Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Velvet Bloom Releases Sweet, Soulful Single, “Glimmer”

Soulful Melbourne act Velvet Bloom turns on the charm with their latest single “Glimmer.” It’s another sultry number from Velvet Bloom. I really dig its cool jazz-waltz vibe and sweet lyrics.

“I wrote ‘Glimmer’ about my relationship with my mother and how much she inspires me,” explained Velvet Bloom frontwoman, Maddy Herbert. “My dad passed away when I was four and the strength that I saw in my mum following this loss helped to shape my entire being. This song is about expressing admiration for the people who you love and making them aware of how special they are. Some people have a major influence on the way you see the world and if that influence is positive – you should hold them close.”

“Glimmer” is the latest track from Velvet Bloom’s forthcoming self-titled debut EP. Preorders of the limited-edition vinyl are open now ahead of its April 8 release. You can hear some of the new music ahead of time at one of Velvet Bloom’s upcoming shows.

3 March 2022 – Monash Student Union Peninsula, Frankston
12 March 2022 – Run To The Hills @ The General, Mt Hotham
18 March 2022 – Frankston Block Party @ Thompson Lane, Frankston (Duo)
19 March 2022 – Come Together Fest @ Edendale Community Environment Farm, Eltham
25 March 2022 – The Espy @ Melbourne (supporting Death By Denim – Solo)
26 March 2022 – Torch Fest @ Max Watt’s House of Music, Melbourne

Image used with permission from This Much Talent; photo credit: Anthony Rennick, Joshua Davies, and Jess Newton

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

You’ll Fall For Columbus’ “Full Heart”

Columbus lay their emotions bare with their latest single “Full Heart.” It’s got a great indie rock sound reminiscent of the Foo Fighters or Eskimo Joe (perhaps unsurprising as Joel Quartermain worked on the track). It might rock hard, but the lyrics reveal the band’s soft side. They’re brimming with hope and optimism, delivering a refreshingly pure take on the search for love.

“’Full Heart’ is a song about trying to find love in the dark,” explained Columbus frontman and guitarist Alex Moses. “You know how you feel, but you don’t know where to look. The song was one of those songs that took years to write. I had the main chorus and was really excited to finish it, but ironically I didn’t know where else it should go. The track went through 2-3 versions of different lyrics, I showed the band but ultimately it didn’t make the cut for our recording sessions in 2020. I re-wrote the lyrics again in early 2021, and knew I’d found what I wanted to say.”

Columbus had big plans for 2021, including a tour with Stand Atlantic, but COVID had other ideas. However, 2022 is already seeming brighter. The band’s new EP Driving in the Dark, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s A Hot Take on Heartbreak and their first collection of songs with their new line-up, drops on March 24. The band also has the following shows scheduled, and hopefully there’ll be more to come. Get amongst it!

31 March 2022 – The Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong (with Sly Withers)
9 April 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Farewell Horizontal Drop Exciting Instrumental, “The Boring Apocalypse”

I don’t write about a lot of instrumental music. It’s not that I’m against it, but I think as a writer I gravitate towards tracks with lyrics. They resonate with me because it’s clear what they have to say. “The Boring Apocalypse,” the latest single from Melbourne duo Farewell Horizontal is different. It manages to give commentary on the pandemic without ever saying a word.

“Early in the pandemic, a friend said they didn’t expect the apocalypse to be so protracted and chaos-free. I demo’d it with guitar playing the tune, thinking I’d replace it with vocals, but then I got attached,” explained Pat Walker, Farewell Horizontal vocalist, guitarist, and bassist. “So then I started thinking about doing it like a Shadows type thing. Was also thinking about the spacious bop of a lot of peak Sonic Youth (Murray Street – Sonic Nurse – Rather Ripped) with the breathing band-in-a-room being both powerful and gentle in guitar and drum tones.”

The video is pretty apt for a single about the “boring apocalypse.” It features security camera footage from drummer Lauren Lime’s front gate.

“There was something kind of interesting about the mundane day to day of a busy Thornbury road during the pandemic that felt kind of apt for a boring apocalypse theme,” she added.

“The Boring Apocalypse” comes from Farewell Horizontal’s third album, You’re Not an Empath, which is available to stream on all your favourite services and purchase from the band’s Bandcamp page.

Image used with permission from Farewell Horizon

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sasha March’s “Can I Call” is Worth the Wait

Sasha March casts a spell with her latest single “Can I Call.” This song kind of snuck up on me. It’s subtle, but it has a way of getting under your skin with its languid electro beat and Sasha’s beautiful voice. The minimalist treatment gives the song space to breathe, ensuring you feel the full impact of her words.

“’Can I Call’ could be a dark place or a kind of comfort depending where you’re at,” Sasha admitted. “It could be a love song, or a place where you fight yourself as the super hero and the villain. But there’s always hope that there’ll be someone or something to sober you and ground you again before the next round.”

Sasha’s had the song in her back pocket for a while, but collaborating with Tristan Jvmes has transformed it into the special single you hear today.

“I left it aside for ages and then eventually took it to Sydney producer Tristan Jvmes last year,” Sasha added. “Tristan built up a bunch of ideas sonically and each time his production developed, I’d do another vocal take. This was a fun process which went on for a few months until we found together what the song meant and eventually I did a vocal take I was happy with. We lost count of the different versions, but landed on the final loved one and sent it off to be mastered by Harvey O’Sullivan at Studio 301 in Sydney.”

Sometimes music is worth the wait. This song certainly is.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Abi Muir Shows Her Dark Side With “Stockholm”

Cairns talent Abi Muir has entered 2022 with a brash and bold new sound. Her last single “Still the Same” was a sweet pop-folk ditty, but her latest offering “Stockholm” is an epic rock number. The juxtaposition of her angelic voice with the drums and distorted electric guitars is really something. Inspiration for the new single came from the most unlikely of places.

“I had just finished reading Harry Potter (for the 10th time!) and was kind of obsessed with Draco Malfoy, and wanted to write about the feeling of being trapped in love with someone you knew was a bad person and bad for you,” she explained. “I was inspired to try a different sound working with the guys in the band, who come from a heavy progressive rock background. It’s kind of a warped love song so having a rock vibe to it felt right.”

Like “Still the Same,” “Stockholm” comes from Abi’s highly anticipated debut EP which drops on March 4. If the diversity of these two tracks is any indication, it’s going to keep us guessing.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Roady4Roadies Supports Music Crews

The arts industry has really taken a hit over the last couple of years. Our favourite performers are the public face of the struggle, but spare a thought for the more than 22,500 crew members who’ve also been stripped of their livelihood during the pandemic. Roady4Roadies is an annual event that puts them in the spotlight, and it’s happening this May.

Roady4Roadies, organised by CrewCare, raises awareness of the critical role that music crew play in the industry we all love. It’s also a whole lot of fun with a neighbourhood walk, family activities, and live entertainment. I know how much you’ve also missed that.

“The pandemic has seen the loss of at least eight stadium events in Adelaide. Each of these events has meant the loss of 450 production crew roles, 600 stadium staff roles and more than 250 subcontractor roles at a minimum of one week’s equivalent work. Multiply that by 5 major cities and that is 20500 crew who lost two month’s work each year since 2020 at minimum,” explained Peter Darwin, a freelance site manager. These are just the stadium events let alone the 52 plus entertainment centre shows … The industry is very, very damaged.”

Profits from Roady4Roadies go directly to Support Act’s “Crew” Fund. The tickets, available from Moshtix, are a steal at just $20. Get yours for a Roady4Roadies event near you and show your support.

1 May 2022 – Palais Theatre, St Kilda (Melbourne event 11 am start)
1 May 2022 – Lake Monger Recreation Club, Wembley (Perth event 11 am start)
1 May 2022 – Coopers Stadium, Hindmarsh (Adelaide event 11:30am start)
1 May 2022 – The Salty Dog, Kingston Beach (Hobart event 11:30 am start)
7 May 2022 – The Triffid, Fortitude Valley (Brisbane event 11am start)
7 May 2022 – Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin City (11am start)
7 May 2022 – Victoria Theatre, Newcastle (11:30 am start)
7 May 2022 – Hard Rock Cafe, Sydney (midday start)

Image used with permission from Ferris Davies PRM

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“angel in realtime.” – Gang of Youths

I consider Go Farther in Lightness one of the most important albums of the 21st century. I was instantly captivated by its poetry, its ambition, and heart. Since its release, Gang of Youths have quite rightly taken the world by storm. They’ve packed so much into the last five years that it was no surprise to me that it’s taken so long for the follow-up, angel in realtime. I haven’t anticipated an album’s release so much in years. But I couldn’t help wondering, how do you top an album that set the bar so high? Like this. Just like this.

The opening number “see you in everything” sets the scene, taking us to the funeral of frontman Dave Le’aupepe’s father. It’s confronting and powerful, setting the wheels in motion. This is an album about death and grief, and the way that we deal with it. It’s that messy difficult stuff that people and society don’t want to deal with, but Gang of Youths brings it out of the darkness and into the light. Dave lays his loss and the journey through it bare. In “brothers” we learn truths about his father and family that were only brought to light after his passing. In “the man himself” we’re taken into Dave’s psyche as he contemplates how to navigate the world without his father.

Every song on angel in realtime. is deeply personal and introspective. Yet while they address specific moments in his experience, they are so relatable. Death is the great unifier. If we haven’t yet lost our parents, we can already imagine the seemingly unbearable pain. This album doesn’t shy away from that, but it also celebrates the love, the connection to people and culture. Listening to angel in realtime. is a cathartic experience. It’s painful at times, but so uplifting. This album is bold and majestic and beautiful. It’s a triumph. And I can’t stop listening.

angel in realtime. is out now. Gang of Youths are playing almost everywhere this year. No matter where you are, make sure you see them.

28 February 2022 – HMV, Manchester (signing)
28 February 2022 – Crash Records, Leeds (signing and acoustic performance 5pm and 6:30pm)
1 March 2022 – Rough Trade East, London (signing and acoustic performance)
3 March 2022 – Button Factory, Dublin
5 March 2022 – Riverside, Newcastle
6 March 2022 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
8 March 2022 – Beckett, Leeds
9 March 2022 – O2 Academy, Bristol
12 March 2022 – O2 Institute2, Birmingham
13 March 2022 – Albert Hall, Manchester
15 March 2022 – O2 Academy, Brixton
21 April 2022 – Majestic Theatre, Madison
22 April 2022 – The Vogue, Indianapolis
24 April 2022 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus
25 April 2022 – Mercury Ballroom, Louisville
27 April 2022 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
28 April 2022 – The Underground, Charlotte
1 May 2022 – The Basement, Nashville
3 May 2022 – Metro, Chicago
4 May 2022 – The Shelter, Detroit
6 May 2022 – The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
7 May 2022 – L’Astral, Montreal
9 May 2022 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston
10 May 2022 – Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn
12 May 2022 – Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia
13 May 2022 – Union Stage, Washington, DC
16 May 2022 – The Fillmore, San Francisco
18 May 2022 – Belasco Theater, Los Angeles
20 May 2022 – 24 Oxford, Las Vegas
21 May 2022 – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix
23 May 2022 – Scoot Inn, Austin
24 May 2022 – The Echo Lunge and Music Hall, Dallas
26 May 2022 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa
3-5 June 2022 – Rock im Park @ Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg
3-5 June 2022 – Rock am Ring @ Nürburgring, Nürburg
2 July 2022 – Down The Rabbit Hole, Ewijk
10 July 2022 – TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow
30 July 2022 – RAC Arena, Perth
3 August 2022 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
6 August 2022 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
12 August 2022 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
14 August 2022 – A More Perfect Union Festival @ Regatta Grounds, Hobart
16 August 2022 – Hunter Lounge, Wellington
17 August 2022 – Powerstation, Auckland
20 August 2022 – A More Perfect Union Festival @ Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point
13 September 2022 – The Rave II, Milwaukee
14 September 2022 – First Avenue, Minneapolis
16 September 2022 – Delmar Hall, Saint Louis
17 September 2022 – The Bottleneck, Lawrence
19 September 2022 – Gothic Theatre, Englewood
20 September 2022 – Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City
22 September 2022 – Revolution Hall, Portland
23 September 2022 – Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver
25 September 2022 – Neumos, Seattle
27 September 2022 – Ace Of Spades, Sacramento
25 October 2022 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
26 October 2022 – Gloria Theater, Cologne
2 November 2022 – Gruenspan, Hamburg
3 November 2022 – Kesselhaus, Berlin
6 November 2022 – AB Box, Brussels
7 November 2022 – Nouveau Casino, Paris

Main photo credit: kingArthur_aus @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Profanity Fair Release Pop-Punk Banger, “Strawberry Jellyfish”

Brisbane band Profanity Fair may have one of the best names I’ve come across recently. They’ve also just dropped one of the most fun singles. “Strawberry Jellyfish” is built around just two chords, but it packs a real punch.

While I love listening to this song at home, something tells me these guys are even better in a packed pub with the amps cranked up to 11. If you’re in their hometown, you can catch them at the Fireball Hospo Party at Greaser on March 1. Hopefully it’s not too long before they’re crossing state borders and entertaining the rest of us!

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Viral Hitmaker Sarah Saint James Captures My Heart With “fake ass friends”

Sarah Saint James has made a splash on TikTok, amassing 2.4 million streams and more than 1.5 million views for user-generated content using her 2021 track “mad at god.” With her latest track “fake ass friends,” she might just make the transition from viral musician to mainstream star.

This single is heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel the loneliness in her vocals and the powerful lyrics, the result of a collaboration with former X Factor winner Cyrus. The understated production lets those two elements shine, drawing you into her world and daring you to listen to her story. I wish I’d heard this song as a teenager. It resonates with me now, but it definitely would have made me feel less isolated then.

“I only got invited to a few parties when I was younger. My small group of friends and I always wanted to go out, but we were so unpopular that we had nowhere to go,” Sarah recalls. “When I was at a party in Year 11, I overheard those so-called friends calling me a loser on the other side of a bathroom door, and that experience inspired this song. I thought about how I’d rather be surrounded by fake friends at parties looking cool, than be at home on a Saturday night watching their stories alone. When I look back, I feel really sad that I compromised myself to be surrounded by fake people – but everyone feels that way at some point, regardless of where you sat in the high school hierarchy.”

Sarah Saint James has more new music coming, with her debut EP Home Is Where The Hell Is scheduled for a March 18 release.

Image used with permission from Bianca Blancato; credit: Jess Gleeson

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Your Groove On With New Cosmo’s Midnight, “Can’t Do Without (My Baby)”

Saturdays call for tunes that make you want to groove. Whether you’re heading out to one of the country’s many venues that have recently opened their doors or you’re enjoying a party at home, “Can’t Do Without (My Baby)”, the latest release from Cosmo’s Midnight, is your perfect soundtrack.

The track samples a long-forgotten gem from the ’70s, “I Can’t Do Enough For You Baby” by Tommy Tate. With those silky soulful vocals, I have no clue why Tommy wasn’t bigger, but maybe this track will be enough to put him back in the spotlight. Cosmo’s Midnight have worked real magic here, incorporating irresistible elements of electronic and funk production into the track. Listening just makes you feel good!

“It’s strange how people can be nostalgic for eras they’ve never experienced,” Cosmo’s Midnight mused. “For ‘Can’t Do Without (My Baby)’ we wanted to capture the feel of coming of age at the turn of the millennium (even though we were just lil babies at the time) when house music was in its golden age. It was celebratory and ecstatic, which is something we really try to bring out in our tunes. This song is really a celebration of that, which feels especially poignant to us, as we all emerge from 24 months of self-reflection, isolation, and anxiety.”

Cosmo’s Midnight wowed crowds in the back-end of last year with sets at Wildlands Festival, Beyond the City, Lost Disco, and even South Korea’s virtual Busan International Rock Festival. They’re not slowing down either, with plenty of shows supporting Flight Facilities before they jet off to Portugal. If you don’t already have your tickets for one of these gigs, you know what to do!

13 March 2022 – The Cunningham Pier, Geelong
19 March 2022 – Victoria Park, Sydney (supporting Flight Facilities)
26 March 2022 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (supporting Flight Facilities)
2 April 2022 – Riverstage, Brisbane (supporting Flight Facilities)
9 April 2022 – Bonython Park, Adelaide (supporting Flight Facilities)
23 April 2022 – Darwin Amphitheatre, Darwin (supporting Flight Facilities)
15 July 2022 – Super Bock Super Rock 2022, Sesimbra

Image used with permission from Neighbourhood PR