Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sunday Lemonade Wow Me With “Smooth or Crunchy”

Sometimes a song hits you like a bolt from the blue. You can be in the worst mood, but that tune seems to part the clouds and make the world feel right again. “Smooth or Crunchy,” the charming new single from Bunurong Country/Mornington Peninsula duo Sunday Lemonade, is one of those songs. It’s so good, it’s hard to believe it’s the first I’m hearing from this folk-pop act! Rest assured though, it’s got me exploring the rest of their music!

“This one is for the lovers, for the vulnerability of admitting when you’re wrong, loving each others quirks, trusting the road of the unknown and giving it your all!” the band explained. “After living on the road for three years, this song was inspired during the build of our latest home on wheels and the promise to keep one another safe whether the road is smooth or crunchy.”

If like me, this Thursday feels like it’s too far from the weekend, press play. Don’t wait, just do it. I swear this song will make you feel better.

Image used with permission from Sunday Lemonade

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dulcie Serve Up Another Perfect Pop Bop With “Cold Hard Truth”

Dulcie are back with the sublime harmonies and catchy hooks that I can’t get enough of. “Cold Hard Truth” is another stellar single for the Boorloo/Perth pop act.

“‘Cold Hard Truth’ explores the frustration, insecurity and longing that comes from not knowing if someone feels the same way you do. It’s all about that waiting period, where you want them to make a move before you do!” explained the band’s lead vocalist and keyboardist, Ash Carr-White. “I originally wrote this song to be much slower and stripped back, but after workshopping it with the band and our producer it’s taken on a more punchy indie pop sound, which I love! We recorded it in my living room with Joel Quartermain and spent most of our time finding the perfect synth layers and midi sounds to bring it to life.”

Fresh from the back of supporting Amy Shark on her sold-out regional dates, Dulcie are ready to headline their own gigs. Catch them in the East Coast capitals before they return to the West this August.

4 August 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane (with Hollie Joy and Dizzy Days)
5 August 2022 – Waywards, Eora/Sydney (with 90ivy and Angela Rose)
6 August 2022 – Workers Club, Naarm/Melbourne (with Mvlholland and Harper Bloom)
12 August 2022 – The River House, Noongar Country/Margaret River (with Supathick, Siobhan Cotchin, and Mia June)

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit Stephanie Senior

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get to Know Ellery Cohen’s “Demons”

If you love pop music that combines catchy melodies with messages that matter, Naarm/Melbourne act Ellery Cohen will be up your alley. His latest single “Demons” is the perfect combination of happy-sad. The lyrics explore some dark subject matter, but those sweet retro synths provide the right balance.

“Demons is a step above what I’ve released before, both musically and lyrically, and it’s more vulnerable than anything I’ve done previously,” Ellery admitted. “It’s a song about accepting the things in life we can’t change. We all face struggles and battle addictions and we wanted to write a song about there being comfort in knowing that all humans struggle and although we are different, we are all the same.”

Ellery worked closely with producer-turned-filmmaker Daniel Kelaart to create a film clip that complements “Demons” perfectly.

“We really wanted a video that showed the message of the song. Demons is all about the struggles we all face in life. The video follows the stories of two people just trying to work through their ‘demons’ in life,” Ellery added. “One is a lady trying desperately to be in a body she loves and the other is someone who is working a job he hates and hoping to get away. I wanted to make a video that hits emotions that we have all experienced in life.”

Hometown fans can catch Ellery launching “Demons” at The Toff in Town this Friday, July 22. “You can expect new songs, high energy, and some very, very bad jokes,” he says. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, make sure you lock those tickets in!

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Liam Frogley

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Great Emu War Casualties Release “Modern Indie Spacecats” and It’s as Awesome As It Sounds

I’ve got to admit, it took one look at the cover of this track to get me on side. Cats soaring through outer space? Sign me up! And it’s called “Modern Indie Spacecats”? From a Naarm/Melbourne band called The Great Emu War Casualties? My expectations were high, but this track delivers. It’s bold and boisterous, with a bass line that just won’t quit. Sign me up for that feline space mission!

Frontman Joe Jackson explained the song’s inspiration, noting “The world is drying up and everyone is working all the time and nobody actually owns anything anymore, and we, the good little boys and girls, receive this rebrand from ownership to leasing as some sort of utopian global destination.” He bemoaned that even the dream of space travel has been seized by the ultra-rich, noting that “We should have seen this coming from the very first day it was possible to ‘buy a star’ and put your own stupid name on it. So where is our place in all of this? Maybe we are all the Modern Indie Spacecats.”

The Great Emu War Casualties will play a free hometown show at the Post Office Hotel with Useless Spaceman this Saturday, July 23.

Image used with permission from Kick Push PR; credit: Catherine Black

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Indigo Sparke Drops Enchanting New Single, “Pressure in my Chest”

I’m absolutely enamoured with “Pressure in my Chest,” the new single from Aussie expat Indigo Sparke. On hearing this song, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own struggles with anxiety. Indigo is cryptic about the song’s meaning, simply stating “In the birth of memory, there is the eternal moment of time. All things exist here. Through night dreams and wishes, and hot tears and laughing stars, I carried myself to the desert to traverse the landscape of history and reconcile the ever-present Pressure in my Chest.”

I don’t mind that Indigo keeps us guessing. It means we can take whatever we want from this beautiful song.

“Pressure in my Chest” comes from Indigo’s forthcoming album Hysteria, due out on October 7, a collection of songs conceived while Indigo was stuck in Australia at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, waiting for her visa to be renewed so she could return to New York City. She was far from the place she now called home, processing a difficult breakup, and seeing the whole world seemingly crumble around her. If that doesn’t make for a compelling album, I don’t know what will. “Pressure in my Chest” is certainly a great start.

Image used with permission from Inertia Music; credit: Angela Ricciardi

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

South Summit Drop New Single and Tour Dates

South Summit have only recently wrapped up their first headlining national tour, but they’re itching to get back in front of crowds again. They’ve just announced a slew of East Coast dates in September to celebrate the release of their brand new single “Promise Me.” This is another cool cut from the band which showcases Isaiah Reuben’s soulful vocals beautifully. If you love your rock music with a side order of reggae, you’re going to dig this one.

“‘Promise Me’ is about falling for the rebelliousness of someone and hoping they will give you that part of them,” Isaiah explained. “It’s about having an itch to be different from everyone else. A side that gives us adrenaline only makes things exciting.”

“Recording ‘Promise Me’ started from a jam us boys had back in 2021,” added his younger brother and the band’s rhythm guitarist, Nehemiah. “All of us love that soul rock and groove feel and I think that’s what we aimed for in this song. Writing a tune for people to dance to is something we considered when in the process of making it, having groovy rhythms and a soulful voice played a major part in this one. We were so stoked to have Dave Parkin (Blackbird Studio) bring it to life, we all enjoyed recording this one and I think you guys will like it.”

They’ve only just been on the road, but South Summit are ready to do it all again this September.

“This trip over east is definitely the most exciting thing that we have booked so far and we are keen to get back on the road,” they confirmed. “We are all stoked to go on another one after our recent Tired of Waiting Australia Tour in May/June. We are returning to Sydney, Melbourne and Byron, but adding debut dates in Sunshine Coast, Wollongong and Caringbah, with new venues in all cities. We are also playing at Springtime Festival in the Gold Coast, another huge achievement as it’s another festival in 2022 with some of Aussie’s best live acts.”

South Summit are keen; are you? Here are all the dates you need:

3 September 2022 – Solbar, Kabi Kabi Country/Sunshine Coast
4 September 2022 – Springtime Festival, Kombumerri Country/Gold Coast
9 September 2022 – Beach Hotel, Bundjalung Country/Byron Bay
10 September 2022 – Huxley’s, Gweagal Country/Caringbah
11 September 2022 – North Gong Hotel, Woolyungah/Wollongong (FREE)
16 September 2022 – Oxford Art Factory (Gallery Bar), Eora/Sydney
17 September 2022 – Yah Yah’s, Naarm/Melbourne
24 September 2022 – Indian Ocean Hotel, Boorloo/Perth

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Sarah Haleem

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Joan & The Giants Release Gorgeous New Single, “Home Song”

Boorloo/Perth band Joan & The Giants have just released their gorgeous new single “Home Song.” As its title suggests, this is a really personal track for the band which celebrates the low between the band’s creative force, Grace Newtown-Wordsworth and Aaron Birch. Grace wrote the track as a love letter to Aaron while he was back home on Nimanboor/Nyul Nyul Country (West Kimberley) mourning the loss of his grandmother, part of the Stolen Generation, with his family.

“‘Home Song’ was written on a Sunday in June 202I. Aaron and I had a pointless fight over nothing (probably the dishes), then he saw all of these missed calls on his phone and found out his grandma was seriously ill and he needed to fly to Broome immediately to say goodbye,” Grace recalled. “When he flew away, it put everything into perspective and I just wanted to take the pain from his chest and hold it for a while. It taught me to not take anything for granted, and to hold the people you love close … so this song is for Aaron, my home.”

Joan & The Giants had a massive 2021 playing Nannup Music Festival, supporting Jamilla, and earning three nominations in the International Songwriting Competition 2021. With gorgeous music like “Home Song” dropping, no doubt 2022 will be every bit as big for the band.

Image used with permission from Kick Push PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Meg Mac Wows Me With “Letter”

Meg Mac has totally floored me with her gorgeous new single “Letter.” It’s a classic piano ballad that tells a powerful story about the things that are often left unsaid.

“Letter” is the latest track lifted from Meg’s third album, Matter of Time, which drops on September 16. Preorder the album now to get your hands on a gorgeous vinyl copy.

Image used with permission from Meg Mac

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Younger Than Me Does Things Differently With “Hallucination”

Eora/Sydney duo Younger Than Me has just dropped their beautiful new single “Hallucination,” and you’ll want to hear it. An experimental pop masterpiece, it’s truly hypnotic listening to the duo’s dreamy harmonies and the pretty melodies of flutes and mellotron.

“I’d just got home from a rehearsal with Em [Davis],” said Annie McKinnon, the other half of the talented duo, on the track. “I flopped onto my bed, pulled out my microkorg and started singing this story. I had an image of someone in a desert, standing on a porch, and longing for an old lover. A strange weather event hits, a huge flood of water and colour and they turn into a creature, escaping longing through fantasy”.

Another self-recorded and self-produced effort, this track shows Younger Than Me are an exciting act taking control of their creative destiny.

Image used with permission from Younger Than Me; credit: Marcus Coblyn

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

COTERIE Ready to Headline First National Tour

I meant to write an article about COTERIE’s upcoming tour yesterday. Instead, I found myself travelling down the rabbit hole listening to their music and remembering just how much I love it. I’m still listening today, but I’m a bit more focused on the task at hand!

With Western Australian borders shut for so long, this will be the first time COTERIE have headlined an Aussie tour. Fans have wasted no time snapping up tickets, with several shows already sold out or getting close to it. COTERIE have just wrapped up a tour supporting Kiwi group SIX60, so they’re in fine form right now. Head to their website to get your tickets, because you don’t want to miss out.

29 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne (FINAL TIX)
30 July 2022 – Jive Bar, Tarndanya/Adelaide
4 August 2022 – The Great Club, Eora/Sydney (SOLD OUT)
5 August 2022 – The Great Club, Eora/Sydney
6 August 2022 – Woolly Mammoth, Meeanjin/Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
19 August 2022 – Astor Theatre, Boorloo/Perth

Image used with permission from Good Intent