âOne Morningâ is the new single from Melbourne-based violinist, vocalist and composer Emma Kelly aka Happy Axe. On this dreamy and beautiful single the Canberra native has enlisted the help of friend and new collaborator Butternut Sweetheart. âOne Morningâ, is the second single to be released from Happy Axeâs second album Maybe Itâll Be Beautiful, […]
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Dublin-based singer-songwriter and producer Dunluvly is all set to release his new single, âHazeyâ. The single, a delightful slice of dream pop, is the culmination of three years work, and weâre pleased to bring you this exclusive first listen ahead of its official release tomorrow. The single is Dunluvlyâs first since the release of his […]
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Brisbane artist Kyle Jenkins is back with the first of two planned solo albums: Love, Lost Love. Released at the end of April, the album is an introspective and philosophical collection of songs that deals with disappointments, disillusionment, longing, and of course, love. The albumâs fifteen tracks have been intentionally left sparse and pared back. […]
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Sydney singer-songwriter and producer Chris Lanzon releases a new single, his second for the year, today. âAlways Foreverâ, is the final single to be released from Lanzonâs forthcoming EP Far From Perfect, which is out June 11th on Hunnydew Recordings. âAlways Foreverâ, with its soft instrumentation and lyrical introspection, is a delicate and charming slice […]
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US and Brazilian indie duo Kid Le Chat are all set to release their brand new EP, Luck Comes Too Late this week. Ahead of its official release on Wednesday, May 5th we bring you this exclusive first listen, and a track by track walk through from the band. Luck Comes Too Late, the groupâs […]
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The 2021 shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced at a virtual event overnight. This year’s shortlist is one for the newcomers, with none of the six shortlisted authors having been previously shortlisted for the Prize. The six strong shortlist, which was selected by Chair of judges, Bernardine Evaristo and her judging panel […]
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Since the release of Daisy Jones and the Six back in 2019, narratives about fictional bands, singers and songwriters have undergone something of a renaissance. Dawnie Waltonâs debut The Final Revival of Opal & Nev builds on the oral history format of Daisy Jones, and takes the next step. Walton succeeds in telling a story […]
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Weâre big fans of EJ Worland here at the AU. His debut EP No One Left To Blame, which dropped earlier this month, was our Album of the Week. His single âOver The Pondâ came in at 27 on our 40 Best Australian Tracks of 2020 too. His is a sound firmly rooted in the […]
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Next week, Wednesday April 28th, will see the best and brightest of Australian literature descend on Sydneyâs Carriageworks for the premier event in the Australian book industry calendar; and weâre giving five of you the chance to join them. We have five General Admissions double passes to give away to the 2021 ABIAs Awards Gala. […]
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I told myself that I wouldnât entertain pandemic adjacent albums. But, Rhiannon Giddensâ latest, recorded with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, has proven to be an exception. It helps that itâs not an album of songs about sourdough and lockdowns. It also helps that itâs superb. Theyâre Calling Me Home is a timely album, with pertinent […]
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âDevilâs Soundâ is the latest synth-led slice of dark pop from Brooklynâs HEN. HEN, whoâs real name is Henry Kaye, is a rising Queer star, producer and singer-songwriter. Last year saw him release his debut EP Velvet Rage and the stand alone single âRoll Backâ; and now heâs teamed up with experienced producer Yoad Nevo […]
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Somehow weâre three months into the year and Easter is just around the corner. So itâs time for another look into our most anticipated books of 2021. This time weâve taken a deep dive into the books set to be published April through to June. With so many books published each week and month, this […]
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Illawarra indie quartet Maple Mall are back with a new single â âDown This Wayâ â their second for 2021 so far; and only their third single of their career overall. âDown This Wayâ is another cracking release from the lads from Illawarra. It really hits those chilled out late summer vibes perfectly. Three singles […]
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This morning the Stella Prize have announced their 2021 shortlist live on ABC Radio Nationalâs Breakfast program. The 2021 shortlist spans fiction and non-fiction and showcases the extraordinary talent and ingenuity on display across the Australian literary landscape. The 2021 prize saw the judges receive over 160 entries from Australian women and non-binary writers. Earlier […]
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Lord Huron is back and with a new album on the way. On May 21st the alt-country outfit will release their fourth album: Long Lost. The group have already kick started the album cycle with the release of the first single âMine Foreverâ. Long Lost is billed as a concept album. It is centred around […]
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Last night saw the best and brightest of WAâs music scene come together to celebrate the very best of 2020 at the WAMAwards. Taking place as part of WA Music Week, the evening was testament to Western Australiaâs vibrant, talented, and resilient music scene, with live performances from winners, Adrian Dzvuke, Noah Dillon and more. […]
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For the second year the Indie Book Awards have been announced online, with The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams announced as Australian independent booksellersâ favourite book of the year. On winning the award, Pip Williams hailed the work of Australiaâs independent booksellers as they adapted to working in a pandemic lockdown: âThe Dictionary […]
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Last week saw West Australian act Camarano release their debut album, Where Am I Now?. The album is the bandâs first major release since their EP Shadow Calling in 2019. Meanwhile, theyâve been teasing the album across the last year, drip feeding us a trio of singles: âHoliday Innâ, âGive It To Me Straightâ, and […]
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Duo Teo & Jay release their second single of 2021 this week. âParadiseâ, only the duoâs third single, is a sweet self-produced slice of R&B. Officially released on Friday, weâre excited to bring you this chance to hear it before the rest. The duo met at Berkleyâs College of Music, and have been working together […]
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After having to cancel last yearâs festival due to COVID, Sydney Writers Festival is coming back stronger and bolder in 2021. According to Artistic Director Michael Williams, who joined the Festival last year, the theme for the 2021 Festival is âWithin Reachâ, and will highlight the writers who are shaping Australian literature right now. âIt […]
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Cornwall, December 1972. Three lighthouse keepers vanish from a remote offshore lighthouse. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. And, the Principal Keeperâs weather log describes a mighty storm that never happened. This is the set-up for Emma Stonexâs The Lamplighters. The Lamplighters is inspired by real events, despite its […]
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Early this morning the longlist for the 2021 Womenâs Prize for Fiction was announced. This yearâs sixteen strong longlist honours and celebrates a selection of both new and well-established writers. The list also draws from across a range of genres, and the sixteen novels explore a variety of themes, from family and motherhood, to themes […]
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Brisbane alt-pop duo Syrup are back with their latest single âCatch Your Flowâ. Co-produced by Slum Sociable‘s Ed Quinn, âCatch Your Flowâ is a certified bop, and should be added to your playlists post haste. Tackling topics of uncertainty and longing for a âsignâ from the universe, the new single blends the duoâs now signature […]
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Poetry and prose, critique and compassion all come together in Dropbear, the debut collection from award-winning writer, poet and editor Evelyn Araluen. Itâs a remarkable collection; smart, thoughtful and articulate. To put it frankly, it comes as a surprise that this is Araluenâs debut book. Dropbear explores the imagery and mythology surrounding popular ideas of […]
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Singer-songwriter Julien Baker is all set to release her forthcoming album Little Oblivions later this week. Officially released on February 26th, the album delivers a sound that is bigger, bolder and more expansive than the sparse intimacy that weâve come to expect from Baker. Recorded pre-COVID, Little Oblivions might be a sonic shift for Baker, […]
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Sydneyâs Highline havenât let a little thing like a global pandemic throw off their hard earned momentum. The quartet are back with a new single, âStaying Saneâ, and with the promise of more to come. It was still early days for the band pre-covid. Theyâd released their debut EP and played their first ever shows […]
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Thanks to Madman Entertainment we have ten double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the Golden Globe-nominated MINARI, the tender and sweeping story for writer/director Lee Isaac Chung, and starring Steven Yuen. The film arrives in Australian cinemas on February 18th. Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in […]
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If you like your guitarâs jangly, then look no further than Songs From Another Life, the sophomore album from indie rock duo The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness. Â By way of introduction, the band are something of an atypical endeavour. The bandâs two members â Gonzalo Marcos (from Spanish indie popsters El Palacio de […]
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Armed with an impressive array of obscure and worldly instruments and an astounding vocal, Norwegian artist Sturle Dagsland has crafted an album that is extraordinary, compelling and undoubtedly idiosyncratic. That it is his debut, makes it all the more remarkable. When I reviewed âKusanagiâ, the albumâs lead single back in October, I remarked that it […]
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Love Is An Ex-Country is the compelling new memoir from Arab American writer and academic Randa Jarrar. The book (much like its author) is provocative, powerful and utterly unabashed. Presented as a travel memoir, Love is an Ex-Country begins with Jarrar heading on a cross-country road trip, emulating a similar trip taken by celebrated Egyptian […]
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