Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Timi Afilaka Drops Potent New Single, “Chemistry”

If your Monday is feeling a bit flat, feast your ears on “Chemistry”. The latest track from South African-born, Perth-based indie-pop act Timi Afilaka should put the groove back in your day. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, this song will make you feel better.

“I wrote this song with my good friend, Griggs, the same week we met for the first time. He is the producer, mixer and mastering engineer behind this track,” Timi explained. “We hit it off on Instagram and collaborated on a few songs prior to this meet-up. He was living in Cape Town, and I was living in Johannesburg. We eventually planned to meet up in person; he took a flight to Johannesburg and stayed at my place for a week. We made a song for five days out of that week, and ‘Chemistry’ is one of my favourite songs that came out of it. While Griggs was producing the instrumental, I began writing the lyrics. The song is essentially about embracing the good and bad moments in life but keeping an optimistic mindset through it all. I didn’t think about it that way, but subconsciously I called it ‘Chemistry’ because that’s exactly what Griggs and I had.”

Timi’s definitely got something special. I’m really looking forward to hearing more from this exciting talent.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Edgecliff Ready to Rock You With “I’ll Be Gone”

If you thought musicians from the Northern Beaches were all chilled out surfer types, think again. The lads from Edgecliff are ready to rock you with their latest track “I’ll Be Gone”. This single is unashamedly brash, with plenty of swagger and a riff you’ll have stuck in your head for days.

“The lyrics are about an argument. Whether it is internal or with another person, it is up to the listener to interpret their meaning,” admitted frontman Will Howell. “Basically, the battle of right and wrong. With the music, we just wanted a fierce, snappy song, and it all came together after many songwriting sessions and a contribution from us all.”

If you love what you hear, there’s some good news. According to bass player Kai Stackhouse, the band won’t wait long before hitting us with some more new music.

“We’ve been waiting to release this single for a few months and we are so keen that we also have a few other new tunes ready to dish out ASAP,” he enthused. “We are stoked!”

Edgecliff will delight local fans when they launch the single at Avalon RSL on June 11.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Bridget Mackay

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Johnny Hunter Serves Up Latest Banger, “Dreams”

Johnny Hunter delivers another tantalising taste of their debut album, Want, with a retro new single “Dreams”. If like me you grew up on the post-punk sounds of the ‘80s, this song will be right up your alley. The track’s lyrics, which explore the way life and the place we live can change in the blink of an eye, are as nostalgic as the song sounds.

“The Sydney I grew up in is a very different Sydney to the one we live in today. Iconic buildings have been knocked down for skyrise apartments and famous music venues destroyed by political legislation,” confirmed lead singer Nick Hutt. “One day you are walking down the street in the sunshine, and the next you’re confined to the four walls of your own bedroom. Johnny Hunter started playing live music during the death of live music in Sydney – wallowing in self-pity and declaring the current state of affairs to be insurmountable would result in this band not existing. The same goes for experiencing any modern-day hardships – we can’t dwell upon them; we need to run with them in order to progress.”

If you love what you hear, make sure you listen out for Johnny Hunter’s debut album Want when it drops on June 24.

Image used with permission from Cult Logic; credit: Tom Wilkinson

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Start the Party With Laura Mac

It’s just close enough to the weekend to start the party tunes I think. Queue Laura Mac’s, whose latest single “Don’t Know What I’m Thinking” deserves to get turned up loud at your next shindig. I’ve been moving and grooving to this one at home, but something tells me it’d sound even sweeter surrounded by mates with a bevvy in hand.

“Party, disco, dance – we’re just having fun with it!” explained one half of the Queensland duo, Laura Maclachlan. “All our songs have a different vibe but I feel like we’ve kept our own unique sound. DKWIT is staying up all night partying and loving every second of it. Celebrate every chance you get, party with your mates and dance ‘til you drop… High 5!!”

Laura Mac will play their very first live show supporting British India tomorrow night before playing some East Coast shows in July and August.

21 May 2022 – Solbar, Maroochydore (supporting British India)
29 July 2022 – Greaser Bar, Brisbane (FREE)
6 Aug 2022 – The Last Chance, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Dane Beesley

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Now and Then” – Eliza & The Delusionals

It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for Eliza & The Delusionals to release an album. I started writing about the band way back in 2018 and singles from this album like “You” and “Save Me” have been out in the world since 2021. However, as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait. My expectations were high, but Now and Then exceeds them.

It’s hardly the band’s fault that this music has taken so long to reach us though. There was that little matter of the pandemic which made moving forward on so many projects challenging. It was made during the pandemic, but don’t mistake it for a “pandemic album”. It’s far more upbeat than that, focusing on the personal strength and resilience gained during the period than pervading doom and gloom.

Sitting with so many of these songs for so long makes the album feel instantly familiar. We’ve already fallen in love with Eliza’s powerful vocals and the way the band combines rock edge with catchy pop vibes. If you’ve somehow missed all those singles, it won’t take you too long to come up to speed. This music is so accessible, with nods to acts like Michelle Branch, The Cranberries, and even Taylor Swift. Album tracks that are brand new to me like “Lonely” and “All The Time” have become firm favourites.

Now and Then might have taken some time to reach us, but its shimmering optimism is the ideal antidote for the gloomy winter weather setting in. Before the season leaves us, they’ll be spreading their good vibes with capital city shows around the country. Catch them at the following venues:

6 August 2022 – Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
11 August 2022 – Crown and Anchor, Adelaide
12 August 2022 – Mojos Bar Fremantle, Perth
26 August 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
3 September 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Luke Henery

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jem Cassar-Daley Releases Fun New Single “Oh No” Ahead of EP Release

Jem Cassar-Daley has released a fresh new single “Oh No” ahead of the release of her debut EP. It’s got such a great pop vibe and an addictive melody that I can’t get out of my head. Jem’s vocals are also superb on this one.

“I wrote ‘Oh No’ at my first ever APRA SONGHUBS on the Gold Coast last year, where I met Ali Barter and Tom Eggert,” Jem explained. “We had a session together and started jamming on the guitar and the song took its form from there. The vocals in the final track are actually the original demo vocals recorded in Bignote Studios! We felt that the energy from that day was hard to recapture so we kept them.”

Jem continued collaborating with Tom, recording the song in his study in the valley earlier this year.

Jem’s debut EP I Don’t Know Who to Call drops next Friday. In addition to its launch event, Jem has plenty of gigs booked for the next couple of months. Here are all the dates you need:

29 May 2022 – Reconciliation Day Even Concert @ Canberra Theatre, Canberra
9 June 2022 – The Outpost Bar, Brisbane
24 June 2022 – Coutts Crossing Coronation Hall, Coutts Crossing
30 July 2022 – Live! at the Baptist @ Studio 188, Ipswich
26-28 August 2022 – Gurindji Freedom Day Festival, Kalkarindji

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall in Love With Drew Wilson’s New Single, “On and On”

Drew Wilson has earned some serious brownie points with the release of his new single “On and On”, a romantic ditty penned for his wife. It’s irresistibly catchy with a chorus you’ll be humming for days to come.

“The bulk of ‘On and On’ was written in five minutes after a phone call from my wife telling me that she was on her way home from work. The words just appeared and the story took over from there. It is about our first date and first big adventure packing our things and heading overseas,” he reminisced. “This is more mature and thoughtful songwriting – this song pens as an open love letter to my wife and I hope it encourages the audience to reflect on the connections they have with some of the special people they have within their life.”

Drew will launch his new single with a free show at The Solbar in Maroochydore on Sunday.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Don Spencer Celebrates Big Milestones

As a kid growing up in a time before the Wiggles and Hi-5, Don Spencer created some of the first music I got excited about. I watched him religiously on Play School and Feathers, Fur, or Fins was a permanent fixture in my tape player. So I got a little bit teary watching this video commemorating Don’s latest career milestones. He’s now clocked up 60 years in the music business. His charity, Australian Children’s Music Foundation, is also celebrating its 20th birthday.

I wasn’t really aware of all the great work Don’s doing bringing music to children in schools, juvenile justice centres, and hospitals all over the country but gee it’s inspiring. What a legend!

If like me, watching this video has made you nostalgic for the good old days, or you want to introduce your kids to his incredible body of work, it’s all now available digitally.

“We are so grateful to work with Don Spencer, a trailblazer in children’s music, who has done so much in this field. We are thrilled to have his catalogue available via digital partners – making it even more widely accessible than before!” confirmed Natalie Waller, the head of ABC Music & Events.

So fire up your favourite streaming service and give “Bob the Kelpie” or “Please Don’t Call Me a Koala Bear” another listen!

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall in Love With Rya Park’s New Single, “Everything We Want”

I’m in a pretty romantic mood coming off a long weekend away for my wedding anniversary. If you’re feeling loved up too or you just want to live vicariously through some music, you’re going to dig Rya Park’s smooth new single “Everything We Want.” Dedicated to her partner Nick Tam, the guitarist for punk act Kill Bell and a Melbourne music photographer, this track is so romantic and heartfelt. If you adore a love song grounded in reality rather than saccharine sentiments, this one’s for you.

“This song is about Nick and our little love story. We’ve done so much in the time that we’ve been together; travelled the world, had multiple coffee hang outs at the cafe near the psych hospital I was staying at, lived together, lived apart, but mostly have been each other’s biggest support and best friend throughout it all,” Rya gushed. “You change so much through your 20s and we both have grown so much since first meeting each other six years ago at Beyond the Valley music festival. Some of the stuff we’ve been through together has been challenging but has definitely united us and made us stronger.”

“Everything We Wanted” is the second single from Rya’s forthcoming debut EP Generational. With contributions from Alex Lahey, Gordi, and Edward Quinn (Sycco) it’s already sounding pretty fabulous. Generational drops on June 3, a week before the official launch at the LeadBeater in Richmond on June 10.

Image used with permission from Hunger Digital

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cheap Date’s Lara Dee Releases Stunning New Single, “Dear Daughter”

Lara Dee, the frontwoman of Brisbane band Cheap Date, has released a gorgeous new single “Dear Daughter.” This is a real departure for Lara, a song that sees her being truly vulnerable. It’s something that has taken her many years to do, but I’m so glad she did.

“‘Dear Daughter’ is a song that I wrote during a very tumultuous period of my teen years. Some six years later, I have finally worked up the courage to release the song and be a little bit vulnerable,” she admitted.

“I had to grow up very quickly, spending much of my adolescence in and out of hospital wards both for my own treatment and my brother’s. When I reflect on this song and my state of mind during the writing process, I have finally realised that ‘Dear Daughter’ saved me.

“Unlike many of the songs I write, ‘Dear Daughter’ was complete within 30 minutes, without any hesitation or reflection. I was 15 and buried deep in a vicious cycle of a relapsing eating disorder and self-harm. On this particular night I was pushed to my limits and needed to escape. Before the ritualistic process of self-harm could progress to something scarily worse, I remembered my mum was in the room next door.

“Music was something I had always been passionate about and used to express emotion. It was also one of the many things I had thrown to the wayside in the grips of my struggles. In this particular moment I thought about my mum and our relationship. She has always been my best friend and biggest support and our relationship is one that I am always grateful for. I thought about how she would feel and respond if she knew how I was feeling and how I was treating her ‘little girl’.

“This led to a bigger thought and emotion around how I would feel if I had to enforce my thinking and actions onto a younger version of myself. So I sat down and decided to write a note to a future child of mine and a past version of myself. ‘Dear Daughter’ is the product of that evening and I am very proud to have emerged on the other side.”
This might be a solo release, but it definitely doesn’t spell the end of Cheap Date. The band are supporting Suzi on her upcoming Aussie tour. Check out both great acts at the following venues:

20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music