Music

Composers, producers and artists will gather at Carriageworks over two days in June for Open Frame. The festival, presented by Room40, will highlight various stages of sonic intensity and experimentation with a stacked program that includes, amongst other highlights, the world premiere of an Occam (XXIX) composition by French electronic music composer Éliane Radigue, commissioned…

A band like The Whitlams are a band you can always depend upon to provide you with a good time. The fact that the Sydney band have enjoyed consistent successes and sold out shows on the road with a national tour almost nationally has proven that theirs is a songbook boasting not only longevity, but quality…

The first BIGSOUND announcement came on through today, with Mardi Caught (the head of new independent marketing services company, The Annex) and Virginia Grohl (author of From Cradle to Stage) being amongst the first names announced for the September music conference. The initial round of buyers and influencers have also been announced to the program, with the added focus on…

Meet NZ songwriter Nakita. Today, we’re finding out more about this exciting new artist – at just 18 years old, she’s been garnering acclaim for her latest single “Sucka”. Nakita linked up with Matthew Young and Grammy nominated producer Leroy Clampitt (Justin Bieber) to make this narrative of an unhealthy infatuation into a catchy song that we’ve been switched on…

Amy Shark and David Le’aupepe are two of the country’s most popular songwriters and musicians at the moment, so it comes as little surprise that they would come out on at the top end of the list for an event like the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition. The Gold Coast’s Amy came out with first place, with “Adore”…

Bad Pony‘s Sam Thomlinson has recently released a great simmering track under the name Oh My My – welcome to the “Animal House”. Built on the ideas of lust and its often dark and animalistic side wreaking havoc on personal emotions, “Animal House” is like a dance track made for the late night dance floor. Featuring Kitrich (James Kitto)…

Rising Houston rapper Genesis Blu doesn’t seem like your typical Third Coast emcee. She’s not rapping about the things often ascribed to the Lone Star State’s unique brand of hip hop, but instead represents a unique fusion of professional life and art. She’s a psychotherapist by day, and that life is bleeding over into her…

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are currently eyeing up a surefire successful run at The Great Escape next week but today, one of Melbourne’s favourites have added more dosh to the bank as they have been announced as the latest winners of the Levi’s Music Prize. Established to support BIGSOUND artists who have conjured considerable career momentum…

JUNGLE ARE BACK. You’ll remember what drew you in the first time round, when it came to the band’s brilliant 2014 debut album. Kaleidoscopic and ever changing as a live unit, Jungle quickly became one of our favourite bands and with the news of their new music coming through this morning, we were safe to…

The long awaited new Arctic Monkeys album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, is just DAYS from release and while we wait for this one to drop, the band’s team have continued to ensure that the hype is well and truly conjured. For fans in New York, Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo and of course, the boys’ very…

Adelaide producer Alêtro comes through to us this week with a bright, pulsating piece of new music in “Bubblebeam”- inspired by his Nintendo 64 game sounds and an ever present love for making glimmering production and equally as captivating soundscapes, “Bubblebeam” is bound to make some heads bop. Making music since 2013, Alêtro has been crafting music…

Meet Melbourne songwriter KEZRA. She’s a performer who’s been doing her thing for some time now but with her debut single “Better Place”, KEZRA introduces herself as a new artist. Dabbling in some gorgeous indie pop territory with her latest single, KEZRA teamed up with Fractures to bring together great electronic production with her already solid…

I first met Ben Schneider of Lord Huron at Bluesfest, during the band’s first tour of Australia in 2016. Two years on, the band are set to return, with a new album (the brilliant Vide Noir) just released, and plans to play Splendour in the Grass and a couple of sideshows along the way. I caught…

The Cribs have been described as the biggest cult band in the UK. 10 years ago at the peak of their popularity it would have been hard to argue, as tunes from the excellent Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever dominated the airwaves. That popularity has waned slightly in the past few years to the point…

Further establishing his status as a hometown hero in Perth, songwriter and performer Jacob Diamond has been on stages continuing to build the hype for his long awaited debut album, Goodbye Gondwana. Supporting the likes of Warpaint, Marlon Williams, Oh Mercy, Stella Donnelly and more over the last year, as well as curating an unique show of…

I’ve only seen The Killers once before, probably the last time the band toured extensively in Australia – that Big Day Out tour off the back of Battle Born. A lot of fans pooh poohed that album but I embraced the Triple M-ready likes of “Runaways” and “The Way It Was” just as much as I attached…

One of the world’s biggest rock bands The Killers are return to Sydney to play an intimate show at a top-secret location, and American Express are giving you the chance to be one of just 400 people invited to experience it. Supported by singer-songwriter Alex Cameron, who hails from Sydney, the band is set to play the…

The 4th annual Gold Coast Music Awards were held this year at Surfer’s Paradise beachfront on Thursday night, seeing performances from some of the biggest and best in Gold Coast talent, including Bobby Alu, Eliza and the Delusionals, Hussy Hicks and more. The night was hosted dutifully by former triple j presenter Dom Alessio who…

A new name has been welcomed to the Brunswick Music Festival fold today, with Emily Ulman being named the event’s new Music Programmer for the 2019 festival and beyond. This year saw many talented artists fill out venues through the neighbourhood, so it’s safe to say, we’re looking forward to seeing what Ulman brings to an already…

Here’s some good rock n roll vibes for your Friday – enter Brisbane’s Dirty Hearts. Soon to release their much anticipated debut album General Bitterness and Inner City Moonshine this month (via Never Enough Records), the group has been riding high off the back of their latest single “Sand-Lea”. Interestingly, this tune shows a softer, more subtle…

With their new single “Hunger” being unveiled today, fans of Florence + The Machine can rejoice in the knowledge that a new record from the Brits is well on its way to us…sooner rather than later. June 29th will see High As Hope officially released, and if “Hunger” is anything to go by, it’s going to be…

Hell yeah. Get yourselves around New Zealand four piece Miss June – their new single “Twitch” has got us hyped for their Australian tour this month! The band has been operating in high gear off the back of the release of their EP Matriarchy – an unapologetic collection of sounds that served as an excellent entry point to…

With his new album Be More Kind out tomorrow, we check in with one of our favourites, Frank Turner, to find out some more about the new record and his thoughts as a creative in an ever changing social climate. You’ve mentioned numerous times that Be More Kind is taken from Leçons de ténèbres by Clive James – what…

Jonathan Zawada will have the sails of the Sydney Opera House when Vivid Sydney comes calling this month, bringing the specially-commissioned piece Metamethemagical to life. The 3D light sculpture will debut at 6pm on May 25th, traversing themes of science, nature and culture. Having already established himself as an artist in demand and is renowned for his…

Following their successful return to the live stage last year, Mammal have gone further than a one-off reunion gig and have released their first piece of new material in eight years in “Community” and have announced an extensive tour to boot. Promising a rambunctious return to form when they start the tour in June, the  band has…

Continuing to spur on the positive momentum generated around her Lonestar EP, Gladstone based country artist Hayley Marsten releases her new music video for “Money Can’t Buy Class” this week. In the same way Taylor Swift has made bank off crafting early country-pop songs about broken relationships and nasty ends to them, Marsten takes an individual who had…

At this year’s Barunga Festival, the 30th anniversary of the Barunga Statement will be commemorated as this week, the line up for the iconic cultural event has been unveiled. Taking place out in community from June 8th – 10th, the Barunga Festival will be hosting the likes of the Saltwater Band, B2M and Shellie Morris – an all Indigenous…

Wollongong newcomers TOTTY are continuing to stake their claim in the east coast music scene as a band not to be messed with, having spent 2017 leading up to this point via hectic shows and a whirlwind of industry support – their debut EP,  Cut the Poppies. The debut record from the group is out this…

I’m not ashamed to say that I find the world a frightening and desperate place of late, with its increasing loss of humanity and decency in the face of rising uncertainty and aggression. More and more it seems we’re losing sight of each other as individuals and hiding behind the safety and anonymity of our…

Sydney’s annual lights, music and ideas show is back for another winter, and as Vivid celebrates its 10th year in the making, we delve into some of our top picks for artists to look out for this year. Ice Cube One of the founding fathers of gangsta rap will be performing for four nights only…