Sounds of Oz

Posted on 07/07/202607/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

CVIRO & GXNXVS Drop Retro R&B Banger, “Where You Belong”

Eora/Sydney-based R&B duo CVIRO & GXNXVS have teamed up with American acts Ye Ali and Amari Noelle for their fabulous new single “Where You Belong.” If you were grooving to slow jams from Dru Hill and Jagged Edge in the ‘90s, this track will be right up your street.

They’re far from household names, but CVIRO & GXNXVS have been building some serious momentum. They were the first Aussie artists featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio and Beats 1 and they’ve amassed more than 10 million Spotify streams. Expect big things from these Aussies in the future.

Image used with permission from GYRO

Posted on 07/07/202607/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Candice Lorrae Launches Solo Career With “Calling Me”

Candice Lorrae has one of those voices that makes you sit up and take notice. It’s rich, brimming with wisdom and life. This proud Jawoyn and Western Torres Strait woman has spent time in the music industry as one half of the acclaimed Aboriginal electro-pop duo The Merindas and the founder of The Candy Suite Studio, a First Nations, female-led space dedicated to nurturing the creative talents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and non-binary creatives. And now she’s finally delivered her debut solo single, “Calling Me.”

“This song is a nostalgic reflection on who I was before I moved away from home, and a return to belonging and my authentic self,” Candice said. “I was thinking about my great-great-grandmother Bett-Bett and the longing that can come with being displaced from Country, so the song became a bridge between my longing and hers.”

“Calling Me” comes from Candice’s forthcoming album Paperbark & Lilies, which she’ll release on February 2027. She’ll give fans a sneak peek at her immersive album preview show called Bush Meets the Sea this Friday 10 July at the Bowery Theatre in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country/St Albans. Tickets are on sale through trybooking now.

Photo credit: Nick Lee

Posted on 06/07/202603/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Nathan Lamont Releases Break-Up Anthem “Loves to Hate Me”

Nathan Lamont is quickly becoming one of my favourite local country music artists. His vocals are always on point and his songs, which lean into the pop and rock realms, have real crossover appeal. His latest single “Loves to Hate Me” examines the fallout of a relationship and how difficult it can be to just move on. Nathan wrote this one with Nashville-based songwriter Phil Barton and found they just clicked despite the distance between them.

“I sat down with Phil Barton via FaceTime, and we managed to pen this song in about three hours, just two weeks before heading into the studio,” Nathan recounted. “The whole thing grew from me sitting at home playing around on the keys, with the line ‘She’s probably thinking about the way that I die’ being the only thing I brought into the session. It felt sharp and confronting straight away, and I knew I wanted the song to be rooted in some personal feelings and experiences.”

Nathan will play shows all around regional New South Wales in the coming months to support the release of “Loves to Hate Me,” so catch him anywhere you can.

15 August 2026 – Loaded Dog Hotel, Gundungurra Country/Tarago (from 2 pm)
15 August 2026 – Tourist Hotel, Quinbean/Queanbeyan
22 August 2026 – Oriental Hotel, Wiradjuri, Wolgalu, and Ngunnawal Country/Tumut
29 August 2026 – Canola Gateway Festival @ Memorial State Park, Wiradjuri Country/Junee
17 October 2026 – Going Country @ Muswellbrook Showground, Wonnarua Country/Muswellbrook
30 October 2026 – The Beer Shed, Tharawal Country/Leumeah

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on 05/07/202606/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Winner Kesha Nevé Releases Debut Single “Better This Way”

Fresh from this year’s Australian Idol win, Kesha Nevé is introducing us to her original music with the release of “Better This Way.” Kesha cowrote this song with Ruby Rogers, Lara Frew, and Phoebe Sinclair, and honestly I like it better than anything she performed on Idol. I often felt a disconnect between Kesha and the songs she covered, but you can tell she’s put her whole heart into this release.

“My goal as a musician has always been to tell a story and to kind of take artists’ lyrics and make them my own and make it feel like I almost wrote it,” Kesha said. “So being able to actually write a song and get my personal story across is a really, really amazing way for people to see me as an artist and hear me as an artist, not through other people’s lyrics, but through my own and through my own personal experiences.”

Kesha drew on her own relationship experiences for this powerful song.

“I was very in love and dedicated to someone who probably didn’t replicate that amazingly,” she said. “It was just one of those things that I had a heartbreak, and I wanted to tell the story, and I wanted to relate to people who’d been in that same situation with being so in love with someone and kind of had those rose-coloured glasses on.”

Kesha will play a couple of shows before hitting the road with fellow Idol alum Kalani Artis in October. Here are all the dates you need Kesha fans:

Image used with permission from Bec Gracie Publicity

Posted on 04/07/202602/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

The Beautiful Monument Impress With “CraveAnythingThatStays”

Local emo rockers The Beautiful Monument have just dropped a killer new single, “CraveAnythingThatStays” (CATS). It perfectly balances melodic hooks with angst and grit, ensuring the sound stays raw but accessible. And Lizi McIntosh’s vocals are out of this world.

She says this single is “An homage to the quietest of family members that help us get through our struggles and wins; the clueless ones that have more of an impact on us as human beings than they will ever realise. We would be nothing without them, people don’t deserve them, yet we are blessed with their very existence. And who doesn’t love Cats…?”

“CraveAnythingThatStays” is the fourth track lifted from The Beautiful Monument’s highly anticipated third album Euphoric Thriller, which drops on August 7. You can preorder your copy and associated merch now through Greyscale Records.

Image used with permission from Bigmouth PR

Posted on 03/07/202601/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Ghost Care Spread Good Vibes With “Never Knew”

Boorloo/Perth indie-rock act Ghost Care have got me grooving with their latest track “Never Knew.” It’s such a melodic, feel-good number, perfect for your Friday.

“‘Never Knew’ was written for someone who is constantly giving full-time devotion to someone with zero return on investment. Giving gold but receiving ghost,” the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist Beau Torrance explained. Ghost Care wrote this one in the studio with Dave Parkin (Spacey Jane, South Summit) after getting into what they call a “flow state.”

“It was our first time working with a sample to get inspired and we really enjoyed that — it’s quickly become our favourite song and favourite one to play live,” Beau enthused. “Lyrically there is a nod to ‘Rolling Stone’ by Bob Dylan. I remember the feeling of hearing that song for the first time as a kid — it was my first time hearing a Dylan song. I was enamoured and couldn’t stop listening.”

Ghost Care will celebrate the launch of “Never Knew” by playing Foreshore Friday and supporting The Velvet Club in Boorloo/Perth before embarking on their own national tour. Catch them anywhere you can music lovers!

3 July 2026 – Foreshore Friday @ Albany Boatshed, Kinjarling/Albany
13 August 2026 – Rosemount Hotel, Boorloo/Perth (supporting The Velvet Club)
10 September 2026 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane
11 September 2026 – Bootleggers, Eora/Sydney
12 September 2026 – Bergy Bandroom, Naarm/Melbourne
19 September 2026 – Mojo’s, Walyalup/Fremantle

Photo credit: Lizzie Wilkie

Posted on 02/07/202630/06/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Laura Frank Gives Album Sneak Peek With “How Do We”

I’ve been following Lisa Frank’s career since 2023, so I was amazed to read she hasn’t released an album yet. All that will change in October, when she drops her long-awaited debut Life in the Front Seat. This highly anticipated release will feature her incredible new single “How Do We.”

“How Do we” showcases what Laura does best. Its vocals and lyrics are compelling, hard-hitting and vulnerable. The production never overwhelms those elements, ensuring you pay attention to this story of a couple attempting to fix their broken-down relationship.

“‘How Do We’ is, in its simplest form, a song about a relationship breakdown — but more specifically, it’s about that moment when you’ve reached the end of the road and you genuinely don’t know what comes next. Do we fix it? Can we? Do we stay or do we go?” Laura explained. “It’s a song full of questions because that’s exactly what that moment feels like — you don’t have the answers, you just have the weight of everything that’s broken and the impossible task of figuring out what to do with it. The title says it all, really. ‘How Do We’ — we didn’t even know how to finish the sentence.”

Laura Frank will release Life in the Front Seat on October 7. Before that, you can catch her at the Deni Ute Muster in Wamba Wamba and Perrepa Perrepa Country/Deniliquin on October 2 and 3.

Photo credit: Bluejay Films

Posted on 01/07/202629/06/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Jessica Mauboy Drops Live Hoopla EP Ahead of Local Shows

Jessica Mauboy has just released a timely reminder of just what a firecracker she is on stage. Her latest digital EP Live at Mighty Hoopla Sydney features performances of four fan favourites captured at the massive LGBTQIA+ festival earlier this year.

“Mighty Hoopla was honestly one of the most fun and uplifting crowds I’ve ever played to,” Jessica said. “There was just so much love, freedom and happiness in the air, everyone completely letting go and living in the moment through music. We recorded the performance, and listening back afterwards, I kept feeling that same energy and connection. I really wanted to release this EP to capture that feeling and bottle up that moment so fans could experience it with me too.”

Jessica will be back on stages soon on her Story of Me tour. These intimate shows see Jess reflecting on her career through music and candid stories. These shows offer a much more personal experience than your typical gigs, so make sure you don’t miss them.

1 August 2026 – Concert Hall @ QPAC, Meeanjin/Brisbane
5 September 2026 – Odean, Nipaluna/Hobart
3 October 2026 – Canberra Theatre Centre, Ngambri/Canberra
30 October 2026 – Geelong Arts Centre, Wadawurrung/Geelong
14 November 2026 – Melbourne Recital Centre, Naarm/Melbourne

Image used with permission from Bronwyn Tasker PR

Posted on 01/07/202601/07/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Lana Karlay Explores Her Edge With “Think it Through”

I’m relishing the reinvention of Djilang/Geelong artist Lana Karlay. Hot on the heels of “For the Weak,” she’s released another pop-rock number called “Think it Through.”

“It feels frustrating, messy and a bit chaotic, that feeling of wanting to shake them and say ‘Wake up, you deserve better’,” Lana explained of the song’s inspiration. “At the same time, there’s that selfish emotional side too, because you care more than you probably should. It’s direct, unforgiving and very much a scream it in the car kind of song.”

Like “For the Weak,” Lana penned “Think it Through” in Los Angeles with Aussie expats Mason & Julez and they have a similar Veronicas-esque edge to them.

“This song came together incredibly quickly; it was one of those sessions where everything just clicked. By the end of the day, we all kind of looked at each other and knew we had something really special.”

It really feels like Lana is finding her voice in this pop-rock space, which delivers a little more grit than her earliest releases. She says “there are so many more songs sitting unreleased, half-finished, or still in demo form,” so it sounds like we’ll be hearing a lot more from her through the remaining months of 2026.

Image used with permission from Hunger Digital

Posted on 30/06/202630/06/2026 by Lauren Katulka

Carl De Villa Shines Bright With Indie Pop Gem, “Good Enough”

If your working week needs a pick-me-up, look no further than “Good Enough,” the exciting new single from emerging non-binary independent act Carl De Villa. A sultry dance-pop track that celebrates knowing your own worth, this irresistible number is perfect for your weekend party playlist.

What struck me most about “Good Enough” is just how incredible Carl’s voice is. It captures you from the first notes. As a non-binary artist, they use it to full effect, unafraid to move from a femme falsetto to their more masc head voice to tell this story. Most artists seem more comfortable in one part of their register, but Carl executes “Good Enough” with such confidence no matter where their voice goes. There’s nowhere to hide with this song. The cool bassline sits in the background, ensuring those vocals are always front and centre.

One glance at Carl’s CV and you understand a little more about how they came to release a track like “Good Enough.” They impressed the judges on The Voice Australia in 2019 and earned acclaim playing Angel in Rent and Lola in Kinky Boots. They’ve also celebrated the music of incredible vocalists including Freddie Mercury, Prince, Bruno Mars, and George Michael through their covers shows.

So we know Carl can really sing. We know they have serious stage presence and theatricality. But with the release of “Good Enough,” we get to hear Carl’s story. Through their original music, we’re learning about the authentic artist beyond the voice and charisma. And I can’t wait to learn more with every new release.

“Good Enough” is available on all your favourite streaming platforms now. And if you need some inspiration for that party playlist, check out my Sounds of Oz Loves Pop playlist. It features “Good Enough” and some other choice tracks from Aussie artists including Budjerah, Sam Fischer, and Kita Alexander.

Carl De Villa also has several covers shows in the coming months. Here are all the places you can catch them perform:

8 August 2026 – New Sensation: A Tribute 2 INXS @ Camelot Lounge, Bulanaming/Marrickville
22 August 2026 – Honouring Prince: 10 Years On @ Lion Arts Factory, Tarntanya/Adelaide
5 September 2026 – Honouring George Michael: 10th Anniversary @ Liberty Hall, Eora/Sydney
17 October 2026 – Honouring Prince: 10 Years On @ Magnet House, Boorloo/Perth
6 November 2026 – Honouring George Michael: 10th Anniversary @ Max Watt’s Melbourne, Naarm/Melbourne
21 November 2026 – Honouring Prince: 10 Years On @ Studio The Venue, Auckland

Image used with permission from Carl De Villa