2020 has been a prolific year for Tasmanian indie-pop artist Nuria, and she’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. On Friday July 31st, she’ll be dropping single number eight for the year, the punchy and powerful “Touch”. If like us, you can’t wait, you’re in luck, as we’re bringing you this exclusive first listen….
Isaiah Firebrace rose to national prominence after taking out the top spot on The X Factor Australia in 2016. The following year, he broke onto the global stage representing Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final with his single “Don’t Come Easy”, placing ninth. At just 20-years-old, this certified-Platinum singer has accomplishments under his belt that…
It opens with Erykah Badu rhyming over a beatbox from Rahzel, and closes with Missy Elliot threatening to slap you right across your melon. We’ve put together a 100-deep playlist for this month’s Hip Hop and R&B Retrospective, celebrating women in rap by spotlighting some of our favourites from the 80’s (Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah,…
Fronted by the enigmatic Fee, West London indie rockers Bloxx have been on quite the roll leading up to their debut album Lie Out Loud. That continues with the release of third single “Off My Mind”, a stadium-sized earworm perfectly highlighting those strong pop sensibilities fast making them one of the most exciting UK bands…
Ghost of Tsushima marks the end of an era. It is the final first-party exclusive for the PlayStation 4, which is both bittersweet and hard to believe. Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world samurai adventure developed by Sucker Punch. It recalls the drama and majesty of Kurosawa in full flight, putting players in the shoes…
Melbourne-based trio Woodlock make their return today, releasing new music for the first time in four years. The band consist of brothers Zech and Eze Walters, and drummer Bowen Purcell. Born out of the divorce of guitarist and vocalist Zech Walters, “Start Again”, is unsurprisingly given its title, a song all about rebirth and renewal. Which…
As Melbourne once again enters into lockdown, locals Howlite are all set to release their striking new single “Stranger”. A long time in the making, “Stranger”, is the final track to be released from their forthcoming EP, Not Here, which is scheduled to be released in September, barring any further COVID-19 induced disruptions. Unsurprisingly, the…
Gold Coast-based artist Black Rabbit George is all set to release his new album, Warren, next month. But first, comes the delightfully dreamy lead single, “Fingers Radio”. We’re excited to bring you this exclusive first taste, psychedelic visuals and all, ahead of its official release date tomorrow. Black Rabbit George is the new project from…
Former Hungry Kid of Hungary K. L. Mazlin is continuing on his journey into solo territory. Following the positive response to his debut single “Aurora Glass”, he’s back with new single “Middle Ground”. Officially releasing tomorrow, we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive premiere of the new track. “Middle Ground” is an ode to getting older,…
Megan Washington will be releasing her long-awaited album Batflowers on the 28th August. I thought this would be a nice moment to take a visual retrospective at the career up to this point of one of Australian’s most talented and creative singer/songwriters. Like so many others, my introduction to Washington was seeing her on Spicks…
Singer-songwriter Tom West released his new album, Antarctica, on Friday. The album, produced by Allen Tate in Brooklyn, was written following the death of West’s father from motor neurone disease. It is the culmination of a three year journey around America; touring, couch surfing, and playing as much as possible. That was until a Husky…
2020 has surely been a weird year, and you’d be forgiven for being a bit taken aback when we remind you that we’re halfway through it already. Since at least mid-March, many have largely been in lockdown, economies have threatened collapse, bushfires have devastated, systemic racism has been confronted head-on, and we have been rightfully…
Loud N Queer TV, a Sydney-based production is already in its second season. Talk about impressive, given it only launched in April this year. Born from the creative void created by COVID-19, Loud N Queer is a show filled with live music, DJ’s, comedy, chat and performance art. It has been an important outlet during…
There’s no denying that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the Australian music scene. Festivals have been cancelled or rescheduled, and countless tours have been grounded. Even though restrictions are starting to lift, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the situation and the pandemic’s lasting impact on the country’s music and arts…
The Last of Us Part II is almost upon us (finally!). One of the most anticipated video games of the last seven years, it promises to take the story of Ellie and Joel in an entirely new direction. Its soundtrack features licensed tracks from folk acts like Crooked Still and Shawn James, but the main…
Roz Pappalardo continues to tease her forthcoming solo album, Sound The Alarm, thanks to her new single “Immune”, out tomorrow. We’re excited to bring you this exclusive sneak peek before the official release tomorrow. “Immune”, like its parent album, was recorded and mixed at Blackbox Studios with Jeff Lovejoy. The single, despite the timely title,…
Melbourne band Howlite make their return this week, with new single “Infancy”. Offering insight into their forthcoming EP Not Here, the single sees the trio venturing into the territory of “dark” other-worldly pop. We’re excited to bring you this exclusive first listen ahead of tomorrow’s official release date. Alison Thom’s beguiling vocal is what immediately…
Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Riley Pearce returned with his new single “Ceramic Real Estate” this week. The track serves as an introduction to his forthcoming EP Maybe I Can Sleep It Off, which is out in September. Recorded at Debaser Studios with Andy Lawson and with additional recording by fellow alt-folk artist Hayden Calnin, “Ceramic Real…
Every year in March, myself and a close band of music colleagues and friends from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the iconic new music and discovery festival South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This year was set to be no different, and I was buzzing and more prepared than ever, having…
Let us introduce you to Brisbane’s Damien Johnson. The self confessed “backyard philosopher, theologian, and beer connoisseur” is a live-looping indie-hop artist from Ipswich, QLD. He also happens to be releasing his latest single, “Crowd in My Hand” tomorrow. But, before the official release, we’re bringing you this early exclusive sneak peek and premiere. “Crowd…
One of London’s latest up-and-coming indie rockers, The Valla, will be releasing their brand new single, “Ice Cream” tomorrow. Before its official release we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive first taste of the feel good track. Recorded and produced by Andy Hall Hall (Bastille), the single is the band’s first of the year, and…
Melbourne-based songwriter and synth-pop artist Seattic is back with a brand new single, “bit”. It’s his first slice of music since the release of his debut album Retrospeculation in February 2019, and we’re stoked to bring you its exclusive premiere. “bit” takes the nostalgia tinged tones of debut Retrospeculation and dials up the moodiness levels….
Last week Steve Smyth released the second single, “Yours Sincerely” off his forthcoming EP, Blood. This follows on from “Stages” which was released back in February. Steve calls Barcelona home these days, and the song was recorded in live takes in a church. He had the idea of recording Blood in a church, so wandered…
Friday saw Ben Catley release his brand new single, “Open Skies (This Splendid Sun)”. The track was recorded in collaboration with Tijuana Cartel’s trumpet player Eamon Dilworth. Today we’re pleased to premiere the uplifting and isolation busting music video that accompanies it. Filmed by surfer and filmmaker Lachlan Ross, the video captures the stunning scenery…
In such strange times, there are certain things in life that are bound to bring some kind of familiarity to what, at times, feels completely foreign. One of these things is Laura Marling, her songwriting, and the re-assuring nature of her stories. Returning with her seventh studio album, Song For Our Daughter is Laura Marling…
There are elements of M. Hofmann’s story that will be familiar to many music fans. He picked up a guitar in his early teens. He plied his trade in various band’s over the years, moving up and down the East Coast, having left his childhood home in Tasmania. Songwriting became a habit, and then he…
Indie record stores across Australia, like so many retailers, are doing it tough at the moment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The postponement of Record Store Day, often those stores biggest trading day of the year, until later in the year will only have added to the pressures. Independent record stores, along with our live…
Brisbane rockers The Rockefeller Frequency released their debut album, Chemicals, earlier in the month. The album’s creation was a DIY journey from start to finish. It’s been a few years in the making too, with the band taking some time off before reemerging in 2018. Recording took place in the band’s Basement Studios in Brisbane,…
“What’s that song playing outside?” asks Jay Som, aka Melina Duterte. The crowd at her debut Brisbane show was confused: is she referring to the grunge cover band bleeding through the windows, or the bass of the karaoke night thumping through the floorboards of The Foundry? “We should play one of those songs, too,” she…
I write this sitting in self-isolation in Toronto, Canada – as countries around the world are closing borders, scrambling to “flatten the curve” as the reality of the spread of Coronavirus sinks in. I, like too many, had been rather blasé about the whole thing – I mean I was sanitizing surfaces, washing my hands…