Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

LASHES and Lakelend Team Up For “I Can See The End”

If you’ve ever found it difficult to drown out the self-sabotaging voices in your head and just enjoy a new relationship, you’re going to connect with LASHES’ new single “I Can See the End.” Featuring Lakelend, it’s a fantastic new pop song with a great groove that counterbalances its unsettling lyrics.

“‘I Can See The End’ is about the early stages of liking someone and how unsettling it can feel,” LASHES explained. “I find it really hard to enjoy the ‘crushy’ phase. I’m filled with frantic energy and act like a weird version of myself. I’m hyper-aware of their presence and read into our interactions (to later decipher with my friends instead of just asking).”

Lakelend’s contribution really takes this already great song to the next level. Like so many of the best things, LASHES said working with him came about naturally.

“The feature happened organically, I was part of Lakelend’s debut show and since then we became good friends, we bonded over our love of Chase Atlantic, and our similar relationship experiences,” she added. “We had so much fun in the studio recording Lakelend’s verse and his buttery-bravado fit perfectly with the vibe of the song.”

LASHES will play a couple of shows in her home state this month. Catch her in the capital or her hometown of Ballarat in the coming weeks.

12 May 2022 – Colour Club, Melbourne
14 May 2022 – Volta, Ballarat

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co; credit: She is Aphrodite

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Suzi Releases Relatable New Single “Everyone I’ve Met Hates Me”

Suzi really captured my heart last year with her track “Amelia”. Now she’s impressing me all over again with her latest release, “Everyone I’ve Met Hates Me”. Suzi has a great knack for creating songs that capture specific moments in time that are so relatable. They’re not always pretty, but real life rarely is.

“You know when you wake up after a big night on the bevs and your hangxiety is so bad you never want to leave your house or talk to anyone ever again?” Suzi says of the song’s inspiration. “It is absolutely impossible for everyone you have ever met to hate you – but dear lord does it feel that way sometimes.”

Ready to prove that there’s a lot of love for her out there, Suzi is about to embark on a six-date headlining tour. Catch her at the following shows:

20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive, 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 GYRO PR; credit: Ruby Boland

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hilltop Hoods Preparing to Get Back on the Road With “Show Business” Single

With fans already snapping up tickets to The Show Business Tour, there’s no better time to remind you that Hilltop Hoods are bringing new music to your ears and preparing to tour. If you thought their best music might be behind them, press play on their latest track “Show Business” immediately. With special guest vocals from Eamon (remember him?!), this feel-good single is a real crowd-pleaser.

With the pandemic slowing everyone down, Hilltop Hoods haven’t had the chance to headline shows since The Great Expanse World Tour in 2019. This time around they’re taking A.B. Original, Elsy Wameyo, and DJ Total Eclipse along for the ride. Fan club members could nab their tickets yesterday before Telstra Plus members get in on the action tomorrow. The general sale happens at 10 am on Wednesday 11 May. The last shows sold out, so you can expect these ones will too. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

27 August 2022 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
3 September 2022 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
10 September 2022 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
17 September 2022 – RAC Arena, Perth
24 September 2022 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Enjoy Genes’ Sweet New Single, “Crumble”

Aussie pop act Genes has already amassed more than 50 million global songwriting streams and 5.5k TikTok followers. If like me you’re a little late to the party, it’s time to catch up. Her new single “Crumble” is a sweet delight that you’re going to want to savour.

“It’s about that overwhelming feeling right before the fall, before you crumble into someone for the first time,” Genes explained. “Do I catch myself in it, or do I let myself tip completely over the edge? It’s exciting and exhilarating and completely terrifying all at the same time. But, to Crumble is the best part.”

This is pitch-perfect pop, upbeat music that simply makes you feel good. More of this please! Genes will support Client Liaison at their Brisbane show on May 6 and play the Brisbane Broncos halftime show in June.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Georgia Wallace

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Turn Up the Volume on The Hard Aches’ “Party Ghost”

The Hard Aches celebrate finding comfort in the uncomfortable with their latest single “Party Ghost.” Featuring guest vocals from Cahli Blakers of Teenage Joans, it’s a real return to form for this iconic Aussie band.

“It’s all about finding yourself in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells and unfamiliar sounds … it’s about reflecting on your own existence, and your own experiences then learning from them, and doing everything you can to do better,” explained the band’s frontman, Ben David. “Most of all, it’s about trying to understand how it must feel to be an animal, moved away from your safe place, put through big changes, and unable to understand them.”

The fun doesn’t stop there though. The Hard Aches haven’t been on the road since they supported Grinspoon in 2019. The Black Summer bushfires and global pandemic has kept them grounded, until now. The Hard Aches will party all around the country in the middle of the year. Here are all the dates you need!

1 July 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
2 July 2022 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
3 July 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Southport
7 July 2022 – Cambridge Side Room, Newcastle
8 July 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney
9 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
10 July 2022 – UC Hub, Bruce
13 July 2022 – Beer Deluxe, Albury
14 July 2022 – Tonic Bar, Bendigo
15 July 2022 – Barwon Club, Geelong
16 July 2022 – Volta, Ballarat
22 July 2022 – The Leadbeater, Richmond
23 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
28 July 2022 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
29 July 2022 – Pub Rock Diner, Devonport
30 July 2022 – Republic Bar, Hobart
6 August 2022 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide (ALL AGES)

Image used with permission from Star Crossed PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

James Chatburn’s Soulful New Song is More Than Ok

Berlin-based Australian singer-songwriter James Chatburn has floored me with his new single “Ok Ok (Be a Man).” It’s a beautifully soulful song that explores concepts of masculinity and self-acceptance.

“For the last few years, I have been challenging my views on masculinity and how I have perceived myself and other people based on what I had learnt growing up,” James explained. “It’s like looking to the men that you have grown up with, hang out with now, how we have grown, how we haven’t, and who can we really look up to as a role models.”

This one is Good with a capital G. Stop what you’re doing and take a moment to really listen. I guarantee you won’t be sorry!

Image used with permission from KATSU.; credit: Shari Annabell Marks

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

JXCKY Celebrates Solitude With Pop Bop “Mad Invite”

Melbourne queer pop act JXCKY has just dropped his first track under TEAMWRK Records, and it’s an absolute banger. “Mad Invite” flips the script on a party snub, reminding us that a party without JXCKY isn’t a party worth having!

“The concept for Mad Invite stems from a lot of restless nights in high school where I had to watch all the popular kids create memories and feel like they could belong … and then walk into school the next day and hear all about it,” he admitted. “Growing up in that setting and still harbouring feelings of resent towards the idea of loneliness, Mad Invite is my way of sharing that story and learning to be comfortable with being by myself.”

Crank this one up loud next time you’re having a party for one and it’s bound to make you feel better!

Image used with permission from JXCKY

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rock Out to Liquid Zoo’s New Track, “I Don’t Want to Be Me”

Newcastle’s Liquid Zoo hooked me in from the first second of their latest single “I Don’t Want to Be Me.” But this track has more than a killer bass line on its side. Its infectious sound is the perfect counterpoint to its self-deprecating lyrics.

“The song is about coming to the realisation that your past actions were wrong and how that affects those around you and pondering the idea of not wanting to be yourself as a self-punishment,” the band explained. “We wanted to present this melancholy idea in a happier contradictory light.”

Liquid Zoo have shared stages with local legends like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Pacific Avenue, and King Stingray. It’s only a matter of time before they’re selling out their own headline shows, but before that they’ll join The Good Love at The Vanguard on May 19.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hayley Marsten Answers the Critics With “I’m Fine, Thanks”

I’ve got nothing but good vibes today with the weekend looming and Hayley Marsten’s latest track “I’m Fine, Thanks” on repeat. This super catchy pop number is the perfect clap back to people who questioned her resilience in the past.

“I sure was sick of people speaking for me about what my album Spectacular Heartbreak meant for my emotional state,” she said. “After it came out, there seemed to be this narrative that I was still spectacularly heartbroken and that I was ‘lucky’ that my ex had ‘given’ me an album. When actually that was not the truth. Never one to let somebody else have the last word, this chorus just fell out and Kieran [Stevenson] and I wrote it a week after we wrote ‘Drowning Myself’.”

Hayley is currently crowdfunding album number two. Head to Pozible to show your support. You can also catch her at one of her upcoming gigs:

29 April 2022 – Songs You Know and Love @ The Triffid, Brisbane (FREE)
30 April 2022 – Venue TBA, Brisbane (supporting Andrew Swift)
27 May 2022 – Holler (A Celebration of Americana Music) @ Home of the Arts, Gold Coast
28 May 2022 – Heartsville Hoedown @ Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – Songs You Know and Love @ The Triffid, Brisbane (FREE)

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Real Love in Real Life” – Greta Stanley

Greta Stanley is an artist who refuses to be pigeonholed. Just when you think you’ve got her figured out, she takes a left turn. It’s exciting. She showcases the full breadth of her artistry on her sophomore album Real Love in Real Life.

Real Love in Real Life seems like a pop record at first. The upbeat vibes of tracks like “Plant My Feet” and “Keep My Cool” match the vibrant pinks and purples on the album cover. It’s incredible pop music, energetic and fun and fresh. And then just like that, we’re on track six, “Heartbeat Harbour”, and everything changes. It’s darker, bluesier, more raw. “Hold on You” brings back the pop beats, but doesn’t shake that darkness. We’re getting to know another side of Greta. It’s different but so compelling. As the album progresses, it seems like Greta Stanley peels back more layers. “Favourite Songs” and “Close Call” are some of my favourite songs. The instrumentation is pared back, giving the honest lyrics space to breathe. They’re confessional, like diary entries, giving us real insight into the artist and her experiences. The current single “Red Earth Dirt” sees Greta return to pop princess mode, bringing the album full circle … or so I thought. However, Greta leaves us with the title track, a beautiful country song that sounds like it’d be at home in a honky tonk bar.

I must admit, it took me a little time to warm up to Real Love in Real Life. All the twists and turns took me by surprise. While I heard flashes of brilliance on the first couple of listens, I needed a little time to embrace the album as a whole. However, by the third listen, I was hooked. This is an album that challenges the listener, but since when was that a bad thing?

Real Love in Real Life is out today. She’s giving us a couple of months to familiarise ourselves with the songs before she hits the road for her headlining tour. Check her out at the following venues:

7 July 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
9 July 2022 – Waghorn to West Festival, Ipswich
14 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
15 July 2022 – Waywards, Sydney
16 July 2022 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
22 July 2022 – Suburban Vibes, Western Australia
23 July 2022 – Four5Nine, Perth
30 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
5th August 2022 – Otherwise Bar, Townsville
6 August 2022 – Tanks Art Centre, Cairns

Images used with permission from Six Boroughs