstar Kesha is proud to release her long-awaited new album, . (PERIOD), out now on her own Kesha Records via your preferred music streaming/purchase outlets.
Kesha’s sixth studio album, . (PERIOD) – yes, it’s just a period. – is an unapologetic, unfiltered declaration of artistic freedom and fearless authenticity from the 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated pop icon. Conceived, co-produced and co-written by Kesha, the 11-song collection transcends pop norms to create a raw, daring, and intensely personal sonic journey, a defiant act of self-expression that refuses to adhere to expectations or play it safe. More than just a new album, . (PERIOD) is Kesha at her most powerful best, turning her experiences into vibrant, audacious art with a spiked heel at the neck of pop culture.
Among its many exhilarating highlights, . (PERIOD) includes 2024’s blockbuster singles “JOYRIDE” and “DELUSIONAL,” and more recent hits “YIPPEE-KI-YAY”, “BOY CRAZY” and fan favourite “THE ONE”.
One of Spotify’s Top 100 Artists with close to 50M monthly listeners, Kesha is an undeniable pop icon with 10 top 10 singles, more than 3B worldwide streams, two #1 albums, four #1 songs on top 40 radio and nearly 40M followers across social media. The 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated superstar attracts a diverse, passionate and socially engaged global audience who believe in the messages behind her music while critics also have unanimously sung her praises. Kesha’s ventures outside of music include a top-rated TV program, an award-winning film, a book, a cruise and a cosmetics line, all of which spotlight an artist whose passion, talent and charm have earned her legions of fans. Additionally, Kesha has been a staunch advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and animal welfare through various organizations since the start of her career.
CONNECT WITH KESHA KESHAOFFICIAL.COM | FACEBOOK |INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
PETER CAMPBELL ’A LITTLE GRACE’ (SINGLE)
She was born running… to catch a brother… then a sister, then a brother, then another sister then another brother and another… running to please, to serve… to surrender. But the child sees the way of it. The child grows. Then the woman sees the truth of it, the pain of it, the hope of it… and the risk… but takes it anyway. No easy path, but her path.
A Little Grace tells of a woman’s journey from a difficult childhood, through a challenging adolescence to a confused adulthood, and her tenacious efforts to make her way on her own terms.
ABOUT PETER CAMPBELL
In a world craving authenticity, Australian singer-songwriter Peter Campbell cuts through the noise. In the words of his own song Pete has willingly carried a Burden of Hope for just on 60 years. Poetic and powerful, this music has a timelessness to it – a rare blend of infectious alt-folk and contemporary relevance in a call to action, connection and healing. It is strong music with a beating heart.
Evocative lyrics, rich melodies and a magnetic stage presence make for a performance that is as entertaining as it is compelling. Pete invites an audience to find connection in human experiences that are universal, moving it from tears to laughter and back again. Expect raucous participation, striking finger-style 6 string, feisty 12 string, tender banjo and arresting a cappella – a powerful reminder of music’s ability to heal and inspire.
Raised through the 50s on a diet of classical and 30s/40s pop he played the violin and sang – choirs, school musicals, round the piano at home. Following an uncle who was a renowned magician he took to the stage at as a magician himself at the age of 9, moving on to television as a ventriloquist. The power of communicating to an audience was intoxicating, even at that tender age.
By 15 he was writing and performing his own music at school. At 18 he was studying architecture at the University of Sydney with Lloyd Rees, Guy Warren, Rod Millgate and Graham (Auntie Jack) Bond as his art/design tutors. At that time the student theatrical production the Architecture Review was legendary, and he was a serious player in the 1969 edition, The Great Wall of Porridge. All this led to the professional theatre when invited invited to join Graham and Rory O’Donoghue in the cast in the Philip Theatre production, A Candy Striped Balloon, and the ABC film, A Man on a Green Bike.
Purchasing his first ‘real’ guitar with the cash from these productions (a Maton Southern Star 12 String) and began performing at concerts and the many folk clubs around Sydney. His first album Of Time and Its Distance was recorded in Brisbane in the mid 1970s introducing him to folk legend Noel Paul Stookey (Paul of Peter, Paul & Mary fame). Stookey then produced his second album, Across the Border, at his Henhouse Studio in Blue Hill, Maine, USA. PP&M covered his song Wild Places on their album Such is Love and he toured with them.
In 2020 Pete wrote Waited Too Long which became the anthem for the United Nations International Summit on Domestic/Family Violence in the COVID-19 Era, a three-day online conference out of New York attended by leaders and experts from 47 countries and opened by Pope Francis. While some have called it the saddest song in the world, the intimate observation and cinematic detail in Waited Too Long are the hallmarks of his potency as a songwriter.
2025 sees the release of Peter Campbell’s startling fifth album, Burden of Hope, produced and engineered by Australian music legend Brendan Gallagher. With the world in turmoil the task of remaining hopeful is urgent and seriously hard work.
This collection speaks to the heart of our times without flinching. From the rollicking hilarity of the politically incisive Same Science (recorded live) to the wistful yearnings of Half the World Away and I’m Not Saying, the overtones of country in Waiting on the Weather and Brindabella Blue, the passionate Coat of Many Colours and the almost savage title track, Burden of Hope, these songs weave through the landscape of our shared humanity, keeping unerring focus on compassion and love.
In parallel to his music, Peter is an architectural graduate, graphic designer, photographer, glass artist, magician and ventriloquist. Music has always been the passion, but his creative life has expanded into many other areas.
He performed in professional theatre and film with Australian comic legend Grahame (Auntie Jack) Bond and created ‘The Mugic Man’ – an uproarious kids show combining magic, ventriloquism and wild banjo.
He has designed architectural glass environments for cathedrals, residences and institutions, created destination brands and wayfinding systems for cities, regions and towns, and undertaken large photographic projects exploring the social impact of industrial change. The Biscuit Factory, a photographic essay on the closure of the Westons Biscuit Factory in Sydney’s Camperdown, was celebrated in a major exhibition at the Museum of Sydney.
www.petercampbell.au
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HORIZON RELEASE SECOND SINGLE ‘PRIMITIVE’ – A RAW SLICE OF AUSTRALIAN ROCK
Following the success of their first single Sex And Love, Horizon returns with ‘Primitive’ – the second official single from their debut album. An additional radio edit of the track has been released to stations this week and was premiered by Neil Rogers on his iconic 3RRR 102.7 FM program The Australian Mood.
Primitive opens with Brett Garsed’s unmistakable slide guitar – the same signature sound first heard on John Farnham’s Two Strong Hearts – before launching into a heavy blues-infused riff that anchors the track. Both the album and radio versions showcase the band’s deep chemistry and musical precision.
Singer, songwriter and producer Lee Bradshaw describes Primitive as “a reckoning with what it means to be human when stripped of pretense – reduced to flesh, blood, instinct and dust.” The lyrics explore identity, desire and mortality with both urgency and restraint, underpinned by an intense instrumental performance.
Horizon’s album is available now in physical formats only – on limited edition 180-gram gatefold vinyl and compact disc. There is no streaming, making physical purchase (or digital download from the band’s website) the only way to own and hear the full record.
Horizon – featuring Lee Bradshaw, Brett Garsed, Angus Burchall and Rich Panaia – will perform the album in full at their only Melbourne show at The Evelyn Hotel on Friday 8 August 2025. The performance will also honour the memory and contribution of the late Stuart ‘Chet’ Fraser (Noiseworks), whose final studio recordings appear on the record.
Tickets and physical copies of the album are available exclusively at: https://horizonmusic.com.au
Horizon
Website: horizonmusic.com.au
Facebook: facebook.com/horizonmusicaustralia
Instagram: instagram.com/horizonmusicaus
“Horizon” album out now poppreservationsociety.com
THE DIRTY BEAT’ FOR SHAME’ (SINGLE)
This quirky track has a lurching, stumbling feel to it. It’s upbeat, sounds happy enough, but with an anxious, unsteady gait that leaves the listener slightly unsettled. Which is fitting, because the subject of the song is about social anxiety and, as the title obviously suggests, shame. You can get drunk to avoid it, but eventually – just like the pace and lyrics of the song – you’ll find yourself stumbling down the street unable to face those prying eyes.
ABOUT THE DIRTY BEAT
“What would a rock band sound like before electricity?” Such a question is best answered by listening to the Dirty Beat.
Created by multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Warren G. Funk, the Dirty Beat is a heavy folk project based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Often described as visceral and raw, the Dirty Beat is characterized by extensive vocal harmonies, assorted folk instruments (including button accordion, mandolin, Irish flute, tin whistle, trumpet, and hulusi), and a hard-hitting rhythm section of drop-tuned acoustic guitar, electric bass and drums. While some listeners may find commonalities with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Ween, or Tom Waits, all comparisons soon fall short due to the “seemingly endless palette of originality that distinguishes The Dirty Beat from other musical acts” (The Tinnitist).
The Dirty Beat has its roots both literal and figurative on a farm in the Manitoba hills where Warren Funk was born and raised. Growing up as a Mennonite preacher’s kid in the 1980’s, television and secular music were largely absent from his childhood. Instead, he was immersed in church music, farm life, and hours of solitude and make-believe spent in the natural world.
With only glimpses of pop culture and the rest filled in by imagination, Funk’s internal landscape as an artist is perhaps somewhat singular. Warren would later go on to study composition at Selkirk College in Nelson, BC, another singular place rife with the sorts of spirits and ghosts that lurk in the Dirty Beat sound.
The Dirty Beat’s self-titled debut album spent two weeks on CFUR’s Top 30 chart and was shortlisted for Bad Gardening Advice’s Schmolaris Prize. It received positive reviews from Irregular Dreams, York Calling, Bad Gardening Advice, Canadian Beats, and The Tinnitest, with Baffled Octopi describing it as having “leanings towards bombast balanced by a keen ear for melody” (Irregular Dreams), and Jenna Melanson noting its “unique instrumentation and compositional depth” (Canadian Beats).
Two tracks were featured on Arctic Drones’ Dark Folk playlist, and the album has and continues to receive airplay on college radio across Canada and the US, as well as Brazil and Australia.
The Dirty Beat has received funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and FACTOR Canada.
The forthcoming sophomore album Birthrite: Lancing the Boil will be released on September 26, 2025, with two singles coming out beforehand in July and August.
Graeme Smith says it has “poetry and cynicism in equal measure and the compositions stay wonderfully raw and offbeat throughout” (York Calling), while Miguel Castillo calls the new record “a raw and austere sound … visceral and poetic … This release is more than just music; it’s an emotional exorcism in an alternative folk style.”
Best described as a purge and rebirth ritual, Birthrite leans further into symbolism and wordplay, drop-tuned guitar work, hooks and countermelodies, and bass and drums interplay.
Please visit www.thedirtybeat.com for updates, giveaways, and a list of record stores selling LPs, CDs, cassettes, and books.
NO PROMISES ‘THOSE BOOTS’ (SINGLE)
Get ready to hit the dance floor — No PROMISES is back with a brand new single that’s set to turn up the heat in honky tonks and country bars everywhere. Their latest release, “Those Boots,” is a rocking country anthem that blends swagger, stomp, and pure dance floor energy.
Built around the story of a handsome cowboy who turns every head in the room, “Those Boots” is equal parts charm and power — a sonic celebration of attitude, style, and irresistible rhythm.
With a gritty groove and a chorus that dares you not to dance, it’s a track that captures the wild spirit of country rock at its finest.
Recorded with the full No PROMISES 5-piece band, the song showcases electric guitars, pounding drums, deep-driving bass lines, and powerful vocals — all fused together into a tight, high-energy performance that’s made for live shows and late nights.
“We wanted something that just makes people move — a song that kicks off a party the moment it hits the speakers,” says the band. “‘Those Boots is that song.”
Whether you’re in a dusty outback bar or a big-city venue, “Those Boots” is your cue to stomp, spin, and sing along. It’s country rock with a confident strut — and it’s only the beginning of what’s to come from No PROMISES.
“Those Boots” is out July 7th on all major streaming platforms.
Follow No PROMISES:
Instagram: @nopromisesau
Facebook: nopromisesduo
YouTube: nopromisesau
ESTELLE CONLEY ‘SHOW ME THE WAY’ (SINGLE)
Let yourself be whisked away by the enchanting sounds of Estelle Conley, a dreamy folk singer/songwriter hailing from Narrm/Melbourne.
With her heartfelt brand of songwriting and magnetic indie-folk melodies, Estelle’s music will tug at the truth in your heart.
Drawing inspiration from the storytelling prowess of ’60s and ’70s folk legends, Estelle is a keen wordsmith. Her work delves into themes of love, friendship, and yearning, with her sound most fittingly described as indie folk with a touch of country.
As Triple J’s Nkechi Anele put it perfectly: “The music so delicately holds your hand as you travel on a journey through hurt and sadness to the other side.”
Estelle has graced stages across Australia, including at Bondi Festival, Carriageworks, Lazy Bones Lounge, Folkswagon @ Café Lounge, For Folks Sake @ 107 Projects, The Toff, The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar, Wesley Anne, Shotkickers and more.
She’s also had the pleasure of performing alongside and supporting folk artists such as Julia Johnson, Kay Proudlove, Lady Lyon, Quinny, Heather Fiona, Naomi Diane, Sasha March, Burning Grace, Well Into Winter, and Leroy Lee.
In 2025, Estelle is gearing up to release her next EP, in collaboration with Naarm/Melbourne-based artist and producer Rowena Wise.
Her music is the perfect remedy for even the most savage of beasts—like yoga for the ears.
“The music so delicately holds your hand as you travel on a journey through hurt and sadness to the other side.” — Nkechi Anele, Triple J
“Haunting and vulnerable vocal, beautiful melodious guitar parts. Perfect parts classic and fresh.” — Angelika Alana, Awakened Love
RUSSELL DICKERSON ‘SIPPIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD’ (SINGLE)
Multi-platinum entertainer Russell Dickerson releases his new track, ‘Sippin’ on Top of the World‘, written by Travis Wood, Casey Brown, and Hunter Phelps. Marking one of the first outside cuts of his career, the euphoric feel-good rocker is guaranteed to make you smile. The release follows the recent announcement of Dickerson’s highly anticipated fourth studio album, FAMOUS BACK HOME, out Aug. 22 (via Triple Tigers). Stream ‘Sippin’ on Top of the World’ HERE and pre-save FAMOUS BACK HOME HERE.
‘Sippin’ on Top of the World’ celebrates life’s simple joys and the gratitude that comes with them. The song trades stress for freedom, hitting open country roads in a Chevy. With no city traffic, a six-pack from the Texaco, and a girl riding shotgun, it paints a picture of small-town contentment—where cold beer, front porch sunsets, and good company make it feel like the luckiest life around. It’s not about postcard perfection—it’s about perspective. A laid-back groove and vivid storytelling make the track an ode to slowing down and soaking up the good life.
Dickerson is also riding high on the success of his latest and fastest-rising single, ‘Happen To Me’, which marks a major career milestone as his biggest streaming debut to date—surpassing 120+ million streams, breaking into the Top 15 on country radio, reaching No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway, and continuing its rise on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
ABOUT RUSSELL DICKERSON:
Multi-Platinum chart-topper and Triple Tigers entertainer Russell Dickerson is no stranger to the grind. The country headliner first broke through by wearing his heart on his sleeve, launching a string of five deeply romantic No. 1 hits—“Yours” (3X Platinum), “Blue Tacoma” (2X Platinum), “Love You Like I Used To” (2X Platinum), “Every Little Thing” (Platinum), and “God Gave Me a Girl.” He followed that success with the slinky, soul-infused “She Likes It” (with Jake Scott) (2X Platinum), further showcasing his genre-blending style. Often inspired by his happy home life, they powered a rise which now includes 3 Billion career streams, industry-wide accolades and a solid reputation for lyrical brilliance, rooted in feel-good reflection and paired a good-natured grin. But what fans of his singles couldn’t always see was Dickerson’s fiery, sold-out tour showmanship. That changes with his highly anticipated fourth studio album, FAMOUS BACK HOME, out Aug. 22 (via Triple Tigers). Blending the tender family man with the wild-eyed performer from his SOLD-OUT RUSSELLMANIA TOUR 2025, the project marks a new era of confidence and creative range. Leading with the dance-floor-ready single “Happened to Me,” a seize-the-moment rocker full of sonic swagger, landed on the Billboard Hot 100—and scored his biggest streaming debut week yet. FAMOUS BACK HOME delivers a bold blend of country-soul, ‘80s rock, and modern pop—pushing sonic boundaries while keeping Dickerson’s signature heart-on-sleeve sincerity. It’s his most personal and dynamic project yet.
For more, visit RussellDickerson.com.
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AURI ‘MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD’ (SINGLE/VIDEO)
Music has the power to open inner worlds—crafted from voices, sounds, and emotions that resonate deep within the soul. This week, AURI invites listeners into their ethereal soundscape with the release of ‘Museum Of Childhood,’ the second single from their highly anticipated upcoming album, III – Candles & Beginnings, out August 15, 2025.
‘Museum Of Childhood’ is a vibrantly beautiful composition, stirring emotion and sending shivers down the spine. It is a shining example of AURI’s ability to transport listeners away from the noise of reality into a dreamlike realm of serenity and wonder.
Accompanying the single is a stunning music video that immerses viewers in AURI’s enchanted world—where light and shadow dance with emotion and imagination.
Open your heart and ears. Let AURI be the beacon of light that guides you through the dreamscape.
Johanna Kurkela comments: “ As we venture deeper into the enchanting realm of our new album ‘Candles & Beginnings’, we take flight on the wings of imagination, across the safe havens of our hearts, into the ‘Museum of Childhood’. ”
Watch the video for ‘Museum Of Childhood’ here: https://youtu.be/6HBF4KfMKsw
Listen to ‘Museum Of Childhood’ here: https://auri.bfan.link/museum-of-childhood
Pre-order the album here: https://auri.bfan.link/iii-candles-beginnings
The album comes in following formats:
CD Jewelcase, 20-page booklet
CD Earbook, 36-pages booklet – limited edition!
2 LP Gold, 16-page booklet
2 LP Green/White/Dark Green Splatter, 16-page booklet
Line-up:
Johanna Kurkela | voices, violin, viola, keys
Tuomas Holopainen | keys & backing voices
Troy Donockley | guitars, bouzouki, mandola, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices
AURI online:
https://linktr.ee/auri.band
https://www.backstagerockshop.com/collections/auri
THE MOVING STILLS ‘HALF MOON BAY’ (EP)
Riding high off a national and international touring schedule and a string of acclaimed releases, Central Coast alt indie outfit The Moving Stills return with their brand new EP Half Moon Bay, alongside focus track “Tsunami,” a sweeping, introspective anthem that captures the raw desire for change and movement.
“Tsunami” captures a defining emotional undercurrent of the EP: restlessness, discovery, and the powerful urge to break free from the mundane. “It’s about yearning to leave your hometown and go travelling,” explains Mike. “Feeling stale trying to keep up with the monotony of a pattern, looking for new things to inspire awe, and wanting to experience new places and cultures.” That same journey led Mike and Tom to California where inspiration struck. “Tom and I had the opportunity to record some music in LA and after spending 2 weeks there I drove around California sleeping in the back of a Subaru. I stumbled upon a town called Half Moon Bay, I felt like I had found what I was looking for. I also felt like it was a place that in its beauty and rhythm, physically represented the EP we were making.”
From start to finish, Half Moon Bay is a body of work that blends lush sonic textures with the band’s signature indie pop shimmer, balancing nostalgic storytelling with an openness to new horizons.
Fresh off the road with Spacey Jane on their packed out AUS and NZ tour, the band is energised and ready to hit the stage again. “The Spacey Jane tour was an incredible time,” says Tom. “We played some of the biggest shows we’ve done. The audiences had such a good energy, and we are stoked at the response. Can’t wait to get back out on tour again.”
Over the past year, The Moving Stills have firmly cemented their place in Australia’s alt indie scene, becoming known for their heartfelt, danceable sound and magnetic live energy. Their previous single “Can’t Be Like This Forever” saw major traction, with over 182 spins across 29+ stations, a first play and spot rotation on triple j, and standout placements across DSPs including Spotify’s New Music Friday AU & NZ, RADAR AU & NZ, Indie Arrivals, Front Left, Apple Music’s Today’s Indie Rock (#1), Heaps Indie, New Music Daily, and Tidal’s Pop Art. They’ve appeared at festivals such as The Great Escape in Tasmania, Woodford Folk Festival, and SXSW Sydney, while also supporting major acts like Nothing But Thieves and The Rubens, and headlining their own national and regional tours. In December 2024, they featured on the cover of Amazon Music’s Down Under playlist, and their single “Westside” was synced to a WA Government campaign. Their last release, “Wabi Sabi”, debuted at #2 on ARIA’s Top 20 Vinyls of the Week and #6 on the Top 10 Australian Albums.
With Half Moon Bay, The Moving Stills invite listeners to join them on a journey, not just across coastlines, but into the moments of clarity, nostalgia, and quiet revelation that define our most transformative experiences.
CONNECT ONLINE WITH THE MOVING STILLS YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM
YORKE ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ (EP)
Fresh from supporting indigo la End in Japan, Australian alt-pop artist Yorke has collaborated with the Japanese rock band, to rework her K-pop inspired single ‘sorry in advance’, out today.
Fans have been asking and anticipating this collaboration since indigo la End began using Yorke’s song ‘like in the movies’ as their walk on song for their recent tour. Yorke shares, “I found out through YouTube comments that indigo la End had been using my song ‘like in the movies’ as their walk on song for their tour, and I messaged them on Instagram to thank them. We ended up staying in contact and on a whim, I sent Enon the ‘sorry in advance’ demo. To my surprise, he wanted the band to jump on the track, and they went away and made it their own. Fast forward to now, where we get to play it together in Tokyo, which is even more special. I really love how they transformed the track, and I’ll be forever grateful to Enon and the band for embracing and introducing me to a whole new Japanese audience.”
Enon Kawatani (indigo la End lead singer) says, “the connection that came about by using Yorke’s song ‘like in the movies’ as the SE for the tour’s appearance has brought us here. This is the second collaboration with an overseas artist. Please listen to ‘sorry in advance’ dyed in indigo colours.”
Yorke has just returned from her first trip to Japan having been invited by indigo la End to support and perform ‘sorry in advance’ with them live at their sold-out 5,000 capacity Tokyo show at the International Forum Hall. Whilst in Japan Yorke hung out with the band and shot a music video clip for ‘sorry in advance’, to be released soon, and surprised excited Tokyo fans with a pop-up performance at Yoyogi Park.
Yorke’s new EP ‘unfinished business’ is out now and getting glowing reviews and support from Spotify, Apple Music, Nova, Hit Network, KIIS and more. The new EP takes us on the next exciting era for Yorke, diving deeper into the pulsating, dark pop world, with a renewed and fearless confidence and sparkle. With Yorke’s warm and relatable vulnerability along with her innate songwriting prowess feeling more dynamic than ever, it’s a sophisticated, masterful step forward for this young artist; a nod towards a vast, untapped well of personal creativity. “I just wanted to create a fun, dynamic pop project fans could dance to,” Yorke says.
ABOUT YORKE
With three EP releases out Yorke has over 45.4 million streams under her belt. Yorke was recently announced as an ARIA Collab artist – a landmark program designed to catapult Australian talent onto the global stage through high-impact collaborations with international producers – and worked with GRAMMY- nominated producer Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, BTS). She recently wrapped up supporting indigo la End at their sold out Tokyo show, and has shared the stage with Ball Park Music, Amy Shark, Kita Alexander, The Veronicas, Ruel, Peach PRC, San Cisco, and UK stars Lewis Capaldi, Good Neighbours and Dylan. Her festival credits include Spilt Milk and For The Love. Internationally, Yorke has made a significant impact in Japan and Korea with her viral single ‘window shopping’ ft. Joan, which has garnered over 12.1 million streams in those markets and 24.1 million streams overall. Her music has been shared by K-Pop titans TWICE and SixTONES, and indigo la End used her single ‘like in the movies’ as their walk on track for their recent tour.
CORDRAZINE ‘SMALLTOWN BOY’ (SINGLE)
Cordrazine, the ’90s Melbourne indie pop-rock enigma fronted by Hamish Cowan – who in 2022 celebrated 25 years since their brief but impactful initial existence centered around the iconic tune “Crazy” and ARIA Top 10 debut album From Here to Wherever – will release a cover of the Bronski Beat’s iconic 1984 debut single and hit “Smalltown Boy” as their new single on July 25.
“Smalltown Boy” will follow last year’s single “Hey Man”, which was their first new music in nearly 15 years. “Hey Man” and “Smalltown Boy” are both part of a new EP entitled You See In Me which will be released later in the year.
The release of “Smalltown Boy” will be followed by a couple of rare Cordrazine solo/duo appearances. Hamish Cowan and Nick Batterham will appear alongside the Earthmen as special guests on Drop City’s Magic Transistor Radio 30th Anniversary Shows Saturday September 6 at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne and Saturday September 13 at the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney.
Cordrazine’s Hamish Cowan says of the decision to record “Smalltown Boy”:
“It is an iconic song. Beyond being a gay anthem, its themes of marginalisation, alienation and intolerance of difference – as if that difference is somehow an existential threat – are universal and remain sadly all too relevant.
“It is perhaps easy to forget the bravery of Jimmy Somerville and the band. The song was a bold political declaration of pride and humanity during a very hostile time and in an environment where such statements carried significant personal risk.
“Jimmy’s vocal was an inspiration. His falsetto was something I imitated. Its influence is evident all through Cordrazine.
“I have always wanted to record a version of ‘Smalltown Boy’, though knew any attempt needed to offer something new. The stripped back piano and string arrangement Nick Batterham came up with captures the loneliness of the lyric. It was that loneliness, living in a small coastal town and feeling a bit different, that resonated. Hopefully our version captures the mournful character of the song, the grief and hurt of rejection.
“The song is of such importance, and I have so much reverence for it, it has taken all these years to come up with an arrangement, which we feel offers something different enough, yet still does justice to the original. “
CORDRAZINE 2025
“It feels like that time again”, Hamish Cowan says. “Once every 10 years or so, seems about the right pace to record and release music. Though the truth is, music is never out of my life, it just takes me a while to get around to sharing it”.
Cordrazine first appeared in Melbourne with their 1996 EP Time to Leave. Introducing the exquisite voice of Hamish Cowan and four beautiful, classic pop songs with flourishes of gorgeous Fender Rhodes, subtle jazzy hues and powerful moods, the EP set the scene alight.
The band released their debut album, From Here To Wherever in 1997. The world was soon to learn however, the band had already parted ways prior to the album’s release. Nonetheless, the album rocketed into the top ten of the ARIA Album Chart on the back of phenomenal reviews, vast radio airplay and a raft of television appearances. From Here To Wherever features the still astonishing ballad “Crazy”.
The raw emotion and open-a-vein honesty provoked the kind of obsessive fan reactions, journalistic intrusions and forced self-reflection that Cowan admits were actually too much for him to deal with. “I was being asked questions about aspects of my being in interviews, I’d not considered myself. Interviews were more like psychoanalysis than a conversation about the music I’d written”.
So, then it happened. After countless Australian tours, an Aria chart Top 40 EP, an album ready for release and ARIA Award nominations, whilst on tour in the USA, with no formal announcement, Cowan called time on the band and shrunk away, before they could even fully break through. Cordrazine undeniably had so much more to offer.
2024’s single “Hey Man” was the first Cordrazine release in almost 15 years. An epic production including a 28-piece string section, Cowan feels like the track is a natural expression of all of the influences that have shaped he and the band. Though he confesses, “As long as we don’t sound like we are bereft of ideas, I will be happy. I don’t care if people hate it, I just don’t want people to be bored and unaffected – hatred is better than indifference”.
“Hey Man” was the first of a series of releases that will culminate in the release of the EP You See In Me toward the end of 2025.
Cordrazine’s new single “Smalltown Boy” is out July 25 2025 through Rubber Records
www.rubberrecords.com
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THE HIGH KINGS ‘THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN’ (SINGLE) TOURING AUSTRALIA IN SEPTEMBER
One of Ireland’s most beloved folk bands, The High Kings, return with a powerful new track, blending traditional elements with a modern sheen courtesy of their new single The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Celtic Remix. A rousing take on the Irish classic, the track builds on the band’s previous version featured on the #1 charting 2025 film Sinners. The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Celtic Remix also paves the way for the upcoming Australian tour this September.
The Step It Out World Tour will visit some of Australia’s most iconic venues, kicking off on Thursday 11 September in Brisbane, before heading to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and finishing in Fremantle on Saturday 20 September, with the Perth and Melbourne shows already completely sold out, and low ticket warnings in place for Brisbane, tickets for The High Kings’ Step it Out Australian tour are on sale now from metropolistouring.com/the-high-kings-2025/.
The High Kings previously gained significant attention after their version of The Rocky Road to Dublin was featured on the 2025 horror film Sinners, the global box office hit that reached #1 worldwide, and starred Michael B. Jordan in dual leading roles. A “classic song that every Irish person knows”, as The High Kings’ vocalist and instrumentalist Brian Dunphy explains, the group were inspired by both Ludwig Göransson, the composer for Sinners, and fellow countrymen The Pogues for their new sonic endeavour, working alongside arranger and producer Billy Farrell to create a reimagined version of the song that has squarely put them on the map. “This song has been a staple of our live show since we started and we are known for our signature version throughout the world,” explains fellow vocalist and instrumentalist Darren Holden. “Since we’ve blown up this year through our connection to the Sinners movie, a whole brand new generation of HK fans have demanded more from us and this is sort of a welcome gift to the them. This has been a total rebirth and resurgence for the band on a global scale.”
Returning to wow Australia crowds later this year, The High Kings will bring their unbridled and charismatic live performances to Brisbane’s Princess Theatre, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre, Adelaide’s The Gov, Perth’s Rosemount Hotel and Freo Social in Fremantle. Boasting everything from banjo, flute, accordion and mandolin through to whistles, bouzouki, bodhrán and beyond, each The High Kings performance sees the band’s four members switching between instruments and harmonies, showcasing their versatility and deep roots in Irish folk music. And with a resoundingly positive fan reaction to the announcement of The High Kings returning down under this year, their anticipated performances solidify the power of the Irish expat community in Australia, with fellow Irishmen The Coronas also touring Australia in 2025 for the fourth year in a row, post punk favourites Fontaines D.C. touring earlier this year, The Corrs returning by popular demand to stages back in February, and The Druids touring nationally in January.
“I spent a few months in Australia with Riverdance in 2003 and I toured all the East Coast and even had my second Honeymoon in Port Douglas and remember how beautiful and real the Australians are,” shares Brian. “The band wanted to play there for so long and now on our return it’s gonna be huge.”
“This tour is a massive celebration of our entire catalogue with focus on the hits and some of the more recent big songs from The Road Not Taken album which reached Top 10 in more than 12 countries,” adds Darren. “Last time we played Australia we were astounded at the size of the audiences that came out to see us and this year is promising to be even bigger. It’s the loudest crowds we play to!”
Originally hailing from four different parts of Ireland, with completely different backgrounds, The High Kings formed in Dublin back in 2008. Musically tipping their hat to the ancient High Kings who ruled Ireland centuries ago, The High Kings, now consisting of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Finbarr Clancy, Darren Holden, Brian Dunphy and Paul O’Brien, first spun heads via their 2008 self-titled Platinum debut full-length album, rocketing to #2 on the world Billboard Music Chart, before going on to release their certified Platinum 2010 album Memory Lane. Now with ten studio albums under their belts, including their acclaimed most recent LP The Road Not Taken (2023), as well as 303 million all-time streams, The High Kings are globally revered for their rowdy and fun-fuelled onstage presence as well as their ability to weave modern and entirely relatable sonic wizardry into the Irish Folk genre; a fact that is reflected in the band breaking records and selling out venues across the world along the way. And whether collaborating with Journey frontman Steve Perry, playing to 30 thousand fans, performing on top of the Empire State Building, appearing on smash soundtracks or charming audiences on The Late Late Show, 2025 marks yet another luminous high point in The High Kings incredible ongoing journey – and their upcoming live shows and new music is set to further the fervour passion surrounding a band who have redefined folk music for a modern, and very appreciative, audience.
“It feels Incredible to think after all these years singing it, we have brought a new and fresh sound to an old but brilliant classic folk song,” shares Brian.
“It’s a new dawn for the band,” concludes Darren. “We’ve never seen such numbers streaming our music and coming out to see us in concert. This new version kicks off a massive year for the band. It’s time to celebrate Ireland!”
The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Celtic Remix is out today.
Tickets for The High Kings’ upcoming Australian tour are onsale now from metropolistouring.com/the-high-kings-2025/.
Stream: THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN – THE CELTIC REMIX
THE HIGH KINGS – UPCOMING AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES:
THURS 11 SEPT | PRINCESS THEATRE, BRISBANE QLD *LOW TICKETS*
Tickets available from https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/event/25006166A2C02CFD?did=promoter
FRI 12 SEPT | ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets available from https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=HIGHKING25&eg=PROM&ep=METRO
SAT 13 SEPT | NORTHCOTE THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC *SOLD OUT*
THURS 18 SEPT | THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA
Tickets available from https://tickets.metropolistouring.com/outlet/event/b00c69ce-9b14-416f-8d8b-6774b4289aa5?accessCode=promoterpresale
FRI 19 SEPT | ROSEMONT HOTEL, PERTH WA *SOLD OUT*
SAT 20 SEPT | FREO SOCIAL, FREMANTLE WA
Tickets available from https://m.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/the-high-kings-ireland-step-it-out-world-tour/173593?skin=FREO&offercode=METPRE
HEAVYFEST Australian Hard Rock Descends on Sydney & Brisbane
Headlined by BLVD OF EYES feat Chloe Trujilo & Mark Dalbeth
BLVD OF EYES represent both sides of the world, with vocalist Chloe Trujilo – born in Paris – and bass player Mark Dalbeth – New Zealand – seemingly brought together by fate at a Global Green Event in LA’s Troubadour in 2021.
The two struck up an immediate connection that led to them forming BLVD OF EYES. Their debut EP, ‘HEAVY PEACE’, dropped in 2022, amplifying their presence in the music scene. Eager to keep the momentum going, they returned to the studio, enlisting Ray Luzier (Korn) on drums. The result would be their second EP, ‘BUYING LIES FOR THE TRUTH SEEKER’.
Transitioning from studio to stage, they assembled a formidable live band, featuring guitarist Kevin Hicklin (3 by Design, Weapons of Anew) and Chloe’s daughter, Lullah Trujillo, on drums. The band wasted no time, hitting stages in early 2024, captivating audiences, steadily building momentum. With now 20 live shows under their belts, they are now writing together as a group and about to enter the studio to track new music.
Also announcing, BLVD OF EYES have signed to Australia’s powerhouse Independent Rock Label XMusic and will soon release new music from their new EP coming on November 21 along with a national tour also to be announce for November 2025
THE MIDNIGHT DEVILS, rocking out of Nebraska, are the ultimate party band. Since releasing their debut album Something Bigger in 2018 the trio have traversed the globe, playing to appreciate crowds throughout the US, Europe, Australia and Japan, supporting bands such as Enuff Z Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd and Kickin’ Valentina to name a few.
Known for their high energy and infectious live shows, The Midnight Devils released their third album So Hard It Hurts while on a national run last year with Bon But Not Forgotten in Australia, and the subsequent Get Laid In The USA Tour has kept them on the road for most of 2025.
Having recently dropped the second album single, Shock The World, The Midnight Devils are set to deliver on their promise to Australian fans of being back within 12 months as they join BLVD OF EYES for an Australian assault.
Brought to you by HEAVY, XMusic and REP Management, today sees two HEAVYFEST shows announced with a difference. The first show promises to be unlike anything seen or heard before in Sydney on November 23 , as the two bands join Awaken The Hate, Frankies World Famous House Band, Audio Reign, Wayward Kings and Kodem for HEAVYFEST On The Harbour from 12pm to 5pm, cruising the waterways of Sydney Harbour on a vessel filled with sonic disparity.
Sunday, November 29 sees both bands again joined by Awaken The Hate, but this time for a music festival on land as HEAVYFEST hits Soapbox Beer in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for 12 hours of live entertainment starting at midday and featuring Dreamkillers, These Four Walls, PistonFist, Snake Bite Whisky, Engraved, Kaosphere, Goatzilla, Sound Affliction and Blackstar.
Tickets for both events available from
xmusic.au
SYDNEY HARBOUR
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
11:30am SHARP – 12 NOON launch
$40 EARLY BIRD Tickets for JULY ONLY
$50 FROM AUGUST 1
$50 BLVD OF EYES VIP TICKETS
Includes Band Meet and Greet, Exclusive Show T-shirt, New EP and Tote bag
***********************
SOAPBOX BEER – BRISBANE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
DOORS – 12 NOON
$45 EARLY BIRD Tickets for JULY ONLY
$55 FROM AUGUST 1
$70 DOOR
$50 BLVD OF EYES VIP TICKETS
Includes Band Meet and Greet, Exclusive Show T-shirt, New EP and Tote bag
BENNY MORRELL ‘NOT ANYMORE’ (SINGLE)
Benny Morrell returns with “Not Anymore”, a haunting and intimate single that explores the emotional wreckage of love gone stale and the exhausting loop of unresolved arguments. Released ahead of his forthcoming EP All That’s Left, the track is a vulnerable, emotionally charged offering that pairs Morrell’s poignant songwriting with a progressive alt-pop sound that is as raw as it is addictive.
““Not Anymore” is an argument with your partner being played out in real time,” explains Benny. “It’s not one-sided, it normally takes two to tango, but when people are arguing and when something breaks, no one really wins. So in that, the song again asks the question that many have asked, is it worth it? And how did we get here? You’re both stuck to the fighting, stuck to pretending everything is okay and doomed to repeat the cycle and in doing so, it just feels the same.”
The production builds around ambient textures, emotive synths and aching vocal delivery, capturing that all-too-familiar moment of clarity when love begins to fall apart not because of a single event, but because of a slow, recurring erosion. “Not Anymore” is a track that will resonate deeply with anyone who has felt themselves slipping into cycles they don’t know how to break.
This latest release continues what has already been a significant year for Benny Morrell, a Melbourne-based singer and songwriter whose dynamic artistry has taken him from Australia to Nashville, London, and Paris. His previous single “Better Off Alone” received major support, clocking over 25 radio spins across eight stations and landing editorial placements across Spotify’s New Music Friday AU&NZ, Suomi, and India, as well as Pop n’ Fresh and All New Pop, along with features on Apple Music’s New Music Daily, Heaps Local, Mellow Days, Heartbreak Pop, Feeling Blue, and more. The single was also championed by local outlets such as The Point Music News, Auspop, Australian Music Scene, and The Hoist.
Benny will be joining Kita Alexander as main support on her upcoming national tour, performing across major venues in July and August:
FRI 11 JUL – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
SAT 12 JUL – Princess Theatre, Brisbane, QLD
SAT 26 JUL – The Factory Theatre, Sydney, NSW
FRI 08 AUG – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide, SA
FRI 15 AUG – The Rechabite, Perth, WA
Benny’s upcoming EP All That’s Left, produced by Harry Charles (known for work with King Princess, Tate McRae, and dv4d), is shaping up to be his most personal project yet. The body of work is described as an open book, pulling apart the pieces of love, loss, identity, and emotional survival. As the title suggests, it’s a collection of songs that document what remains after the storm, a memoir of a man navigating his twenties through sound.
Benny’s breakout debut single ‘Be Someone’ became a viral success, later receiving a co-sign and remix from Brazilian DJ KVSH, amassing over 70 million streams and 20 million YouTube views. Since then, Benny has established himself as a formidable writer and collaborator, recently co-writing US country star Nate Smith’s “Gave It All” and working with talent around the world.
“Not Anymore” is out now on all streaming platforms and offers a powerful preview of what’s to come on All That’s Left, set for release later in 2025.
https://www.instagram.com/bennymorrell
https://www.youtube.com/@bennymorrell9610
SONGER “ALIVE” (SINGLE)
After a record-breaking 2024 and global touring success, British rapper and lyricist Songer launches into 2025 with his boldest statement yet, new single “ALIVE”. Out July 4th on all platforms, the track marks the beginning of a new chapter for one of UK rap’s fastest-rising stars.
Written as a personal reset, “ALIVE” is a release of pressure, a candid confession, and a celebration of imperfection all at once. In Songer’s own words, it signifies; “rebellion without apology, it’s a kick down the door, a refusal to overthink and clarity in a world that feels off balance”. In true chameleonic, Songer style, “ALIVE” embraces a sonic pivot, this time into the alternative space. Paying homage to his own musical influences, the indie bands he listened to growing up who continue to inspire his own craft, “ALIVE” offers a guitar-laden snapshot of this new incarnation.
This release comes on the heels of Songer’s explosive global growth. With over 140 million streams in the past year alone and no major project since his acclaimed 2023 album Skala, the Reading-born artist has continued to build a fanbase through authenticity, adaptability, and razor-sharp lyricism. Last year’s single “Toxic” became the UK’s second best-selling rap record of the year after “Sprinter”, spending eight weeks in the Official Top 40. Closely behind sits huge collaboration hit with Birmingham producer K-Motionz, “Vino Bandit”, which has now surpassed 80 million streams globally.
In the last 12 months, Songer has earned gold certification in Australia, multiple silver and gold records in the UK, and two BBC Radio 1 Hottest Record in the World premieres with Jack Saunders. Having kickstarted the year with a huge collaboration with household name Aitch, shortly followed by a sold-out Australia and New Zealand tour supporting Dizzee Rascal. This summer, he plays some of Europe’s biggest festivals, including a major debut at Splash! in Germany as well as headlining a stage at Truck Festival in the UK. Making a highly-anticipated return to Reading & Leeds, this summer also, as a must see on the main stage, Songer continues to cement his status as one of the country’s most vital new live acts.
While no new full-length has yet been announced, “ALIVE” offers a first glimpse at the evolution of an artist who has never stood still, fluent in rap, garage, drum & bass, and spoken word, and one who is equally at home on a massive festival stage or a confessional late-night freestyle.
ALIVE out now on ADA PRE ORDER/SAVE HERE
MORE INFO: Instagram Twitter YouTube Facebook
SOUND AFFLICTION ‘DEVIL IN ME’ (SINGLE)
After releasing the emotionally charged single, Sober, Brisbane rock outfit Sound Affliction have come roaring back with the turbo charged, Devil In Me.
The band say of the songs that “Devil In Me, is a story of substance abuse and its effect on those who reside with an addict. It details the perceived need of an addict to hide from their problems and the regret of the pain this causes others.”
Blending huuuuge riffs and driving rhythms with deeply emotive lyrics, Sound Affliction will soon be your new favourite rock n roll band.
XMusic Bossman, Tim McLean-Smith says; it’s “a 4 on the floor track with BIG riffs to blow your head off…Enjoy!”
Listen to Devil In Me here
https://lnk.to/54RFr1
Watch the video at
https://youtu.be/7Mv9zVvAZAU
Though Sound Affliction might be unfamiliar, the band’s lineup is stacked with seasoned talent. Frontman Matt, previously of Scandal Tree and Don’t Come Monday, commands your attention with a vocal range that shifts effortlessly from raw intensity to soaring majesty. Guitarists Dan (Black Whiskey) and Wayne (Scandal Tree, Cactus Dill Dos) are a dual-edged harmonious sword, weaving shredding riffage with melodic beauty to create songs that sound instantly familiar but also completely new.
Drummer Travis, also from Don’t Come Monday, drives the band’s engine and can take it from zero to a hundred in an instant. On bass Kev Brown (Pyre & Ice), brings a massive low end anchor to the bands massive sound.
Follow Sound Affliction
Facebook | YouTube | Spotify
Merch available at
https://xmusiclabel.bigcartel.com/sound-aflliction
Follow all XMusic artists at
xmusic.au
FANGZ RELEASE FEROCIOUS DEBUT ALBUM ‘SHUI’
Eora/Sydney punk misfits FANGZ have today unleashed their long-awaited debut album ‘Shui’, out now via Impressed Recordings. Order Vinyl HERE.
‘Shui’ is 11 tracks of cathartic punk rock, led by searing guitar leads and frontman Josh Cottreau’s visceral vocals. The album features singles ‘Anne Marie’, ‘Wasting Time’, ‘Wide Awake’ and ‘Same Old Story’, each showcasing FANGZ’s ability to balance raw punk energy with melody, grit, and vulnerability.
Josh talks about the process behind their debut record:
“A debut album’s always a bit unhinged and slightly rough — bands figuring themselves out in real time. FANGZ Shui has that energy. We locked ourselves in a Melbourne studio, away from all distractions and comforts, and made something that sounds like what it felt like: loud, dangerous, evolutionary, drunk — and ultimately, ours. In real life, I’m thankful to my bandmates for going on this thankless ride with me.”
To support the album, FANGZ will head out on their most extensive Australian national headline tour to date; tickets are available now via fangz.band. The band have traversed the country multiple times, selling out headline shows, performing at festivals and sharing stages with the likes of FIDLAR (USA), Pennywise (USA), The Bronx (USA), Cancer Bats (CAN), RedHook, Comeback Kid (CAN), and He Is Legend (USA).
Last year, FANGZ completed an East Coast tour in 24 hours, launched their own hot sauce (Fang Us Some Sauce), and took their annually curated mini-festival FANGZstock on the road, expanding into Naarm/Melbourne and Meanjin/Brisbane. Frontman Josh Cottreau also holds the Guinness World Record for the most hard-boiled eggs eaten in one sitting (143 eggs in three minutes and ten seconds).
FANGZ have also launched orders for a range of exclusive ‘Shui’ merch bundles, with four different pack options available. Fans can snap up vinyl, shirts, hoodies, hats, stubby holders, patches—and even limited edition FANGZ yo-yos. All items are available now via fangz.band.
Since their 2019 inception, the band have released three EPs and a slew of singles, receiving strong support from triple j, triple j Unearthed, Triple M, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Metal Hammer (UK), Loudwire (USA), Classic Rock (UK), Metal Injection (USA), Louder Sound (UK), NME, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Guardian, and many more.
‘Shui’ is the culmination of five years of mayhem, growth, and everything in between — a career-defining release from one of Australia’s most exciting punk bands.
‘Shui’ is available worldwide now, via Impressed Recordings
Order Vinyl HERE.
FANGZ ‘SHUI’ 2025 ALBUM TOUR
Tickets available via fangz.band
FRI 11 JUL | HAMILTON STATION, MULUBINBA/NEWCASTLE NSW
SAT 12 JUL | WAYWARDS, EORA/SYDNEY NSW
THU 17 JUL | VINNIES DIVE, YUGAMBEH/GOLD COAST QLD
FRI 18 JUL | BLACK BEAR LODGE, MEANJIN/BRISBANE QLD
SAT 19 JUL | NORTON MUSIC FACTORY, GUBBI GUBBI/CALOUNDRA QLD
FRI 25 JUL | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, BOORLOO/PERTH WA
SAT 26 JUL | AUSTRAL BANDROOM, ADELAIDE/TARNDANYA SA
FOLLOW FANGZ
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MEGHNA’S ‘ROAD RAGE’ (SINGLE/VIDEO)
Out now is ‘Road Rage’ – alt-electronic pop provocateur Meghna’s most visceral release yet. She delivers a track that absolutely boils with rage, channeling primal emotion into a genre-blending sonic storm. The searing new single is further accompanied by an evocative music video that dives headfirst into the animal within – and it’s the next taste of her upcoming EP, A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS, out 22 August.
Produced by SB90, ‘Road Rage’ is a full throttle ride of distorted trap beats, Berlin-club textures, and venomous vocals. The track pulses with Meghna’s signature sonic identity; flashes of hyperpop, EDM, and hip-hop bleed together to form a seething anthem of emotion.
Rooted in the lived experience of blinding vexation behind the wheel, the single captures the moment when everyday tension starts to tip into something more volatile and dangerous. “It’s about impulsive anger – the kind that makes you go from 0 to 100. Jekyll and Hyde.” notes Meghna. The single is her exploration of the complexities of rage, and the cost of letting it consume you. “It’s a cautionary tale about how anger can trap you into dangerous situations— how it causes you to ‘transform’.”
The single’s accompanying music video is equally arresting. It’s a darkly cinematic descent, equal parts horror and inner reckoning. A surreal nightmare, it sees Meghna stalked by her sharply dressed, axe-wielding alter ego; her rage personified. As scenes flash between ominous chain-bound captivity, shadowed lip-sync, and a relentless street chase, the video blurs the line between control and chaos. Meghna’s dual selves collide in a tense visual spiral – bound in chains, and consumed by the very fury she tried to outrun. It’s hypnotic, haunting, and impossible to look away. Check it out HERE.
Following the explosive impact of her most recent single ‘Hässlich’, ‘Road Rage’ builds firmly upon Meghna’s evergrowing momentum. Both tracks will appear on A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS, out August 22 – a six-track exploration of anger in all its unpredictable forms.
About MEGHNA:
Melbourne based, Meghna is a multidisciplinary powerhouse: a law student, actor, and model, as complex as her sound. From multiple electrifying performances with ALWAYS LIVE to becoming the global face of DB Cosmetics, she champions both creative expression and social justice with fearless conviction. Her music has garnered national radio play on Triple J, PBS, 3RRR and more, with major outlets including Rolling Stone AU, The Guardian, NME, and VICE AU covering her rising presence in the Australian music scene.
‘Road Rage’ – OUT NOW BUY/STREAM HERE WATCH HERE
A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS EP – OUT 22 AUGUST BUY/PRESAVE HERE
MORE INFO ON MEGHNA: INSTAGRAM TIKTOK FACEBOOK WEBSITE
SNAKEHEADS – JAMES RODEN AND PETE LUSTY “BELCONNEN HIGHS” (ALBUM OUT AUG 29)
Snakeheads is a unique project from James Roden and the late Pete Lusty – marking a friendship that spanned over 35 years, born of a shared love of punk, rock and a love of music.
Pete Lusty was one of the most influential figures in the music business from the early ‘00s, playing a major role in taking Australian music to the world, with bands like The Vines, Jet, and Empire Of The Sun. Lusty also co-founded one of Australia’s longest running and most respected independent labels in 1997, Ivy League Records (Youth Group, Cloud Control, The Mess Hall, Josh Pyke, Alpine, The Rubens, Teskey Brothers). Tragically, Pete died from lymphoma in 2020, a week before the world went into Covid lockdown.
Five years on from Pete’s death, the first and only Snakeheads album Belconnen Highs – started at Belconnen High School in Canberra and refined in Pete’s basement and recorded in various Sydney studios – has been finished by James, ready for release as a tribute to his much-loved oldest and closest friend.
The 17 song album will be released by new Sydney-based label Cassell Records on gatefold vinyl (via Impressed Recordings) and all streaming services on Friday, August 29.
In about 2016 James and Pete picked up where they left off after their band the John Reed Club broke up 20 years earlier (less than 12 months after signing with EMI and releasing just one CD EP and one 7” single – the first release for Ivy League Records). They resumed weekly jamming, setting up in Pete’s home studio. The walls were lined with the recognition of Pete’s work managing bands – The Vines, Jet and more – as founder of Winterman and Goldstein, yet Pete was still playing his Gibson Les Paul from his high school days. Their aim was simple: write and refine songs for enjoyment, look to the future, don’t dwell on the past. The aim was at its essence, to finally finish what they had started in High School. It was also an excuse for Monday night beers and a rekindling of a life-long friendship, banter and laughter.
“We only wanted to play what we loved at 15 years old, with no pressure” says James. “In a way we were finishing what we started with The John Reed Club or earlier; the thinking was ‘let’s make the songs great, no matter how long they take’. Often there is huge pressure on bands to ‘hurry up’ but we had no pressure. , We had the time to really obsess about them. Or so we thought. Every detail was discussed – bar by bar. We thought we had cracked the code to making music really enjoyable. Keep making songs and recording until they were good.”
The writing sessions went for years until 2019, as some of their 30 – 40 songs captured on Pete’s 8 track recorder got tighter, they decided to start working with friend and producer Wayne Connolly who joined in on the Monday night session, making the songs even tighter.. Finally ready to record, they quicly rehearsed with a band made up of Kit Warhust (Rocket Science) on drums, and Harry Roden (The City Lights and James’s brother) on bass, and recorded 6 bed tracks (no vocals) with Wayne at Hercules Studios before Pete shared the news that he was seriously sick.
Pete was diagnosed with High-grade Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma mid-2019. Following failed treatment in Sydney, he qualified for a new treatment in Boston, USA. He travelled there with family and friends including James and Andy Cassell in early 2020.
He died in Boston in March of 2020.
Pete passed away before he could see any of the album finished but he heard where it was going and was as excited as a teenager. One year later James began the slow and difficult work of finishing the album he had started with his friend. He began completing the Wayne Connolly sessions (6 songs), and began afresh on another 11 with Jay Whalley of Frenzal Rhomb this time with Graeme Trewin (Sick Fizz, Peabody) on drums. Without the decisive input of his collaborator, the project became a drawn-out musical quest.
Many knew Pete for his impressive work within the music industry, but his creative legacy is just as inspiring. His talent for working with bands was honed by years of playing, listening and watching – studying everything about the bands he loved – but ultimately it all began with being in a band of his own.
Pete’s energy lives on through Snakeheads’ Belconnen Highs: the first and final album.
For more Snakeheads – see here // Listen to full album here
Belconnen Highs is the first release from Cassell Records, a new Sydney-based independent record label founded by Andy Cassell. Cassell is a founding member of the Sydney indie band Youth Group and has long been a champion of Australian music. In 1996, he co-founded Winterman & Goldstein Management with Peter Lusty, and the following year launched Ivy League Records and Ivy League Music Publishing. After 25 years of success with those ventures, Cassell left Ivy League in 2021 to start Goldmans Music, where—with the support of BMG—he began building a new independent publishing roster. His first signing under the Goldmans banner was Pacific Avenue.
Connect with Cassell Records/Goldmans Music on Insta here
SACHÉM – ‘EASIER SAID THAN DONE’ (ALBUM OUT AUG 7) ‘SECOND GUESSING’(SINGLE) OUT NOW
Out now is ‘second guessing’ ft. LaRussell – the new single from Brisbane based hip-hop artist, Sachém. It’s the third release of his confessional debut album, easier said than done, set for release 7 August.
Brisbane artist Sachém will be releasing his debut album easier said than done on Friday 7 August. The album contains already released singles ‘second guessing’ ft. LaRussell, ‘don’t wait around’, and ‘shakin and bakin’ as well as another 10 tracks. Featured artists on the album include Kobie Dee, Tasman Keith, LaRussell and Kaye.
His career has been built on a foundation of self-determination, from winning the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poetry Prize to performing at BIGSOUND, QPAC, and the Queensland Music Awards. He has gained national recognition, with his music championed by Triple J, FBi Radio, and community stations, establishing an independent presence both in Australia and internationally.
Sachém remains focused on creating work that pushes artistic boundaries while strengthening cultural storytelling. His album will build on the standing foundation, incorporating gospel, hip-hop, and spoken word to further explore his journey and artistic identity.
‘second guessing’ ft. LaRussell
‘second guessing’ explores Sachém’s journey with self-assurance. A powerful delivery of affirmations, the track is a testament to Sachém and Californian artist LaRussell’s shared faith in trusting life’s journey.
Following the release of two tracks that reflect on loss and overcoming struggle, ‘second guessing’ attests the power of self-assurance. ‘At a time when everything could go left or right, hope isn’t enough, only knowing will get you through’. Blending hip-hop with storytelling and spoken word delivery, the rawness in Sachém’s lyricism is an honourable demonstration of his artistry and dedication to music.
easier said than done was written in the transformative bubble of becoming a father – a time of reckoning, reflection, and spiritual growth. From confronting the echoes of his own father in himself to honouring the resilience of his ancestors, the album is as bold as it is personal. With features from Tasman Keith, LaRussell, Kobie Dee, Kaye, and executive production by WYES, it’s a body of work that is as introspective as it is commanding.
easier said than done is more than a simple debut – it’s a powerful testament to identity, resilience, and the healing force of honest storytelling.
Raised between Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and Adelaide, Sachem draws from his Noonuccal roots and Black American heritage to create music that’s both grounded and global. His sound blends spoken word, hip-hop, and gospel, weaving in themes of faith, legacy, and resilience. A 2024 Queensland Music Award nominee and 2023 triple j Unearthed Artist of the Month, Sachem has performed at the likes of BIGSOUND, QPAC, and Jungle Love Festival.
‘second guessing’ ft. LaRussell – OUT NOW VIA OFFBEAT COLLECTIVE BUY/STREAM HERE
easier said than done out 7 August PRE ORDER/SAVE HERE
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INFAMOUS STIFFS ‘THE ORNERY SIX’ (EP)
California’s own Infamous Stiffs are back with a vengeance, with their brand-new EP The Ornery Six officially out now via Golden Robot Records. The six-song barrage is available to stream now across all platforms, and it’s everything fans have come to love – and fear – from these punk rock legends.
Unapologetic and loud, The Ornery Six stays true to the band’s snarling roots, oozing grit and defiance from start to finish. With a relentless mix of crunching guitars, pummeling drums, and no-nonsense vocals, the Stiffs deliver their signature brand of punk rock ‘n’ roll with an extra shot of venom.
Tracks like ‘No Static’, ‘Evel Mann’, and ‘Walk Away’ channel a Frankenstein’s monster of punk influences, while the soul-scorching ‘Lonesoul’ and the unhinged ‘Loose Screwz’ reflect the chaos of modern life. The EP closes with ‘Top Secret’, a ripping tribute to LA punk legends Kaos and the late Johnny Stingray, tearing through the speakers like a high-octane homage to the scene that shaped them.
This is music to blast at full volume, whether you’re barrelling down the freeway at 100 MPH or two-stepping through a bar brawl – either way, fists in the air are non-negotiable.
Stream The Ornery Six HERE
THESE IDLE HANDS ‘STRINGY MANGOES’ (SINGLE)
These Idle Hands are an elusive kind of sonic event: Their luminous acoustic balladry & harrowingly intimate lyricism combine to craft often hauntingly retrospective alt folk & Americana. Live, expect flourishes of double bass, soaring violin, piano and percussion, doused with rich vocal harmonies, make for a bottled blend of synergy and lightning that’s not to be missed.
TIH have received high praise & air play, both here & overseas for their two full length album release’s, Petrichor & Meraki and are soon to release their third, self titled album later this year. They were also previous finalists in The Gold Coast Music Awards, in the category of Release of the Year for their album Meraki.
These Idle Hands is a collaborative union of like-minded musicians. Their music is best described as hauntingly retrospective, emotive & impressionistic Alt-folk & Americana. The band are always refining & expanding their luminous acoustic balladry.
Not afraid to explore the darker aspects of the human condition, their music at times conveys an intensely personal lyrical perspective. These Idle Hands members hail from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
https://theseidlehands.com.au/
SHAME ‘QUIET LIFE’ (SINGLE/VIDEO)
Shame release ‘Quiet Life,’ the second single/video from their new album Cutthroat, out 5th September via Dead Oceans, and announce the North American leg of their album tour in 2026. Following an EU/UK tour kicking off in September, the band will bring their legendary live show to North American in January, making stops in Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more.
On the heels of title track, ‘Cutthroat,’ praised by Brooklyn Vegan as ‘a fun, in-your-face riff rock banger,’ ‘Quiet Life,’ is a snarling rockabilly track in the vein of The Gun Club and The Cramps. Of the track, vocalist Charlie Steen says, ”Quiet Life’ is about someone in a shitty relationship. It’s about the judgment they receive and the struggle that they have to go through, trying to understand the conflict they face, of wanting a better life… but being stuck.’ In the song’s opening lines, Steen sings, ‘Spent too much time on my knees. / Round here nothing’s good for me, / But I still can’t make the choice to leave.’ The video, directed by Pedro Takahashi and produced by FRIEND, features the band and friends venting their pent-up frustrations in a run-down office building.
Shame – ‘Quiet Life’ (Official Video)
Cutthroat is shame at their blistering best; an unapologetic new album made with Grammy winning producer John Congleton at the helm. ‘It’s about the cowards, the cunts, the hypocrites,’ says vocalist Charlie Steen. ‘Let’s face it, there’s a lot of them around right now.’
Still in their twenties and having proved themselves several times over since their 2018 debut, Songs of Praise, the five childhood friends – singer Charlie Steen, guitarists Sean Coyle-Smith and Eddie Green, bassist Josh Finerty and drummer Charlie Forbes – went into Cutthroat ready to create a new Ground Zero. Stamped throughout with shame’s trademark sense of humour, the album takes on the big issues of today and gleefully toys with them. Holed up in Salvation Studios in Brighton, they cast a merciless eye on themes of conflict and corruption; hunger and desire; lust, envy and the omnipresent shadow of cowardice.
Musically, too, the record plays with visceral new ideas. Making electronic music on tour for fun, Coyle-Smith had previously seen the loops he was crafting as a separate entity to the things he wrote for shame. Then, he realised, maybe they didn’t have to be. ‘This time, anything could go if it sounded good and you got it right,’ he says. This cheeky self-awareness, too, is important. The result is an album that revels in the idiosyncrasies of life, raising an eyebrow and asking the ugly questions that so often get tactfully brushed over. But the one answer that Cutthroat gives with a resounding flourish is that, right now, shame have never sounded better.
‘‘Quiet Life’ Out now via Dead Oceans. Listen/buy here
Cutthroat LP Out Friday Friday 5th September 2025 Pre-save/pre-order here
JENS LEKMAN ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM SONGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S WEDDINGS
OUT 12TH SEPTEMBER. JOYFUL LEAD SINGLE ‘CANDY FROM A STRANGER’ OUT NOW
This week, Jens Lekman announced his new LP Songs For Other People’s Weddings will be released on Friday 12th September via Secretly Canadian, sharing its joyful first single ‘Candy From A Stranger’ as an early preview of the album’s evocative, heartfelt storytelling. Songs For Other People’s Weddings is a companion album to a book of the same name by Lekman & award-winning, bestselling author David Levithan, due out 5th August via ABRAMS. The project was inspired by the beloved Swedish artist’s own surprising side career as a wedding singer, which came about by chance after fans took his 2004 song ‘If You Ever Need a Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding)’ literally and invited him to perform at their nuptials. The ‘Candy From A Stranger’ video (edited by Rena Johnson) is a charming window into this part of Lekman’s life, collaging together clips from various weddings he has performed at. The album is now available to pre-order.
Lekman also today announced an extensive North American headlining tour, including stops at Brooklyn, NY’s Music Hall of Williamsburg (November 16th) and Los Angeles, CA’s Lodge Room (November 29th).
Jen Lekman – ‘Candy From A Stranger’ (Official Video)
Songs For Other People’s Weddings is a work of fiction about J, an unlucky-in-love musician who moonlights as a wedding singer. J gathers with couples before their big day to learn more about the intimate, strange things that brought them together, in order to write an original song to perform for them at their wedding. But despite J’s penchant for finding the perfect words for others, he can’t seem to do the same for his own love with his girlfriend, V. ”Candy From a Stranger’ is the point in the story where the lovers meet for the first time, or do they?’, Lekman notes.
He continues, ‘The idea to make a narrative concept album (a rock opera?) felt forbidden. Which, for me, is usually a sign that I’m on the right path. While investigating the genre of narrative concept albums, I realised that one of my all-time favourite albums, Frank Sinatra’s Watertown, was in fact just that– a record that told a chronological story over the length of an LP. Having never been a fan of musicals or rock operas, this album served as inspiration.
I wrote the album while the book was still being written and, at some points, I started imagining what happened between the book’s chapters. The book and the album eventually became intertwined but also found their own paths. The book provided the structure of the story, but the album sometimes snuck behind the scenes. Stories from the songs made their way into the book and vice versa.’
Narratively, Songs For Other People’s Weddings follows J and V’s relationship, changing musically as the couple navigates the ups and downs of love–with each new wedding providing its own sonic background. An orchestral, romantic collection, the album traverses through pastoral strings, dreamy pop, soft jazzy saxophone, and sad house beats. ‘The character of J cannot keep his own emotions out of his songs, and Jens underscores this in ways that will constantly surprise the listener,’ says Levithan. ‘He is often joined by Matilda Sargren giving voice to V’s feelings and thoughts. Initially she was only meant to sing on the demos, but once she started vocalising V, there was no question that she would be on the final album. If Jens and I have done our jobs, the novel and the album tell both sides of J and V’s story – and the tension comes from how these sides fit together.’
Lekman adds, ‘While this story is very much about a relationship and how it’s reflected through the relationships and weddings of others, most of all I think it’s a love story about music and its value in a time when it’s been devalued and turned into content by tech companies. Its ability to soothe and connect and its role in the transitional moments of our lives such as weddings. It’s a love song to love songs.’
‘Candy From A Stranger’ Out now via Secretly Canadian, Listen/buy here
Songs For Other People’s Weddings LP. Out Friday 12th September 2025
Pre-save/pre-order here
SCHISM 21C ‘DELTA V’ (SINGLE)
This week, Melbourne darkwave electronic duo Schism 21C released their third single off their ‘Only the Shell Remains’ album.
This new single called ‘Delta V’ (but pronounced as Delta Five), is a song written in 1982 by Schism founding members Simon ‘Circus’ Rashleigh (vocals, synthesizer) and Gordon ‘Gordo’ Graham (keyboards, synths, drums/drum machine) and is the first track on their recently released album on Vinyl, CD and digital.
Delta V is an 80’s synth rock/synthwave track reimagined for the 21st century and was a final closing gig song as well as a crowd favourite during the height of Schism’s career in early 1980’s in Melbourne’s alternative music scene.
This pacy driving electronic track captures the sense of speed and the heightened sense of control when expanding the velocity of an aircraft or spaceship (and perhaps also your consciousness).
Lyrically it is a song inspired by psychedelic counterculture pioneer Timothy Leary and his book ‘The Intelligence Agents’. Leary’s book which was published in 1979 is a mashup of social futurist counter-culture and alternative sci-fi concepts sprinkled with proto-conspiracy and quasi-evolutionary theories.
The song was initiated by Simon Circus lyrically and musically before being fleshed out further with the help of Gordo. Circus cherry- picked concepts from Leary’s book and then weaved, synergised and mashed it up with his own occult hyper-consciousness musings to form the lyrical story that is Delta V.
The Title ‘Delta V’ is a play on two concepts: The Delta V aviation terminology regarding the change of velocity during flight, further expressed as the power of speed in flight. And it also expands on the use of the word “5” in the song title in this context as a nod towards the transcendental nature of the song, one that hints to a fifth dimensional consciousness shift through speed, that is both physical and evolutionary.
Delta V is available on all major streaming platforms and is released by Schistration Music. www.schism21c.com
TAMARA & THE DREAMS ‘FLEETWOOD MAC’ (SINGLE)
Melbourne indie-pop darling Tamara & the Dreams returns with her sharpest and most tender release yet, ‘Fleetwood Mac’, out today. A mascara-stained, country-tinged ballad about dating your bandmate, Tamara’s signature lyrical wit and emotional vigour are given rein on an homage to the classics. It follows three sold-out Melbourne single launches and a wave of critical acclaim for her previous release, ‘Successful Bisexual’.
With a title that instantly nods to one of rock’s most famously entangled bands, ‘Fleetwood Mac’ is a true story, a dream of a quaint rock star life with a happy ending. “We all want a peek inside the bubbling and broiling emotions and relationships and roller coasters of disappointment and obsession and triumph that go on in studios and bathrooms and bedrooms,” says Tamara. “It’s a trope we know from famous rock stars, but really the intensity happens in every musical collaboration, no matter how local.”
Written with both affection and a knowing wink, the track honours the role music and music communities have played in shaping Tamara’s personal life. “This song is about dating my bandmate and getting my heart pulverised musically and emotionally”, she says, “but really it’s about how much playing in a band and being part of a music community has shaped my life, my friendships, my hopes and dreams.’
Anchored by twangy guitars, euphoric harmonies and Tamara’s effortlessly disarming vocals, ‘Fleetwood Mac’ captures the tension between love and volatility, intimacy and independence – from emotional post-show moments to fantasy tour plans and imagined futures. “We could be in love / or we could be broken up,” she sings. “You could disappoint me, give me a heart attack / we could be in love just like Fleetwood Mac.”
In true Tamara & the Dreams fashion, the track is both biting and beautiful – equal parts satire and sincerity, heartbreak and hope. ‘Fleetwood Mac’ is out everywhere July 9.
Watch ‘Fleetwood Mac’ Music Video
‘FLEETWOOD MAC’ – OUT NOW STREAM HERE
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LENNON WELLS ‘BADDIE’ (SINGLE)
Nipaluna/Hobart-based rock ‘n’ roll outfit Lennon Wells have just unveiled their infectious single ‘Baddie’ – produced by the band and Alistair Campbell and mixed by longtime friend Andrew Hassler of A. Swayze & The Ghosts.
Click to stream / view ‘Baddie’ music video
Rock ‘n’ roll at its most playful, ‘Baddie’ struts with funky, syncopated bass, sharp guitars, and the swaggering vocals of frontman Ben Wells. Backed by gospel-style harmonies from local group The DK Effect, it’s all charm and charisma.
“‘Baddie’ is about feeling like king shit and being unapologetic for it,” says Ben. “Having the strut to back it up. There’s this weird stigma in Australia about feeling good about yourself, like tall poppy syndrome. ‘Baddie’ is about wearing that feeling with pride. In this economy, if you still manage to back yourself, that’s a talent.”
That confidence runs through the track, but behind it is a band shaped by family. During the making of the record, both Dave and Sam became fathers, while keyboardist Scott’s son Selby has started releasing his own music. For Ben, it’s deeply personal — his daughter, Jude, has been attending studio sessions and festivals since she was three months old. “I used to think I was the main character in my life, but Jude has more attitude than me, half a bottle of prosecco deep on stage. She’s the real star,” he laughs.
Lennon Wells has always walked the line between chaos and care. “We want to be the best rock ‘n’ roll band in Hobart — and the best dads we can be,” says Ben. “I’m not chasing this like it’s the endgame anymore. What matters is the fun we’re having, and that our kids grow up knowing how powerful music can be.”
The track arrives with a striking video shot in Nipaluna/Hobart, starring local legend Lee Power – owner of Paradise Lost, author, artist, and close friend of the band. “Lee’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met — truly one of a kind,” explains Ben. “He was made for this clip. That said, I felt pretty bad making him dance to the track about 70 times in one night.”
Directed by Harrison Dwyer from Hotwax Creative and Ben, the clip channels the spirit of the song – solo strut, dressed to the nines, dancing through empty streets like you own them. “We didn’t want anyone else in the clip — that was intentional. It’s about that feeling of dressing up, looking good, and running the town. That ‘dance like no one’s watching’ energy,” Ben adds.
Ben also owns and runs a local dive bar in Hobart. “I own Grinners Dive Bar in Hobart — the go-to spot for musos after their shows. We’ve hosted everyone from Jet to Tim Rogers (who once called my margarita the best in the country), and plenty of late-night lock-ins with legends like Phil Jamieson and Philadelphia Grand Jury. Even served Kumar from Harold & Kumar a prosecco once.”
To accompany the release, Lennon Wells will play two secret warehouse parties in late July. In the area, they’re known for their DIY warehouse parties, consistently packing out 300–400-cap shows. Lennon Wells has built a cult following from the ground up.
In the live arena, they’ve also supported Jet, The Murlocs, Slowly Slowly, The Jungle Giants, and The Southern River Band, and appeared at festivals including Party in the Paddock, Great Escape, and Good Gumnuts. Their track ‘Slowly Dying’ was recently featured on the Netflix series ‘The Survivors’.
‘Baddie’ is available worldwide now
LENNON WELLS ‘BADDIE’ WAREHOUSE PARTIES
FRI 25 JUL | WAREHOUSE PARTY, NIPALUNA/HOBART TAS
SAT 26 JUL | WAREHOUSE PARTY, NIPALUNA/HOBART TAS
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BIGSOUND’S GOOLWAL GOOLWAL FIRST NATIONS PROGRAM CHAMPIONS INDIGENOUS EXCELLENCE CURATED SERIES OF EMPOWERED EVENTS CELEBRATING FIRST NATIONS VOICES ANNOUNCED FOR 1-5 SEPTEMBER
Already set to be a bustling hub of activity and creative inspiration this September, BIGSOUND proudly announces its celebration of Indigenous voices today, with the reveal of the 2025 Goolwal Goolwal Program.
Translated from the traditional Yuggera language, “Goolwal Goolwal” means “Big Sound” – as such, this deadly program of events and cultural experiences has become an integral part of BIGSOUND’s programming in recent years. Nestled within the busy district of Fortitude Valley, Magandjin (Brisbane), Goolwal Goolwal invites all attendees to immerse themselves in this dynamic series of panels, performances, workshops and more; discovering the wealth of talent thriving within First Nations communities nationwide. With a program boasting free events to attend within the dedicated Goolwal Garden, as well as a slew of free performances on the Brunswick Street Mall Stage, Goolwal Goolwal is a key calendar component of BIGSOUND 2025.
Curated and led by a team of First Nations industry professionals and artists, the Goolwal Goolwal program represents leaders and the next wave of industry gamechangers; all the while platforming and supporting First Nations artists and creative practitioners at BIGSOUND throughout the entirety of the event this 2-5 September. TICKETS
“[The] Goolwal Goolwal program feels like family. Elders, youth and everyone in between connecting at BIGSOUND. The program gives us more visibility in the national and international music industries. Goolwal Goolwal team invests our time to share the combined knowledge of industry elders and hear the voice of the next generation. We prioritise space for multi-generational events, music and conversations, which encourages a more natural way to connect.” Deline Briscoe, First Nations Advisory Group & Programming Advisory Group
The Goolwal Goolwal program commences at the top of BIGSOUND week – Monday 1 September – with an official BIGSOUND Eve Welcome Event, a perfect opportunity for delegates and special guests to gather and begin building connections before the rush of both the BIGSOUND conference and music showcase festival sets in. Hosted at the Goolwal Garden, the official and dedicated First Nations space at Fortitude Valley’s Sound Garden, this event invites attendees to meet and ease into the week together.
“Each year BIGSOUND makes a significant contribution to the state’s live music industry, strengthening the state’s vibrant music scene. As a key part of the BIGSOUND program, Goolwal Goolwal amplifies the stories, voices and sounds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and creatives.
“The Crisafulli Government’s investment in QMusic and its presentation of Goolwal Goolwal provides an important platform for Indigenous artists, musicians and communities as we prepare for Queensland to take centre stage as host of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.” The Hon John-Paul Langbroek, Minister for Education and the Arts.
Honouring the Traditional Owners of the land and waters on which BIGSOUND is held, renowned community and industry leader, Sandra King (O.A.M) will deliver a Welcome To Country on Tuesday 2 September as part of BIGSOUND’s Opening Ceremony for 2025. As part of this important event, a traditional Smoking Ceremony will also take place, an ancient custom that not only cleanses, but wards off bad spirits and welcomes people in positive energy.
“We are honoured to be producing the 2025 Goolwal Goolwal program and to witness the continued evolution and amplification of First Nations voices within our industry. We are incredibly proud to support the strength, resilience and extraordinary talent of First Nations artists in music.
The Goolwal Goolwal Program continues to provide an empowering platform for both established and emerging First Nations artists. This year’s program will be a vibrant celebration of identity, culture, creativity and community; highlighting the importance of First Nations-led spaces in the music industry.” Kearna Sweeney & Bianca Kemister, Goolwal Goolwal Producer and Assistant Producer.
Throughout this year’s Goolwal Goolwal program, a number of highlight events are set to take place. Bad Apples Music, celebrating ten years of nurturing and supporting First Nations talent, bring their anniversary celebrations to Goolwal Goolwal for Now And Forever: BIGSOUND Edition, on Tuesday 2 September with a deadly lineup of artists set to perform. Having played a hand in changing the landscape for First Nations artists to be recognised and succeed in Australia across the last decade, Bad Apples Music is already looking ahead to its next decade of excellence – a hint of which will be on show for this special celebration.
Trailblazing artist BARKAA brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Goolwal Goolwal, appearing on two special panel discussions in collaboration with Support Act across Tuesday 2 September and Wednesday 3 September. Having navigated a prolific rise herself in recent years, the Malyangapa, Barkindji superstar will be sharing her observations and tips for the Yarning Strong panel, “Pass The Mic, Not The Trauma: Navigating Parenthood in the Industry” – a session dedicated to exploring how to balance social and mental wellbeing with the artistic craft. BARKAA will also appear on the panel “Leave Britney Alone: Navigating Notoriety”, a session created to provide insights on the pressures artists face to speak out on pressing issues, and the impact on vocalising opinions in the public realm.
On Wednesday 3 September, Bad Apples founder and all-round Yorta Yorta multi-talent BRIGGS will appear in an unmissable keynote conversation with acclaimed Gomeroi rapper and master storyteller, Kobie Dee. Taking place at the Fortitude Music Hall, this keynote is set to be an illuminating conversation traversing not only two distinguished careers in Australian music, but also insights into the growth and evolution of First Nations excellence in this country.
Thanks to Awesome Black, Goolwal Goolwal plays host to a diverse and electric roster of First Nations artists on Tuesday 2 September – showcasing the dynamism and defining sounds of contemporary Blak music, in the heart of Fortitude Valley on the Brunswick Street Mall stage. Experience firsthand the artists who are shaping tomorrow’s sound: from hip hop to soul, indie to electronic and experimental, the Awesome Black Showcase is set to champion the next wave of First Nations storytellers, proving First Nations excellence has never been bound by genre or expectation.
The music celebration continues in the Goolwal Garden on Wednesday 3 September, with two special events: YANGADA and the Bush Day Out. YANGADA (Mutti Mutti: to speak), represents the sharing of knowledge and memory through songs and stories – think, Kutcha’s Koorioke and a campfire yarn! Presented by the Bush Music Fund, the Bush Day Out will feature a stellar lineup of talent.
On Thursday 4 September, the Brunswick Street Mall Stage plays host to The BLOCK PARTY CONNECT: FROM BOORLOO TO MEANJIN , presented by FNFOCUS & FLEWNT. Featuring a staunch line up of West Coast talent including FLEWNT, INKABEE, Downsyde, Taija, JJ Vacant and TEHIIRI + special guests, this block party brings an unforgettable series of hip hop performances as part of Goolwal Goolwal 2025.
“It has been a fantastic journey over the past years at QMusic, witnessing the increasing engagement and recognition of First Nations artists at Goolwal Goolwal, BIGSOUND and other events such as the Queensland Music Awards. First Nations artists and musicians play a vital role in the Queensland music industry. Music is a powerful tool to ensure that First Nations voices are heard loudly and proudly.
Goolwal Goolwal is a signature event that brings people and cultures together through the sharing of music and deeply personal stories that have a lasting and profound impact on everyone involved. We look forward once again to an amazing program in 2025!” – Toni Janke, Chair – First Nations Advisory Group
For more information on this year’s Goolwal Goolwal Program at BIGSOUND 2025 visit www.bigsound.org.au/first-nations-house
Stay connected on Instagram www.instagram.com/goolwalgoolwal
BIGSOUND 2025 2 – 5 September Fortitude Valley Brisbane, QLD
YELLOWCARD ‘TAKE WHAT YOU WANT’ (SINGLE)
Alt Rock favourites Yellowcard are celebrating today’s global release “Take What You Want” with an accompanying music video showcasing footage taken during the band’s recent tours in Japan, Australia and Europe. “Take What You Want” is the third new song from the group’s forthcoming studio album “Better Days” releasing worldwide on October 10th.
“Take What You Want” follows the release of the first two songs “Better Days” and “honestly i” which have accumulated over 4-million streams since release on May 28th.
Listen to “Take What You Want”
https://yellowcardofficial.lnk.to/twyw
Watch the video
https://youtu.be/1QAsQ4gpfy0
The highly anticipated new album is produced, and executive produced, by Travis Barker with Barker also playing drums on every song.
“The new track ‘Take What You Want’ really captures the amazing energy of these sessions with Travis Barker producing. The drums immediately pull you in, and the melodies are so focused and memorable” says lead singer Ryan Key.
Once ubiquitous on MTV and the Billboard Hot 100, the Vans Warped Tour veterans, whose first two albums produced double-platinum and gold title tracks, sound fully recharged and revitalized in 2025.
The band agreed that making a new album was pointless unless it was the best of their career. They refused to rush the process and for the first time gave themselves permission to ask for help. Ryan Mendez invited his long-time friend Nick Long into the writing sessions and it was through Long that Barker became part of the project, coming on board to play drums and produce the whole album.
“I started the record as one version of myself and came out the other side changed,” says front man Ryan Key who credits Barker with a significant impact on his personal and creative studio breakthroughs. “I went in knowing I needed help. I came out of it writing songs like I was 19 again.”
Formed in Jacksonville FL in 1997, Yellowcard became one of the most influential bands in the 2000’s alternative rock scene. Known for blending high energy pop punk with a signature violin twist, their 2003 breakthrough Ocean Avenue is certified Platinum with the title track now certified 2X Platinum. With over 4 million albums sold worldwide and over 1 billion streams, the band is poised for continued success on this new endeavor. After disbanding in 2017, Yellowcard reunited in 2022 entering into a new creative era and a year packed with a global tour to support it.
BETTER DAYS TRACK LIST
1. Better Days
2. Take What You Want
3. Love Letters Lost (feat. Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio)
4. honestly i
5. You Broke Me Too (feat. Avril Lavigne)
6. City of Angels
7. Bedroom Posters
8. Skin Scraped
9. Barely Alive
10. Big Blue EyesBetter Days will be released on October 10
Pre Orders are available now
https://yellowcardofficial.lnk.to/bdalbum
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ALLY ROW ‘HOLD ME NOW’ (SINGLE)
After achieving ABC Country High Rotation, CMT Airplay, Apple Music editorial playlisting as well as Double and Triple J success, Alt-Country duo Ally Row are back, with their aching indie folk anthem ‘hold me now’.
This sweet, spirited single takes a step back from the duo’s moody upbeat catalogue, exploring a slower heartfelt meditation on love, vulnerability and the need for human connection.
“The lyrics for this song came about after a nightmare” says Rowan, one half of Ally Row “I dreamed the person I care about most in the world left me for someone else. It was a chilling reminder of just how short life is, how quickly love can slip through your fingers and how important it is to be present with the people we care about”.
Echoing influences from the likes of The Paper Kites and Of Monsters and Men, Ally Row blends introspective storytelling, breathy vocals and warm plucky banjo to create a piece both intimate and cinematic. This song is an invitation to forget your troubles for a moment, snuggle up in front of the fireplace with your favourite person and tell them exactly how you feel.
Recorded/mixed/produced by Spud Thompson at Elusive Creative Studios, mastered by Nick Franklin and featuring Alex Keser on Drums ‘hold me now’ is out now on all streaming platforms.
ABOUT ALLY ROW
Gunaikurnai/Gippsland based, Triple j unearthed winning Ally Row are a folk rock/alt country duo blending genres with their toe tapping music and heartfelt lyricism.
The multi-instrumentalists incorporate electric banjo, guitar, keys, harmonica, stomp box and tambourine, creating an unexpectedly full and upbeat live experience.
Their honest lyricism shines a light on the darker sides of love and mental health delivered with warm vocals, velvety harmonies and an infectious beat.
The duo take inspiration from Mumford and Sons, The 502s, Caamp, Sons of the East and Of Monsters and Men, while maintaining their own unique and distinct sound.
This year has shown no signs of slowing down, performing on the main Toyota stage at Tamworth Country Music Festival not once but twice! As part of Americana in the Park and also getting into the highly competitive Top 10 Buskers Championship as well as being invited as special guest performers for Australiana legends, The Bushwackers.
In 2024 their single ‘Bare feet’ was a semi-finalist in both the Unsigned Only and International Songwriting Competition (ISC), opened for ARIA award winner William Crighton, Golden Guitar winner Fanny Lumsden, folk legend Kim Churchill, Irish folk band Seo Linn and singer-songwriter Flynn Gurry.
In 2023 they were winners of the Triple J Unearthed NYE on the Hill Fest competition, Port Fairy Folk Festival busking competition winners, Semi-finalists in the Listen up Music Songwriting Prize and grand finalists in the Passport to Airlie Music Festival competition.
They have performed at hundreds of notable festivals including; Tamworth Country Music Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, NYE on the hill Fest and Airlie Beach Festival of Music.
Their latest single “Middle Of The Road” was released to great acclaim; being highly reviewed on Triple j unearthed and played on CMT, ABC Grass Roots, Edge of Country, Saturday Night with Beccy Cole, Henry Wagon’s Double J Tower of Song, Triple j unearthed Country Hour, as well as selected for high rotation on ABC Country.
Keep up to date via their socials and website for more information.
https://www.allyrow.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/allyroww
https://www.instagram.com/ally_row_/
https://www.youtube.com/@ally_row_
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6gLauhibvHS5NORxI3wY1x?si=Wysdbw1CQ02fMGazj1RgRw
apple – https://music.apple.com/au/artist/ally-row/1573357014
https://soundcloud.com/user-916338075
https://www.tiktok.com/@ally_row_
bandcamp – https://allyrow.bandcamp.com/
https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/ally-row/
COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD UNLEASH ANTICIPATED FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM ROSEWATER CROCODILE. TOURING JULY AND AUGUST
Built on a bed of rich sounds and lyrical nuance, Melbourne indie group Cousin Tony’s New Firebird present their most cohesive collection of stories and music to date with their fourth full-length project, Rosewater Crocodile.
Featuring singles ‘My Ghost & Its Crawling’, ‘Rosewater’ and ‘Mercury Rising’, the album thrives on its ability to weave brooding, emotional moments, with vibrant musicality and heart. For fans who have been with the band since the beginning of their journey in 2015, this is the type of project that feels absolutely fitting for where the overall Cousin Tony sound has grown. For those who are being introduced to the band’s catalogue through Rosewater Crocodile, consider this to be a perfect gateway.
The album, created in a chapel in Mollogghip, Victoria was produced by CTNF’s Lachlan Rose and Josh Barber (Georgia Fields, Queenie), sees Cousin Tony explore the intricacies of relationships (‘Rosewater’, ‘My Ghost & Its Crawling’), the way we relate to one another, and the mysteries of the human condition (‘Flee The Cage’, ‘Crocodile’, ‘Mercury Rising’). Horns and strings blend together with warm textural rhythms from bass and guitar; striking backing vocals buoy the lead vocals of Rose, whose tone offers a yearning perspective as he explores the above themes with intimacy and richness.
“The more songs I write, and the more we bring them to life as a band, the more we learn to let go. David Lynch described the process of creativity as sinking. Below the ripples and the waves lies a dark ocean of ideas (or fish). The longer you train yourself to sink down there, the bigger and the stranger and the more dangerous the creatures become. The rosewater crocodile was what I found down there. It’s a world of exotic jungles, singing ghosts, recalcitrant fairies, dream bears and winding rivers that fizz with iridescent, oily bubbles. Or as our producer Josh Barber described it – ‘a magic album about magic.’” LACHLAN ROSE, COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD
Since Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird made their emphatic entry with debut album Electric Brown in 2018, the band wasted no time in releasing music that consistently showed elevation and a masonic curiosity to expand their sonic vision. To date, they have released three albums in Electric Brown, New Romancer (2019) and Smiles of Earth (2022) – Rosewater Crocodile is set to be the next exciting addition to an ever-powerful catalogue of music.
With their prolific output and constant touring, Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird have built a devoted following in their homeland. They’ve sold out shows across massive headline tours and have played at numerous festivals including Falls Festival, Loch Hart, Happy Wanderer, NYE on the Hill and Beyond the Valley.
Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird will be touring Rosewater Crocodile in Australia this July and August – tickets are on sale now.
“The tour has been a long time coming. We’re at our happiest in a van together on a 10 hour drive. But the show at the end of the ride always transcends that feeling. We’re so humbled by the joyous, nurturing and cathartic essence of the crowds that come to Cousin Tony shows. To be immersed so regularly in them is a true pleasure and one we’ll be seeking out as long as we live. Special mentions to our treasured saxophonist Oliver Whitehead who is returning from living overseas straight into our tour van. Happy days.”- LACHLAN ROSE, COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD
TOUR DATES
Friday July 25 The Corner Hotel Melbourne
Saturday August 2 The Ed Castle Adelaide
Saturday August 9 Oxford Art Factory Sydney
Tuesday August 12 The Brightside Brisbane
Rosewater Crocodile out July 10th
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LARISSA LAMBERT ‘BLAME IT ON ME’ (SINGLE)
Following her first play on triple j Drive last night, the rising global R&B sensation Larissa Lambert, with over 250 million streams, is entering a new era with the release of her new single ‘Blame It On Me’ the lead track from her highly anticipated project I Think This is an EP due out in August 2025.
Produced by Tentendo & Grammy-nominated hitmaker Khaled Rohaim (Rihanna, Juice WRLD, The Kid LAROI), ‘Blame It On Me’ showcases Larissa’s signature emotional depth and velvet-toned vocals, blending raw vulnerability with sleek, modern R&B. The single sets the tone for an EP that promises to be her most personal and sonically evolved project yet.
Larissa’s recent trajectory has been nothing short of explosive. She’s received co-signs from global superstars including Justin Bieber, SZA, Ty Dolla $ign, Craig David, and more—an indication of her growing influence in the international music scene. Her tracks have landed on coveted playlists like Hot Hits Australia, amplifying her reach and affirming her place in the country’s pop and R&B vanguard.
This year alone, Larissa sold out her debut headline tour across Australia and New Zealand, bringing her captivating live energy to thousands of fans. She also took her talents to Asia, performing a special set at Shanghai’s iconic casino resort, marking her first foray into the Chinese live music market.
In December 2025, Larissa will come full circle with a hometown performance at Spilt Milk festival in Ballarat, cementing her as one of the country’s most exciting homegrown acts.
Building on the momentum of past releases like ‘You’re Still Mine’ & ‘Cardio’ which earned her a billboard placement in Times Square for Spotify’s EQUAL campaign and extensive BBC Radio 1Xtra and triple j support, Larissa continues to redefine modern R&B on her own terms. She’s toured alongside Kehlani, graced covers and features in Rolling Stone, Complex, and Tone Deaf, and earned consistent support from both Australian and global media.
With ‘Blame It On Me’ and the upcoming project I Think This is an EP , Larissa Lambert is not just making waves—she’s creating a tidal shift in the genre.
Larissa Lambert – ‘Blame It On Me’. Single out now via New Levels Listen here
Connect with Larissa Lambert
https://www.instagram.com/larissalambert/
https://www.facebook.com/ItsLarissaLambert
https://www.youtube.com/c/larissalambert
DAYSEEKER ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT
ALBUM ARRIVES OCTOBER 24 VIA SPINEFARM
BAND SHARES VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK
Southern California’s DAYSEEKER — Rory Rodriguez [vocals], Gino Sgambelluri [guitar], Ramone Valerio [bass], and Zac Mayfield [drums] — are thrilled to announce their sixth album Creature In the Black Night.
Produced by Daniel Braunstein (Spiritbox, Silent Planet) and mixed by Zakk Cervini (Blink-182, Bring Me The Horizon, Lorna Shore), the album is Dayseeker’s most immersive and intentional record to date — eerie, cinematic, and threaded with a dark (and sexy) emotional current.
Creature In The Black Night arrives October 24 via Spinefarm. Pre-save it here.
The band also shares the video for the title track.
The song is a moody, dreamy anthem and it’s everything fans have come to know and love about Dayseeker — stunning and dramatic vocal shifts, Rodriguez’s DNA-distinct falsetto, rising sonic tension that escalates and then explodes, and downright pretty melodies co-exist alongside plate-shifting breakdowns.
Watch the video for Creature In The Black Night here:
“Creature In The Black Night is the darker part of your conscience overpowering you,” reveals Rodriguez about the song. “It’s about the rush you’re addicted to that you can’t ignore.”
It follows the release of Pale Moonlight, which arrived in late April and already accumulated over 10 million streams.
While not a concept album in the traditional sense, Creature in the Black Night exhibits thematic cohesion, from its shadowy visual identity, Grim Reaper iconography, and ominous atmosphere, to how its songs unfold like chapters. “There’s a horror-inspired vibe that took hold early on,” Rodriguez explains. “It wasn’t planned. But once it started showing up in the songs, we leaned into it.”
Fans expecting a sorrowful descent into depression might be surprised — Creature in the Black Night has sharper edges, heavier riffs, and a newfound sense of clarity. “There was this idea that we’d get more and more commercial over time,” Rodriguez says. “But I think the opposite happened — we’re riffing more, I’m screaming more. And it feels good. It feels honest.”
Dayseeker hasn’t just evolved. They’ve ascended.
Dayseeker will return to the UK in February 2026, performing alongside Motionless in White across their EU & UK arena tour and will spend the rest of 2025 on tour in the US. They have a spate of headline dates and will serve as support for both Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment.
CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT (SINGLE) – OUT NOW https://Dayseeker.lnk.to/CreatureInTheBlackNight
CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT (ALBUM) – OUT OCTOBER 24 https://Dayseeker.lnk.to/CITBNPresave
ABOUT DAYSEEKER:
Sad rock. That’s usually how frontman Rory Rodriguez describes it to curious newcomers. But there’s more to Dayseeker than melancholy. Formed in Southern California and forged in adversity, Dayseeker evolved from post-hardcore upstarts into one of the most emotionally resonant and stylistically agile bands in heavy music today. Their songs don’t just process grief, heartbreak, and trauma — they transform them into something magnetic, powerful, and ultimately empowering. Since 2012, this spirit has defined the band, which prioritizes emotional truth over trends, connecting through authentic passion, sonic innovation, and lyrical vulnerability. 2019’s Sleeptalk marked a creative turning point — a dreamy, immersive reintroduction that saw the band doubling down on melody, atmosphere, and introspection. That shift continued with 2022’s Dark Sun, a devastatingly personal album shaped by the death of Rodriguez’s father. Dayseeker graced the cover of Outburn and drew enthusiastic praise from Alternative Press and alt-rock radio. The profound resonance of the band’s music with fellow outsiders worldwide is evident in their 600 million+ streams. And it’s palpable at every show, from sold-out headlining runs in theaters to tours with Pierce The Veil, Bad Omens, and Ice Nine Kills.
ABOUT SPINEFARM:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk, and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and the breakout success of cultural phenom Sleep Token, Spinefarm’s artists are — and always have been — true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Black Veil Brides, and While She Sleeps, as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, Deadlands, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, Mark Morton), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.