Friday has rolled around again, and once again we’ve got a smorgasbord of the best new music from across Australia and the world to share with you. Our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music has been updated with ten new tracks, including two we premiered earlier this week. Naarm’s Harriet Wraith takes our Track of the Week with “Apologies”.
“Apologies” is the latest single taken from Wraith’s forthcoming EP, She’s Not Your Muse. Delivered with shades of Bossa-nova, “Apologies”, has this gorgeous groove to it, with some lovely live horns (always welcome) and a bass line which brings an added warmth. Musically, then, it’s a bit of a contrast to the sharper, more self critical (or, self aware) lyrical undercurrent. There’s a lovely, breezy bounce to it all, that along with Wraith’s stunning vocal, makes for compelling listening.
Wraith will be launching the new EP, She’s Not Your Muse, at The Evelyn Hotel on November 13th. Grab your tickets HERE.
San Cisco are old favourites here at the AU, and the Fremantle trio are back with “Miles Away”, their first new music since Under The Light. It’s a bright, hooky pop song with a bruise underneath. Frontman Jordi Davieson describes it as being about “being together, but alone”, the slow loneliness of watching a partner drift away while you’re still in the same room.
The video was shot on 16mm film in Perth, and the single arrives ahead of the band’s first regional tour in more than two years, which starts later this month. Head HERE for dates and tickets.
Keeping things firmly West Coast for a little bit longer, also added to the playlist this week are two new releases from singer-songwriters Riley Pearce and Wil Thomas. “The Frame” is the latest single from Pearce, and comes ahead of a run of shows supporting Buffalo Traffic Jam and Boy & Bear across October and November. The track quintessential Pearce; it’s stripped back, putting Pearce’s vocal and guitar front and centre, lyrically astute, all delivered with great warmth, sincerity and subtlety.
“Gubinge Road” is the first new release from songwriter Thomas since his third album, 2024’s The Riding Light. “Gubinge Road” finds Thomas in full storyteller mode, taking the listener on a journey from the open road of Northern Australia, to the Milky Way and back, via the Kimberley coastline. It might have a runtime just shy of 7 minutes, but “Gubinge Road” captivates from start to finish. It’s unhurried, contemplative and leaves plenty of space for the story to come to life.
Garrett Kato has announced his new album Natural Light, out April 9 via Nettwerk, and he’s shared “Saviour”, its opening track, with Nashville songwriter Anna Vaus. The song asks you to drop the urge to rescue people. Sometimes, Kato says, the most useful thing you can do is “simply be there for someone without trying to fix the problem”. It’s a gentle song with lovely strings, and the gorgeous harmonies between Kato and Vaus fit its theme of quiet support.
Fresh from her set at Yours & Owls, Wollongong’s Chelsea Daghita gives us “Baby Boy”. The song is about someone she wanted to help who didn’t have it together. As she puts it, “I’m not his mother or his saviour.” A pulsating bassline drives it, with vintage guitar lines weaving around her vocal. That vocal keeps its natural warmth but picks up some 70s rock grit and a few haunting runs. Catch Chelsea at Parramatta Lanes on October 21 at Lanes Underground, then opening for Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers at the UOW Bar on October 24.
Also added to the playlist this week is “don’t take me home” from Melbourne indie-pop singer-songwriter Sidney. Cheeky, confident and sassy, the single takes the familiar rite of passage, meeting your partner’s family, and turns it into a playful warning. It’s a lot of fun, with the track built around this country-tinged pop hook, and really shows off Sidney’s vocals.
“Champagne” is the new single from Norwegian singer-songwriter Grand Alpaca. It’s a beautiful slice of ‘nordicana’ full of warmth, and gorgeous pedal steel guitar and piano textures. It’s a song that explores life, all aspects of it, told through the lens of the many stories that can be hidden within the walls of a single house. It’s a beautiful sentiment, delivered really well.
Finally, we’ve also added premieres from Duxie Franklin (“I Feel You”) and SP’s (“Spirit World”).
Catch all the new music updated every Friday on Apple Music:
and on Spotify:
Here’s the complete list of new additions this week:
Harriet Wraith “Apologies”
San Cisco “Miles Away”
Sidney “Don’t Take Me Home”
Garrett Kato “Saviour (feat. Anna Vaus)”
Chelsea Daghita “Baby Boy”
Riley Pearce “The Frame”
Wil Thomas “Gubinge Road”
Grand Alpaca “Champagne”
Duxie Franklin “I Feel You” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
SP’s “Spirit World” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
Header Image: Chloe Media
