Author: Ed Hirst

I'm either listening to music, writing about music, or writing my own music! Keep up to date with my latest projects @edhirsty

Interview: Adelaide’s Openfire unpack their latest single “Wonderland”

Adelaide four-piece Openfire have recently returned with their first track of 2020. Following the release of last year’s debut Reverie, “Wonderland” marks a confident, bold new progression to their sound. The track is both lush and funky, driven by reverb-soaked guitars and thumping basslines. Frontman Luka Sandeo’s vocals soar, as he sings of pursuing dreams…

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Spotify vs CD vs Tidal: Is the debate over hi-res audio still relevant?

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself listening to an old favourite from my adolescence, Nine Inch Nails’ 1999 opus The Fragile. As a teenager, I played this double album to death on my Discman to the point where I can still vividly recall every subtlety that Trent Reznor meticulously laid down. Revisiting the…

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Terra Grimard releases enchanting documentary for her new LP The Water Album

It’s been seven years since her last album, but singer-songwriter Terra Grimard has returned with her third LP The Water Album, out now. The Canadian born, now Queensland-based, artist channels her love for the ocean into her latest release. Water serves as a symbol of fluidity on the album, which Grimard says was written during…

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Sampa The Great, Warren Ellis, G Flip, and more recognised at the 2020 NLMAs

The fifth annual National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) took place last night, via a livestream that was accompanied by a gala event at Brisbane’s The Triffid. The event recognises the achievements of the Australian music industry, with awards handed out across twenty categories. Sampa The Great, won the evening’s most prestigious award for Best Live…

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Ladies Who Sing Leonard to feature 16 of the best female vocalists paying tribute to Leonard Cohen

The Festival of Jewish Arts and Music (FOJAM) have prepared a special event to wrap up their Homeward Bound series. Ladies Who Sing Leonard will feature 16 of the world’s best female vocalists paying tribute to the legendary Leonard Cohen. The event will take place on November 7, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the…

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Interview: The Jensens unpack “Paper Walls”, the first taste of their forthcoming album Hammer and Blush

Brisbane indie pop rock act The Jensens have just released a rollicking new single “Paper Walls”. The boisterous tune is the first taste of the groups forthcoming album Hammer and Blush, scheduled for release on May 21, 2021. The new single is accompanied by a vivid music video, created in collaboration with visual artist Unclechronicbone. …

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Track of the Day: Jack Davies “Loving You’s Like A Mouldy Cup Of Tea” (2020)

Today’s track of the day comes from Perth-based folk artist Jack Davies, with his latest song “Loving You’s Like A Mouldy Cup Of Tea”.  On the track, Davies and his band The Bush Chooks provide a delicate blend of acoustic guitar, banjo accordion and fiddle, allowing Davies’ poignant and old-soul storytelling to shine. The song’s…

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Bad Sydney Crime Writers Festival to go ahead in-person next month

The full program for this year’s BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival has been announced. Despite concerns over COVID restrictions, the Festival will take place in-person at the State Library of NSW over the weekend of November 7-8th.  The  BAD Writers Festival is an opportunity for fans of crime fiction and true crime to come together…

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Word Travels’ Story Week returns for a virtual festival this November

Next month Australia’s largest performing writer’s program, Word Travels’ Story Week returns. Running from November 6th to 14th, this year’s program will be entirely virtual and feature a range of international and Australian guests and performers.  This year’s line-up explores themes of race, ancestry, identity and more. “The global pandemic has had a large impact…

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Untitled Goose Game Soundtrack gets nominated for an ARIA Award!

With today’s announcement of the 2020 ARIA Awards nominees, there were several curveball nominations thrown into the mix. One such surprise was the nomination in the Original Soundtrack/Original Cast Album category for the soundtrack to Untitled Goose Game. Composed by Dan Golding, the soundtrack for the smash hit Melbourne-made video game is a work of…

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Lime Cordiale and Tame Impala lead the 2020 ARIA Awards nominees

2020 has delivered a tough blow to the music industry, with live music put on hold and the cancellation of festivals. Despite the struggles brought on by the pandemic, this year’s ARIA Awards Ceremony promises to be something to look forward to. The nominees were announced today via a YouTube premiere, showcasing the diverse talent…

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Track of the Day: Lauran Hibberd (UK) “Boy Bye” (2020)

If you’re having a bit of a drowsy Tuesday, you might need this angsty number to get you fired up. Today’s track of the day is UK “slacker-pop” artist Lauran Hibberd with her latest single “Boy Bye”. Exuding a strong ‘90s indie rock vibe, fans of Liz Phair or The Breeders should enjoy this one….

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Interview: Fan Girl show their sunny side with new single “backwards (everything is)”

Returning with their first release of 2020, Melbourne rock outfit Fan Girl have unveiled their latest single and music video for “backwards (everything is)”. The relatively sunny single from the group is the result of the band consciously working towards creating a song that was uncharacteristically “happy” within their discography. The track still retains the…

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Syrup

Track of the Day: Syrup “Turn” (2020)

Brisbane alt-pop duo Syrup have just released their latest single, “Turn”, today’s Track of the Day. Syrup is the project of childhood friends Harry Pratt and Henry Anderson. The two are originally from Kingaroy, Queensland, and found common interests in music and skateboarding, which led to the formation of their musical outlet. The funky and incredibly…

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Track by Track: August River Band dive deeper into the tracks on their debut album Thank You Pain

Brisbane alt-folk group August River Band have today released their debut album Thank you Pain The Brisbane based trio – made up of Eev Ferreira, Gerard Kerr, and Lil Burrows – have developed a sound that fuses rock, folk and indie music. Their unique sound offers wonderfully juxtaposed chemistry between the tortured singer-songwriter, the classically…

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Track by Track: Daniel Trakell unpacks the fragility on his debut album Warning Bell

Melbourne based singer-songwriter Daniel Trakell has today released his stunning debut album Warning Bell. Known for his delicate and evocative folk stylings, Trakell’s music sound can be described as George Harrison meets Elliott Smith. There is a lovely unification of ‘70s influences alongside a contemporary indie-folk sound. The singer-songwriter previously won Triple J Unearthed Artist…

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Track of the Day: Left Field Messiah “AM Moonlight” (2020)

In the early 2000s, Canadian group Hot Hot Heat, led by frontman Steve Bays, were tearing up dance floors with their unique blend of indie rock, dance-punk, and post-punk revival. While they never achieved overwhelming commercial success, the band maintained a devoted fan base right up until they called it quits in 2016. This week,…

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Tia Gostelow to star on this week’s New Colossus Festival livestream

This Saturday, 3 October, the AU review is presenting a livestream of Tia Gostelow, from 10AM AEST in collaboration with The New Colossus Festival as part of their ongoing program of live performances. Gostelow was initially booked to perform at The New Colossus Festival in New York City in March but was unable to do so…

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Track By Track: Riley Pearce expands his sound on his latest EP Maybe I Can Sleep It Off

Melbourne-based alt-folk artist Riley Pearce has today released a new 6-track EP titled Maybe I Can Sleep It Off. The EP sees Pearce take a more of a band-like approach – with Pearce himself noting that it is quite a diversion from some of his previous releases. “Maybe Dad’s messages of “needs more chorus” or…

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Album Review: Kuya James – ISA (2020 LP)

On his debut solo album, Darwin-based producer Kuya James sets out to exhibit the talents of the broad Australian music community. ISA showcases the diversity that this country has to offer and, in the process, re-establishes the Australian identity. Kuya James, known off-stage as James Mangohig, was born to a Filipino father and a Dutch…

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5 New Release Albums you’ve got to listen to right now

2020 has been a rollercoaster year (to say the least). By this stage, you might have resigned yourself to spending all your time in your living room, venturing not much further than your garden. Amid the chaos and stress of the pandemic, however, many of us have turned to music for comfort, or as a…

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Vacations

Guest Playlist: Vacations share the inspiration behind their new album Forever in Bloom

It’s been two years since Newcastle indie pop quartet Vacations released their debut album. Now, the group have returned with their latest LP Forever in Bloom. The tracks on Forever in Bloom are full of bright synths, dreamy guitars and punchy drums, creating a danceable groove that is consistent for the duration of the album….

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Three of the most popular Razer accessories go wireless

Razer has announced three of its most iconic gaming peripherals are getting the wireless treatment. The BlackShark V2 Pro, DeathAdder V2 Pro, and BlackWidow V4 Pro are part of the brand’s latest range of wireless flagship products. Now gamer’s will be able to enjoy their favourite games without the hindrance of cables getting in the…

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Abi Tucker reflects upon her time in Heartbreak High in latest single “Friends for Life”

Abi Tucker has a new single out “Friends for Life” taken from her album Who Do You Really Know, which was released in January this year. Many might remember Tucker as a star actor in several iconic Australian dramas, including The Secret Life of Us, Heartbreak High and McLeod’s Daughters. Parents may even recognise her…

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The Church, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Living End and more join Bluesfest 2021 Lineup

The Bluesfest organisers have just announced the third batch of artists who will be performing at next year’s festival. Legendary psych-rock group The Church will be making their Bluesfest debut, headlining this latest lineup announcement. Adored singer and Eurovision 2019 star Kate Kate Miller-Heidke will hit the stage to showcase her amazing vocal talent. Iconic…

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Agnes Manners share exclusive studio diary from their debut album Fantasia Famish

Melbourne-based band Agnes Manners released their debut record Fantasia Famish last week. Agnes Manners is the brainchild of former Hellions member Matt Gravolin. His output as Agnes Manners, however, is slower and quieter than what Hellions fans might expect, allowing for Gravolin’s sleek baritone voice and poetic lyrics to really shine. Agnes Manners has since…

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Samia shares the five biggest influences on her debut album The Baby

New York-based singer/songwriter Samia Finnerty’s debut album, The Baby, is making waves all over the world. The 23-year-old explains that the album is about learning how to be yourself, by yourself. Drawing inspiration from ’90s and ’00s pop/rock, her previously released cover “Never Meant” even got the nod of approval from Liz Phair herself. The…

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Track of the Day: Crocodylus “Social Climber” (2020)

Today’s Track of the Day is something that is sure to get the blood pumping. Three-piece garage rock band Crocodylus have just released their latest single “Social Climber” and it’s an absolute blast. The track lures you in with its catchy guitar hook at the start and takes you to some unusual places from there. All…

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Everywhen

Album Review: Take a little journey with Sunship Balloon on Everywhen (2020 LP)

Sunship Balloon – the side project from Daniel Haggis and Tord Øverland Knudsen of indie royalty The Wombats – have released their first album Everywhen. While their work with The Wombats is largely rooted in indie rock, Sunship Balloon sees the duo explore new sonic ground, with elements of psychedelia, electronica and alt-pop thrown into…

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Interview: Sunship Balloon unveil the magic behind their debut album Everywhen

Sunship Balloon – the side project from Daniel Haggis and Tord Øverland Knudsen of The Wombats – emerged on the scene last year with the release of their debut EP Intergalactic Teacup Travel Centre. Weaving in elements of psychedelia, electronica and alt-pop, their sound is distinctly different to the indie rock of their main gig…

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