August is somewhat alarmingly already upon us, but that hasn’t stopped us from adding ten new songs to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two tracks we premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week goes to Melbourne’s new wave/post-punk outfit Radio Free Alice, with “Toyota Camry”.
Radio Free Alice are undoubtedly one of the shining stars emerging from the Australian indie scene of late. They’ve drawn inspiration from the Northern UK post/punk scene of the 80s and 90s, and have put their own indelible spin on it. We caught them at The Great Escape in Brighton last year, were blown away, and have followed them closely since.
“Toyota Camry” is packed with stellar guitars, beautiful vocals, and throws shades of all we love about The Smiths and The Cure. Vocalist Noah Learmonth shared that the song was inspired by a line from author Mark Fisher that resonated strongly: “everyone is bored but nothing is boring.”. This week, they announced that their new EP, Empty Words, will be released on the 20th of August. They are currently touring the UK before heading to North America. Many shows in the UK are sold out, but head to their website for dates and tickets.
An artist who always shares bravely, with a commanding voice and incisive lyrics is Western Australian Carla Geneve. Carla has just announced that her third studio album, Don’t Be Afraid will be released on the 17th of October, and has released its first single, “Better Believe It”. There is a gentle warmth to the track, it’s dreamy, delicate and intimate. Carla shares the inspiration:
“I wrote this song after reading Virginia Woolf’s last words in the form of her suicide note. It reads as a love letter to her husband, and an apology that she couldn’t stay with him in life. That temporary state of mind that causes someone to end their life is so indescribably sad, especially when they are acutely aware of how much they have to hold onto and cherish in this world.
In this song I used a phrase from that note, but changed it to so it not only expresses love, but also a readiness to face the world because of love. It’s a very personal thing to use someone’s suicide note as motive for a song, and I hope that in Woolf’s life long commitment to writing she would not mind.”
“Got What It Takes” is the new single from Queenie and Hank, the songwriting powerhouse duo of Eloise Thetford and Henry Wagons. Taken from a forthcoming self-titled album, the track sees the duo go full spaghetti western, with trumpets and powerful vocals from both. Atmospheric, cinematic, and just utterly captivating – tune in and transport yourself to sand blasted desert vistas of the silver screen.
Keeping things country, we’ve also added “A Lesson In Leavin’” to the playlist. From rising star Sierra Ferrell and featuring Nikki Lane, the single is a reimagining of Dottie West’s classic tune. It follows the song’s live debut earlier in the year at Stagecoach Festival. Ferrell and Lane’s voices work beautifully together and the harmonies here on the money. There’s a deceptive lightness and swing to proceedings that belies the heartbreak at the crux of the song. Australian fans of Nikki Lane can catch her on tour in October, including spots at Dashville Skyline, Wanderer and Out on the Weekend. For more information head HERE.
“Top Down” is the latest single from singer-songwriter Geowulf – the second released from her forthcoming EP Twinkly Depression (out October 24th). It’s a deceptively upbeat track, with lush, bright production hiding the song’s quietly devastating roots. As Geowulf shares, “This song began as a bit of a devo moment. Written mostly about my struggle to recover from postnatal anxiety, its lyrics reflect an unraveling and a quiet cry for help.” There’s an admirable vulnerability to the songwriting “Top Down” that’s waiting to be discovered once you crack the surface.
We’ve also added the pulsating and wry “Schadenfreude” from Baxter Drury from the forthcoming studio album Allbarone which will be released on the 12th of September. Joining them on the playlist is “Paradigm” the off-kilter new single from UK singer-songwriter and producer Heron and “I Can Deliver” from Nashville-based artist JH Burns.
Also added are two tracks which we premiered earlier in the week – “See You Around” from Verticoli, and “Brave This World” from Part Paladin featuring Mikaila Delgado.
Catch all the new music updated every Friday on Apple Music:
and on Spotify:
Here’s the complete list of new additions this week:
Radio Free Alice “Toyota Camry”
Queenie & Hank “Got What It Takes”
Sierra Ferrell “A Lesson In Leavin’ (feat. Nikki Lane)”
Carla Geneve “Better Believe It”
Geowulf “Top Down”
Heron “Paradigm”
Baxter Dury “Schadenfreude”
JH Burns “I Can Deliver”
Verticoli “See You Around” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
Part Paladin “Brave This World (ft. Mikaila Delgado)” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
Header image credit: Harry Baker
