Thursday September 26, 2024
BEN LEE ‘This One’s For The Old Heads’ (Album)
Last week saw the much-anticipated release of the latest album from Ben Lee, This One’s For The Old Headz. Recorded in just three days straight to tape with legendary power-pop rhythm section of Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy (Superchunk, Mountain Goats, Bob Mould), and produced by Justin Stanley in Pasadena, CA, This One’s For The Old Headz is a throwback to classic pop powers albums by artists like Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, Big Star and the Lemonheads. With an album cover shot by legendary indie party photographer Cobrasnake, This One’s for the Old Headz is a blistering, loud guitar and harmony-filled classic Ben Lee album that is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of old heads and young heads alike.
“This One’s For the Old Headz is a spirited, energetic exploration of getting older while staying true to your punk spirit” Ben explains. “Three decades into my career I’ve made the power pop record that I was always destined to make. Shimmery distorted guitars, big harmonies, yearning lyrics. I hope this inspires young artists to believe there is no end to making passionate, electric work. I hope it scares them a little too”. LISTEN / STREAM
The album features recent singles ‘Lovers’, ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘So Damn Hard (To Be So Damn Good), and ‘Positive Energy’ as well as another 6 unreleased tracks. Album focus track ‘Less Control’ encapsulates the uplifting spirit of the record with honest lyrics, an uplifting melody and an energetic bridge that you can imagine being screamed back at Ben in an arena setting. “I meet so many artists who are trying to inflict some kind of version of artistic perfection upon the audience – that’s not me” Ben explains “I want to be surprised, overwhelmed, taken on an adventure I’m not expecting. Everyone else seems to want more control over their lives. I want less. I just wanna take the ride and see where it goes.”
With zero signs of slowing down, Ben will be continuing his never-ending tour and taking his new album on the road across Australia, including a run of shows across the country supporting TISM on their first headline tour in over 20 years. Tickets for his upcoming headline shows are on sale now at https://www.ben-lee.com/tour-dates.
UPCOMING LIVE DATES – TICKET LINK
^supporting TISM
Friday 27 September – The Victoria, Bathurst NSW
Saturday 28 September – Riverside Theatre – Lennox Theatre, Parramatta NSW
Friday 11 October – Avoca Beach Theatre, Avoca Beach NSW
Sunday 20 October – Riverstage, Brisbane QLD^
Saturday 26 October – Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Bondi NSW
Sunday 27 October – Resin Brewing, Bulli NSW
Friday 1 November – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle NSW
Saturday 2 November – Royal Hotel, Dungog NSW
Sunday 3 November – Quirkz in the Hunter, Abermain NSW
Saturday 9 November – Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC^
Friday 15 November – Longstocking Brewery, Pambula NSW
Saturday 16 November – Smokey Dans, Tomakin, NSW
Sunday 17 November – The Co-Op, Gerringong NSW
Friday 22 November – Norton Music Factory, Caloundra QLD
Saturday 23 November – Miami Marketta, Miami QLD
Friday 29 November – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW^
Thursday 5 December – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave VIC
Friday 6 December – The Shed, Main Ridge VIC
Saturday 7 December – Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston VIC
Sunday 8 December – Odessa’s @ Leavers, Creswick VIC
Thursday 12 December – Bendooley Estate, Berrima NSW
Friday 13 December – Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool VIC
Sunday 15 December – Piano Bar, Geelong VIC
BEN LEE THIS ONE’S FOR THE OLD HEADZ
OUT NOW VIA WEIRDER TOGETHER
LISTEN VIA SPOTIFY
ORDER VINYL
MORE INFO:
TIK TOK
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
DANA GEHRMAN’S ‘Let It Be You’ (Single)
Brisbane based guitar-slinger and singer, Dana Gehrman delivers a vintage sound that evokes rich nostalgia. Taking influence from the halcyon days of 70’s ‘west coast’ music, Gehrman rewinds to a time of genre-bending experimentalism with her songwriting, blending soul, roots-rock and blues, all with unfaltering vocals.
Following 4-star applause for her recent LP, ‘Down In Hollywood’, Brisbane-based blues, rock and soul Queen Dana Gehrman is thrilled to reveal her next original offering, roots-soul single, Let It Be You.
A nod to the halcyon days of 70’s American Roots-Rock, Let It Be You is a heartfelt ballad showcasing Gehrman’s instantly recognisable, sultry vocals and the edgy, raw, genre-bending sound Gehrman has become known for. “Let It Be You, simply, is a love song.” Dana Gehrman
In celebration, Gehrman will be launching Let It Be You with a string of shows across the East Coast commencing with a performance at Brisbane’s Tivoli Theatre in support of Charlie Musselwhite (USA) before travelling to NSW to play The Citadel in Murwillumbah, Dashville Skyline festival in Hunter Valley then returning back to It’s Still A Secret in her hometown of Brisbane, QLD.
Don’t miss Dana and band launching the single and playing tracks off her latest album Down In Hollywood in the coming weeks:
September 28 – The Citadel, Murwillumbah NSW *Full Band w/ Ruby Gilbert
October 4 – Dashville Skyline Festival, Hunter Valley NSW *Full Band
October 11 – It’s Still A Secret, Brisbane QLD *Full Band w/ Emma Bosworth and The Meeting Shadows
Let It Be You is available on all streaming platforms now.
FOLLOW DANA GEHRMAN INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP
ELANA STONE ‘Cephalopods’ (Single/Video) ‘Married To The Sound’ (Album out Sept 27)
ARIA Award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Elana Stone returns with her poignant new single ‘Cephalopods’, released today via ABC Music. The track is a reflective ode to the environment and humanity, showcasing Stone’s lyrical depth and musical versatility.
Stone also announces the release of her third studio album, Married To The Sound, set for release on Friday, September 27. The album features a rich collection of previously released singles, including the sparkly ‘People Come And People Go’, electro-pop ‘Permanent Limbo’, reflective ‘Bulletproof’‘, and the upbeat 70’s bop ‘Oregon’
Drawing inspiration from Randy Newman or Harry Nillson, Elana describes the song as an “anthem for everything that means anything to me. It’s about kindness towards our natural world.”
LISTEN TO ‘CEPHALOPODS’ HERE
‘Cephalopods’ words reflect the exasperation Elana felt towards so-called leaders – “For decades they have forgotten our environment. They continue to reinvest in damaging fossil fuels despite all the evidence that humans are engineering their own fate. I am ready for a change towards kindness and empathy, not just towards each other as people but most importantly towards our natural world.”
To create the visuals for the single, Elana teamed up with film maker and diver Aristo Risi to capture gorgeous footage of sea creatures in their habitat paired with footage of Stone in her natural habitat behind the piano.
Aristo reflects on the process, “Swimming alongside cephalopods, whether it be Squid, cuttlefish or octopus, is mesmerising. They watch and study your movements, they try to make contact and communicate their emotions with you through colourful patterns on their pixel dense skin.”
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Elana comments, “We filmed the Cephalopods music video on Dharawal Country. The house in the clip belongs to the videographer Aristo Risi. It’s a dilapidated old sea sprayed rental and the last of its kind on Lawrence Hargrave Drive which is otherwise covered in coastal mansions. It is literally falling into the ocean but the views are spectacular. He managed to film actual Cephalopods (cuttle fish) who are magnificent creatures. It’s pretty simple conceptually but I think it’s really beautiful and effective.”
For her upcoming solo album she has enlisted the incredible Butternut Sweetheart (Luke Moseley) as bandmate and co-producer as well as Josh Pyke, Tony Buchen and Justin Stanley in various co-writing and co-production roles.
Elana’s new songs venture into a wide range of themes such as finding love, motherhood against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic, climate change, social/political polarisation, friendship, love, loss, and lockdown – all served on a crispy bed of synth pop, hazy guitar and to-die-for vocal harmonies with a side of 70’s drums and in your face, fuzz bass.
“This album has been 5 years in the making. It covers a lot of emotional ground for me. This is not a jazz album. This is not a folk album. Think Billy Joel’s piano meets Kate Bush’s vocals meets Ben Folds Five’s harmonies but with Unknown Mortal Orchestra or Tame Impala as the house band. It’s indie pop! It’s a follow up to my 2015 EP Kintsugi and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”
PRE-SAVE MARRIED TO THE SOUND HERE
GET SOCIAL WITH ELANA STONE WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY
BRIGGS Feat Kobie Dee ‘Ballad Of The Goats’ (Single)
Produced by Robby De Sá (Polish Club, MAY-A, Gretta Ray) and co-written with David Novak (Polish Club), ‘Ballad of The GOATs’ was recorded at a recent song writing camp.
Briggs reveals, “I explained my vision for the track; a highlight reel of a song. I asked Kobie to trust the vision, think of it like we are creating the soundtrack for the highlight reel of life. The best bit was when we realised, we didn’t have to have any words for the chorus. Goats traditionally don’t speak.”
As footy fever grips the nation, ‘Ballad of The GOATs’ will be featured in a major sync for Paramount+’s new Mountain of Football campaign launching on Saturday September 28th during the Toyota AFL Grand Final. The campaign will run across TV, online and radio.
As one-half of hip-hop power duo A.B. Original, Briggs and Ngarrindjeri man, trials will perform as A.B. Original, returning to the stage throughout October as special guests on Public Enemy’s ‘On the Grid 35th Anniversary Tour’.
Watch the official visualiser for “Ballad of The Goats” ft. Kobie Dee
With an impressive 40 million+ streams across his music and 400k social followers, Briggs has cemented his status as one of the country’s most prolific and diverse talents in music, media and comedy. Aside from his ARIA, APRA and NIMA dominating rap career and frequent TV appearances, his list of achievements is astounding. In particular, he founded the Indigenous hip hop label, Bad Apples Music, and conceived both the First & Forever and Now & Forever concerts. As an actor and comedy writer Briggs’s work has been watched by millions across Netflix and ABC. His most notable recent accolades include GQ Australian Icon of the Year (2023) and Double J Artist Of The Year (2023) awards and in 2021 he took out the Australian Book Industry Award for Children’s Picture Book of the Year for his best-selling Our Home, Our Heartbeat.
BRIGGS NEW SINGLE “BALLAD OF THE GOATS” FEATURING KOBIE DEE OUT NOW ON ISLAND RECORDS AUSTRALIA/UNIVERSAL MUSIC
LISTEN + STREAM
FOLLOW BRIGGS HERE
MEG WASHINGTON ‘The Hook’ (Single)
Meg Washington’s new single ‘The Hook’ is the first release from the soundtrack of ‘How to Make Gravy’- the feature film. In ‘The Hook’ Meg has sampled French electronic producer Petit Biscuit’s breakout hit ‘Sunset Lover’, which has itself achieved an astonishing milestone of 15 times platinum certification worldwide and one billion streams. Meg has interpolated the elements of ‘Sunset Lover’ with her unique and intelligent songwriting style, crafting ‘The Hook’ with producer Konstantin Kersting, best known for his work on ‘Dance Monkey’ – the five billion streaming song from ‘Tones and I’.
“For ages, I kept hearing this song ‘Sunset Lover’ everywhere I went. It sounded like a perfect instrumental that was just aching for a melody and a lyric. I loved the chopped up vocal hook and I wanted to include it within the story of the lyrics, and in the title. The original song already feels like melancholy in paradise, I just wanted more detail. It ended up wanting to be a break-up on a beach” – Meg Washington.
‘The Hook’ is the first single from the soundtrack of ‘How to Make Gravy’, of which Meg serves as executive music producer. Also announced today is the presale of the film’s soundtrack album only available on vinyl due out in December, which features ‘The Hook’ among other new songs from Beddy Rays, Electric Fields, and Brendan McLean. Meg co-wrote and co-produced the feature film with her partner Nick Waterman under their company, Speech and Drama Pictures. ‘How to Make Gravy’ is an adaptation of Paul Kelly’s classic song by the same name, also produced by Academy-nominated producer Schuyler Weiss (Elvis) and Warner Bros. Australia.
The film will be released later this year on Binge, and stars Hugo Weaving, Daniel Henshall and celebrated French actress Agathe Rousselle among a star-studded ensemble which also includes cameos from several Australian musicians.
Earlier in the year, Meg’s song ‘Lazarus Drug’ featured in a special episode of Bluey, the smash-hit show in which she also voices the character of Calypso. Bluey is the number one most watched show in America, with 35 Billion minutes watched in 2024.
On Tuesday 1st October, Meg will be announcing a run of Australian tour dates in November/December to launch ‘The Hook’. To sign up to the mailing list to get early tickets head to HERE
‘HOW TO MAKE GRAVY’ SOUNDTRACK DUE IN DECEMBER ONLY AVAILABLE ON VINYL. PRE-ORDER HERE
CHARLIE LANE ‘Ginger’ (Single out Sept 20) ‘I’m Okay Now But I Wasn’t’ (Album out Oct 18)
With heavy emotion and gossamer composition, queer, disabled, and Naarm-based indie-pop artist Charlie Lane has released the tender single, ‘Ginger’ with the announcement of her first album ‘I’m Okay Now But I Wasn’t’ for Friday, October 18th.
Charlie has carved out a niche since her debut EP release in 2017. In 2024, she’s released several singles ahead of her album, gaining attention from publications like Australian Music Scene, Beat, Triple J, and Something You Said, amongst others.
‘Ginger’ is Charlie Lane’s first song, written at just 16 years old, and it reflects the emotional turmoil, tenderness, and longing of the teenage psyche, and carries that emotional weight through it. This song, packed with feeling, is only exacerbated by the story behind it. Charlie reminisces that it was her late stepdad’s favourite song of hers, and that recording it after his passing felt like an ode to his memory.
She states that: “Ginger is a tender one. It was the first song I ever wrote, and comes from my lost little 16 year old heart who liked to push people away a lot. I really hope people can connect with this track, whether they’re grieving, lonely or in love.”
And what a stunning ode it is. Beginning with stripped back, husky vocals and slow piano, this song builds up as the emotions of it to, with new instruments going and blending together. Piano is joined by heavenly backing vocals, then acoustic guitar, then a build up of strings and drums as the emotion twists and turns, and ends in a reflective moment, alike the beginning, with an added level of understanding.
The backing vocals for the track were provided by the Halo Vocal Ensemble, a Naarm-based group led by Charlie’s close friend Liona Tatafu, and the strings were provided by Emma Kelly. Though this song emphasises loneliness and isolation, its recording is rooted in love and friendship.
This song is the lead single of Charlie Lane’s upcoming album ‘I’m Okay Now But I Wasn’t’, a 11-track guide to her unique perspective on the world as a queer and disabled woman, and acts as a celebration of collaboration. Mixed by Rohan Sforcina, known best for his work with the critically acclaimed band Oh Mercy, mastered by Lachlan Carrick, who has previously worked on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and songs featuring the talents of artists like Adam Heath, Louis Spencely, Jasmine Johnston, Jethro Kalt, Emma Kelly, and the Halo Vocal Ensemble, this album both delves into community and explores the depths of loneliness. Charlie Lane’s experiences growing up with Cerebral Palsy have been instrumental in shaping her artistic voice, which shines with uniqueness.
She speaks on her experience: “Everyone has their unique challenges in life, I guess growing up with disabilities was mine. Being different from other kids, dealing with a lot of medical appointments, feeling at times, pretty vulnerable – these were some of the many challenges that led to the endless whirlwind of emotions that have shaped and inspired my music and songwriting. I won’t say it hasn’t been hard, but it’s certainly helped me grow as a person and an artist.”
Life can be hard, and Charlie Lane’s music finds something beautiful in that. Her single ‘Ginger’ is out now ahead of her album ‘I’m Okay Now But I Wasn’t’, which is out on Friday, October 18. Stream ‘Ginger’
Follow Charlie Lane Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
THE BLACK SORROWS ‘Crazy Look’ (Single) ‘The Way We Do Business’ (Album out Oct 18)
The new single Crazy Look, from one of the most successful bands in Australia, The Black Sorrows, is now released. It’s the second track lifted from The Way We Do Business which will be available on 18th October. The band will support the album release on a national tour – hitting capital cities and regional markets.
The Way We Do Business will be frontman Joe Camilleri’s 55th career album. It’s his seemingly tireless drive to record quality music, which has rewarded him legendary status and well-deserved longevity in the music industry. This year will be 4o years of The Black Sorrows and Joe will celebrate more than 50 years in the business.
Since 1984, The Black Sorrows have toured Australia more times than anyone can remember, played sold out shows across Europe, won ARIA & APRA awards, has multiple gold & platinum releases and sold more than a million albums worldwide. Joe Camilleri has shown fans and critics alike that he is a prolific songwriter and performer with an undeniable energy and love of it all.
Radio edit of Crazy Look available here
www.abcmusic.com.au
THE U-BOMBS ‘School Boy’ (Single)
The U-Bombs – formed in 1977, broke up in 1979 and reformed in 2013 – are Adelaide, Australia’s original, semi-legendary purveyors of high energy progressive post punk power pop. They are proud to announce the release of their long-awaited debut album ‘Choice?’, fifteen hard rocking pop songs about life, love and the universe.
Out now on Still Very Radio-Active Records, the album contains fifteen songs recorded in 2013, when the band met again after thirty-two years to play a reunion show. Fortunately some demo tapes still existed, and eleven songs relating to the issues of the day – war, nuclear proliferation, rising fascism, racism, police brutality, etcetera – and also some love songs! – were recovered from the mists of time – funnily enough they also relate to the issues of today, maybe even more so!
Four new songs materialised during the recording process and they too embody the timeless, eternal spirit of The U-Bombs – irreverent, rebellious, funny and quirky, with a healthy dose of biting social commentary and cynicism delivered in short, sharp, to the point aural onslaughts guaranteed to make you boogie!
Formed by guitarist/songwriter Paul Tuxworth and bassist/singer Phil Cayzer on the dance floor at Radio Birdman’s first Adelaide gig in 1977, they found drummer Roy Erzinger and started playing at parties as a fast, loud, high energy trio. They were soon joined by Ian Thurnwald on tenor sax and later bassist Mark Cornwall when Phil changed his name to Anando Bharti and moved to rhythm guitar. Roy left the band in mid 1979 and was replaced by Tom Cowsill. Guitarist Brett Hamlyn joined at the same time.
Active until the end of 1979, The U-Bombs played over 150 gigs in two years, including touring to Sydney and Brisbane, playing many benefit gigs for worthwhile causes, and supporting interstate bands such as Misex, Flowers, The Boys Next Door, X-Ray-Z, The Reels and The Angels – remarkable considering that for the first eight months or so they were banned from most venues, until publicans saw that new wave music was pulling in the punters. In an era when access to broadcast quality recording was very limited and incredibly expensive, The U-Bombs embraced the DIY ethos of punk and managed to make a number of demo recordings and the 7″ vinyl E.P., ‘Give Me a Medal’.
Along with their contemporaries The Day-Goes and The Accountants, The U-Bombs helped establish Adelaide’s alternative music scene. Their residency at the Belair Hotel in the Adelaide hills attracted fans from all over the city keen to see one of the first bands inspired by the new music coming out of London, New York, Brisbane and Sydney. While playing mostly covers at first – The Ramones, The Clash, The Saints, ABBA – original songs soon formed the bulk of their repertoire.
The best of these songs were recorded to analogue tape at Linear Studio in Sydney and Mixmasters in Adelaide, and mixed by Roy Erzinger in his studio. The album was produced by Roy Erzinger and Anando Bharti. It is available now as a digital download at ubombs.com and will soon be available as a limited edition 12” vinyl.
Sadly, main songwriter and guitarist Paul Tuxworth passed away in 2018. “Choice? The Album’ is dedicated to his memory.
The U-Bombs are currently playing gigs in Adelaide and plan to tour the east coast, including Brisbane, Byron Bay and Sydney in early 2025.
BULLY HAY ‘Bushfire Moon’ (Single/Video)
Embracing Australian rock with swooning acoustic adornment, the brand new single Bushfire Moon out now from Tasmania singer-songwriter Bully Hay is a stirring new cut taken from his forthcoming debut album Black Dogs And Songbirds, due out on Wednesday October 30. Also accompanied today by a striking music video reflecting actual events, Bushfire Moon is a reflective yet charming outing from this gifted Australian creative and storyteller, with production courtesy of the legendary Jeff Martin of The Tea Party fame.
With each song on the upcoming full length album Black Dogs And Songbirds channelling their own unique sonic flavours, Bushfire Moon effortlessly, and inadvertently, found its way into semi-country-meets-singer-songwriter terrain, with some classic Australian rock undercurrents also flourishing in the steady hands of Bully Hay, aka Jonathon Coleman. Taking inspiration from some of the greats, including Paul Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Crowded House and Eddie Vedder, Bushfire Moon was also ultimately motivated by real-world events in the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated parts of Bully Hay’s home state. “Bushfire Moon came to me after the Dunalley bushfires in Tasmania a few years ago,” shares Bully Hay. “The fire wiped out most of the Tasman Peninsula and caused a lot of damage and disruption. It ended up cutting off a lot of people from the rest of the island to the point where people could only get on and off the peninsula by boat. So, the community had to band together to get help to those that needed it. It felt like just about anyone that had a boat was ferrying supplies and people back and forth for days because the roads were all blocked with debris from the fires. I had this fictional story in my head inspired by those events of a volunteer firefighter right in the thick of it, fighting the fires and totally exhausted. At some point he knows it’s a lost cause. The situation is hopeless and too far gone and he needs to get out of there. All he can think of is finding his love and he sets out, determined to find her amongst all the chaos.”
Produced, recorded and mixed by Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), who Bully Hay has been supporting on his Australian tour and closing out in October, Bushfire Moon is ultimately “at its core, an acoustic guitar ballad that builds with layers of electric guitars and subtly intertwines a touch of violin”, brought together Bully Hay himself on guitars and vocals, Martin on guitar, Hellhound Brown on slide guitar, Drew Castles on drums, Ben Conicella on bass, and Luke Moller on strings.
Bushfire Moon is out now.
Black Dogs And Songbirds is due out Wednesday October 30.
SAT 5 OCT | JIVE, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix
WED 23 OCT | BRASS MONKEY, CRONULLA NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
THU 24 OCT | KING STREET WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
Stream: BUSHFIRE MOON Watch: BUSHFIRE MOON
MAYHEM 40TH ANNIVERSARY AUSTRALIA
January 9th – 12th
MAYHEM’S 40th anniversary show promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans, featuring a setlist that spans their illustrious career, from their groundbreaking debut album, ‘Deathcrush,’ to present day. This concert will celebrate the band’s legacy over four decades of musical evolution and boundary-pushing performances and fans can witness this legendary and exclusive spectacle in Australia!
This electrifying live performance showcases a retrospective of MAYHEM’S 40 year career as pioneers of black metal and will include rare footage and iconic photos.
Formed in 1984 in Norway, MAYHEM has been at the forefront of the black metal scene, known for their controversial history, groundbreaking music, and unparalleled live performances. Over the years, they have cemented their status as one of the most influential bands in extreme metal, continually pushing the boundaries of the genre.
Now, as MAYHEM reflects on their 40 year legacy, they celebrate their triumphs over tribulations and tragedy with a-never-before-seen performance, featuring their biggest production yet and other special surprises! When these events conclude, MAYHEM will lay this special production to rest, so this is the only time Australian fans will have to experience this celebratory and rare era of the godfathers of black metal.
MAYHEM performing at:
Jan 9th – Brisbane, Princess Theatre BRISBANE – www.ticketmaster.com.au
Jan 10th – Sydney, Metro Theatre SYDNEY – www.ticketek.com.au
Jan 12th – Melbourne, Northcote Theatre MELBOURNE – www.moshtix.com.au
TICKETS ON SALE 9.00am AEST Wednesday September 25th
ASLEEP AT THE REEL ‘Molly Rose’ (Single)
Molly Rose is the tale of a young man who decides to leave his ‘Galway Girl’ to go to live in Australia. Despite the charms of life down under, he realises that he has made a mistake, he misses her too much and wants to go back. ‘You’ve got leave to know where you belong’ as I once wrote in another song.
Asleep at the Reel are a genre hopping Brisbane-based ensemble equally comfortable with an Irish jig or singalong as they are with a dance hall country shuffle. Yes it’s folk music – but not as we know it Jim!
The band’s repertoire is delivered with finesse by high quality musicians – including Tamworth Golden Fiddle Award winner Hugh Curtis. They can play a wide range of covers – from Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beatles, Steve Earle and many more. Their original music is powered by the deft song writing of Mark Cryle, who rose to prominence in the 1990s with Spot the Dog and was once described by the Courier Mail’s Noel Mengel as ‘one of the best songwriters in Australia’.
Cryle’s songs, according to a recent reviewer in Dublin’s Irish Music Magazine, ‘evoke the centres of our Irish world whether it be the pub or the parish; he has conjured up places where craic and companionship are the glue of life’.
Asleep at the Reel have now released two CDs of original music – The Emerald Dream (2018) and Time and Tide (2021). Each is a rich and diverse collection which joins the dots between Celtic music and contemporary Australian song a ‘wonderful melding of Celtic influences and Australian stories’ as another reviewer noted.
Asleep at the Reel have forged original songs and tunes which one commentator has recently called ‘the cultural vaccine for the Irish Diaspora.’
The band take its stylings from their roots in the peat-smoked pubs of Ireland and Scotland, from the kitchen, the hearth, the veranda, the dance hall and the shearing shed all the way to the stage where they throw in a little backbeat just for the fun of it.
As Mark Cryle explains: “These songs emerged from a reading of texts about Irish Australia which I undertook in 2022 – history books, poetry, novels, memoirs, collections of letters etc. Some songs: The Streets of Dublin; Holding On; Could We Make This Land Our Home? Don’t Look Back and Cold Killarney Clay hark back to the 19th century and were inspired directly by words in the letters. Other songs have a more contemporary context. My Derry Days was inspired by a friend who grew up Protestant in Northern Ireland in the 60s and 70s, telling me that the first time he had a drink with a Catholic was when he moved to Australia.”
YOURS AND OWLS EXPAND BOOKING ROSTER WITH FOUR NEW VENUES
Wollongong-based music company Yours and Owls are thrilled to announce a significant expansion of their venue booking roster that sees them entering the VIC music market for the first time, welcoming Melbourne’s iconic Thornbury Theatre, Sunshine Coast entertainment hub, The Station, and UTS institutions The Loft and The Underground!
“We are delighted to add these new venues to the Yours and Owls roster. Melbourne is a music city and hosts one of the healthiest live scenes in the country; we are excited to be a part of that ecosystem via the Thornbury Theatre,” says Y+ O co-founder Ben Tillman. “The Station is an epic space with so many possibilities for hosting incredible events, and we can’t wait to deliver some unforgettable shows to the Sunshine Coast in partnership with the team up there. And having two venue options in the heart of Sydney’s CBD will allow us to offer our partners inner city options to add to our more regional offerings.”
Established in the 1920s as a cinema, The Thornbury Theatre has evolved into one of Melbourne’s most iconic venues for live music while maintaining its classic architecture and décor. The standing ballroom accommodates 845 standing or 569 seated theatre style, with a further 55 for the seated mezzanine.
Located in the beachside suburb of Birtinya on QLD’s Sunshine Coast, The Station is a family-friendly entertainment hub where you can eat at one of the many on-site food trucks from local providores, skate at the on-site skate park and catch your favourite touring band all in one precinct. The Station runs three setups: 3000 full capacity, 1450 mid-capacity standing and 630 smaller-room capacity.
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is no stranger to hosting legendary live performances from some of our most beloved artists on its campus. Music lovers living in Sydney through the nineties and early noughties would have spent many nights discovering their new favourite bands at The Underground. With a capacity of 500 for bands and 600 for DJs, it is the perfect space for buzzing future superstars to have those sold-out breakthrough moments.
The Loft On Broadway is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets hidden on the UTS campus. Posing a space for new music discovery, comedy, DJs, jazz, an intimate launch, or a rowdy get-together nestled among a leafy courtyard with warm festoon lighting and offering a 170 capacity for bands and a 220 capacity for standing events.
Yours And Owl’s current venue roster:
VIC: THE THORNBURY THEATRE (Melbourne)
QLD: THE STATION (Sunshine Coast)
NSW:
LA LA LA’S (Wollongong)
UOW UNIBAR (Wollongong)
NORTHGONG HOTEL (Wollongong)
THE UNDERGROUND (Sydney CBD)
THE LOFT ON BROADWAY (Sydney CBD)
SYCCO ANNOUNCES 2025 ‘IN THE ZORB’ HEADLINE TOUR
Fresh off the back of her acclaimed debut album Zorb and a captivating performance at triple j’s One Night Stand in Warrnambool, 23-year-old First Nations singer, songwriter, and producer (and your favourite artist’s favourite artist, Sycco – aka Sash McLeod) is ready to take her live show on the road. Accompanied by her full band, Sycco will bring Zorb to life in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide this summer.
Zorb, which debuted last month, invites listeners into a kaleidoscopic world of psychedelic rock, dizzying hyperpop, and high-energy beats. Sycco wrote and co-produced every track, working alongside music powerhouses like Chrome Sparks, Flume, Mallrat, Banoffee, and Styalz Fuego. The album received glowing reviews, a triple j Feature Album and multiple DSP covers.
This tour announcement marks Sycco’s first headline tour dates since 2022. The shows will follow her upcoming festival appearances at Beyond The Valley and Spilt Milk’s House Party, where she’ll share the stage with Glass Animals, Troye Sivan, Artemas and more. Tickets for Sycco’s headline tour go on sale Tuesday, 24 September at 10:00 AM local time via www.syccoworld.com/tour. Don’t miss your chance to join Sycco ‘In The Zorb’ in 2025!
‘IN THE ZORB’ 2025 TOUR DATES
Friday, 24 January 2025: The Corner Hotel, VIC
Saturday, 25 January: Oxford Art Factory, NSW
Friday, 31 January 2025: The Triffid, QLD
Saturday, 1 February: Jive, SA
CHASE ATLANTIC ‘Doubt It’ (Single) ‘Lost In Heaven’ (Album out Nov 1st)
Globally acclaimed genre-bending trio CHASE ATLANTIC announce their fourth studio album, LOST IN HEAVEN, is set to drop November 1st via Fearless Records. Along with the album news, the band has unleashed their vibey new single, “DOUBT IT,” with a psychedelic hybrid visualizer / lyric video. Pulsing with dark alternative R&B vibes, trap beats, and glitchy synths, the track hits hard with the rebellious line, “Put your money where your mouth is, lay it on the counter, rip it open, let me count it.”
The new track release follows the success of their previous album single “DIE FOR ME,” a haunting slow jam that garnered over 7 million global streams in its first week and earned spots on 24 New Music Friday playlists. With over 5.5 billion global Spotify streams and counting, CHASE ATLANTIC’s genre-blurring sound continues to dominate. Alt Press described the song as “a Bonnie and Clyde story, saturated in desperate, dramatic love, which plays out against a dreamy, dark alt-pop landscape.”
Having graced the stages of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and main stage at Reading & Leeds in 2023, CHASE ATLANTIC are about to make serious noise as they set off on a massive North American headline tour. The run, beginning October 16 in Irving, TX, will include must-see stops like Barclays Center in Brooklyn and two nights at LA’s Hollywood Palladium. This week the band also announced dates in Australia and New Zealand. Full tour routing below.
With LOST IN HEAVEN, CHASE ATLANTIC are poised to break boundaries once again, diving deeper into their distinct world of hypnotic melodies, sonic experimentation, and epic live shows.
CHASE ATLANTIC TOUR DATES:
Dec 7 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena
Dec 11 – Melbourne, Australia – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Dec 12 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
Dec 15 – Brisbane, Australia – Riverstage
Dec 18 – Adelaide, Australia – Aec Theatre
Dec 20 – Perth, Australia – HBF Stadium
CHASE ATLANTIC ONLINE: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | X
I SEE STARS ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN DATES
Hypermetal pioneers I See Stars (US) are heading back to Australia in early 2025 for a stellar run of shows across the country. Visiting Australia for the first time in 14 years, fans will get to experience some of their all time favourite tracks along with their latest gems.
They’ll be playing stellar hits from their huge back catalogue, with tracks from studio albums 3-D, The End of the World Party, Digital Renegade, New Demons and Treehouse. The band are set to play The Triffid in Brisbane on 17 January, Newcastle Hotel on 18 January, Crowbar in Sydney on 19 January, Melbourne’s Max Watts on 22 January, Uni Bar in Adelaide on 23 January and Perth’s Amplifier Bar on 24 January.
They will be joined by special guests Wind Walkers. The Massachusetts outfit are redefining the sound of post-hardcore and alternative metal with their innovative approach, combining the power of modern metal with the irresistible allure of pop. Creating an infectious sound that challenges the status quo, crowds can expect to hear tracks from their latest album What If I Break? in live form.
Regarded for their electric live shows, Sputnik Music praises I See Stars’ “excellent vocals, brilliant electronics, and boldly experimental songwriting”.
Hailing from Michigan, the four-piece formed in 2006. With their 2009 debut album cracking the billboard top 200, peaking at No. 176, the band became known for their unique hybrid of hardcore and electronic music. Exploding into the mainstream in 2011, they made their national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel and toured across America with Black Veil Brides. Their 2012 album Digital Renegade vaulted them to national prominence, reaching the Top 10 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums Chart and Top 20 on the Rock Albums Chart.
I See Stars have gone on to release several critically acclaimed albums, sharing stages with the likes of Asking Alexandria, Of Mice & Men and The Word Alive. Cemented as festival favourites, I See Stars have played the iconic Vans Warped Tour, Inkcarcertion Fest, Sonic Temple Festival and many more.
I SEE STARS AUSTRALIAN TOUR
With special guests Wind Walkers
Friday 17 January
The Triffid
Brisbane QLD
Saturday 18 January
Newcastle Hotel
Newcastle NSW
Sunday 19 January
Crowbar
Sydney NSW
Wednesday 22 January
Max Watts
Melbourne VIC
Thursday 23 January
Uni Bar
Adelaide SA
Friday 24 January
Amplifier Bar
Perth WA
TICKETS
Early bird presale: Wednesday 25 September 9AM local time via Destroy All Lines
Sign up for presale here!
General on sale: Thursday 26 September 9AM local time via Destroy All Lines
RICHARD MADDEN ‘Hands Of Time’ (Single)
Awarding winning songwriter Richard Madden is back with a new single titled ‘Hands of Time’. Produced, performed and written by Richard Madden with the assistance of Miles Thomas on drums, Tony Wall mixing and Paul Gomersall mastering.
The video accompanying the single was produced by Paul Ribera @ Raincloudstories. Released on all platforms on 23/9/24. This marks the first studio recording since Richard’s 2021’s Second Nature album which featured ‘Heavy Load’ (1st place Rock/Indie ASA Awards 2021) and is following in the footsteps of Richard’s 2022’s live album ‘Get a Load of This!’.
Pre-order below in lossless format via Bandcamp (best sounding!)
richardmadden.bandcamp.com/music
OR Pre-save on your preferred streaming platform.
Official website: /richardmadden.com.au
MISS KANINNA ‘Kaninna’ (EP)
Proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali woman & multi-award-winning Naarm/Melbourne-via-lutriwita/Tasmania artist MISS KANINNA (she/her – pronunciation guide here) – who now counts Kelis and Amyl & the Sniffers among her many supporters – today unveils her internationally-anticipated debut EP KANINNA (20 September). A slick, confident body of work that serves to challenge social perceptions of Aboriginal music, using her “powerful voice” (Complex) to explore freedom, sexuality and reassertion of dominance atop irresistibly tight production that moves fluidly across hip-hop, pop, R&B, soul, funk and beyond; KANINNA is aptly named for its creator as the culmination of Miss Kaninna’s whirlwind 16-month career in music. It arrives alongside her addition to the final Bluesfest lineup, plus award nominations via the Music Victoria Awards (Best Song/Track – Pinnacle Bitch – her second nomination in the category and third overall) & the Corner Award 2024; ahead of her debut headline tour in November supported by triple j as well as performances at Listen Out, supporting Hiatus Kaiyote & Thelma Plum – all dates below. KANINNA – featuring singles ‘Blak Britney‘, ‘Pinnacle Bitch‘, ‘Push Up‘ & ‘Dawg In Me‘ plus focus track ‘Friends‘ – is out digitally & on vinyl everywhere now – stream/purchase HERE; tickets to the Dawg In Me tour are available for purchase HERE.
Rhythmic, intoxicating focus track ‘Friends’ – described by Miss Kaninna as her favourite off the EP, “especially” its impossibly heady bridge – is a slinky, upbeat cut that acts as grittier extension of ‘Push Up’, with the “local legend” (Pedestrian) showing off her ability to draw the listener all the way in, whether she’s putting her formidable vocals front & centre or holding back coolly. The track features guitar via Jerome Farah, bringing in Middle Eastern influences via producer YAOB (aka Jacob Farah)’s cultural heritage as well as paying homage to iconic 00s R&B/pop acts Miss Kaninna grew up on like The Pussycat Dolls.
WATCH: Miss Kaninna – ‘Blak Britney’ (Live at NIMAs)
The KANINNA EP reflects the music Miss Kaninna grew up loving: from hip-hop, rap, R&B and pop with touches of Amapiano, Afrobeats, Reggaetón and Middle Eastern influences thanks to a fruitful collaboration with producer YAOB (Dean Brady, KYE, Adrian Eagle), with additional production via Finn Rees (Close Counters) and Jack McLaine (Vagabon, Medhanit). Exploring freedom, sexuality and reassertion of dominance, each track acts as a “theme song” for a feeling captured in time, from revenge (‘Dawg In Me’), love and lust (‘Push Up’, ‘Friends’) to empowerment (‘Blak Britney’, ‘Pinnacle Bitch’) and, as Miss Kaninna admits, “cheeky bullshit” (‘Kush’). With the artist’s staunch anti-colonial message never far away, KANINNA challenges social perceptions of Aboriginal music, inviting listeners to expand their understandings – “I believe I absolutely have the capability of creating powerful political music that liberates the people, but I also have the capability to create music that just makes you feel good. Not all our music has to have trauma at the heart of it – we deserve to feel good about ourselves,” she shares of her “Black pop” – reclaiming full use of the word ‘Black’ (rather than ‘Blak’) to “Collectively refer to Black & Indigenous people globally rather than setting Aboriginal people apart & diluting their Blackness.” Miss Kaninna adds, “Working with Jacob (Farah – aka YAOB) has been an incredible experience – as two Black artists, we wanted to deliver music that has the potential to stand up against international acts, music that feels good, music for our communities and music we wanna listen to.” In this same spirit, she recently featured on Gomeroi / Wodi Wodi man and artist Kobie Dee’s ‘Lifetime‘ – with a co-headline show between the two also announced as part of his EP launch tour.
UPCOMING DATES
27 September – Listen Out, Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country VIC
28 September – Listen Out, Boorloo/Perth, Whadjuk Noongar Country WA
5 October – Listen Out, Meanjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD
6 October – Listen Out, Eora/Sydney, Gadigal Country NSW
18 October – ALTAR, lutruwita TAS^^
1 November – Hindley St Music Hall, Tarndanya/Adelaide, Kaurna Yerta SA**
2 November – Fremantle Arts Centre, Walyalup/Fremantle, Whadjuk Noongar Country WA**
15 November – Strawberry Fields, Yorta Yorta Country VIC
23 November – Howler, Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country VIC*
29 November – Black Bear Lodge, Meanjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD*
30 November – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney, Gadigal Country NSW*
*official headline tour date supported by triple j
^ supporting Hiatus Kaiyote
^^co-headline w/ Kobie Dee
**supporting Thelma Plum
misskaninna.com
STATE CHAMPS ‘Light Blue’ (Single)
Albany-raised pop-punk band State Champs have released their new single, Light Blue, off their upcoming self-titled record to be released on November 8 via Pure Noise Records. This is the third single off the album, coming just after the band released two others last month, including Too Late To Say and Silver Cloud, both of which had accompanying music videos.
The band shared their thoughts on the latest track below: “Have you ever been transported back in time, for better or for worse, simply by the smell of something or someone? Inspired by Dan & Shay’s “Tequila,” we put our energetic spin on this concept with “Light Blue.” It’s a light-hearted track that reminiscences and rollercoasters between airy, bouncy guitars and pop arrangements to a full-blown fuzzed-out chorus that will have you banging your head in between memories you didn’t ask to be dug back up.”
State Champs will be heading out on a tour later this year across North America. Supporting them on this tour are Knuckle Puck, Meet Me at The Altar, and Daisy Grenade. They will be making stops from coast to coast, kicking off on November 8 in Austin, Texas, and visiting major cities, including Phoenix, Anaheim, Salt Lake City, Denver, Cleveland, Nashville, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto, among others. They will wrap up the tour on December 7 in New York City.
Nearly 15 years after the band’s formation, lead singer Derek DiScanio, bassist Ryan Scott Graham, guitarist Tyler Szalkowski, and drummer Evan Ambrosio found themselves at different points in their personal lives—marriage, kids, and relocations across the country made for a new kind of relationship dynamic. Produced by Anton DeLost (Mayday Parade, Hawthorne Heights), State Champs will showcase some of the best edgy, high-energy tracks that have defined their career thus far, making it the exact right time to debut their self-titled album.
Over the course of their career, State Champs has received accolades from the likes of Rolling Stone, MTV, Kerrang!, Upset, Alternative Press, and Rock Sound, among others. Their sophomore album, Around the World and Back, entered the Billboard Current Rock Albums chart at No. 3 and made Rock Sound’s Top 10 Albums of the Year. Living Proof followed in 2018, and that same year Billboard called them “modern-day pop-punk torchbearers.” The band has also collaborated with some of pop-punk’s heaviest hitters, co-writing songs with Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Mark Hoppus from Blink-182 on their latest album Kings of the New Age.
Rolling Stone spoke with the band exclusively on their record this summer and shared they are “channeling their definitive mix of punchy punk rhythms and irresistible pop hooks in the new tracks.” On State Champs, they cement themselves as an outfit that can and will stand the test of time.
SELF-TITLED – OUT NOVEMBER 8
https://lnk.to/StateChampsMerch
JON TOOGOOD ‘Lost In My Hometown’ (Single) ‘Last Of The Lonely Gods’ (Album out Oct 11)
Since 1988 Jon Toogood has performed at more than 1500 live shows and sold over 250,000 albums world-wide, with two albums certified Double Platinum and five albums certified Gold in New Zealand and Australia. Shihad was admitted to the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and the following year won Best Rock Album at the 2011 Vodafone Music Awards for Ignite, and Best Rock Album in 2015 for Five Eyes.
The release of ‘Lost in My Hometown’ sees Jon return to his acoustic guitar; the meditative tool he used to process his grief after losing his mother during a covid lockdown in 2021, and soon after, his brother-in-law.
Jon was touring New Zealand at the time of the Omnicron outbreak which left him locked down in Wellington, isolated from his wife and children in Australia. Jon stayed with his sister and brother-in-law for 3 and a half months. During this time his brother-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer which was hard for Jon to witness.
LISTEN TO ‘LOST IN MY HOMETOWN’ HERE
“To stay sane I would go for long walks around Te Whanganui-a-Tara, along the streets where I grew up” states Jon. “I spent a lot of this time reflecting on my life, growing up and where I had ended up today. One day I even got lost…lost in memory and quite literally, lost”.
It was during this time Jon penned the reflective new single, generously offering fans insight into hard times spotlighted by the past couple of years.
“It’s about that reflection you have when you go back to your hometown”, says Toogood
The single is the fourth taste of what’s to come from his debut solo album LAST OF THE LONELY GODS, arriving on October 11. The album – featuring singles ‘Gravity’, ‘Love Is Forever’ and its title track – is a clear departure from the intensity of Shihad and leans towards a more vulnerable and stripped back sound.
An acoustic offering that lends itself towards one legend and his acoustic guitar hitting the road and sharing his stories… Catch Jon live in Australia – tour dates below.
Making his mark on music for over 35 years in Aotearoa New Zealand, Jon, as part of Shihad and supergroup The Adults, has enjoyed 6 NZ #1 Albums, 15 NZ Top 40 albums and 25 NZ Top 40 Singles.
Ready to rock n roll – the countdown to 11th October is on.
JON TOOGOOD LAST OF THE LONELY GODS
AUSTRALIA 2024
JONTOOGOOD.COM
Thursday 14 November
Mo’s Desert House Club, Bundjalung Nation / Gold Coast
Friday 15 November
Tomcat, Meeanjin / Brisbane
Saturday 16 November
Northcote Social Club, Naarm / Melbourne
Sunday 17 November
Waywards, Eroa / Sydney
JON TOOGOOD – LAST OF THE LONELY GODS
Out October 11 Via Warner Music Australia Pre Order / Pre Save
THE HALO EFFECT ‘Detonate’ (Single/Video) ‘March Of The Unheard’ (Album out January 10)
Gothenburg’s rising stars, THE HALO EFFECT, are back with a powerful new announcement – their highly anticipated second album, March of the Unheard, will be unleashed on January 10th, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records.
Following the massive success of their critically acclaimed debut Days of the Lost, March of the Unheard delivers a triumphant continuation of the band’s signature sound. Packed with soaring melodies and electrifying energy, the new album promises to exceed fan expectations.
The first single from the album, ‘Detonate,’ is an upbeat anthem that blends melodic hooks with relentless energy. Accompanied by a thrilling music video, ‘Detonate’ sets the stage for what promises to be yet another landmark release, delivering a strong message for the unheard: “Break the chains of this deadlock, before we detonate!”
Guitar wizard and main songwriter Niclas Engelin comments: “Damn, time flies fast when you have so much fun touring, playing festivals, and creating new magic. Are we hitting album no. 2 already? Still running high from the energy from Days Of The Lost, and it’s been a blast!”
He continues: “We just can’t wait for you all to hear our new magic and I think you might like what you are about to hear! ‘Detonate’ , our first single from our new album March Of The Unheard , is an upbeat straight in the face song with all the melodies that you just can’t be without! Obey The Riff!”
THE HALO EFFECT is:
Niclas Engelin | guitar
Jesper Strömblad | guitar
Mikael Stanne | vocals
Peter Iwers | bass
Daniel Svensson | drums
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘DETONATE’: https://youtu.be/dVcLxVrhRWc
LISTEN TO ‘DETONATE’ ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://thehaloeffect.bfan.link/dsg
PRE-ORDER MARCH OF THE UNHEARD: https://thehaloeffect.bfan.link/motulp
TIM WITHANO ‘Bondi Sand’ (Single)
Tim is an award-winning artist who has vast experience performing live playing his original music as well as playing the lead role in a theatre production dedicated to the music of James Taylor for a number of years.
Tim was signed to Herb Alpert’s publishing company Essex Music in Australia until his contract was bought by Warners Chappell. Tim is now a free agent and owns the copyright to all of his songs. Although Tim has had Top 10 success on the country charts in Australia with his acoustic band, “Strum”, his music as a solo artist covers a wide range of genres.
His actual name is Timo (he moved from Finland with his family when he was a toddler) and as long as he can remember he has had to tell everyone he meets that his name is Tim with an “o”. When it came to launching his solo career he decided that Tim Withano would be an appropriate stage name :).
Tim is very much a do-it-yourself guy. He plays guitars that he actually builds himself and records all of his songs in his home studio. Tim also produces his own videos. His videos for Bondi Sand and Bob Dylan and Me are on Youtube. STREAM HERE
HEVENSHE ‘Essential’ (Single)
Hevenshe releases cinematic life-affirming femme rock song ‘Essential’. Channelling the fantasy of an off-grid lifestyle in a utopian paradise, Hevenshe delivers her most lustful and catchy pop-rock song yet in ‘Essential’. Tapping into her existential dread and profound disillusionment with modern society, the song reveals Hevenshe’s urgency to take control of her destiny and live a simpler life.
Written with close personal friends and vocalists of WAAX, Slowly Slowly and Japanese Wallpaper, ‘Essential’ came to life between studios in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a session at G-Flip’s house in LA. While being Hevenshe’s most collaborative track yet, it retains a deeply personal lens that Jenna McDougall’s fans have come to expect from the prolific artist.
Fans of Jenna’s former project, Tonight Alive, may find the evolution of Hevenshe’s sound familiar. With her trademark infectious energy, the anthemic and uplifting chorus, driving beat and introspective lyrics paired with catchy hooks and high-energy production, ‘Essential’ is poised to become an instant favourite among fans.
STREAM & DOWNLOAD HEVENSHE’S ‘ESSENTIAL’
With the fierce, commanding force of wild feminine energy, the revered representative of women in rock, Jenna McDougall, made her triumphant return from Tonight Alive’s hiatus in 2022 with Hevenshe, a fully independent project that blends cinematic indie-rock with the defiant spirit of her punk roots, continuing the relatable, cathartic and empowering essence of Jenna McDougall’s legacy.
After four albums and eight consecutive years of heavy international touring as front-woman of Tonight Alive, Jenna McDougall’s much anticipated debut solo EP, Hevenshe’s ‘Wild Wild Heart’ was released in 2023 (mixed by Mark Trombino: Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182), with songs enjoying airplay on BBC Radio 1, triple j, triple j Unearthed and Kerrang Radio, and widely supported across Spotify and Apple playlists including New Music Daily, Indie Buzz, The New Rock, All New Rock, The New Indie, Fresh Finds and many more.
In her short time as a solo artist, Hevenshe has played shows at Crowbar and The Vanguard, as well as supported Kisschasy, The Getaway Plan, Slowly Slowly, Paul Dempsey and more. Plus, with features on Guitar Hero Live and The Amazing Spiderman 2 soundtrack, as well as contributing to collaborations with rock heavyweights such as Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) and Parkway Drive, Hevenshe’s trajectory is an exciting one.
With an audience of over one million followers across social platforms, Jenna McDougall embraces her responsibility as a role model and guardian angel for her fans, advocating for individualism, self-empowerment, equality, inclusivity and community, as well as mental and holistic health, and has impacted fans in deeply positive and long-lasting ways throughout their shared journey. ‘
Now, to celebrate the release of ‘Essential’, Hevenshe will perform a free live show for fans at The Pleasure Club in Sydney on Saturday 28 September.
HEVENSHE WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE
MARCUS WYNWOOD ‘Never Left The ground’ (Single) ‘Never Stood Out And Never Fit In’ (EP out Oct 17)
Tasmanian genre-hopping artist Marcus Wynwood has unveiled his latest single ‘Never Left The Ground’; released today along with the announcement of his upcoming EP ‘Never Stood Out and Never Fit In’, set for release on the 17th of October.
Defying his punk rock roots and leaning into new territory, ‘Never Left The Ground’ draws on folk influences to create a heartfelt indie-ballad. Recorded and mixed by Marcus with mastering from Grammy Award-winning engineer William Bowden (Gotye, Living End, Kylie Minogue), the track also features Andrew Sulzberger of the Bad Dad Orchestra on trumpet duties, adding a soaring layer of melody towards the backend of the track.
“I wrote this song pretty quickly, over a day or two, which is really unusual for me. I was listening to a lot of Frank Turner and Neutral Milk Hotel at the time, and I wanted to get that lo-fi, indie-folk songwriter/songwriter feeling. Part of this was loose strumming acoustic guitars with slightly abstract and ambiguous lyrics.
Rather than playing a guitar solo like I normally would, the song felt like it needed a trumpet. I reached out to mates The Bad Dad Orchestra and Andrew Sulzberger was excited to get involved playing the trumpet solo. He did an amazing job, he’s a fantastic musician and a great guy. I recorded the song in my studio over a couple of weeks and I’m pretty happy how it turned out.” MARCUS WYNWOOD
Originally a member of punk band Captives, Marcus has played with huge names throughout his career; such as Ian Moss, Shihad, The Damned, COG, Tumbleweed, 28 Days and The Sweet; and has played at festivals such as Falls Festival, Party In the Paddock and Macadam Festival (Quebec, Canada). He has had strong radio support from the likes of Triple M and triple j over the years, and praise from tastemakers such as The AU Review, Hysteria and Happy Mag along the way.
Marcus will be releasing the rest of his upcoming EP ‘Never Stood Out And Never Fit In’ on October 17, and will be making an appearance at Tasmania’s Good Gumnuts Festival alongside Alex Lahey, Jack River and Josh Pyke in early January.
UPCOMING SHOWS
INFO
Sunday September 29 Spreyton Cider Co Spreyton TAS
Saturday October 12 Devonport Tenpin Bowl Devonport TAS
Saturday October 19 Penguin Beer Co Penguin TAS
Saturday January 4-5 Good Gumnuts Festival Romaine TAS
Marcus Wynwood: Official Website | triple j Unearthed | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
ADAM FRANKLIN ‘Learn To Wait’ (Single)
Adam is a multi instrumentalist, singer and songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. He developed as a songwriter and performer in the 1990’s Melbourne indie / alternative live music scene in the band Burnside – after which family life took center stage.
COVID lock-downs in Melbourne proved a blessing in disguise, with Adam returning to songwriting with renewed passion and urgency – writing close to 100 new songs.
Teaming up with long time friend, musician and producer Marcel Borrack and his production partner Tim Harvey, Adam’s debut album is now close to completion and due for release in early 2025.
His debut single Learn To Wait was launched on the 25th September.
Adam’s music draws from a varied palette, with influences including Tom Petty, The Beatles, Roxy Music, Teenage Fanclub, Ron Sexsmith and Radiohead. His songs vary from acoustic ballads, straight guitar pop to electronic soundscapes. They are filled with stories and imagery of everyday life – the trials, turmoil and tribulations that we can all relate to in some way – “This world is round, but it don’t bounce the way it should”.
More on Adam Franklin here:-
https://www.instagram.com/adamfranklin_music/
https://adamfranklin1.bandcamp.com/track/learn-to-wait
https://www.adamfranklinmusic.com/
https://soundcloud.com/user-384703872
KIAN ‘My Release’ (Single) ‘Wake Up, You’re Falling’ (Album out November 1)
Melbourne-based artist KIAN today releases his latest single, “MY RELEASE,” lifted from his forthcoming debut album ‘Wake Up, You’re Falling’, out November 1st. Following his recent release “ULTRAVIOLET,” this new track provides a moment of calm and reflection, rounding out the album with a sense of resolution.
“MY RELEASE” represents KIAN’s third collaboration with producers Pip Norman and Rob Amoruso. “I really wanted to get in the studio again after making two songs with them I really liked. When we got in there, we just started jamming this song out and I realised, ‘This is a good situation, this is gonna work with this team,’” KIAN says. “I feel like it’s a great way to finish the album – like a release, a calm after the storm, but it also feels like there’s an opportunity for more to be said.”
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR ‘MY RELEASE’ HERE
The album’s diverse tracks, from the cathartic “MY RELEASE”, and the chaotic guitar driven “THE WAY” to the energetic “ULTRAVIOLET,” showcase KIAN’s evolving sound and creative freedom. “For this album, we had more time, more songs, a larger body of work and a bigger story to tell. We had time to record things—record things on tape, record live drums at a different studio—we could just do whatever,” KIAN notes.
‘Wake Up, You’re Falling’ promises an eclectic mix of reflective indie moments and high-energy anthems.
A little over five years ago, 22-year-old KIAN burst onto the scene as he sung the hook for Baker Boy’s “Cloud 9”. Fast-forward to 2023, and KIAN has been impossible to hold down. Releasing the 4x Platinum certified, ARIA Top 20 hit “Waiting” as the lead single from his debut EP ‘Bliss’, he’s since nabbed multiple APRA Awards, become a two-time ARIA nominee, toured internationally, collaborated on Duckwrth’s “Quick”, and released 2020 singles “Every Hour” and “Sunbeam”.
His last EP ‘Shine’ which was released in 2022 was produced by Willie Tafa (ONEFOUR, Ariana Grande, Baker Boy), and enlisted the talents of artists such as Jerome Farah and members of hip-hop outfit 1300, KIAN carving out a body of work that showcases a musician hitting his creative stride, while embracing his own personal and professional maturity. KIAN’s evolution is evident in his debut album, ‘Wake Up, You’re Falling’, a testament to his growth as an artist and his commitment to pushing creative boundaries. With influences ranging from The Smashing Pumpkins and The Pixies to Bon Iver, KIAN’s latest work promises a fresh, dynamic listening experience.
KIAN’S DEBUT ALBUM ‘WAKE UP, YOU’RE FALLING’ OUT NOVEMBER 1