Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Harlequins Deliver With “Old Man River”

The press release for “Old Man River” describes it as a “groovy country song.” However, this new song from Eora/Sydney band Harlequins is so much more than that. With elements of funk and jazz, it’s just a rollicking good time. So forget about the genre labels, leave your preconceptions at the door, and just give this one a listen.

Marcus Child and Chris Bradley have been friends for 31 years but this is only their second single. You hear that experience and bond shining through this music. It’s really good stuff. If you want to hear more, you can catch Harlequins playing a hometown show at LazyBones Lounge and Restaurant on October 12.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melaleuca Release Awesome New Single, “Point of Normal”

Meeajin/Brisbane act Melaleuca have released the perfect track for a week that feels too long. “Point of Normal” has it all, bouncing kick drums, raucous guitar leads, cool rock vocals from Andy Francis, and relatable lyrics about mental health.

“When I was in the first year of my education degree, I was learning about the concept of ‘executive functioning’ and the behaviours of someone with poor executive functioning,” he explained. “I had this profound moment of thinking, ‘this lecturer is describing my life’. I had a full-on realisation that maybe my brain wasn’t functioning neurotypically, and it’s not that I’m just substantially lazier and messier than everyone else in my life. So, I wrote this song about the feeling like I’m not living my life to its full potential and the toll it takes on me.”

Melaleuca will play the Crafted Beer & Cider Festival in Yugambeh/Gold Coast tomorrow, August 27.

Image used with permission from Good Intent; credit: Seamus Platt

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cheap Date Drop Upbeat New Pop-Rock Smash, “Choose You”

Cheap Date are bringing the good vibes to your afternoon with their charming new single “Choose You”. It’s a summery love song designed to thaw out the coldest of hearts.

“One day I was vacuuming my bedroom just singing to myself and the groove came into my head. I sat down then and there and just penned the whole song,” explained Cheap Date frontwoman Lara Dee. “When you meet someone that you want to experience the good the bad and the ugly with, you have to hold onto it! This can be an overwhelming concept and ‘Choose You’ is the upbeat version of this thought process. It is a bit all over the shop … in the best way possible”.

The good news for Cheap Date fans is there’s more new music on the way. Listen out for their debut EP later this year.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

LUCI Drop Gorgeous New Single, “See You Tomorrow”

Boorloo/Perth band LUCI calls themselves a funk-pop-R&B act. After listening to their latest single “See You Tomorrow,” I’m not sure I’d want to put them in a box. They blend genres so seamlessly, I’m convinced they’ve created their own, and it’s pretty special.

This song is so smooth and uplifting, like a cool breeze or sunshine after rain. Ella Pilcher’s vocals sucked me in from the get-go, but don’t underestimate the talents of the rest of LUCI. These guys support her voice so beautifully. What a delight!

Image used with permission from LUCI; credit: Brandon Calder

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

My Chérie Charms With “Healing in the Glimmer Sun”

My Chérie has just released her beautiful new single “Healing in the Glimmer Sun,” and I’m properly smitten. No matter what you’re dealing with right now, press play and I swear you’ll feel better. It’s thoroughly lovely, so chilled out and dreamy. Just gorgeous.

The song is even more impressive when you learn that Cherie de Klerk, the talent behind My Chérie, performed, produced, and recorded it single-handedly. “Healing in the Glimmer Sun” is a thing of beauty that came from personal darkness. Cherie wrote the song after a night spent crying herself to the sleep over a major argument with a loved one.

“I drove to the studio. I sat back in the chair feeling bruised. Heart broken. I didn’t have energy but I still showed up,” she explained. “I got lost in the music and started to heal. This is my favourite song I’ve ever written”

My Chérie will launch the single at Jive in Tarndanya/Adelaide on September 10. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix.

Image used with permission from Big Oak Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bootleg Rascal Deliver The Good Stuff With “Rescue Me”

You can always count on Bootleg Rascal for a good time. Their latest tune “Rescue Me” is an absolute banger. As if its sunny soul sound wasn’t enough, it comes complete with a Baywatch parody film clip. And if you’re still not satisfied, there’s a tour on the horizon. Happy days!

“Every Saturday night, Carlos, Fraser, and myself stay up late to have pillow fights and talk about the boys we like. During our time together, we also watch re-runs of Baywatch, The Sandlot Kids and clips of Kenny Powers slaying on a jet ski,” guitarist Jimmy Young admitted. “We thought about what we could do for the music video and then it hit us – we should just pay someone else to sort out a concept for us.”

Bootleg Rascal’s upcoming single shows are on track to sell out, so if you want some tickets, you know what to do.

1 September 2022 – The Tuning Fork, Auckland
2 September 2022 – San Fran, Wellington
3 September 2022 – 12 Bar, Christchurch
7 October 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
8 October 2022 – Marrickville Bowlo, Eora/Sydney
14 October 2022 – Woolly Mammoth, Meeanjin/Brisbane
15 October 2022 – Indian Ocean Hotel, Boorloo/Perth

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kaeda Daze Dazzles With “Running From Something”

Like so many artists, Kendra Fewster took the last couple of years away from her craft. Now as the world seems to be returning to some kind of normal, she’s back making music under a brand new moniker. Her beautiful new single “Running From Something” is the perfect introduction to her new musical project, Kaeda Daze.

“This first release is extremely important to me. The day I began to write the song is so completely vivid in my mind. It’s funny how certain moments can stick with you. In the moment you’re so channelled toward the living and creating aspect that you don’t realise it was going to be a seminal moment for your silly little life journey,” Kaeda Daze admitted.

“The song itself sat incomplete for six to eight months. The first half was written in [Naarm] Melbourne and finally completed while I was home in WA. I sat there for hours collecting visual inspiration and a playlist of songs that spoke to me. My mind tends to work quite visually so when it came to the essence of the song I wanted to see it vividly in my mind. I ended up with a theme of blue haze, pearly white and silver armour. I wanted the track to sound like a slow motion battle in the fog; a chorus that became the clarity, the strength of the song.”

It’s been a real journey, but I’m so glad Kaeda has blessed us with this song. It’s really special. What a way to come back!

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Woodshed Drop Cool New Country-Blues Single “Broken Frame”

I really don’t listen to enough blues. I don’t know whether that’s because we have a small blues scene or not enough of it finds its way into my inbox, but I really should listen to more. Thankfully one track that has found me is “Broken Frame,” the new single from Woodshed. It’s pretty fantastic.

Woodshed intended this single to be an authentic country song celebrating the classic artists they grew up with, but you just can’t take the blues out of these guys.

The band described “Broken Frame” as “A guitar mimicking the melody line, toe tappin’ bass grooves, jangly piano and sweet harmonies held together by the laid back swagger of a stripped back kit all complementing the lyrical content of a fella feeling down, thinking about the woman he was once with. Why reinvent the wheel?”

Why indeed? Woodshed have a couple of gigs on the horizon, so if you’re local make sure you save the dates:

17 September 2022 – Waterford Sounds @ Fitzy’s Waterford Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Waterford
30 September-3 October 2022 – Town & Country Music Weekend @ Regatta Hotel, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Image used with permission from Footstomp PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melanie Dyer Releases Heartbreaking New Song, “Cheating on Me”

Make sure you’ve got tissues on hand before you press play on Melanie Dyer’s new single “Cheating on Me”. This heartbreaking song recalls Melanie’s own experiences with an unfaithful partner. You can hear the pain in her voice as she delivers this one.

“I knew this song would be my hardest to write and I realised I needed to take my time to really sit with my emotions to understand what it was that I needed to say,” she explained. “While this song is my most personal yet, I feel like it’s also relatable for so many people. for anyone whose lost themselves, whether that’s in a relationship or situation where they haven’t been true to themselves. It’s about leaving someone to be with yourself.”

“Cheating on Me” is the latest track lifted from Melanie’s new album Between You & Me, which is slated for released on September 9. To celebrate its release, Melanie will hit the road with Caitlyn Shadbolt, her collaborator on previous single “Dumb Decisions”. Catch the Dumb Decisions tour when it rolls into your town in the coming months.

6-8 September 2022 – Big Sound, Meeanjin/Brisbane (Melanie solo)
10 September 2022 – Moranbah Race Club Gala, Barada Barna Country/ Moranbah
15 September 2022 – Mary’s Underground, Eora/Sydney (album launch)
16 September 2022 – Astor Attic, Gundungurra Country/Goulburn
17 September 2022 – The Beer Shed, Dharawal Country/Campbelltown
18 September 2022 – The Oaks Hotel, Yuin Country/Oak Flat
23-25 September 2022 – CMC Rocks, Tulmur/Ipswich (Melanie solo)
30 September 2022 – Rum City Rock and Rumble, Taribelang Bunda Country/Bundaberg
2 October 2022 – Caloundra Music Festival, Gabi-Gabi Country/Caloundra
6 October 2022 – Reef Gateway Hotel, Ngaro Country/Airlie Beach
7 October 2022 –The Commercial Hotel, Babbinburra Country/Clermont
8 October 2022 – The Berserker Tavern, Darumbal Country/Rockhampton
14 October 2022 – The Jindalee Hotel, Jagera and Turrball Country/Jindalee
15 October 2022 – The Nundah Lounge, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Amy Sheppard Goes Country With Solo Single, “Blue Guitar”

I’ve always appreciated artists who find success in groups, yet take time away from their bands to express themselves a little more. Amy Sheppard is best known as a member of sibling pop act Sheppard, but she’s now carving out an impressive country career in her own right. Her latest single “Blue Guitar” is bound to resonate with anyone who loved those big ‘90s country acts like LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, and Trisha Yearwood.

“I really leaned into the beauty of country music storytelling. Country music gives permission for songwriters to weave creative stories and this is where ‘Blue Guitar’ was born,” Amy explained. “The storyline follows a woman who returns to visit her small hometown. When she enters a local bar, she is taken aback by a familiar voice. The man singing on the stage is her former lover who never quite made the big time. She notices he is still playing his blue guitar- the same one he used to write love songs to her on. She is filled with the same old feelings she had for him and begins to wonder if the songs he is singing today are still about her.”

If you love what you hear, you’re in luck. Amy will release her debut solo EP Nothing But Wild on September 16. She’s also playing a few shows around Queensland, so get onto those!

10 September 2022 – Country Music Raceday @ Doomben Racecourse, Meeanjin/Brisbane
16 September 2022 – Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (EP launch)
23 September 2022 – CMC Rocks QLD 2022, Tulmur/Ipswich
1 October 2022 – Savannah in the Round, Mareeba

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Georgia Wallace