Music

The first time I caught Chelsea Wolfe live was in 2012 at Oxford Art Factory in Sydney. I was blown away by her voice that cuts through shadows and soundscapes, making her live performances an unforgettable experience. And now, this month, the darkwave icon returns. She’ll be bringing her haunting sound to Australian stages to…

Canberra might get a bad rap for the squabble of badly behaved politicians that hang around its shores, but on the flipside it also has the cathartic and totally kick-arse pop-metal artist, Machine on a Break as a resident. We’re beyond excited to be premiering their new single, “How I Say Goodnight”, ahead of its release on…

Ghost Medium are an indie dreamscape band hailing from Victoria, who last month released their debut single, “The River Song”. It’s a beautiful, atmospheric tune with a warmth that resonates deeply. We are thrilled to be premiering the video ahead of its release later in the week. Simon Bailey, ex Pony Face, is the lead…

The Lemonheads are touring Australia this May, and fortunately, due to venue upgrades and additional shows being added, there are still tickets available in each city. For the first time in years, the ever-charismatic Evan Dando and company will bring their signature blend of fuzzed-out hooks and bittersweet lyricism back to Australia for a national…

“Lisa, I don’t think you’ve ever sung this as beautiful as just now. It’s like you need to be here. You are a miracle and I love you with all my heart,” says Hans Zimmer as he looks up to Lisa Gerrard, the Australian singer who famously vocalised his score for Ridley Scott’s 2000 classic,…

Ghost – the bedazzled church of Tobias Forge – have returned with Skeletá. With previous frontman Papa Emeritus IV stepping aside to take on the role of Frater Imperator after the death of his mother, Ghost is now led by Papa V Perpetua – which is Forge in a new mask, in case you didn’t…

Aussie post-hardcore/metalcore legends Behind Crimson Eyes are just a few days away from wrapping up their final tour. But before one last hurrah in hometown Melbourne this weekend, they bid a fond farewell to the River City, tearing up The Brightside with a little help from friends Nervous Light, The Last Martyr, and Patient Sixty-Seven….

It’s less than three weeks before The Great Escape festival kicks off in Brighton.  As always, it’s stacked with Australian artists. There are currently thirty on the lineup. For the past fifteen years, Sounds Australia has put together showcases at the festival, featuring Aussie artists, and this year the tradition continues. On Thursday, 15th May,…

As we race towards the final days of April, this week we have added ten new tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. Our track of the week goes to Emily Lubitz, with her new single, “Big Time”. In “Big Time”, Emily has adopted the character of a small-town girl who woos…

Canadian rock duo, Death From Above 1979 released their debut album, You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, in 2004 but subsequently broke up in 2006. However, the pair reunited in 2011 and are currently touring the album in Australia. We caught their show at Adelaide’s Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. The Aussie warmup band DZ Deathrays need…

Earlier this month, Gadigal/Sydney trio The Electorate released “The Great Divide”, their third single from their upcoming album, By Design. We are super excited to be premiering the video for a track that is laden with emotion, packed with honesty and beautifully vulnerable. About the track, Josh Morris from the band writes:  “The Great Divide…

Fresh from lighting up Coachella and selling out Red Rocks in minutes, Berlin-based (by way of Byron Bay) five-piece Parcels have announced their long-awaited return to Australian stages. This coming summer, they’ll play three huge headline dates across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, bringing along a brand new album and an all-new live show. Despite being…

Xani Kolac is a violinist, composer, and improviser with a seemingly endless list of ideas and directions for her work. With a focus on contemporary compositions, Xani is prolific and dynamic in her output. 2025 is proving to be a milestone year for Xani. She will be releasing two albums, a live improvised recording from…

Mercury Prize-winning UK outfit Ezra Collective are returning to Australia this May and June for three headline shows – and whilst Melbourne is already sold out, you can still snap up tickets in Sydney and Brisbane. Following a huge night at the BRIT Awards, where they made history as the first jazz act to perform…

By any measure, Bluesfest 2025 was a resounding success. Last year, there was an announcement that this could be the final year of the North Byron Bay event. However, the community rallied to support it, with over 110,00 people attending this year over four days. By the last day, it was announced that tickets were…

Geelong-based singer/songwriter FARAH has taken an incredibly challenging and life-changing event as the genesis for her powerful and moving debut single, “Gasoline”. Written in the wake of her cancer diagnosis and dealing with the related trauma, it explores grief, identity, and the slow process of becoming, and we are honoured to be premiering it ahead…

Ocean Colour Scene have been on a mammoth tour of the UK since late March. Supporting them has been Kula Shaker, and performed  in Liverpool last night. The last time I saw both bands on the same bill was at Glastonbury in 1997. It was worth the wait! It was a packed room at Mountford…

Saturday’s Bluesfest hosted a glorious sunny day for the sold out crowd. Thanks to the overwhelming support of this year’s event, it was announced that Bluesfest will continue into 2026, with specially discounted pre-early bird tickets available for sale at the festival. The overall mood is one of celebration of community, with a couple of…

Dope Lemon is set to return home for a run of shows in Australia and New Zealand through winter 2025. Laidback vocals and effortless grooves litter the catalogue of Angus Stone spin-off project Dope Lemon. Like disco just emerged from a Jamaican Dutch oven and found folk swinging from the palm leaves. If you’ve been…

One thing that you can’t control is the weather. With recent heavy rains in northern NSW, many were worried that this year would be another muddy Bluesfest. However, the weather has been glorious for the last week, including the Easter long weekend. With gravel being laid to ensure no muddy patches, festival goers this year…

This year could possibly be the final Bluesfest, but based on the overwhelming support for the Byron Bay festival makes it feel that next year’s event is possible. On opening day, three stages were in operation. Sydney band Velvet Trip opened the Crossroads stage with a psych infused indie rock set that had the crowd…

Happy Easter from all of us at the AU. We’re bringing the good vibes into the long weekend with ten more freshly released tracks added to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. This week returning New Zealand alt-pop band Yumi Zouma take home our Track of the Week with their new single “Bashville…

Tom Morello – lead guitarist from the legendary bands Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage – delivered a raw energy master class at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre last night. Morello is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential guitarists of the modern era, blending heavy metal, punk rock, funk, and…

Going into last weekend’s Coachella (the first of its two planned weekend events), it seemed that Lady Gaga was inevitably going to steal all the expected focus.  And, certainly, the Grammy-winner did the most, with a near-20 song set that largely celebrated her new album (Mayhem), but served as a memory lane stroll for her…

Scary Kids Scaring Kids have just announced a Aussie tour set for later this year, and they’ll be bringing fellow post-hardcore outfit A Skylit Drive along for the ride. During the 2009 Warped Tour, lead singer Tyler Stevens took some time away, with genre legends including Vic Fuentes (Pierce the Veil) and Craig Mabbit (Escape…

The Superjesus burst onto the Australian rock scene in the late 90s, fronted by the powerhouse vocals and captivating stage presence of Sarah McLeod. Debut EP, Eight Step Rail, quickly gained traction, followed by the critically acclaimed debut album Sumo, cementing their place as a force to be reckoned with. Known for their blend of…

The country renaissance isn’t over just yet! After teasing a collaboration with their emotion-laden single Sylvia, Torres (the musical project of Mackenzie Scott) and Julien Baker’s album Send a Prayer My Way marks their soulful entry into the genre. The 12 track album traverses downtown bars and the wide open road as the pair croon…

Australian alt-rock legends You Am I are currently mid-way on their national Hi Fi Daily Double Down tour, celebrating thirty years since the release of their ARIA award-winning album Hi Fi Way. On this tour, they are performing in full Hi Fi Way, and the follow-up, Hourly, Daily, which received six ARIA awards.  Hi Fi…

Harley Luscombe is a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who is very much in the early days of his solo career. With just two releases under his belt so far, we are super pumped to be premiering his latest single, “Lose My Soul”, ahead of its release on Friday. Harley has a voice that is rich, earthy and…

For over two decades, Canadians Silverstein have been a driving force in the post-hardcore scene, delivering emotionally charged music that continues to resonate with fans around the world. From their breakout record When Broken Is Easily Fixed to genre-defining albums like This Is How the Wind Shifts, Silverstein has remained true to the raw emotion…