Mulubinba/Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Sandy Louis has wowed me with her new single “Keep on Riding.” Her voice is so rich and textured, it’s stopped me in my tracks. The production keeps her vocals and lyrics front and centre, just as they should be.
This song has a beautiful message about resilience and learning to keep your heart open, even if it’s experienced pain. Sandy Louise cowrote this one with Shawn O’Friel, who she’s shared the stage with for many years at Sandy’s songwriter events. The collaboration’s been a long time coming, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Country ballads don’t get much better than this.
Along with hosting her regular Open Mic Songwriters Sing night at the Newcastle United Sports Club every Wednesday, Sandy Louis will play the following gigs this month:
Although she packs out venues playing covers on her Lainey Wilson shows, Saralyn wants to remind listeners that she’s also an incredible songwriter. Her latest original single, “Free as a Bird” is an empowering country anthem about moving forward with lightness.
“Free as a Bird came from this idea of carrying your past with you, but not being weighed down by it,” Saralyn explained. “The song really wrote itself once I found that central image of someone who’s a little wild, a little restless, but completely at peace with who they are.
“I wanted to capture that feeling of being out on the open road, where every mile teaches you something and every mistake somehow gives you wings. For me, it’s a celebration of living untethered, embracing every story and scar, and still choosing to move forward.”
Saralyn has some big shows coming up this weekend, so catch her anywhere you can!
Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Angus Legg continues to charm me with his latest single “Like I Never Left.” This beautiful acoustic folk number is a companion piece to his previous release, “12th of May.”
“’Like I Never Left’ is about coming home, carrying the quiet uncertainty of whether ‘home’ is still waiting on the other side,” Angus explained. “In this story, home isn’t a place, it’s a person. Where ‘12th of May’ captures the day I left – full of grief and uncertainty – ‘Like I Never Left’ lives in the return, holding onto the blind hope that what you had might still be there.”
“Like I Never Left” is the final single from Angus’ debut EP A Long Time Gone, which he’ll release on June 25.
In an era where concept recordings are a dying breed, especially among female artists, Jean Elliot’sButcher, Lover, Runner reminds listeners of their value. This is a boldly ambitious EP which blurs genre boundaries to tell a compelling story of survival in the Australian bush.
The EP’s title refers to its three central characters whose paths cross in the Devil’s Wilderness, a cinematic gothic-noir setting inspired by Jean’s home in the Dyarubbin/Hawkesbury River. The bluesy opening track “Hole in Her Head” introduces us to the Runner, the story’s female protagonist driven out of the township and into hiding after she was falsely accused of attempted murder. The intensity of this situation is revealed with “Wiretrap.” It’s a powerful alternative rock song that reminds me of music from Tori Amos and Fiona Apple with the contrast between its heavenly vocals and dark, grungy music. The darkness lifts for a moment when the Runner meets the Lover in the “Beneath Your Sun.” He’s a highwayman and a willing accomplice to her plans. Of course, their peace is short-lived, and we’re returned to the bleak reality of their existence with “Devil’s Wilderness Theme.” A spoken-word soundscape, it’s an ambitious piece that anchors this EP beautifully. “Lennon” and “Highwayman” bring the story to a close as the Runner and the Lover travel to confront the ringleader of the witch-hunt – The Butcher – and deal with the fall-out.
“The genre of Australian gothic-noir inspired the lyricism and visuals,” Jean explained. “The ideas about witch-hunts and boy gangs are inspired by the attitudes of young people I have come across, with the hunter and prey metaphor running through the story symbolising cycles of violence, relationships, and the cruelty/beauty of nature.”
Butcher, Lover, Runner takes listeners on a journey with its characters and genre shifts. Jean manages to do it all effortlessly, playing with country, blues, folk, rock, and genres in between. Whatever sounds she’s exploring, her striking voice and engaging narrative compel you to listen. It’s such an original, impressive EP. Butcher, Lover, Runner is streaming now.
Main photo credit: Ollie Acosta EP artwork credit: Wilma Acosta (edit Layla George)
Alex Lahey is marking 10 years since the release of her debut EP by revisiting the songs that put her on the musical map. On July 17, she’ll release B-Grade University (Reunion Edition), featuring reimagined versions of the original tracks.
“I am not exaggerating when I say this EP completely changed my life,” Alex said. “These songs found their place in the world in a way I could have never fathomed and have forged a life of their own over the last decade. They’ve taken me to corners of the world I could only have dreamed of seeing, let alone playing music in, given me the privilege of meeting so many people who have found their own stories in the songs and they have enabled me to keep making the next thing. I feel indebted to all of these songs and treat them with extra care and love whenever I play them live.”
One of the standouts from the new EP is likely to be Alex’s re-recorded version of “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me” featuring Tegan and Sara.
In a shared statement, Tegan and Sara said, “The first time I heard Alex Lahey, I remember thinking, oh—this is the artist I wish I was, but don’t quite have the lungs to pull off being. When we toured together ten years ago, I realized she wasn’t just a great songwriter and performer—she’s also weird and very funny, which somehow makes her even more of a powerhouse. Going from watching her sing ‘You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me’ from side stage to singing on it for the B-Grade University ten-year re-release feels like a full-circle moment. If you don’t know Alex yet, congratulations—you’re about to have a new favorite. Just remember we knew her first.”
While B-Grade University (Reunion Edition) will be all over streaming, if you’re a serious fan you’ll want the limited-edition vinyl version available for pre-order right now. American fans will also get to see Alex touring this EP at the following shows:
Meeanjin/Brisbane-based R&B artist Jordan Briton has just served up his smooth new single, “Satellite.” He was inspired to write this song after reconnecting with his roots and getting to know someone new.
“In early 2025, I booked a solo trip to the Philippines, somewhere I hadn’t been since I was a child,” Jordan recalled. “After my most successful single to date, the awards still felt empty. I realised I’d been pursuing music to show people how high I could climb rather than enjoying the journey for myself. While visiting my Lola and Lolo, I met a local singer-songwriter. Because we were both artists, I connected with her in ways I hadn’t felt before. I’d never pursued a long-distance relationship before, but I knew I’d regret not trying. ‘Satellite’ captures that genuine yearning of ‘if only’ put to music.”
If you’re into “Satellite,” you’ll be happy to know there’s a lot more new music on the way. This is the first of six singles Jordan plans to release before he drops his debut album Slow Burn in November.
If you’re only familiar with Pinky Beecroft’s music as the frontman of Machine Gun Fellatio, his latest single might take you a little off guard. “My Heart Is In the Wrong Place” is a gentle soul song, a world away from the brash alternative rock his old band was known for. I guess we all mellow with age, but don’t mistake a gentle sound with being boring. This song draws you in, wraps around you, and encourages you to stay a while.
“’My Heart Is In The Wrong Place’ is a song I first heard at my local pub in the Hunter Valley, watching Ben Salter play a solo show. It was an incredible gig – and halfway through he played this song and it blew my mind. I walked home afterwards and I was humming the melody; it just lodged in my brain,” Pink recalled.
“Some months later I was in a studio on the outskirts of Melbourne recording with Damian Cafarella, a producer, multi-instrumentalist and all-round genius musician. I’d gone there to put vocals on one song for him, on a record he was making — but we ended up recording for days. We accidentally made an entire album together. At that stage, this song was not part of my plans. By then I’d found out that Ben Salter originally wrote it for Vika & Linda; they’d recorded a version and released it a few years back — I thought well, OK… and I had enough of my own material anyway. But then I kept singing it, in the studio, in between breaks — and Damian said ‘Can we just quickly record this so you can get it out of your system?’ So we did. And I fell in love with the song all over again.
“It’s not just the melody, although it is a really simple, beautiful melody. The words of the song struck me – the whole story of friends struggling, trying to stay afloat in a time that can be pretty dark. I think we can all relate to that right now. But Ben turned it into a song of hope. I don’t do a lot of hope, in my own work — it’s hard to do, without being cheesy or saccharine. And I’m not a very hopeful person, by nature. So… yeah. This song affected me, a lot. It still does, when I perform it. I did a version at a gig in Hobart recently and it was kind of nerve-wracking — playing this song on Ben Salter’s home turf. But I think it went OK. I love it and respect it as a beautiful piece of songwriting. I hope I do it justice.”
“My Heart Is In the Wrong Place” comes from Pinky’s forthcoming album Lonesome Wolf, which we’ll hear in August. Fans in Eora/Sydney will get a little taste of his new music when Pinky plays The Factory Theatre on May 29.
In the modern age, it seems like so many music lovers think bigger is better. Websites melt down as people clamour for tickets to the latest stadium gig. Personally though, they never quite hit like intimate shows do. I never take it for granted that I live so close to Avoca Beach Theatre, which is run by passionate people who champion live music. This venue was the perfect place to see Things of Stone and Wood launch their new album Rae Street.
That’s right, ‘90s darlings Things of Stone and Wood have a new album, their first in 23 years. This is a band that’s refusing to rest on their laurels. The music on this new album is incredible and this venue, which always attracts people who want to listen and absorb, was the perfect showcase for it. I hung on every word of new material like “You’d Gone Before You Went,” a heartbreaking song about lead singer Greg Arnold’s mother who passed with dementia, and “The Year of the River Song,” an upbeat ditty about Greg’s resolve to stop writing songs about a river near his new home in Geneva and find new inspiration. Avoca is the sort of venue that encourages artists to open up about their music, to share something more than songs, to break that wall that often exists between them and the audience and just come together. It sounds a little woo-woo to suggest there’s magic in the air, but I can’t explain it any other way.
While Things of Stone and Wood were here to celebrate their latest release, they balanced the new material with the songs that we’d already taken into our hearts. Yes, “Happy Birthday Helen.” Always “Happy Birthday Helen.” But the fans know this is a band that’s about more than the song that took the charts by storm. And so I relished songs like “Fingertips” and “Heidelberg.” A cover of Thompson Twins’ iconic ‘80s tune “Hold Me Now” was an unexpected joy. And how amazing to see the band step down off the stage and go “proper acoustic,” singing without microphones in the theatre’s aisles.
I’m convinced Things of Stone and Wood are a band that only gets better. Musically, they’re incredible, with the mandolin and piano accordion creating such a special folky sound. Their harmonies are still so tight. They also seem to genuinely like one another, which isn’t something that all bands who’ve been together for decades can say. And when musicians have fun, we do too.
The encore seemed to come around all too soon, but Things of Stone and Wood were clearly in no rush to get off the stage. They asked for requests and after hearing the cries from the crowd decided to play all three. Because why not? I tried to capture the final song, “In Our Home” in my mind, because I knew I’ll look back on this gig as one of the best I’ll see all year.
Things of Stone and Wood have one more show left on their Rae Street album tour. Victorians, catch them at Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Hepburn Palais in Hepburn Springs on May 29.
One of the highlights of seeing Sam Fischer supporting Guy Sebastian last month was witnessing him premiering his new single “A Heart Doesn’t Hurt Itself.” It was so good that I was desperate for you all to hear it, and now it’s out in the world and you can. Sam’s emotional vocals and honest lyrics exploring heartbreak make this one of the best power-pop ballads I’ve heard in some time.
“I blamed myself pretty heavily for the erosion of a relationship I thought was unbreakable,” Sam said of the song’s inspiration. “It shattered my self-worth when it ended and it’s taken a few years of reflection to realise that maybe I didn’t do that to myself. I hope that if anyone sees themselves in ‘A Heart Doesn’t Hurt Itself’, they can find the strength to realise that your self-worth should always come from within and never be tied to someone else’s approval of you.”
Sam has a few more shows supporting Guy Sebastian before he steps up as the headliner for a very special hometown show. After witnessing how good he is live last month, I can assure you it’s worth grabbing a ticket anywhere you can!
As the season’s chill sets in, it’s the perfect time to listen to “Autumn,” the latest single from local singer-songwriter and producer Dingo. His voice is so captivating. This song’s definitely snuck up on me, and now I can’t stop listening.
“The song was inspired by the changing of seasons and how that can relate to how we grow and change within a relationship,” Dingo shared. “It’s a love song that ultimately speaks to the way we can fall in love again and again like autumn leaves fall each year.”
“Autumn” comes from Dingo’s forthcoming album Nightwire, which he’ll release on October 9. He’ll barely have time to celebrate its launch, because he’s got shows scheduled with Adam Harvey and Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley’s right through til mid-November. Make sure you arrive early enough for his set if you’re heading to any of these gigs.
