It’s been a full year since The AU Review caught up with KIAN, when the then 16-year-old dropped his debut EP BLISS. Since its release, KIAN has ticked off phenomenal milestones musicians decades his senior are waiting to achieve: he played Splendour in the Grass and Spin Off Festival, toured the UK and Europe with Conan Gray, travelled…
Seattle-based artist, Scarlet Parke returns with her latest single “Pretend”, produced by Jake Crocker. After releasing her debut LP, Flight Risk, the artist is known for channeling raw emotions and experiences into her music. The track evokes nostalgic feelings towards an ex-lover with an eclectic side of smooth r&b-pop-trap beats. The recurring lyrics throughout the…
Steve Smyth is arguably one of Australia’s most talented singer-songwriters. These days Steve calls Barcelona home, and with Spain being one of the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, his lock-down conditions have been more stringent than most. I caught up with Steve a couple of weeks ago, as he was releasing “Yours Sincerely”, a…
A follow-up to his first release in five years (“I Don’t Know”), “Doubting Thomas” is the new one from the reliable Josh Pyke and another strong offering from the veteran Aussie singer-songwriter. Pyke, in a statement, says the break allowed him to shed some “self-imposed rules” when it comes to songwriting, and that “Doubting Thomas”…
Inspired by and recorded in the city of the same name, Seattle is the upcoming EP from Sydney garage-pop-punkers Bloods. Fronted by Marihuzka Cornelius/MC, and with Dirk Jonker on drums, and Mike Morgan providing guitar, bass and backing vocals, the trio’s latest is a love letter to 90s rock and iconic turn of the century…
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…
It’s been a hot minute between drinks for French artist Woodkid, whose acclaimed cinematic pop sees him sit somewhere in between M83 and Hans Zimmer. Tracks like “Run Boy Run” have notably popped up in shows like Umbrella Academy, and he also scored the 2015 Jonás Cuarón film Desierto. There’s an industrial feel to his…
Sydney based artist SMALLS is just a couple of days out from releasing his debut single, but for those of you who can’t wait that long, never fear! We’ve got the exclusive premiere of “Tail Lights” right here on The AU Review! Originally hailing from country NSW, SMALLS is the performing name of Will Robinson….
Six piece outfit Papaya Tree never linger in one genre for too long. Drawing on their blended backgrounds as jazz students, indie contemporary producers, and morticians, their sound is as unorthodox as their histories, and latest single “Out In The Wash” is no exception. With 80s inspired synths and a wistful chorus, its a mellower…
Copenhagen duo ARES (Louise Andersen and Line Mortensen) have tapped into their inner supervillains with new track “Burn“. It’s a deliciously dark slice of electro-pop, with a catchy chorus inspired by Heath Ledger’s Joker. Of the track, ARES said: “We were playing with the image of setting everything you own on fire and just starting…
Alex the Astronaut has just dropped the first single, “Lost”, off her forthcoming debut album, The Theory of Absolutely Nothing. Her two previous EP’s To Whom It May Concern and See You Soon demonstrated her innate ability of this gifted songwriter to capture the zeitgeist of our times. With her songs, you always feel like…
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…
Introducing “Melancholy” , Chris Lanzon’s debut EP and the name of our track of the day. Following success from standout track “Still”, the Sydney-based artist transcends the indie genre and brings forward a raw and beautiful track. As the intro song of the EP, “Melancholy” lures our attention with stunning, somber piano chords played immaculately….
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…
Established in 2002, The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is the world’s largest international songwriting competition, and in 2019 it received over 18,000 entries from 140 countries. And this year, the ISC has bestowed its highest honor to Australian artist and songwriter Tones And I for the song “Dance Monkey.” The Grand Prize consists of $25,000…
Australian singer-songwriter Imogen Clark has released a new song, “Found Me”, her first new track in two years. The song was written off the back of the end of a relationship. It’s not a song of mourning though, it’s a song of defiance, strength and a bold celebration of her new-found situation. Imogen’s vocals carry…
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…
The organisers of Falls Festival have announced that the December 20/ January 21 edition will be limited to an All-Australian lineup. Recognising the uncertainty that awaits us in the recovery phase from Covid-19, they have made the decision to ‘go local’ to provide some certainty to the lineup. Jess Ducrou and Paul Piticco, co-producers of…
Sydney pop-rock band, Pretty Thrills have recently released their second single “Sober”, and we are really excited to be able to bring you today the Exclusive first look at the video for this gem. It follows on from their debut release “Flames” which came out late 2019. The song deals with the oft-seen drunken arguments,…
Running around the edges of her irrepressible indie-pop aesthetic Nicole Millar finds strength in the intensely personal with “I Should Probably Go to Therapy”. Her first new music for 2020, the single is a follow-up to 2019’s excellent “Favours” and sheds some light on a trying time in Millar’s life and a conscious confrontation with…
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…
Indie icons, The Dandy Warhol’s have released an unprecedented four-hour album titled Tafelmuzik Means More When You’re Alone, paying homage to the type of soundtrack that would typically score a mid-16th century banquet. On it, the stalwart band experiments with all kinds of instruments, presenting one of their most ambitious – and strangest – concept…
Okay, so we’re a bit late to the party with this one but, trust me, we’ve not been sleeping on Kira Puru! “Idiot” is the latest track from the Melbourne based performer, complete with a lyrics video cooked up on MS Paint by artist Celine Dore. Of the highly infectious pop track, Kira says: “”Idiot”…
It can be difficult to keep motivated during this lockdown. Procrastination can take over easily enough. But, a couple of artists who have managed to stay productive are singer-songwriters Hayden Calnin and Harrison Storm. The label and housemates collaborated on Calnin’s new single, “Unfortunate Love”, which was released on Friday. The duo, along with friend…
Tasmanian singer-songwriter Nuria returns with her second single of 2020, “Love”. It’s an emotive and poignant balm for the uncertain times we all currently find ourselves in, and another strong release from the Tasman singer. Much like her previous single, “Noise”, the new release benefits from some elegant (yet understated) production. This time, however, production…
Will Toledo, frontman of Car Seat Headrest, is surely one of the most prodigiously busy artists in music. While slowing down from his rate of releasing more than two albums a year, the American artist continually pumps out new music and reinvents his sound with every release. Returning in 2020 with Making a Door Less…
Having sold out shows in their hometown Melbourne, up-and-coming duo, Trace Decay have released their latest single, “Sad Dance”. To date, the indie-rock pair have released two singles, “Hindsight” and “Passivity”. Gaining popular demand from multiple radio stations such as Triple J, Purple Sneakers and Abduction Radiation (USA). The track presents a complex mixture of spellbinding beats…
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….
In historical measures Trivium means an introductory course at a medieval university involving the study of grammar, rhetoric and logic. In today’s age Trivium is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1999 and since then the band has released nine studio albums with over twenty singles. What the Dead Men Say is…
Amidst the COVID-19 quarantine, musicians have been left practically and financially uncertain, losing a substantial portion of their income having lost the ability to play live shows. Thankfully, new opportunities are popping up, and in a time where the touring industry has been effectively made redundant, the music industry has found a new way to…
