SNIPPETZ: Thursday October 23, 2025
This week’s Snippetz features: The Radiators, Murray and The Movers, Laura Adeline, Slash, Mel C, Sophie Lilah, Ben Provest, Clay Brown & The Trouble Round Town, Les Thomas, Charly Oakley, Spaced, Ruth Hazleton, Gordon’s Grandson, Big Delicious, Seaside, Anna Calvi, Dyssidia, Sasami, DCN, Icecream Hands, Cahill Kelly, Second Harbour, Story of the Year, Swim, Dayseeker and more.
THE RADIATORS ‘LIVE IT UP’ FIRST STUDIO RELEASE FOR OVER 20 YEARS
The Radiators are releasing their first studio release in over 20 years! The single, a tribute to Mental As Anything’s Greedy Smith, will be released on the 23rd of October. Bass player, Geoff Turner says “In our travels around Australia we’d always cross paths with Mental As Anything. We were often on the same bill, or just catching up at one airport or another. We were friends with all the guys in the band, especially Greedy Smith, who unexpectedly passed away in 2019. Greedy was a huge talent and an all around great guy.”
“Martin had suddenly and, most unfortunately, found himself without a band. We, meanwhile, found ourselves at the same moment in time without a guitarist. Our worlds collided and MC became the latest and greatest member of the Rads.”
“Once Martin joined us it was suggested we do a Mental As Anything song as a tribute to Greedy. This is our Rad-ified version of Live It Up!”
The Radiators are:
Brian Nichol – vocals and guitar
Geoff Turner – bass and vocals
Martin Cilia – guitar
Mark Lucas – Drums
Here’s a link to the video https://youtu.be/5JP1ExNLTAY
MURRAY AND THE MOVERS BEGIN NEW CHAPTER
Indie-rock outfit Murray and the Movers, known as The Soul Movers over their past four albums with OG Red Wiggle Murray Cook on guitar, proudly introduce their new name and new direction in sound by unleashing their brand-new single “If I’m With You” (Xelon) on all streaming platforms this Friday, October 24.
Join Murray and musical accomplice, Lizzie Mack, as they search for a way to travel back in time to the early 1990’s on “If I’m With You”… A time when retro was in, the internet-free world was still cool and new and shiny, great vintage cars were still cheap…and there were definitely no phones at concerts. A time when people got together at live music venues four nights a week, drank and laughed and danced and chatted up a storm all over town.
A surge of cool, pure power pop, the track takes its cues from the sparkling melodies of 1980s girl bands like The Go-Go’s and The Bangles, and the biting edge of early ’90s power-pop favourites Matthew Sweet and Elvis Costello.
But it’s not about excess — it’s about control. What’s left out matters as much as what’s played, every note sharpened and refined. At its lyrical core, “If I’m With You” is about closeness, presence, and timing: “If we had one night, in this world together… even just one night, off the clock,
the wall, the weather.”
From that opening invitation to the hypnotic outro vamp, the track radiates longing, urgency, and the power of connection.
Murray Cook said, “Rock & roll lovers of my generation were spoilt with an embarrassment of riches. The live music scene in the 80s and 90s was thriving. New, exciting bands seemed to appear each week. ‘If I’m With You’ celebrates that time musically and lyrically. It is nostalgic but also looking forward. We can still capture that excitement today when the circumstances and company are right.We’ve gone for some of the sounds of the past; 80s indie guitars; girl group vocals and a tribute to the great, recently lost Clem Burke in the drumming. But everything comes around again, and we feel we’ve captured some excitement that never dates. Viva rock & roll.”
Lizzie Mack said, “This song came from the essence of a perfect night we shared with musicians from multiple bands after a festival in Toronto. At The Painted Lady, we sipped beers, traded stories, and celebrated the times we’d had back in the day. That idea — of a truly perfect night — mingles with the desire we have for future generations to feel that same immediate, powerful connection.It’s about daring to leave your phone behind and navigate nights — and days — with your own guidance system. To trust your intuition, develop your own intelligence, and find your passions, your people, and your place in the world. That’s the heart of what ‘If I’m With You” is all about.”
The band originally booked Studio B at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, but with the current political climate and uncertainty about entering the US, recording plans shifted closer to home. Instead, the sessions came together at “our local” Zen Sound Studios with engineer Geoff Lee.The track was later mixed by Stew Geddes and mastered by Steve Smart at Studios 301, Sydney, bringing international ambition back to its Australian roots.
The official “If I’m With You” video was shot on location around Melbourne’s legendary live venue The Forum. It weaves in classic grunge iconography, including Hosier Lane aerosol art, as Murray and Lizzie race against time in search of the “portal” to a perfect night. A mural of Kurt Cobain becomes the key, leading them into the crowd where they lose themselves completely to the music.
Wednesday October 29 will be the official date for the change of name to Murray and the Movers. Having played everything from rock to electro-pop to disco, it’s time to drop the soul and dive into indie rock for ‘If I’m With You’.
TOUR DATES 2025
Wednesday October 29
Metro, Sydney, Murray Cook’s Rocktober
Murray and The Movers + The Smoking Ruins + DJ Murray Set
Friday October 24 – Sunday October 26
Nimbin Music Festival
Performing as the duo Mack & Cook
Sunday October 26
“Almost Country” : The Cave Inn, Woolloongabba
Performing as the duo Mack & Cook
Friday November 28
Django Bar, Marrickville – Single launch
Performing as Murray and The Movers
Tickets available here: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/qu7qr/murray_and_the_movers_single_launch.aspx
Saturday December 6
Cherry Bar, Melbourne
Murray and The Movers + The Pearlies + The Brakes
Sunday December 7
The Gem, Fitzroy
Performing as the duo Mack & Cook + The Brakes
Friday December 19
Smith’s Alternative, Canberra (Upstairs Bar)
Performing as the duo Mack & Cook
Saturday December 13
A Very Murray Orange Carols in the Botanical Garden
Performing as Murray and the Movers
2026
March 1-3
Nannup Music Festival
The Indie Bar Scarborough – Plug & Play
Performing as the duo Mack & Cook
March 6-7
Enlighten Festival Canberra
Murray and The Movers
Website: https://www.soulmoversband.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hlMoBfXoao3YLibYus8ng
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulmoversband/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulmoversband
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@djmurraycook
SLASH DROPS ELECTRIFYING NEW SINGLE CROSSROADS (LIVE) AHEAD OF UPCOMING LIVE ALBUM & CONCERT FILM LIVE AT THE S.E.R.P.E.N.T FESTIVAL
As SLASH gears up for the release of Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, an electrifying, Blues-filled live album and concert film, fans can now dive into the latest single Crossroads (Live). Raw, unfiltered, and steeped in the spirit of the Delta blues, the track captures SLASH and his Blues Ball band in their element. Their take on Robert Johnson’s classic honours its roots while giving it an edge, driven by SLASH’s signature guitar tone and the band’s soulful groove. Recorded live at the Mission Ballroom, it’s a performance that pays respect to one of the most iconic blues songs ever written, while making it entirely their own.
FULL ALBUM OUT FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER ON earMUSIC
LISTEN TO NEW SINGLE CROSSROADS (LIVE)
On Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Slash’s Blues Ball delivers the blues like it’s meant to be – loud, live, and dangerous.The album and concert film were captured live at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, during the July 17, 2024 tour stop of SLASH’s star-studded Blues tour, the inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival, an acronym which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance.
Slash’s Blues Ball band features SLASH on lead and rhythm guitar, joined by longtime collaborator Teddy “ZigZag” Andreadis (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Tash Neal (rhythm guitar, vocals), Johnny Griparic (bass, backing vocals), and Michael Jerome (drums). Together, they tear through a blistering set of blues standards and rock staples, paying tribute to icons like Howlin’ Wolf, Booker T. & the MG’s, Fleetwood Mac, Freddie King, The Temptations, T-Bone Walker, Hoyt Axton, Robert Johnson, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bob Dylan, and Elmore James.
The set includes smoldering takes on Parchman Farm Blues, Killing Floor, Born Under a Bad Sign, Oh Well, Big Legged Woman, and Key to the Highway, followed by the slow-burn groove of Papa Was a Rolling Stone, the smoky soul of Stormy Monday, and the gritty punch of The Pusher. SLASH also debuts a brand-new original, Metal Chestnut, before diving into Cross Road Blues and a fiery rendition of Stone Free. The encore features added favourites as a bonus including It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry and a blistering closer with Shake Your Money Maker.
Intercut with candid, behind-the-scenes interviews, SLASH reflects on his deep personal connection to the blues, sharing the stories behind the songs and his reverence for the artists who paved the way.
Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival will become available in retail stores and online as 2CD+DVD Digipak, 2CD+Blu-ray Digipak and Heavyweight Black 3LP Gatefold. Further exclusive formats will be available in the official album store.
CROSSROADS (LIVE) SINGLE – OUT NOW https://slash.lnk.to/CrossroadsPR
LIVE AT THE S.E.R..P.E.N.T FESTIVAL – OUT NOVEMBER 7 https://slash.lnk.to/LiveAtSerpentFestivalPR
LIVE AT THE S.E.R.P.E.N.T. FESTIVAL TRACK LISTING:
CD1:
01. Intro
02. Parchman Farm Blues
03. Killing Floor
04. Born Under a Bad Sign
05. Oh Well
06. Big Legged Woman
07. Key to the Highway
08. Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone
CD2:
09. Stormy Monday
10. The Pusher
11. Metal Chestnut
12. Crossroads
13. Stone Free
14. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
15. Shake Your Money Maker
LAURA ADELINE Finds Freedom in the Flow on ‘As I See’
‘As I See’ arrives like a plunge into crystal-clear water, cool against the heat, immediate and unforgettable. Out now, ‘As I See’ from Melbourne-based R&B singer-songwriter Laura Adeline is both personal and alluring, weaving grief and betrayal into a groove that feels refreshing, weightless and impossible to resist.
With silky instrumentation and an irresistibly smooth chorus, ‘As I See’ highlights Laura Adeline’s signature style. The track moves with liquid ease, blending soulful vocals, hypnotic rhythms and subtle layers of texture. Her voice, rich yet airy, carries both intimacy and strength, holding the ache of deceit while offering the release of rhythm and groove.
This honeyed single unfolds with a quiet sense of peace, a celebration that feels light and inspiring. Rather than seeking confrontation, Laura Adeline found her calm in creation. An admitted gentle soul with a free-spirited streak of weirdness, she describes the writing process as an outlet, finding resolution in the studio alongside long-time collaborator and producer Jarrod Jeremiah, where vulnerability became art. Laura shares:
“’As I See’ came from a hurt, wounded place, but to put the feelings into words and fight back against how I was made to feel makes releasing this song cathartic.”
The music video for ‘As I See’ is a lo-fi piece filmed using only a digital camera and laptop, created with a raw authenticity and minimal manipulation that reflect the heart of the song. Whether surrounded by her songwriting gear or immersed in the quiet comfort of Melbourne, the clip captures Laura Adeline accepting and celebrating herself, her space and her world exactly as they are.
“Writing ‘As I See’, it was important to me that the message of the song came across, being that I see someone clearly for what they are, but more importantly, see myself for everything that I am,” Laura says, speaking on the meaning behind the song. “Creating a music video that shows me unfiltered, comfortable and gleeful was the best way for me to do that.”
With each release, Laura Adeline steps further into her authentic self, embracing her sound and allure with ease. Her previous singles ‘Curbside’ and ‘501s’ received support from Triple J, Triple J Unearthed, Apple Music, and publications including The AU Review, AAA Backstage, Stereofox and more. With ‘As I See’, she channels that same candour and sincerity into a song that feels both self-assured and deeply human.
‘As I See’, out now, breathes in honesty and exhales calm. In its cool weightlessness, it feels good to stop pretending and just be.
Follow Laura Adeline Linktree | Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Youtube
MEL C ANNOUNCES NEW STUDIO ALBUM SWEAT DUE FOR RELEASE ON MAY 1 2026 VIA VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP
PRE-ORDER HERE
TITLE TRACK OUT NOW
WATCH VIDEO TRAILER HERE/LISTEN HERE
Before she became Mel C of the Spice Girls, she was Melanie Chisholm of “The F**king Yeah Four”, a group of 18-year-old friends dancing through the Costa Brava rave scene in the early ’90s. Those nights of breakbeats, sweat and freedom would shape her forever. Decades later, Melanie C channels that same raw energy into Sweat – her ninth studio album and most euphoric record to date, due for release on May 1, 2026 via Virgin Music Group.
Currently lighting up screens as a coach of The Voice Australia, which is heading into its finals, Melanie filmed the Sweat music video and created the accompanying press shots in Australia, capturing the vibrant energy at the heart of the record. Melanie will be hosting a live Q&A on Instagram ahead of the ‘Sweat’ video premiere at 2am AEDT on Sat 18th October. Watch the trailer for the video HERE.
Announced today with the album’s title track and lead single, ‘Sweat’, is an irresistible electro-house banger primed that samples Diana Ross’s ‘Work That Body’ and channels vintage workout video energy. “Sports, raving, finding joy – these elements are such a huge part of my personality,” she explains. “What works in the club works in the gym – there’s a real crossover.”
Recorded between London, Stockholm and LA, Sweat is a celebration of joy, movement and community – a fusion of Melanie C’s pop legacy and her more recent evolution as a DJ. “I’ve done a lot of soul-searching,” she says. “Now I just want to have some fun and get people dancing again.”
From the outset, Sweat captures the spirit of a generation that found itself on the dance floor. “When we were young every weekend we’d go out dancing all night long,” she recalls. “In a room of friendly strangers we found the place where we belong.” It’s an album that remembers the joy and the ache.
In 2018, a chance invitation to DJ at queer club night Sink The Pink reignited Chisholm’s connection to dance culture. Within a year, she was spinning at Ibiza institutions like Pacha and Café Mambo, and commanding festival crowds across the globe. “I love being able to mix anything I want, you can take things apart and build them again, just like in life.” That same year, she rejoined the Spice Girls for their landmark 2019 reunion tour, culminating in three sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium.
With Sweat, Melanie C unites every part of her story: the athlete, the pop icon, the underground DJ, and the teenager who fell in love with rave culture. It’s a record about resilience and joy in dark times. “There are so many horrific things going on in the world, when you make pop and dance music, it can seem almost churlish. But music is what gets me through tough moments. I’m really happy I am bringing out a joyful record at a very dark time.”
Follow Melanie C Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | TikTok | YouTube
SOPHIE LILAH Moves Through Loss and Longing on Her Debut Album ‘Busy Being in Love’
There is a bittersweet beauty that surfaces when heartbreak is given a voice. On her debut album ‘Busy Being in Love’, Boorloo/Perth indie-folk/ alt singer-songwriter Sophie Lilah gathers the fragments of loss and longing, distilling them into songs that feel both tender and resolute.
‘Busy Being in Love’ moves with both delicacy and force, shifting between stripped-back folk ballads that feel raw and earthy, and rock-driven songs steeped in blues and groove. Sophie threads in touches of jazz phrasing, classical flourishes, and R&B-inspired vocal rhythms, shaping a sound that is organic, real, and deeply emotive.
At the centre of it all is Sophie’s vocals that dance and flutter across the arrangements. Poised but powerful, each phrase carries the ache of truth. It is an album alive with contrasts, where intimacy sits beside a yearning to be heard and understood. Speaking on the album, Sophie shares:
“’Busy Being in Love’ is an album about heartbreak, not just the kind that shatters, but the kind that lingers and reshapes you. Each song became a place to set down the weight of that pain, to make sense of the different shades of loss.”
The album opens with ‘DHMA’, overdriven guitars swaying in 3/4 time as Sophie pleads against repeated heartbreak. ‘Conversation’ then unfolds as an intimate folk ballad with brushed drums, double bass and soaring strings, a reminder that honesty, even though it’s awkward, is essential.
‘BLEACH’ leans into a laid-back blues swagger, Sophie’s harmonies twirl before bursting into mighty choruses. ‘Leave It Alone’ contrasts with moody keys and dissonant strings, sitting in the pain of final acceptance.
‘What We’ve Lost’ drives forward with overdriven guitars and groove, reflecting on the distance of watching someone suffer from afar. ‘Cold Water’s Warm’ begins in a hush before erupting into tangled guitars and tumbling drums, Sophie’s voice piercing through the storm of unreturned love.
‘Pretend’ layers piano and horns with R&B-inspired vocal rhythms, capturing the chaos of toxic affection. ‘I mean it’ shifts with a bluesy groove, sax and overdriven guitar underscoring the longing for an ex.
Near the end comes ‘Busy Being in Love’, opening sombre but building into optimism, a letter to the first heartbreak that ties the record together. The record closes with ‘Boy’, a stark piano ballad wrapped in strings and harmonies, Sophie’s voice carrying a desperate, lingering plea.
At just 20 years old, Sophie Lilah’s debut album is signalling the arrival of an artist already carving out her own space. With ‘Busy Being in Love’, she steps fully into her own, presenting a body of work that feels bold in its scope and deeply personal in its storytelling.
Sophie Lilah’s ‘Busy Being in Love’, out now, is a collection that cries with the sting of heartbreak yet sings with the fragile hope of moving forward.
Follow Sophie Lilah Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Youtube
Australian Musician Ben Provest Captures Icelandic Isolation in New Single “Trying To Be Brave”
Australian musician Ben Provest has released a haunting new single, “Trying To Be Brave,” written and recorded in one of the world’s most remote creative outposts – a converted fish factory in the far east of Iceland.
Composed during a month-long artist residency in Stöðvarfjörður, a tiny fishing village surrounded by dramatic fjords and vast volcanic landscapes, “Trying To Be Brave” captures the surreal stillness and introspective clarity that comes from being completely removed from the familiar.
“I lived and worked in this old fish factory with artists from around the world,” says Ben Provest. “Each day I’d walk along the fjord for exercise and inspiration. It was quiet and isolating, but something about that vastness made me feel more connected – to myself and to music – than I had in a long time.”
Inspired by artists like Harrison Storm, Garrett Kato, and Woodlock, the track blends atmospheric folk textures with a sense of emotional openness that mirrors the Icelandic landscape itself. Recorded, mixed and mastered entirely on-site in Stöðvarfjörður, “Trying To Be Brave” pairs warm acoustic guitar with intimate vocal production, reflecting the tension between solitude and self-discovery that defined the experience.
“The song came out of trying to find peace in uncertainty,” Ben Provest adds. “In that landscape, you feel so small – but that can be grounding too.”
“Trying To Be Brave” will be available on all streaming platforms on November 14th.
https://www.benprovestmusic.com/
Clay Brown & The Trouble Round Town Spill A Late-Night Confessional With ‘No Place’
What feels like a late-night confession spilled over the hum of guitars, ‘No Place’ finds Boorloo/Perth outfit Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town wrestling with grief, distraction, and the struggle to find steady ground. Out today, the single captures Brown at his most unguarded, channelling pain into jangly indie / alt-rock noise. Stream ‘No Place’
Frontman Clay Brown has spent the past decade tracing a path across shoegaze, grunge, jazz fusion and stoner rock, supporting bands including Fuel, Gyroscope and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. He’s now stepping out with his first solo project, Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town. Following a run of solo shows in London and Edinburgh, and now with a third single on its way, Brown leads a new chapter that places his songwriting and voice firmly at the centre.
‘No Place’ channels the grit of indie and alt-rock, driven by picked guitars beneath Brown’s casual, nonchalant delivery, coloured by his Australian accent. The verses feel personal, almost conversational, before the track swells into a falsetto chorus that lifts it into something both vulnerable and defiant. Catchy guitar hooks push the song along, while a swirling slide guitar bridge adds a little alt-country edge.
At its heart, ‘No Place’ is a reflection on being caught between grief and the fragile beginnings of something new. Brown explores the dissonance of trying to give yourself to another person while still carrying the weight of loss, and the frustration of realising that your head and heart are not yet aligned.
“I wrote this song when I was going through a difficult time after losing someone very important in my life, and at the same time trying to start a new situation-ship with someone, but I was finding I just didn’t have myself all together yet for it mentally,” Brown reflects.
Gritty yet heartfelt, ‘No Place’ captures an artist stepping into his own voice and a band finding its stride. Out today, it marks the third single from Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town. Catch them live on Friday, October 24, at Perth’s El Grotto; more details below.
‘No Place’ Single Launch
Friday, October 24 – El Grotto, Scarborough, WA
w/ Lachy John & The Red Bellies, Moth Street Artists | Tickets
Follow Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram
Les Thomas marks AusArts Day with new campaign for songs of memory, justice and resistance
Melbourne songwriter Les Thomas is marking AusArts Day (Thursday 23 October) — Australia’s new national giving day for the arts — with a call to support his forthcoming album I Remember Everything through the Australian Cultural Fund.
Singer-songwriter Les Thomas today releases The Firing Line, a song of grief, conscience and shared humanity in the face of war crimes and civilian suffering.
Written and produced by Thomas, the track features Jacinta Percy on harmony vocals, Trev Fernandez on piano, Jason Bunn on viola and string arrangement, and Justin Olsson on drums. With its stripped-back instrumentation and lyrical clarity, The Firing Line speaks to the urgency of the present moment.
“This is a song about our shared humanity and the futility of war,” says Thomas. “It’s about recognising how easily lives can be devalued when international law is ignored and dehumanisation takes hold.”
The Firing Line is the first single from Thomas’s forthcoming album. The lyrics are direct yet poetic, urging listeners not to look away but to reflect on their responsibility in the face of injustice.
The project, now 30% funded, brings together ten original songs that weave memory, history and resistance into music — from the working-class elegy The Last of the Old Holdens and the powerful anti-violence anthem The Life of Eloise to the title track’s sweeping reflection on human struggle and endurance.
“This is my most ambitious work yet,” Thomas says. “Each song carries a piece of our shared story — the beauty, the pain and the will to keep going.”
The first release from the album, The Firing Line, has already been warmly received by audiences and community radio. The new campaign aims to fund the final recording, mixing and mastering stages, fair payment for musicians, and the production of CDs and vinyl editions.
All donations are fully tax-deductible through the Australian Cultural Fund.
“I remember Truganini’s eyes
And how her gravest fears were realised
The body-snatching colonists
I honour those who still resist.”
Support the project or share the campaign at:
https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000WY3FZ
Les Thomas
Singer–Songwriter | Storyteller | Troubadour Award Winner
lesthomasmusic.com
Spotify
Bandcamp
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
RUTH HAZLETON ‘HERONBONES’ (SINGLE)
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD AUDIO AS WAV AND MP3 HERE
Acclaimed Australian folk artist Ruth Hazleton releases Heronbones – her most ambitious and transformative body of work to date.
The album has already been heralded through the release of three singles: Letter From a Friend (Fire Song), The Returning (Selkie), and Tri-Coloured House. Each track illuminates Hazleton’s deep fascination with storytelling that moves between historic and contemporary, exploring themes of memory, transformation, myth, and struggle.
Heronbones is a collection of stories told through both soundscape and word—where tradition becomes porous, and voices from the past resonate powerfully in the present.
Drawing from deep wells of folklore and traditional song, Hazleton reshapes these narratives through a darkfolk lens, blending electronic sampling, textured sound design, guitar, banjo, drums, and expansive string arrangements.
The album also realises an artistic vision seeded many years ago, inspired by 90s downbeat, electronica and trip hop, and celebrates Hazleton’s 30th year in music.
Co-produced with acclaimed musician & producer Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty), the album features trad and original songs, with the concept of storytelling firmly at its core. In doing this, Hazleton bridges her work as a folklorist and oral historian with her life as a musician: Heronbones does not simply revive tradition, it interrogates, reclaims, and re-sounds it—revealing the ways old stories continue to echo within us today – a transformational, grounded, and powerfully contemporary folk release.
“Ruth Hazleton has the rare gift to make the new sound old and the old sound new. Past and present flow together through her stunning vocal delivery of these fine songs.” — Thomm Jutz (Nashville, USA)
“What makes Ruth Hazleton most compelling is her ability to hold tradition and transformation in the same hand. She is a keeper of old stories and a teller of new ones. A scholar of sound and a seeker of soul. With Heronbones, she invites us on a mythic journey… to the core of what it means to remember who we are.” — Stevie Connor, Sound Café (Toronto, Canada)
ABOUT RUTH HAZLETON
2021 Artist of the Year Australian Folk Music Awards. Melbourne-based singer, banjo player, guitarist and songwriter Ruth Hazleton has remained a prominent figure in Australia’s folk music scene for 30 years. An artist known for her appearances with several high-profile Australian acts (Kate Burke & Ruth Hazleton, Closet Klezmer & Dev’lish Mary), Ruth has toured nationally and internationally (UK, Ireland and America), released eleven studio albums and made guest appearances on many more.
Artists Ruth has recorded and performed with over the years include: Andy Irvine (Ireland – Planxty, Mozaik), Bruce Molsky (USA – Mozaik), Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band (UK – BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2015), Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty), Nancy Kerr & James Fagan (AUS/UK), Rens Van der Zalm (Netherlands – Mozaik), James Keelaghan (Canada), Martyn Wyndham-Read (UK) and Bill Jackson (Australia).
Ruth began her solo journey in 2019, releasing Daisywheel, produced by acclaimed musician and composer Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty). The album was nominated for ‘Best Folk Album 2020’ at the Music Victoria Awards and has been described as “…compelling and intimately fierce” (Living Tradition – UK).
In 2021, Ruth was awarded ‘Solo Artist of the Year’ at the Australian Folk Music Awards, and supported by Sounds Australia as a participant in export program Global Music Match. She also represented Australia as an International Spotlight Showcase Artist at Folk Unlocked (Folk Alliance International).
Ruth is celebrating 30 years in music with a new album release, Heronbones (due out September 2025). A darkfolk offering, Heronbones explores traditional and contemporary song and folkloric themes using a combination of sampling, sound design, electronic beats, electric guitar, banjo, drums and strings.
linktr.ee/ruthmusic ruthhazleton.com.au
BIG DELICIOUS ‘LIPS THAT TOUCH LIQUOR’ (SINGLE)
It’s been almost 50 years since Mac Davis complained about all the love-starved women clamouring at his feet, and the problem for country singers has, if anything, gotten worse. Nowadays, even middle-aged dads from low-level Australian alt-country bands are under siege.
This lament about desperate, lovelorn women who refuse to accept that the gentlemen of Big Delicious are strictly teetotal may appeal to fans of Willie Nelson, The Soggy Bottom Boys, The Magnetic Fields and Kris Kristofferson.
At a whisker over two and a half minutes, it’s the perfect song to squeeze in before an ad break, and less useful if you want to nip out to the toilet. “Dry July” is Big Delicious’s third single release from their upcoming debut album “Here’s Trouble”.
About the Artist: Big Delicious know songwriters who use subtext, and they’re all cowards. Big Delicious traffic in simple, old-fashioned tunes that do what they say on the tin.
Featuring far too many musicians and singers from Melbourne acts including Klinger, Sophie Koh, Slow Fades, The Glorious North, Michael Meeking and the Lost Souls, Georgia Fields, Cheezelkane and more, this 9-piece band serves up a hearty stew of all your musical comfort foods: high-lonesome pedal steel, honky tonk piano, old-timey fiddle and the kind of guitar solos that make you want to do burn-outs in a Holden Torana… all on a tasty bed of Wilco-esque indie-rock.
So is it a supergroup? Community support initiative? Massive scheduling nightmare? Who could say. All we know is… It’s big. And it’s delicious.
Connect with Big Delicious
www.instagram.com/bigdeliciousmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/BigDeliciousMusic/
SEASIDE Debut Album Desiderata Release Date 24th October
Byron Bay’s SEASIDE are excited to present their long-awaited debut album ‘Desiderata’ coming Friday October 24th, marking a powerful milestone in their eight-year journey. Known for their emotionally raw songwriting and dreamy yet fierce sound, ‘Desiderata’ captures themes of love, heartbreak, addiction, grief, and hope — brought to life through the band’s signature blend of indie and alternative rock. The album was written and recorded over 12 months and is dedicated to frontwoman Darcy Dexter’s late father, whose passing mid-way through the process deeply shaped the record’s emotional core.
The title Desiderata comes from the poem read at Darcy’s parents’ wedding, and the album art features ‘Sadie’ — a crying sun that embodies SEASIDE’s essence: sunshine and sorrow. Standout tracks include “Rebels,” inspired by a dream about lost love; “Family Gambling,” a haunting portrayal of addiction and its consequences; and “Big Sky,” a powerful tribute to grief, written following the loss of Darcy’s father.
The band also draws on their extensive live experience, having toured with Ocean Alley (AU/UK/EU), Angus & Julia Stone, The Vaccines, Sparta (USA), and Jack Kays (USA), alongside standout festival slots including Splendour in the Grass and Party in the Paddock.
Desiderata is SEASIDE’s coming out party, crystallising the sound they had always envisioned. To celebrate the release, SEASIDE will embark on a national headline tour in December 2025.
https://www.instagram.com/heyseaside/
Anna Calvi returns with new song featuring Perfume Genius
Anna Calvi announces her return with a cover of Bonnie Prince Billy’s ‘I See A Darkness’, a haunting duet she performs with Perfume Genius. Their voices intertwine in a song about intimacy beyond romance — the quiet, profound love found in friendship. “So many songs are about romantic love,” Calvi explains. “But I wanted to highlight the romance of the chosen family, the depth of connection that isn’t tethered to heteronormative ideals. It’s such a powerful song about the yearning for intimacy. I love inhabiting other people’s songs. When I sing someone else’s words, I feel like I’m getting closer to myself somehow, because the songs I choose express something I can’t articulate.”
The video – directed by Alexander Brown – shows the intimacy of friendship during a night out, as a moment between two friends is remembered over and over; it also shows the subtle defiance it takes for two women to have a free and happy evening without letting any stranger disturb the beauty of their bond.
Watch the video for ‘I See A Darkness (feat. Perfume Genius)’ here
Stream ‘I See A Darkness (feat. Perfume Genius)’ here
Calvi’s reappearance has been eagerly awaited given that this is her first new music since she brought her trademark atmospherics and visceral guitar to the score for seasons 5 and 6 of BBC’s Peaky Blinders, whose final episode aired in 2022. Calvi’s scores were widely released in early 2024.
Calvi also recently launched her own Substack entitled Carving Silver In Strange Weather where she will be sharing unreleased songs and instrumentals, playlists, released and unreleased live performances, alongside her own thoughts and explorations on artistic obsessions. The first chapter on The Guitar – Depravity and The Divine has recently come to a close. Read it and sign up to further chapters here.
Having recently taken part in the Southbank Centre’s concert tribute to David Lynch, Calvi has since announced an intimate headline show at London’s EartH Theatre where she will perform rarities from her back catalogue. Joined by special guests, the sold-out show promises to be a spellbinding evening.
For her three albums to date, each its own dark-inked essay in turbulence and drama, Anna Calvi has been shortlisted three times for the Mercury Music Prize, nominated for a BRIT Award, received praise from the highest quarters and established herself as an artist fearless of examining identity and passion. With “I See A Darkness” and what comes next, Anna Calvi intends to probe a little deeper into the human condition.
Anna Calvi Online Substack | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | X
Gordon’s Grandson unveils dreamy new single 6pm
Gordon’s Grandson has released his most romantic track yet, 6pm, a hazy, heart-stirring ode to first dates and fleeting connection. Blending vintage tones with contemporary indie sensibility, the 20-year-old artist from Melbourne continues to prove why he’s one of Australia’s most promising young storytellers.
Following a breakout year that saw Gordon’s Grandson named triple j Unearthed Feature Artist (August 2025), 6pm arrives as another step forward in a rapidly rising career defined by honesty, nostalgia, and musical self-sufficiency. His previous singles have drawn widespread support across national radio and streaming platforms, with SUNLIGHT receiving a first play on triple j, a spot add on Unearthed Radio, and placement on Spotify’s New Music Friday AU/NZ and Indie Arrivals, alongside Apple Music’s New Music Daily, Indie Pop, and New In Indie. His earlier single KISSING landed 18 editorial playlists, including 10 New Music Friday covers, while ANGEL, BLACK RUST, and BLEED all received multiple triple j spins.
As both a musician and an actor, Gordon’s Grandson (Harry Prior) balances his dual worlds seamlessly, appearing across Netflix, Amazon Prime, STAN, ABC, SBS, and Binge, including standout roles in Deadloch and Love Me. His song My Mother Said was even picked up for a sync in the latest season of ABC’s Bay of Fires, in which he also stars. Every track in his growing catalogue is fully self-written, recorded, and produced in his bedroom, a hallmark of his deeply personal and DIY approach.
“I wrote 6pm about a first date. I don’t often do such literal storytelling so this was very fun to create. The production and mix is very inspired by The Innovations’ Seabird cover. I wanted to add a lot of 60s character, from the vintage mellotron flute to the nasally John Lennonesque vocal. I hope the track gives you a cute, wholesome, romantic but hauntingly nostalgic feeling.”
6pm feels like the perfect distillation of Gordon’s Grandson’s world, wistful, cinematic, and rooted in emotion. Its lo-fi intimacy and shimmering textures nod to his musical influences while carving a space uniquely his own. With an ever-growing community of over 35,000 TikTok followers, 29,000 Instagram fans, and an active Discord server, his rise is powered by connection and authenticity rather than hype.
At just 20, Gordon’s Grandson stands firmly among the next wave of Australian indie artists redefining what bedroom pop can sound like. With 6pm, he continues to deliver the kind of heartfelt storytelling that makes him one of our favourite emerging voices to watch.
6pm Single LISTEN
CONNECT WITH GORDON’S GRANDSON
SCREENSAVER SHARE NEW SINGLE ‘SOFT TOUCH’
FROM NEW ALBUM THREE LENS APPROACH OUT NOV 7
+ ANNOUNCE SUPPORTS FOR NOVEMBER HEADLINE TOUR
Naarm/Melbourne five-piece, screensaver share new wave, disco-tinged second single, ‘Soft Touch’ lifted off their forthcoming third album, Three Lens Approach out November 7 on Poison City Records. The band also announces supports for their 6-date East Coast headline tour, including a hometown launch at The Tote on November 15.
Emerging from a mammoth moog swell, Krystal Maynard’s hypnotic vocal performance lays atop driving bass, nostalgic synth lines, serpentine guitar and a moreish disco beat. Following themes laid out on their lead single, ‘Context Is Everything’ released earlier this month, screensaver’s Krystal Maynard shares on the latest album cut, ‘Soft Touch’:
“More and more we’re watching our governments take weak stances or no stance on huge issues: whether it’s the genocide in Gaza, establishing a meaningful emissions target or the rising violence against women in this country. Soft Touch is a relentless dance floor banger, that demands we as a society, grow a backbone and stop being persuaded by the powers that be. Lives are at stake, temperatures rise and we need to draw hard lines for change, yet often we’re content to sit on the fence, to be a push over – to be a ‘soft touch.’”
The track’s accompanying visuals, directed and edited by screensaver drummer, James Beck were inspired by some of the bands favourite films of the 80s and 90s, and immerses viewers in an 80s karaoke bar, as the featured star-studded cast of fellow Naarm artists alongside screensaver’s Krystal Maynard – Annaliese Redlich (of Lothario), Shauna Boyle (of Lothario, Leatherman), Léna Molnar (of Armour) and Eva (of Public Figures) take their turns belting out the new wave disco track, as Rhiannon Taylor and Stephen Douglas work the bar. James Beck shared on the video:
“Thematically, Soft Touch deals with the ongoing dilemma of learning to say no in a time where systems want us to behave in certain compliant manner, having firm boundaries and the truth we uncover through hard conversations – which can be a struggle in our day to day and quite exhausting, but deep down we yearn to reconnect with our vulnerable, soft sides also.”
screensaver take their immense live shows on the road this November, launching their Three Lens Approach album tour with a hometown show at The Tote on November 15 supported by Tongue Dissolver, Lothario and Armour, before heading to Warrnambool supported by High Angle Beams, Adelaide supported by Placement, Hägöl and White Columns, Newcastle supported by Laura Panic, The Pee Wee 50’s and Sheena Dali’s Swedish Magazines, Sydney supported by Enclave, Boiling Hot Politician and Arditi Daggers, Canberra supported by Evadell, Nuta Mantis.
Tension carries across screensaver’s new record, pushing and pulling between moments of upbeat, heart-on-sleeve tenderness and explosions of frustration and all-out fury. “The theme of the album is power,” Krystal Maynard explains, “how we wield it through language and action, how society is affected by the existing power structures, the consequences of the absence of it and how we harness it emotionally and intellectually as individuals, and as the collective. Written against the backdrop of genocide in Gaza, the rise of the right, the rollback of human rights, whilst the battle for climate change rages against soaring temperatures and rising sea levels, it’s only natural that these topics are absorbed into the themes of the album.”
screensaver’s prismatic approach to anxiety-ridden post punk is on full show, danceable and galvanising as ever. A shared love of seventies dance music drives the band’s heartbeat, charged by elements of motorik Krautrock, new wave, moody dub and death disco, and emboldened with their asymmetrical pop sensibility. On Three Lens Approach, screensaver reach a new of level of confidence in expanding the sonic world they have built on their first LPs, Expressions of Interest (Upset the Rhythm) and Decent Shapes (Poison City Records/Upset the Rhythm).
The album’s predecessors received support from Rolling Stone Australia, PBS FM, NME, KEXP, Brooklyn Vegan, Post Trash, Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll and Raven Sings the Blues, and 2023 single ‘The Guilt’ reached AMRAP’s Independent Music Charts top 10.
screensaver is comprised of Krystal Maynard (vocals/synth), Christopher Stephenson (guitar/synth), James Beck (drums), Dorian Vary (bass/synth) and Jonnine Nokes (synth). The five-peice have previously toured Australia, the US (September 2022) including Gonerfest, and the UK and Europe (August 2024), sharing bills with Tropical Fuck Storm, Party Dozen, Snooper, C.O.F.F.I.N., Power Plant and more.
SCREENSAVER THREE LENS APPROACH TOUR DATES
Saturday 15 November – The Tote Hotel, Melbourne (Wurundjeri Land) + Tongue Dissolver, Lothario, Armour
Friday 21 November – The Dart and Marlin, Warrnambool (Gunditjmara Land) + High Angle Beams
Saturday 22 November – The Hotel Metro, Adelaide (Kaurna Land) + Placement, Hägöl, White Columns
Friday 28 November – The Croatian Club, Newcastle (Awabakal Land) + Laura Panic, The Pee Wee 50’s, Sheena Dali’s Swedish Magazines
Saturday 29 November – Waywards, Sydney (Gadigal Land) + Enclave, Boiling Hot Politician, Arditi Daggers
Sunday 30 November – Dissent Cafe, Canberra (Ngunnawal Land) + Evadell, Nuta Mantis
CONNECT WITH SCREENSAVER INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
DYSSIDIA Aussie Prog Masters Release New Single, Impulsivity.
New Album, Deeper Wells Of Meaning Out November 28
Album Launch Show Announced
The second single from Dyssidia’s forthcoming album, Deeper Wells Of Meaning, is ‘Impulsivity’, a tense, spiralling journey through temptation, restraint, and the volatile nature of desire. This progressive journey effortlessly flows through different time feels and tempos, commanding the listener’s attention through rhythmic twists and turns.
Both ferocious and contemplative, Impulsivity showcases Dyssidia at their most dynamic and emotionally charged yet, hinting at the vast sonic and thematic scope of the new record.
Guitarist, Corey Davis adds that “Impulsivity was a track that came together in a really visceral and organic way. It felt like an epic sonic journey to send off the end of the album, especially with it’s emotive and powerful outro, in classic Dyssidia style.”
Listen to Impulsivity here
https://orcd.co/deeperwellsofmeaning
Dyssidia have announced their album launch show
Sat, Dec 13: Jive Adelaide
Tickets available here
Dyssidia have carved a distinct mark on global progressive metal with their commanding blend of technical precision, theatrical depth and emotional intensity. From their spearheading trilogy of influential EPs within an exploding Australian prog scene beginning with 2013’s Quiet Waters to their ambitious debut album, 2020’s Costly Signals the Adelaideans evolved into a respected powerhouse icon of Australian prog metal, in the wake of inspiring countless acts with their avant-garde approach to the genre.
Their proven pedigree is mirrored by who they’ve shared stages with; Opeth, TesseracT, Leprous, Between The Buried And Me, Voyager, Caligula’s Horse, and SikTh, to name a few. Now after 5 long years, Dyssidia unveil their most immersive and expansive work yet, their second full length album, ‘Deeper Wells of Meaning’. Co-produced and mixed by Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse) and mastered by V. Santura (Obscura), the upcoming album dives deeper into the band’s core a unique combination of weaving, crushing intricacy and raw vulnerability into a singular, immersive experience.
Deeper Wells Of Meaning will be released on November 28 via Wild Thing Records.
Revisit the album’s first single ‘Serum Sickness’
Pre orders are available now
https://orcd.co/deeperwellsofmeaning
Follow Dyssidia
linktr.ee/dyssidiaband
ICECREAM HANDS ‘GIANT FOX PINEAPPLE TREE’ NEW ALBUM OUT NOV 7
NEW SINGLE ‘BACK ON THE ROAD’ OUT NOW
Melbourne power pop legends Icecream Hands have emerged from the depths of winter with a very special gift for fans – a brand-new album, Giant Fox Pineapple Tree (Nov 7) – brimming with pop-rock melodies and the soaring harmonies that have become an Icecream Hands trademark.
Formed in Melbourne in 1992, this iconic power pop group have seven albums under their belt along with two Australian Record Industry Award nominations – for their 1999 hit album, Sweeter Than The Radio. With hits like ‘Dodgy’ and ‘Nipple’, the album captured the hearts of audiences worldwide thanks to the band’s trademark melodic brilliance and impeccable guitar riffs.
After a 13-year hiatus pursuing solo projects, the band returned in 2020 with the critically acclaimed album, No Weapon But Love. Reignited by their irresistible hooks and harmonies, loyal fans packed out the band’s live performances, and the annual Icecream Hands Christmas Show has become a much-loved Melbourne tradition.
Now a new chapter in the three decade story of Icecream Hands begins with Giant Fox Pineapple Tree, a masterclass in harmony-drenched, classic guitar-driven melodic rock, destined to satiate existing fans and draw in new ones aplenty.
Tinged with equal parts of melancholy, hope, and joy, the first single ‘Back On The Road’, which premiered on Radio City on PBS and online with Backseat Mafia, reflects on the unconditional love we hold for the precious ones we farewell as they move into adulthood, seeking their hopes and dreams in a world unknown.
Immediately resonating, loud and clear on the back of chiming guitars and that ever-solid backbeat, the song carries the hallmarks of the finest power pop – from The Beatles to Big Star, Nick Lowe to Teenage Fanclub. The band’s collective voices are a guiding light through the sparkling verses and skyward chorus, conveying that aforementioned love and optimism on high.
“[Derek G] Smiley and I both have three daughters of a similar age, and he provided the inspiration for the theme,” explains songwriter Douglas Lee Robertson.
Elsewhere on the album there’s a rallying cry for those keen to drop in and hear what the band’s been up to (Leaving Nobody Out), songs about Charles Jenkins’ hospital stay (Tambourine Mountain, Carry On), rediscovering joy (Do Ya Feel It), finding the light in dark times of depression (Look For The Blue), a tender message to a loved one (Mercy), and musical memories in the wake of the loss of Smiley’s mother (In The Haze).
Across all of the album’s 11 songs, there’s a pristine musicality – complete with heartwarming harmonies, ornate flourishes, and, as always, a classic, overwhelmingly strong sense of melody, sonically uniting them all.
Working with recording engineer and mixer Greg J. Walker (he of the lauded and awarded Machine Translations) at The General Store in South Gippsland, Victoria, over a long weekend, the band were able to capture their songs as they flew by. “Songs got faster as we warmed up, arrangements were tweaked, parts were honed, and fun was had,” recalls singer/guitarist/songwriter Jenkins.
“Recording this album altogether in one room over a long weekend I think plays to our strengths as a unit, there’s a lot of bump and sway,” says Robertson. “It was all recorded to tape so some things that we’d quickly fix in the digital realm got left alone… we’re pretty happy with the result, it sounds fresh!”
Of that intriguing album title, Jenkins explains, “at times South Gippsland offered up foggy nights, limited views of the road ahead, and unsightly vermin. On one particularly foggy night, bass player and pale driver Douglas Lee Robertson swore he saw a giant fox; when we drove back to the studio the next morning, standing where the fox had been was a large red horse,” he recalls. “On playback of a song, guitarist and band proofreader Marcus Goodwin misheard a lyric as But I’ve a Pineapple Tree, and so the line was corrected — and an album title born!”
CREDITS
Marcus Goodwin: Vocals, Guitars
Charles Jenkins: Vocals, Guitars
David Milne: Piano, Keyboards
Douglas Lee Robertson: Vocals, Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion
Derek G Smiley: Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Recorded and mixed at The General Store by Greg J. Walker
Additional recording by Douglas Lee Robertson at Willow Tree Studio
Mastered by Colin Wynne at Thirty Mill Studios.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD SINGLE (WAV/MP3)
BACK ON THE ROAD LIVE SHOWS
SYDNEY ALBUM LAUNCH
Saturday 13 December
Petersham Bowling Club
TICKETS FB EVENT
MELBOURNE CHRISTMAS SHOW ALBUM LAUNCH
Saturday 20 December
Northcote Social Club
TICKETS FB EVENT
CHARLY OAKLEY ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE “AGAINST THE ODDS”
Dynamic, honest, and philosophical, 22-year-old Australian pop artist Charly Oakley is redefining what pop can sound — and feel — like. With the release of their powerful debut single “Against The Odds,” Charly invites listeners into a space of connection, resilience, and raw emotion.
To celebrate the release, Charly Oakley will perform a special single launch show in Melbourne at Fitzroy’s iconic Night Cat on Thursday 30 October. Fans can expect an evening overflowing with sentimentality, joy, and the boundless energy that has already made Charly one of Australia’s most captivating new voices.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE. LISTEN HERE | WATCH HERE
After being signed to management under Sam Dainty and Paul Dainty AO, AM, Charly quickly caught the attention of Jonathan Daniel, founder of CRUSH MUSIC (whose roster includes global icons Miley Cyrus and Lorde). Daniel introduced Charly to acclaimed Los Angeles producer Xandy Barry, who, alongside long-time friend and collaborator Jordie Tomas, helped bring Charly’s vision to life.
Released under AWAL, “Against The Odds” explores the power of friendship and community amid darkness and injustice. It’s a song that chooses humanity and love — again and again — even when the world feels stacked against us.
The single is accompanied by a striking music video directed by emerging creative Charlotte White, supported by a crew made up of Charly’s close friends and collaborators, embodying the spirit of togetherness that defines the project.
With a mission to make young people feel less alone and more alike, Charly Oakley stands at the forefront of a new wave of heartfelt Australian pop — bold, open-hearted, and unmistakably their own.
TikTok charlyyoakley | INSTAGRAM @charly.oakley
SPACED RELEASE NEW EP NO ESCAPE OUT NOW AND SHARE HOW DID IT COME TO THIS? MUSIC VIDEO
Buffalo, NY hardcore upstarts, SPACED, recently joined the Pure Noise Records roster and they’ve released their new EP, No Escape, out now. These five songs are packed with stomping riffs and psych-tinged aggression that offer a perfect introduction to SPACED’s unique brand of self-proclaimed “far out hardcore,” showcasing both the swirling textures and eye-bulging ferocity that define the group.
To celebrate the release SPACED have shared their new music video for How Did It Come To This? a hard-charging cut of phased-out guitars and groove-laden breakdowns.
SPACED—Reyngoudt, guitarists Joe Morganti and Donny Arthur, bassist John Vaughan and drummer Dan McCormick—came out swinging in 2021 with a fully-realized sound that they’ve relentlessly honed in the ensuring years. Now No Escape makes good on that evolution, pushing both the heaviness and their unique effects-drenched textures even further than ever before. Recorded by producer Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Terror, Age of Apocalypse) the EP captures the band’s freewheeling sonic attitude but also the defiant core at the center of Reyngoudt’s lyrics. “[No Escape is] about feeling suffocated by our everyday lives. We grind and work our jobs while we’re home, and then grind some more out on the road. All of this is happening while the world feels like a daunting thundercloud over our heads. I wrote the lyrics of this album as an outlet to express my current feelings about what is going on. However, while I feel down about things like that, I still feel lucky to be surrounded by the hardcore community and people who will speak up with me.”
STREAM THE NO ESCAPE EP EVERYWHERE: https://lnk.to/SPACED
PURCHASE THE NO ESCAPE EP https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/SPACED
No Escape EP Track Listing:
01. No Escape
02. Cause and Effect
03. How Did It Come To This?
04. Pressure
05. Dog Bite
About SPACED: It’s very easy to fall in a pit of pessimism and nihilism these days, making it all the more necessary to find some sense of self empowerment and strength regardless of outside or internal pressures.That’s how the members of SPACED felt when they were writing what would become No Escape, the Buffalo, NY band’s new EP and first release for Pure Noise Records. The fact its songs are vicious and angry is a given, SPACED are, after all, a hardcore band, so something would be remiss if they weren’t. But, it’s not just angry. The five-piece—vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt, guitarists Joe Morganti and Donny Arthur, bassist John Vaughan and drummer Dan McCormick—were very much inspired by something that Scott Vogel, the frontman of influential hardcore stalwarts Terror, has often talked about: “He’s always said that hardcore is this positive aggression,” explains Reyngoudt, “and that’s what No Escape feels like to me. Like, yeah, we’re angry, but we’re putting it into something that we feel is positive.”
As belligerent, ferocious, and cathartic as these songs are, they’re not just a release of bad energy. They also convert it into something useful, something constructive, something to counter the fear and disgust that inspired it. “Whenever I feel like the world is going crazy—whether recently or in the past—I’ve been able to find solace and community in punk and hardcore music,” says Arthur, “and that’s always been really important to me. Seeing bands with meaning and a message has always been really centric to my ethos, so being able to be a part of that, and see other people connecting with our music is really special.”
Even though SPACED are a relatively new band, that connection has been happening for a while. Formed in 2021, after a few independent releases, their 2024 mini-album This Is All We Ever Get was released by seminal hardcore label Revelation Records. That was a dream come true for the nascent five-piece, as is having this EP come out on Pure Noise, another instrumental label for the band members. “It was a bucket list achievement to put a record out on Revelation,” says Arthur, “they’ve released some of my favorite records of all time, and now we’re definitely continuing that with Pure Noise. The catalog speaks for itself, the label speaks for itself, and it’s a tremendous honor to be part of the roster.” Reyngoudt adds, “I remember when we signed the contract for this EP, I was like, ‘We can quit now. This could be it and I’m good.’”
Thankfully, they didn’t, because No Escape is a crushing piece of work that holds a mirror up to the dystopian nature of life today–and it also absolutely rips. Recorded and mixed by producer Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Terror, Age of Apocalypse) at his Buffalo studio, No Escape takes SPACED’s self-described “far-out hardcore” sound and pushes it even further. The EP’s five songs are as vibrant as they are heavy, packed with stomping riffs and streaks of psychedelic guitar textures. “Our sound adds elements of psych and shoegaze to the ethos and foundation of hardcore without diluting it,” explains Morganti. “We all have eclectic tastes and keep various sounds in mind that might work within our space. Bands like The Chameleons, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, influence us even if that ends up being a small fraction of our overall sound. There’s plenty of pure guitar rippers I love but I’m also drawn to a lot of guitar work from people like Kevin Shields and Lee Renaldo.” Reyngoudt adds, “We always wanted to fuck with the boundaries of hardcore so we would stand out from the everybody else.”
The EP also marks the first time that Reyngoudt focused on writing the lyrics by herself rather than collaboratively, and they perfectly match the urgency of the band’s music. “Hardcore is as political as it gets right now,” she says. “You can’t go to a show without someone talking about what’s going on in the world, whether that’s here or in Gaza. How can you be a part of punk and not want to talk about what’s bad in the world? Because at its core, that’s what hardcore is all about. Even though shit is really hard right now, we need community to help us. And the hardcore community will do that—you’ll find the people that will go to bat for you and help you fight back.”
With these five songs, SPACED are providing a soundtrack for fighting back. The title track opens No Escape with a bang then the EP continues with Cause And Effect and How Did It Come To This?, two blistering tracks in search of answers amongst the chaos while simultaneously offering a potent sense of solidarity. Pressure and Dog Bite then bring the EP to a close with bursts of colorful guitar effects cutting through vicious walls of distortion. The five songs are a prime example of SPACED’s modern take on elements of classic Boston and New York hardcore, but they also highlight just how much fun aggressive music can be.
“SPACED’s music, live performances, and vibe are about having fun,” Arthur says. “We’re not the hardest band on the planet, we want to have fun–it is serious, but it’s also about letting loose and taking that frustration and putting it into a 25 minute set where you can go crazy with your friends and forget about all that stuff.” Ironically, No Escape does offer some important escapism for anybody listening, but it also opens the door for what’s next. “I want this record to reach new people and show them that hardcore doesn’t have to just be the tough guys,” says Reyngoudt. “It can be anybody. We’re a band that loves to play with the heaviest of bands and the softest of bands, and that’s what’s really cool about this. People have called us a gateway band, and to be in a scene like this is, I think, just the coolest thing.”
BEARINGS RELEASE NEW SINGLE FREAKING ME OUT
NEW ALBUM COMFORT COMPANY OUT NOVEMBER 7
BEARINGS have released their latest pop-punk anthem, Freaking Me Out, taken from the forthcoming album Comfort Company to be released November 7 via Pure Noise Records.
“Freaking Me Out, was a song that started simple enough on an acoustic and the more we built it up the more fun we had with it. It finds itself somewhere between a pool party and a manic episode where you question the meaning of life.”- Doug Cousins
Now on their fourth full-length, Comfort Company, sees the band turn their energy inward, exploring what it means to grow older in a world that never stops spinning. Written during long highway drives and quiet moments between shows, the album finds Bearings revisiting Room 21 in Toronto — the studio where they recorded their first EP and Blue in the Dark — with producer Kyle Marchant. It’s a full-circle return that let them reflect on how much has changed while reconnecting with their original spark.
Across its tracks, Comfort Company channels the chemistry that defines Bearings: the title track recalls the raw drive of Warped Tour days, Quick Release delivers a classic pop-punk hook with a fresh twist, and Derek DiScanio of State Champs guests on the bass-and-hi-hat-driven Float Away. Elsewhere, Freaking Me Out captures the tension of intrusive thoughts, Feel Less wrestles with fading emotions, and Let Me Hate Myself closes the album with all three vocalists intertwining. The result is Bearings’ most honest representation to date.
“Comfort Company is for us the record that feels like coming back home. Some songs we wrote at a cottage together, others came from a basement. They all started somewhere honest and ended up back at the studio where we did our first album in the East End of Toronto. This album was working on music all day, walking to the beer store, then heading back to the windowless studio to relax before reading Kurt Vonnegut and eventually falling asleep on an air mattress. As we worked out what we wanted it to sound like we found ourselves wanting to make music that felt natural to us, something that we knew we’d connect with and be able to spill out on stage when the time came to perform it.” said frontman, Doug Cousins speaking about the upcoming record.
COMFORT COMPANY – OUT NOVEMBER 7
https://lnk.to/Bearings
LISTEN HERE | WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
CONNECT WITH BEARINGS: https://bearingsband.com/
STORY OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
A.R.S.O.N. OUT FEBRUARY 13, 2026
VIA SHARPTONE RECORDS
PRE-ORDER HERE
LISTEN TO GASOLINE (ALL RAGE STILL ONLY NUMB)
TOURING AUSTRALIA FOR PARK WAVES IN 2026
Story Of The Year announce their 8th studio album release, A.R.S.O.N., out everywhere February 13, 2026 via SharpTone Records. Furthermore, they share the first single off the record, Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb).
One of the group’s heaviest releases to date, Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb) sets the tone for what fans can expect from the new record. The track is a fiery manifesto about total destruction with no regrets, emphasized by distorted guitars, a hardcore breakdown and screaming vocals that don’t hold back.
“Gasoline is a song about hitting your breaking point and saying fuck everything,” explains guitarist Ryan Phillips. “It’s about being wild and reckless, and giving into the impulse to burn it all down and start anew.”
Stream Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb) HERE
A.R.S.O.N. marks the next evolution of Story Of The Year’s signature sound and raw, personal lyricism – elements that have earned the band a dedicated global following. An acronym for “All Rage, Still Only Numb,” the album channels their trademark energy into a powerful exploration of anxiety, emotional turmoil and inner darkness. With a dynamic blend of modern post-hardcore, polished production, and nods to their emo roots, A.R.S.O.N. delivers a compelling, storied sonic journey through the fight to make it through this life.
“In a lot of ways, A.R.S.O.N. picks up where Tear me to Pieces left off,” shares the band. “We used the same team – Colin Brittain producing again, with the main objective of simply writing great songs. Nothing was forced, no trends were chased, it was simply about getting to the essence of what makes SOTY sound like SOTY: Big guitars, snappy drums, and Dan’s ability to seamlessly oscillate between screaming & singing songs about desperation, loss, and the complexity of relationships.”
Story Of The Year exploded onto the scene with their groundbreaking debut Page Avenue, one of the first albums of its kind to sell over a million copies. The breakout single “Until the Day I Die” quickly became both an enduring anthem and a mission statement for the band. What began as four friends working in a St. Louis pizza joint evolved into a movement, connecting deeply with fans through every era. From Page Avenue (2003) to In the Wake of Determination (2005), The Black Swan (2008), The Constant (2010), Wolves (2017), and Tear Me to Pieces (2023) the band, comprised of Dan Marsala, Ryan Phillips, Josh Wills, and Adam Russell, has delivered a signature blend of melodic aggression, raw vulnerability, and anthems built to scream along to in the dark.
A.R.S.O.N. is available for pre-order now at https://bfan.link/a-r-s-o-n
The band kicks off an exciting rest of the year with a pre-festival performance at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas before performing at When We Were Young Festival. In a few weeks, they’ll take the stage at Warped Tour Orlando before joining co-headliners Senses Fail for the Scream Tour, hitting cities across the United States to close out the year. They’ll kick off 2026 by joining the traveling Park Waves Festival, performing across Australia with Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Northlane and Alpha Wolf.
Park Waves Festival Line-Up:
Parkway Drive
The Amity Affliction
Northlane
Alpha Wolf
Story Of The Year
…and more
Park Waves Festival Tour Dates:
Saturday 14 February 2026 – Langley Park, Perth, WA 16+
Friday 20 February 2026 – Adelaide Showground, SA 16+
Sunday 22 February 2026 – Geelong Showground, VIC 16+
Saturday 28 February 2026 – Caribbean Gardens, Scoresby, VIC 16+
Sunday 1 March 2026 – Bendigo Jockey Club, VIC 16+
Thursday 5 March 2026 – Thomas Dalton Park, Wollongong, NSW 16+
Saturday 7 March 2026 – Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek, NSW 16+
Sunday 8 March 2026 – Maitland Showground, NSW 16+
Thursday 12 March 2026 – Queens Park, Toowoomba, QLD 16+
Saturday 14 March 2026 – Cavanbah Centre, Byron Bay, NSW* 16+
Sunday 15 March 2026 – Sandstone Point Hotel, QLD 16+
*Subject to final council approval
Tickets from parkwavesfestival.com
CAHILL KELLY, SINGER/SONGWRITER AND FORMER LEAD GUITARIST FOR GRACE CUMMINGS, READIES SECOND SOLO ALBUM TALKIN’ FRENCH WITH NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “MARGREL”
Having spent three or so of the four-plus years since his first album as lead guitarist & keyboard player for Grace Cummings’ band, Cahill Kelly is finally set to step out again with his second album Talkin’ French.
While the new album isn’t due until early next year, the first taste of it, the single and video “Margrel” lands today. Featuring guest vocals from Harmony Byrne and powered equally by guitar and keyboards and a punchy rhythm section, it’s a storm-weathered reflection on loss, legacy and the power of the ocean to both take and return which still somehow belies the heaviness of what inspired it; the death at sea of Cahill’s father.
“This was the first song I wrote for the record,” explains Cahill. “It came about after my dad lost his life at sea and takes the name of the vessel he went missing on. His death was covered by national news and happened amid one of Melbourne’s covid lockdowns. The surreal nature of the events surrounding his death had a profound effect on me, and writing the song was a cathartic release and an attempt at closure.
“Playing the verse over and over again the way the chords rolled into each other really reminded me of waves, so I decided to run with that theme for the rest of the album, consequently there are a lot of water themes throughout the record with the piano emulating the warm shallows or the cold rolling depths. I have a tendency to write all over the place so having a theme like sticking to a piano to write was a welcome limitation.
“The song begun its infancy as a slow and dreary ballad but the band not knowing the context of the lyrics heard something completely different and it evolved into a wild, swaggering, gritty rock track which felt like the perfect elegy for a tattoo clad, chrome-riding mad man that grew up on a diet of 70’s Australian rock and roll.”
***
Cahill Kelly’s forthcoming new album Talkin’ French has been a long time in the making. It was started in 2022, around the same time Cahill was invited to join Grace Cummings’ band, as she was making her second album Storm Queen. Cahill and his bass player Lain Pocock both contributed to that album before spending the next two years touring internationally with Cummings and then making her third album 2024’s Ramona with Californian producer Jonathan Wilson.
Parting ways with Cummings soon after, Cahill and Pocock decided to finish the record they’d started back in 2022. Having recorded his first record Classical and Cool Jazz primarily by himself during lockdown, Cahill was also set on solidifying his band line up for the new record so with Pocock on bass he brought back Andrew Braidner (Redcoats, Ali Barter, Stonefield) on drums and Oskar Herbig (Skyscraper Stan) on guitar. Wanting to explore new ways of writing, Cahill himself moved from guitar to piano, which opened up a spot for another guitarist, which was filled by Danni O’Keefe (Diddirri) .
Now named Cahill Kelly & The Encounters (a perhaps slightly ironic nod to his google search rival and reverse namesake Kelly Cahill, whose supposed abduction by a UFO, from an outer Melbourne suburb no less, led her to author the best-selling 1996 book Encounter), Cahill and his band are clear of other commitments and, with the release of Talkin’ French on the horizon, are gearing up to taking their new music out on the road.
****
Cahill Kelly relocated south to his current home in Melbourne’s inner north from the evocatively-named Alligator Creek in far North Queensland, which surely suggests he has rootsy, earthy music in his bones. A teenage addiction to the music of Crowded House and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers instilled a love of classic melody and songwriting. The two strands meet beautifully in his own music.
Originally hailing from Geraldton in WA, Cahill’s family moved around Australia a lot, and he spent most of his childhood living in and out of rural mining communities.
“I feel this had a pretty big influence on me as a writer,” he says. “I remember my folks played a lot of The Rolling Stones, Paul Kelly and Dylan.”
The family settled in Townsville when Cahill was 16, and, at the age 20, he became a house mate of members of internationally successful locals The Middle East. He was soon riding the winds of mild success himself with his band The Broken Needles.
“The Broken Needles channeled some grittier artists like The Bad Seeds, The Stooges and The Drones,” Cahill remembers. “We got some mild success on our record ‘Terra Nullius’ after a decent Rolling Stone review (“A wet-season postcard from Psychoville, N.Q.” – Michael Dwyer) which prompted us to start touring the east coast and giving it a good crack. Around the time that all started, I’d moved out to Alligator Creek, where I started to write my own songs after a friend left his guitar at my house.”
Cahill eventually moved to Hobart briefly, and then, at the tail end of The Broken Needles, he moved to Melbourne in 2012 where he also formed his own band Willow Darling. Over the next half-decade or so he released two Willow Darling albums and a second Broken Needles album, and he played in a number of other bands (Lands, Skyscraper Stan, Sheoak) and did as much session work as he could, all with a view to further honing his craft. He also independently released a solo EP/mini-LP, and in 2018 he started collaborating with Bittersweet Kicks/Draught Dodgers front man Jack Davies in the psych-punk group Pam Salmon, who were gearing up to release an EP when Covid first hit.
Cahill saw the lockdown as an opportunity to record again as a solo artist and he began work with his housemate Stive Collins at home, using John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’s stripped back style of production as a reference for sound. The sessions resulted in Cahill’s first solo album, Classical & Cool Jazz, which was released on Cheersquad Records & Tapes in 2021.
CONTACT CAHILL KELLY FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM
SHARPTONE WELCOMES CANADIAN POST-HARDCORE BAND SECOND HARBOUR TO THE LABEL’S GLOBAL ROSTER BAND TO DROP COALESCE EP ON DECEMBER 12
SharpTone Records is pleased to welcome Canadian post-hardcore trio SECOND HARBOUR — comprised of brothers Xavier and Vincent Morency, along with John Muggianu— to the label’s global roster.
The band will drop the Coalesce EP on December 12. Pre-order it here.
Second Harbour have also shared the new single Relative. Listen here.
“Right as we wrapped Relative, we knew it’d be the EP opener,” shares Muggianu. “It’s everything we wanted out of our first track. It’s urgent, it’s vicious, and more than anything, it’s unrelenting.”
Regarding the EP as a whole, Vincent Morency states, “We had a lot to prove with this EP. To the world, absolutely, but to ourselves even more so. We didn’t want to come out with what’d been done before, or worse, what we’d done before. In the past, we’d always felt concerned about assimilating into the scene, and writing songs that fit into whatever sub-genre we were a part of.”
He furthers, “This time around, equipped with everything we’d learned through our past releases, we felt it high time we took the swings we always wanted to. So we did just that. We came out swinging. Our title track is four-and-a-half minutes long, our third track has both the happiest and heaviest parts we’ve ever written, and our main single has so many lyrics, we need a permit for them. We took these swings and left the studio more confident than ever in the work we’d done. This collection of songs is Second Harbour. Coalesce IS Second Harbour.”
As for its new partnership with the label, the band is ecstatic, saying, “We’re honoured to be a part of the SharpTone family. They’re home to some of our favourite bands, and they’ve welcomed us with the most open arms. To have a team as passionate about our band as we are is an absolute dream. We truly couldn’t be happier.”
FOLLOW SECOND HARBOUR
SWIM RELEASES NEW TRACK ‘RUN AWAY’ + ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING ALBUM RELEASE ‘DEAR FRIEND’
OUT 21ST NOVEMBER
Building His Own Wave in Australia’s Electronic Scene: The hypnotic new single “Run Away” out today Thursday 23rd, offers a cinematic glimpse into SWIM’s evolving world — both sonically and visually. The track arrives alongside footage from his sold-out Forum show, showcasing the immersive energy of his live performances, where lighting, movement, and sound merge into transformative, theatrical worlds.
The forthcoming sophomore album Dear Friend (out November 21) was born from the solitude of a London winter — a deeply personal, instinct-driven reflection on distance, self-reliance, and the quiet clarity that comes from starting over. It marks the next chapter for an artist who’s built his own ecosystem — one where creation, connection, and authenticity are inseparable.
SWIM’s rise has been anything but overnight. What began at underground DIY parties for a hundred people has grown into one of Australia’s most exciting independent success stories — two sold-out nights at Melbourne’s Forum, a sold-out Sydney Roundhouse, and a sold-out show at London’s iconic KOKO. His path has been powered by fans, consistency, and a fiercely independent spirit.
In an era of algorithms and shortcuts, SWIM stands apart. Entirely self-released and self-promoted, his 2024 debut album topped both the Australian Dance and Vinyl Charts — a remarkable feat achieved without a label, driven purely by audience connection and word of mouth.
Since launching his live show at Beyond The Valley in 2022, SWIM has become a fixture on Australia’s biggest stages, from Boiler Room (2023) to massive sets to end this year at Beyond The Valley and Lost Paradise. His global footprint continues to expand, with standout European festival performances at Fly Open Air and Pukkelpop – and a collaboration with DJ Heartstring that landed on Spotify’s Dance Rising playlist (1.8 M followers).
Built outside the system and powered by fans, SWIM continues to prove that independence and ambition can coexist. Each release, each show, and each world he creates is another reminder that you don’t need a blueprint when you’re making your own path.
Single ‘Run Away’ out now, Thursday, 23rd October 2025
Album ‘Dear Friend’ out Friday, 21 November 2025
PLAYING FESTIVALS
December 28, 2025 – January 1, 2026 – LOST PARADISE – NSW
December 28, 2025 – January 1, 2026 – BEYOND THE VALLEY – VIC
‘Run Away’ – Single OUT NOW LISTEN HERE
‘Dear Friend’ – Album PRE-ORDER HERE
MORE INFO: INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY YOUTUBE BANDCAMP APPLE MUSIC
DCN lures us in with the release of new single ‘temptations’
Eora/Sydney based artist DCN has lured us back in with his new single ‘temptations’. The latest drop has turned the heat up, and showcases a fiery side to his evolving sound and creative output.
Formerly performing under the name ‘Charbel’ and re-emerging as DCN after a creative metamorphosis, this new single is fresh off the back of his prior release ‘silhouette’. Whilst ‘silhouette’ was a soulful and softer track, ‘temptations’ brings a feisty and bold mood to the mix, and acts as the perfect companion to the earlier single.
‘temptations’, was written and recorded with longtime collaborator Finbar Stuart, and was recorded at BMG’s studio ‘The Gallery’, in Sydney, mixed by Stefan DuRandt (Mac Miller, Thelma Plum), and mastered by Anthony Puglisi at SENTRAL Sound Los Angeles.
Speaking of the inspiration and process, DCN shares that “temptations was the first song I made for my new record ‘death changes nothing’, written and created at BMG’s The Gallery. It came from a place of finally finding strength after being stuck in someone’s manipulative cycle. I wanted to capture that moment when you start seeing things clearly again, when you stop chasing what hurts you and start coming back to yourself. It’s a song about release, reflection, and learning to trust your own instincts again.”
Listen to ‘temptations’ here’
Out now via Farmer & The Owl / BMG.
https://www.instagram.com/thisisdcn/
Clandestine Sydney-based newcomer WENDSDAY releases sophomore single ‘I’M FINE THANKS’
With their second-ever release, Sydney based Alternative artist wensday (or ’W’, for short) has exploded onto the scene with ‘I’m Fine Thanks’, a fiery, unrelenting critique of Australia’s class system – out in the world as of today via We Don’t Exist Records.
STREAM | | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON MUSIC
In their own words, wendsday is ‘an existentially conflicted Sydney musician who, with maximum futility, is trying to clamber out of the silicon valley vortex and resist the dark side version of the internet while being thoroughly and completely addicted to it’. Recorded at Sawtooth Studios in Newcastle and produced by Clint Topic (who has recently worked alongside Bliss N’ Eso and Ball Park Music for ‘The Act’; an intimate no-phones series of live-recording events in Newcastle) ‘I’m Fine Thanks’ is full to the brim with grit, charm and bursting at the seams with energy – stylistically fitting somewhere between the likes of Sly Withers, Jeff Rosenstock or Weezer.
As explained by W, ‘I’m Fine Thanks’ is “a scream into the ear of every Youtube business “guru” and Martin Place Broker who propagate a particularly infuriating brand of deaf optimism—that we still have an equal chance in the rigged ferris wheel of capitalism. The track gently meditates on stoicism, sex & the sublime vape, agoraphobia-lite, post-truth and the triumph of nihilism in the face of a sluggish and faded Australian dream.”
As wendsday starts to make their mark on the Australian music scene, the artist intends to remain anonymous for as long as it’s viable-partly because W’s day job wouldn’t approve but also due to social anxiety and being a bit of a homebody. The project as a whole will look to deviate slightly from the modern route of music promotion – in a world where artists are pushed to act as influencers just to get heard, wendsday would rather let the music speak for itself.
“With attention spans shortening by the second, ultimate success in music seems unlikely—but like our monolithic overlords in big tech and business I’m going to keep doing what I feel like regardless of the consequences. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my madness, commodified.” WENDSDAY
Following the first two releases, wendsday will be dropping a slate of singles over the coming months, the sum of which will form a body of work titled ‘Now or whenever’. According to wendsday – fans can expect a wide variety of themes throughout ‘Now or whenever’, including but not limited to “Ennui, social media rot, the lost art of dick jokes, apathy, big tech, small brains, suburban fever, philosophical distortion, new-nostalgia, metaverse conspiracy, creepy pasta, diet alcoholism, the infinite scroll, dolphins, career dysmorphia, participation medals, Australiana—and a little bit of love.”
wendsday: Official Website | Instagram | Unearthed
SASAMI Shares ‘Just Be Friends (Soccer Mommy Version)’
SASAMI shares a new version of Blood On The Silver Screen standout ‘Just Be Friends’ featuring Soccer Mommy titled ‘Just Be Friends (Soccer Mommy Version)‘. The track, which upon its release FLAUNT called “everything a sad pop song should be: chantable, relatable, and endlessly catchy,” finds a new groove with Soccer Mommy’s vocals anchoring it.
Of the collaboration, SASAMI says “When I was working on ‘Blood On the Silver Screen’, I found myself returning to country often. I listened to Dolly, Johnny, Patsy, Merle and even a lot of the modern country that I had previously dismissed. Country songs have to be some of the most effective and cutting examples of peak pop songwriting- wit, drama, humor, sadness, and the most human of all- horniness. My song ‘Just Be Friends,’ was definitely inspired by modern country, but I knew if I wanted it to be truly authentic I would need to enlist an actual southern princess. This new version featuring Soccer Mommy, pedal steel and all, delivers on the country magic that I had always wished could be in that song. That’s the best part about collaboration, all hat all cattle.”
“Sasami is such an amazing artist – and person – and I’m so glad she asked me to be on this remix,” Soccer Mommy adds.
Listen to ‘Just Be Friends (Soccer Mommy Version)’ here
Hot on the heels of having wrapped up live dates with Wednesday, Toro y Moi, Mannequin Pussy, and Se So Neon, SASAMI will be supporting King Princess on the road on an US tour that kicks off this weekend.
On Blood On the Silver Screen, released earlier this year, the California-based polymath combined her classical conservatory-trained skills as a player, producer, and composer with her fearless and bombastic stage persona to create her most realized music to date: the all-out SASAMI pop record. Working with co-producers Jenn Decilveo and Rostam, with SASAMI as sole writer, each Blood On the Silver Screen track viscerally captures a different thread of love, sex, power, and embodiment. “Pop music is like fuel,” Sasami says. “It’s just invigorating.” Eschewing today’s pop zeitgeist, Sasami gravitated towards late aughts and 2010s pop a la Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, plus Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, and Sia. She was influenced by modern country storytelling, mixing vulnerability with humor, and the mood board also included Prince, Japanese city pop, and the stadium-sized, denim-clad iconography of Bruce Springsteen.
Website | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter| Facebook
The Admired lean into nostalgia on love letter to the 2010s internet era ‘All I’ve Got’ out now
The Admired are bringing the most loved memories of the 2010s internet age forward with their brand new single ‘All I’ve Got’ out now. Stream HERE. Bright, nostalgic, and deeply relatable, ‘All I’ve Got’ follows the band’s it-girl anthem ‘Dancefloor’ in August, and is as vocalist and guitarist Bianca Davino says, “a love letter to growing up online in the Tumblr era.” Both ‘Dancefloor’ and ‘All I’ve Got’ are lifted from the band’s upcoming mini EP 3 songs, due for release on December 3.
Delving into fangirl culture in the 2010s, and the significance of “the scene” at the time, Bianca wrote ‘All I’ve Got’ as a reflection on that era, its impact on their lives, how they see the world, and the artists they’ve become. “I wanted to shine a light on the innocence and passion of that time, and how it’s a feeling that we will always strive to capture in our music and why we do this. At our shows I’ve been saying it’s about “skipping class to go and follow Kellin Quinn around the city when he was here for Soundwave in 2013”, which is obviously a niche reference, but for those who know the vibes..they know lol.”
The new single can be heard live in the coming months, with the duo set to perform at Bootlegger’s Kick Ons event on November 28, before supporting GRXCE at The Vanguard on December 11. In September, the duo celebrated their first ever headline show as The Admired, playing to a packed out Goodspace at the Lord Gladstone.
The Admired bridge the worlds between adventurous modern pop and nostalgic, 2000s-2010s emo – a direct reflection of the room their music was recorded in. That same Enmore bedroom where guitarist Max Jacobson worked his 9-5 was morphed into a DIY studio for The Admired, home to a bounty of 2000s magazines, cult classic DVDs, various music memorabilia and an enviable vinyl collection. Recording and producing their music quite literally in-house is a result of their DIY ethos and connection to the Sydney music scene – to build community from the ground up, and welcome it with open arms.
Their 3 songs EP was self-produced and engineered by The Admired, with mixing and mastering by Nat Sherwood (BESTIES / Stand Atlantic / Yours Truly). It follows the duo’s debut single ‘Dream Pop Blues’ in late 2024 – a sincere look at the growth that can come from self-reflection. The track debuted on triple j Unearthed’s TOPS and combined the sentimental and powerful hooks of emo heroes Jimmy Eat World with the indie rock sensibilities of Tigers Jaw and Death Cab For Cutie. It received Apple Music playlisting across Good Times, The New Rock, and Negative Space, as well as extensive community playlist support.
While the band only have three releases to their name, this isn’t their first rodeo. As the core members of Aussie pop-punk mainstays Grenade Jumper, Bianca and Max have toured nationally alongside the likes of Yours Truly, RedHook, Between You & Me, Bakers Eddy and many more. Their collaborations with Trophy Eyes (‘Did You Imagine’) and Dear Seattle (‘Fluorescent’) earned rotation on triple j, and the band went on to perform at Unify Gathering, sell out multiple hometown shows, and embark on headline national tours.
The Admired’s songs come from a lifetime of experiences, though their band is just getting started. This year, they opened for Origami Angel and Bakers Eddy, and headlined Sydney Music’s Cupholder event in May, further establishing themselves as an exciting new force in Australia’s alternative music scene.
Upcoming Shows
Friday 28th November – Kick Ons @ Bootleggers – Sydney, NSW
Thursday 11th December – The Vanguard – Sydney, NSW*
Supporting GRXCE*
‘All I’ve Got’ out now via Nowhere
Connect with The Admired https://www.facebook.com/theadmiredisanemoband/
SOFTCULT RELEASE NEW SONG, “SHE SAID, HE SAID” DEBUT ALBUM, WHEN A FLOWER DOESN’T GROW,
OUT JANUARY 30, 2026 VIA EASY LIFE RECORDS. HEADLINING UK TOUR NEXT MONTH; SUPPORTING LIGHTS ON 2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
At their core, Softcult is a band with something to say—and every intention of saying it with their full chest. Now they embark on their most bold and vulnerable journey yet as the Ontario-based twins, Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn, are set to release their highly-anticipated debut full-length, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, on January 30, 2026.
The Canadian sibling duo of Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn––aka Softcult––return with another gut-punch of a track from their forthcoming debut LP called “She Said, He Said.” The highly-anticipated album, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, is due out January 30, 2026––just ahead of their upcoming U.S. dates alongside Lights.
Softcult is the kind of band with something to say and every intention of saying it with their full chest. “She Said, He Said” is no different as the twins tackle a culture of misogynistic skepticism in this new song about believing survivors of assault.
Mercedes explains: “it’s known that sexual assault cases are historically under-reported, and most victims don’t come forward of fear of being accused of lying. When survivors do come forward they are all too often blamed for encouraging the situation that led to the assault in the first place. Myths and bogus claims aiming to dismiss allegations of assault perpetuate misinformation that leads to mistrust and suspicion of survivors when they decide to share their stories. This contributes to the silencing of survivors, enabling predators to continue with their mistreatment while escaping accountability. This song tells a story that is all too familiar; the ‘nice guy’ that coerces and pressures his victim instead of asking for consent.”
As she does with all their videos, Mercedes wrote / produced / directed the video for “She Said, He Said,” weaving clues and easter eggs from past videos (“Naive, “16/25”) to represent a common theme of patriarchal oppression and abuse.
Mercedes explains:
“We chose an interrogation room setting to capture the feeling of ‘making a case’ for our truth to be heard and believed. We included some Easter eggs referencing other videos from this album cycle, which represent a common theme of patriarchal oppression and abuse. The clues displayed as evidence on the interrogation room table lead directly to the anonymous male characters in other videos (Naive, 16/25). However, the detective fails to make the connection, blinded by patriarchal bias, and instead casts suspicion and classically blames the victim.”
When A Flower Doesn’t Grow is a self-produced, self-recorded, and fiercely independent collection of songs that detail trauma to rebirth and transformation. Its title comes from a quote by Dutch author, Alexander Den Heijer: “when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
For Mercedes, those words hit during one of the most pivotal moments of her life: ending a nine-year relationship, coming out as queer, and confronting the cycles of oppression she had been internalizing for years, despite being so outspoken about empowerment. “The person I portrayed myself to be on stage was not the same person making the decisions that governed my life,” she explains. “I was root bound. I was disappearing, shrinking, withering away… and I felt ashamed of it.”
As a result, this album is a conceptual work about the various stages of one’s own internal metamorphosis; written from the perspective of someone who has been radicalized by trauma, empowered by their own resilience, and who ultimately healed and blossomed into the person they were always meant to be.
Musically, Softcult continue to expand their rich blend of grunge, shoegaze, and alt-rock textures, weaving fuzz-laden riffs and dreamy soundscapes with raw, confessional lyricism. The result is both intimate and universal: a record for anyone who has ever felt trapped or diminished by their surroundings, and a rallying cry to nurture ourselves and each other in the pursuit of freedom and authenticity.
The album follows last year’s acclaimed Heaven EP, which flipped the concept of an afterlife on its head, critiquing a culture fixated on the future while ignoring the urgent need for change in the present. That release saw the duo land the cover of Spotify’s MARROW playlist (over 4.7 million followers) and embark on tours across North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Along the way they’ve won fans in artists like Hayley Williams and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, opened for Incubus and MUSE, and earned praise from outlets including Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Paste, Consequence, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, CBC, The Gay Times, and more.
Born in the studio and committed to carving out their own universe, Softcult embody a fiercely DIY ethos. Phoenix handles production, engineering, and artwork, while Mercedes writes, produces, directs, and edits their deeply personal and impactful videos. Together they create and distribute a monthly zine, SCripture, and remain deeply engaged with their community through the Softcult Discord server. Their music and message are constant reminders that the revolution is very much alive – proof that true liberation begins when we change the environment and allow ourselves, and each other, to grow.
DELANEY BAILEY UNVEILS NEW ALBUM, CONCAVE, AVAILABLE JANUARY 21, 2026 VIA AWAL
CHICAGO SONGWRITER PREVIEWS EXPANSIVE, OTHERWORLDLY SOPHOMORE RECORD WITH “FAR AWAY” – LISTEN
“Delaney Bailey’s startling whisper of a voice — which rests somewhere between lonely, parched country and indie resignation — marches on with resolve, both when she’s swooning or sensing the object of her affection might be just out of reach.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
“On the brilliant new single ‘Far Away’ from Delaney Bailey, the Chicago songwriter contemplates the absurdity of self-awareness and wisdom that comes with age. “From far away, aging makes me feel sick,” she sings over a propulsive drumbeat. Her tone is wary but soft, sounding a little bit like Clairo.” – STEREOGUM
Chicago songwriter Delaney Bailey is excited to announce her new album, Concave, available everywhere January 21, 2026, via AWAL. New single “Far Away” arrives today, previewing the expansive new record, contemplating youthful invincibility over propulsive drums and melodic riffs.
“‘Far Away’ is about getting older and realizing that I know much less than I thought I did,” Bailey explains. “When I was younger, I thought that the experiences I had and the things I went through taught me enough about the world. I had learned enough about myself, I had learned enough about the way I interact with the world and my opinions on certain things. As I grow older, I’ve become much less convinced that I know anything at all.:
“Although this can be scary, I tend to view my lack of knowing in a positive light. It’s nice to remind myself that there is so much left to experience. Meeting myself over and over again has become less painful as life goes on. I can’t tell if that’s because I like myself more the more I learn, or if it’s because I’ve gotten better at handling change. Probably both. That’s the good thing about your 20s, I think; change is the only consistent thing, so you learn to get used to it.”
LISTEN TO “FAR AWAY”
PRE-ORDER CONCAVE
Last month, Bailey announced Winter 2025 tour dates with “Wake Up” an electronically tinged ballad about changing your ways and waking up from the rut you’re stuck in. Crawling with tension and atmospheric production from tinges of auto-tune, the release showcased her growing prowess as a performer and storyteller, capturing the depths of emotional lows among sonic highs. Synths trickle in around caressing vocals as Bailey pleads with herself to make a change.
Earlier this summer, Bailey shared “Lion” with a stunning official music video, capturing the cinematic and immersive world in which her music inhabits. A pulsating yet slinky track that reflects growth from helplessness, the video sees Bailey fully in her power, protected by newfound independence and a hefty sword. Empowering and melodically sticky, “Lion” was the first preview of what’s to come from the sound-sculpting artist.
LISTEN TO “WAKE UP”
WATCH “LION”
Next month, Delaney Bailey will embark on her first headlining tour across the Midwest. Making stops in cities like Chicago, IL, and Minneapolis, MN, the tour will see Bailey bringing this year’s releases to the stage for the first time with support from Chicago’s This House is Creaking. For more information and to stay updated on upcoming dates, see below and follow Delaney Bailey on Instagram at @d.bxiley.
ABOUT DELANEY BAILEY: A fine artist will imprint emotion on canvas with strong and intentional brushstrokes. Though she may not exactly be putting brush to canvas, Delaney Bailey imprints heavy feelings of heartbreak, betrayal, isolation, and uncertainty onto her music with alternately ethereal and expressive vocals. Her dynamic voice feels right at home layered into the fabric of otherworldly beat-craft, expansive sonic vistas, and living and breathing soundscapes.
Amassing hundreds of millions of streams and earning critical acclaim, she paints a portrait of who she is on her 2025 full-length debut LP, Concave [AWAL].
“To me, paintings look like they have sounds, and music sounds like it could be a painting,” she observes. “The new material is based on romanticism. In the context of art, romanticism is the celebration of nature’s power and the glorification of emotion, individuality, and rebellion against tradition. The people are depicted super tiny, and the landscapes are the focus. The album is full of big and interesting moments meant to parallel the power of nature as portrayed in romantic artwork. The songs are about struggles I’ve dealt with in the past and present—whether it be grief, relationships, and motherhood with a question mark. Conceptually, I’m being introspective, dramatic, and emotional. My goal is to create a world for listeners.”
Growing up in Indiana, Delaney uncovered her passion for music early on. Given that she was named after Jimmy Buffet’s daughter, it’s perhaps no surprise. She went from listening to Norah Jones and Adele to My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, Nick Drake, Lorde, and Grizzly Bear. Simultaneously, she honed her voice by singing in theater and choir throughout high school. With seven siblings, she had an unpredictable and interesting childhood, to say the least. As such, she developed keen empathy and a heightened sense of understanding.
“Since I grew up around so many different individuals, it became an important skill to learn why others were feeling the way they were and, in turn, why I was feeling how I was,” she goes on. “I knew what mood everybody would be in based on what was going and how to navigate it. I’ve always had an ability to look internally, and I don’t take it for granted. Maybe it contributed to me growing up a little too fast, but it makes for good songwriting.”
In the middle of freshman year at Indiana University Bloomington, she endured an intense breakup and chose to write songs as an outlet. Her early uploads resonated online, so she bought a professional Focusrite audio interface (thanks to her followers sending money in a show of support), Ableton, and a microphone.
Launching her career, she dropped “Loving & Losing,” and it exploded online. In its wake, she picked up the pace with “Coffee Stained Smile” and the This Is About You EP highlighted by “Finish Line” and “For You.” However, the songstress reached critical mass with the breakout “j’s lullaby (darlin’i’d wait for you),” amassing 128 million Spotify streams and landing on The New York Times’ “Best Songs of 2022.” Her prolific streak continued with (i would have followed you) [2022], what we leave behind EP [2023], and Chiaroscuro EP [2024]. HitsDailyDouble applauded the latter as “a poignant reminder that even in the depths of pain there is always a glimmer of light to lead the way,” and OnesToWatch christened her “a natural-born storyteller.”
2025 saw her hunker down and assemble what would become Concave. Nodding to everything from the aforementioned romanticism movement to Imogen Heap and eighties dark like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and Voyage of the Unicorn, she approached the process with a clear-eyed intent.
“I wanted to have more of a vision,” she reveals. “Before I started working on the last EP, my grandma passed away. It made me realize nothing really matters except for the people in your life. I took a pretty long break from writing before she passed. Afterwards, I had all of these emotions I didn’t know what to do with, and it was nice to have an outlet. Chiaroscuro is the difference between lights and darks in painting. I continued the theme of bringing art history into my art.”
She introduces this era with the single “Lion.” Pinned to a gothic house music rhythm, bass pulsates beneath icy vocals accented by sparse synths. Delaney’s hypnotic high register practically hovers on the hook until handclaps accelerate the tempo. She softly laments, “It’s clear there’s no way out of this, life is seeming somewhat cavernous.”
“As a woman, ‘having children’ is thrown in your face quite a bit,” she sighs. “I’m only 24, and I’ve experienced it a lot. I was in a relationship where I knew the other person wanted children, and I didn’t know if I did or not. ‘Lion’ is about not knowing if I want to bear my own children and being angry at others who have this expectation. It’s one of my first angry releases. It’s starkly different from what I’ve done before, so I wanted the first release to pack a punch.”
Speaking of, “Wake Up” further evinces her evolution. Layers of vocal transmissions warble robotically as she sets the scene, “Get drunk and ruin the party, walk home alone.”
“I love vocal stacking, maybe it’s the concert choir kid in me,” she smiles. “‘Wake Up’ is about realizing you’re in a depression hole and nobody can get you out of it except for yourself.”
Then, there’s “Retainer” where she explores a critical moment of self-awareness in an effort to heal. “You’re realizing something’s wrong and you don’t like where you are,” she elaborates. “You’re trying to discern whether it’s just anxiety or something else to worry about it. You also recognize you have to get over it.”
Ultimately, Delaney continues to progress both personally and artistically, making an emotional masterpiece of her own.
“I’m moving forward,” she leaves off. “Releasing this comes with a wave of relief. I’m able to get past all of these feelings. If you listen to this, I’d just love for you to feel seen.”
CONNECT WITH DELANEY BAILEY: INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
House of Strangers Confront Life’s Impermanence with Introspective New Single ‘Asking Me Why’
Rising Sydney collective House of Strangers return with their latest single, “Asking Me Why,” an introspective indie-alt release that delves into the fragile balance between holding on and letting go. Blurring the lines between genres, the track showcases the trio’s signature fusion of alt-pop, indie rock, and electronica, wrapped in rich textures and emotional depth.
Formed by siblings Liam and Chloe Sinclair alongside Ethan Munn, House of Strangers has built a reputation for crafting immersive sonic worlds that explore the complexities of identity, connection, and acceptance. “‘Asking Me Why’ is about the back-and-forth between denial, fear, and the effort to accept life’s impermanence,” the collective explains. “It captures the panic of knowing nothing and no one lasts forever. It asks how we can ever make peace with that truth. ‘Asking Me Why’ lingers between holding on and letting go, where acceptance becomes an act of courage.”
Musically, “Asking Me Why” is as intricate as its message. The collective weaves together traditional instruments, guitar, bass, and drums, with digitally manipulated textures and effects to create a sound that feels tangible and emotionally charged. The vocals are treated with a warm, experimental edge, while the layered production finds a delicate balance between the intimacy of a home recording and the polish of a studio session.
Crafted over several years and countless iterations, “Asking Me Why” stands as a testament to House of Strangers’ evolving artistry and their commitment to storytelling through sound. The track is an emotional experience that confronts the inevitability of change and finds solace in acceptance.
https://houseofstrangers.com.au/
STELLAR CIRCUITS Debut 3rd Single, ‘Bury The Ashes,’ From Upcoming Album, PHANTOM :: PHOENIX, Out Nov 14th Via Nuclear Blast Records
Prog-Alt-Metal’s rising STELLAR CIRCUITS has released their 3rd and final single, ‘Bury The Ashes,’ from their forthcoming album, Phantom :: Phoenix, that’s out November 14th via Nuclear Blast Records.
Commenting on the single, vocalist Ben Beddick says: “This was my first time doing that type of fast screaming in one of our songs…I really wanted to utilize a more percussive and almost, rapping style vocal during the verse section. I thought it was a nice contrast to other parts of the song.
The chorus has a very uplifting and soaring quality to it that I love and I think it serves as a nice release from the tension in those heavier sections. I really think it adds a bit of dynamics to the track as a whole and I’m excited for people to hear it.”
STELLAR CIRCUITS latest single showcases the band’s unique versatility, remarkable songwriting and continued ability to deliver memorable heavy-hitters, as also proven with previous singles ‘I See Your Spirit’ and ‘Corridor.’
Stream ‘Bury The Ashes’: https://sc.bfan.link/bury-the-ashes
Pre-order Phantom :: Phoenix: https://sc.bfan.link/phantom-phoenix
‘Bury The Ashes’ Music Video: https://youtu.be/T80uL_W64yU
STELLAR CIRCUITS’ follow up to 2023’s acclaimed record Sight To Sound, is a cathartic work of art that explores the trials and tribulations of life and death and the process of healing and perseverance in the face of agony.
Beddick says of the album: “When we were writing this record, one of the things that kept coming up was the idea of death and rebirth through fire. This idea of killing off the old and dead parts of ourselves in order to give birth to something new and maybe even a truer version of who we all are. Every time we write an album, we go into the process with the idea of getting uncomfortable and exposing a more vulnerable part of ourselves. There also seems to be a constant theme of dealing with loss when we’re in the middle of writing.
Everybody went through different periods of loss and grief during this process and I think that it shows through in the subject matter and the sounds that came out of it. We always want to push ourselves to a new place and build on the foundation that we’ve created over the last few years of being in this band. I think that we’ve been able to achieve that with Phantom :: Phoenix. It’s a representation of that cycle and I hope it can act as a catalyst for growth to those who listen.”
About STELLAR CIRCUITS: Stellar Circuits is making a powerful impact in the progressive metal scene following the release of their acclaimed 2023 album Sight to Sound on Nuclear Blast Records. Fusing punishing grooves, intricate melodies, and emotional weight, the album pushed the band’s sonic boundaries while staying rooted in their intense, immersive sound. Tracks like “Witch House” and “Catch Your Death” showcase a darker, more evolved edge that continues to resonate with fans of metal and progressive rock alike.
The band—Ben Beddick (vocals), Jesse Olsen (bass), Tyler Menon (drums), and Jared Stamey (guitar)—has built a reputation for emotionally charged, technically precise live performances, following extensive touring and appearances alongside acts like Chevelle and Arch Echo. With a growing audience and relentless creative energy, Stellar Circuits has emerged as one of the most dynamic forces in modern progressive metal.
Now, the band is preparing to enter a bold new chapter with their upcoming album Phantom :: Phoenix, set for release in 2025. A cinematic and visceral exploration of light and dark, the album delves into themes of personal transformation and the rebirth of the self through fire. It’s an emotionally and sonically expansive record that challenges both the band and the listener to confront what must be destroyed in order to evolve. With new music on the horizon and a sharpened creative vision, Stellar Circuits is poised to break new ground and leave a lasting mark on the genre.
Follow STELLAR CIRCUITS: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | Youtube | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
THE HALO EFFECT Unveil A Powerful Rendition Of PHENOMENA’S ‘Dance With The Devil’ Cover EP We Are Shadows Out On November 21
Swedish melodic death metal collective THE HALO EFFECT continue to reveal tracks from their forthcoming cover EP We Are Shadows, out November 21.
Each band member has chosen a personal favourite song to reinterpret, and this time it’s guitarist Niclas Engelin’s turn. His choice: the 1985 classic ‘Dance With The Devil’ by the legendary “supergroup” PHENOMENA, featuring Glenn Hughes, Mel Galley (Whitesnake), and Cozy Powell, among others.
THE HALO EFFECT’s version transforms the iconic track into a crushing, melodic storm — with Mikael Stanne’s ferocious growls and the band’s trademark guitar-driven intensity breathing new life into the timeless song.
Niclas Engelin recalls the song’s lasting impact:
“I got hit by lightning in the 7th grade when I got to borrow the album by Phenomena from my friend Emil Olsen. The song Dance With The Devil struck me hard, and I recorded the whole album on cassette — which I played into dust.”
We Are Shadows will feature unique reinterpretations personally chosen by each member of THE HALO EFFECT, showcasing the diverse influences behind one of Sweden’s most acclaimed modern metal acts.
Listen to ‘Dance With The Devil’: https://thehaloeffect.bfan.link/dwtdsg
Watch the visualizer: https://youtu.be/bsZ6H6Xr1WU
Pre-order the EP We Are Shadows: https://thehaloeffect.bfan.link/waslp
The EP We Are Shadows will be released digitally and on a limited vinyl version.
The track list is as follows:
1. How The Gods Kill
2. If You Were Here
3. I Wanna Be Somebody
4. Dance With The Devil
5. Shoreline
THE HALO EFFECT is:
Niclas Engelin | guitar
Jesper Strömblad | guitar
Mikael Stanne | vocals
Peter Iwers | bass
Daniel Svensson | drums
THE HALO EFFECT Online: https://www.facebook.com/thehaloeffectse
ERNIE GARLAND JR ‘BABY MAMA DRAMA’ (SINGLE)
Ernie Garland Jr drops soul-stirring new track ‘Baby Mama Drama’ is a groove-heavy ode to holding on. After the warm reception of his debut solo single ‘Going Home’ on Australia’s most prominent community radio stations, Ernie Garland Jr returns with the next chapter in his deeply personal sonic journey. Out Thursday 23 October via Routenote, ‘Baby Mama Drama’ is the newest single from his upcoming full-length album Dealin’ Out The Healin’ to be released in 2026.
Infused with groove and heartfelt emotion, ‘Baby Mama Drama’ isn’t just a catchy title; it’s a plea for patience, perspective, and preservation in love. “The song is about not throwing away your relationships too easily,” says Garland. “Doing whatever it takes to make it work and remembering the reason why you connected with your significant other in the first place. If it’s worth fighting for, then do everything you can to save what you have.”
The track was a labour of love, recorded across hemispheres and time zones, featuring powerhouse vocalists Arica Jackson and Terrie Lynne, fresh from a Broadway production in New York City. In a whirlwind late-night session booked at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, Garland directed the session live from Sydney at 3 a.m. local time.
“Arica’s vamp on the outro of Baby Mama Drama was a last-minute one-take before they had to tip out,” Garland recalls. “It was a very cool experience, raw, urgent, and real.”
Stream/Embed ‘Baby Mama Drama’ on Bandcamp
Influenced by the likes of Teddy Atlas, Phoenix, Steely Dan, and The Roots, ‘Baby Mama Drama’ is for fans of beats, soul, reggae and storytelling grounded in emotional authenticity, offering both reflection and release. Ernie, previously the frontman of the celebrated nine-piece roots-reggae outfit Kinsky, has found his stride as a solo artist. This new body of music was born in solitude during Sydney’s second pandemic lockdown, when he relocated from Bondi Beach to his family’s suburban granny flat. With just a piano and a simple home studio setup, he composed and produced the record largely on his own, a first in his career.
“I spent four months away from the woman who is now my wife and the ocean I love,” he says. “I lived like a monk, rising every morning to play piano before working on the tunes.” The focused discipline, combined with Garland’s lifelong connection to the soulful rhythms of Sydney’s coast, shines through in every note of ‘Baby Mama Drama’.
In a world desperate for a moment to do nothing but catch a groove, ‘Baby Mama Drama’ is a song that reminds us all: love is worth the fight.
‘Baby Mama Drama’ out Thursday 23 October via Routenote
SHANI WEISS ‘ALL ABOUT LIFE’ (LAUNCHED NOV 13)
“Shani combines a deeply personal narrative with a musicality that is accessible and engaging, creating a song that lingers long after it ends.” -Dulaxi music Entertainment
“Her unique ability to weave human vulnerability with uplifting melodies has firmly established her as a standout voice in Melbourne’s indie scene” – The Indie Grid.
Melbourne singer-songwriter Shani Weiss will launch her new EP All About Life at The Toff in Town on 13 November 2025, marking both her 40th birthday and a landmark moment in her career. More than just an EP launch, the event will be a cultural statement: a collective of musicians from diverse backgrounds – Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Coptic and beyond, coming together on one stage to celebrate connection, unity, and the relationships that surround our lives.
All About Life is a six-track folk-rock collection exploring the dynamics of human relationships with parents, partners, children, and friends and how they evolve, uplift, or challenge us. In a world where division often takes center stage, Weiss uses her music to highlight common ground. Told through a feminine lens unafraid to expose both vulnerability and strength, the EP examines how these connections shape who we are: how they can lift us up, weigh us down, and ultimately teach us how to take life with empathy and kindness. At its heart, All About Life is a reminder that time is fleeting, and no achievement can replace the love and presence of those closest to us. It urges listeners to embrace the relationships that matter most, and to live fully in the one chance we get.
The evening will feature Weiss with her full band and special guests with supporting R&B Duo Shira and 4yrab, weaving together a rich palette of sounds and perspectives. It will be both an intimate celebration of relationships and a powerful testament to the strength of diversity in the Melbourne music scene.
This EP release follows the success of Shani’s previous singles, All About Life, What’s Left and Feel Alright, all received overwhelming support from audiences and media alike. All About Life launched with a sold-out show at Melbourne’s iconic Espy and garnered international airplay, including on the Europe Indie Charts, Southern FM, and Joy FM. Shani’s music has been played and her voice heard on radio stations across Australia, from Victoria to the East Coast, with interviews and features highlighting her growing impact on the local scene. She has been named Artist of the Month by Melbourne Musicians and Oz Music Festivals, and has won the Outstanding Achievement of the Year award from The Real Songwriters of Melbourne (RSOM) for two consecutive years. Shani also hosts Indie Spotlight Melbourne on J-air Radio 88FM, where she champions local talent and shines a light on Melbourne’s thriving music scene.
Event Details
Shani Weiss – All About Life EP Launch
Date: Thursday 13 November 2025
Venue: The Toff in Town, Melbourne
https://thetoff.com.au/gigs/shani-weiss-all-about-life-ep-launch/
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM – @shaniweissofficial | Tik Tok
Amrap | Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music | Deezer | Bandcamp
DAYSEEKER DROP CINEMATIC CRAWL BACK TO MY COFFIN VIDEO
NEW ALBUM CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT ARRIVES OCTOBER 24 VIA SPINEFARM
APPEARING AT GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL 2025
Southern California’s DAYSEEKER — Rory Rodriguez [vocals], Gino Sgambelluri [guitar], Ramone Valerio [bass], and Zac Mayfield [drums] — have shared the epic and cinematic video for Crawl Back to My Coffin, the latest single from their new album Creature In the Black Night. The album arrives on Friday, October 24 via Spinefarm.
“Crawl Back To My Coffin is a metaphor for love that hurts you when you’re guarded and causes your walls to go up even further,” says Rodriguez. “The excitement in meeting someone new when you’re ‘dead’ and feeling like they bring you back to life only to feel pain and wish you had never left your grave at the end of it.”
The accompanying, utterly gorgeous, and darkly romantic visual feels like a mini movie. The action unfolds, appropriately, in a graveyard. It’s as though you’re outside the gates of the cemetery, watching the story move.
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.
In other Dayseeker news, the album’s lead single Pale Moonlight has landed at No. 9 — and it continues to climb — on the radio charts, marking the band’s first-ever Top 10 track in the US.
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.
CREATURE IN THE BLACK NIGHT – OUT OCTOBER 24 https://Dayseeker.lnk.to/CITBNPresave
Dayseeker will return to Australia in December to perform at Good Things Festival 2025. Both their headline shows are sold out.
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
TOOL
Weezer
Garbage | All Time Low | Machine Head | The All-American Rejects
Knocked Loose | Lorna Shore | Refused | New Found Glory | Make Them Suffer
Dayseeker | James Reyne | Kublai Khan TX | Cobra Starship | Goldfinger | Tonight Alive
In Alphabetical Order:
Bad Nerves | Civic | Dead Poet Society | Fever 333 | Gwar | High Vis | Inertia
Maple’s Pet Dinosaur | Palaye Royale | Scene Queen
South Arcade | Wargasm | Windwaker | Yours Truly Plus the chaos of Stage 666!
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 5 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (16+)
Saturday 6 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney (16+)
Sunday 7 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)
Tickets are on sale now at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au