Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

’90s Bands Rule at Stones Corner Festival

The organisers of the Stones Corner Festival has assembled a killer line-up featuring plenty of your ‘90s faves for its fifth year, with Custard, The Mavis’s, Screamfeeder, and Diana Anaid all set to rock the Brisbane suburb this May. They’ll be joined by Shag Rock, Eliza & The Delusionas, The Brains Trust, and heaps more.

Local craft breweries, wineries, and food trucks will also be on hand to keep the punters happy.

Best of all, entry will only cost you a gold coin donation to MND Australia. Your contribution will help fund Motor Neurone Disease research and prevention strategies. It all happens from 10 am on Sunday May 6 at outside Stones Corner Hotel.

Image used with permission from Call & Response

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Christine Anu and Greg Gould Team Up For “Without You

I go see more musicals than the average Aussie I think, but none has stayed with me like RENT. I saw it the first time it was performed in Australia, with Christine Anu playing Mimi. Remarkably, that was 20 years ago. I feel so old! I’ve seen RENT twice more since then: once in New York and again in Newcastle with an amateur theatre production. It’s that kind of musical that stands up to repeated showings, thanks largely to the strength of its songs. So I was thrilled to see Christine has revisited one of the most beautiful ballads from the musical, “Without You,” with the phenomenal Greg Gould.

“It’s not just that it’s a beautiful song,” says Christine. “But the themes from the show and the sentiment in the song are still so relevant. Social media shows this world of perfection and magnifies any sense of loneliness or separation. Greg has explored some of these in his own music which is why I’m excited to do this song with him.”

Like me, the music of RENT has long resonated with Greg. “Obviously I relate to many of the themes but the show follows people as they search for happiness in the face of intolerance, persecution and hardship. So many people in my life have been there.”

This new version of “Without You” has been released with a stunning clip exploring the way that life has changed for people with HIV thanks to medical advances and access to new medications and health services.

Hopefully this release will remind people how relevant and important RENT is and we can see another major production on our shores sometime soon. Twenty years is far too long!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Troy Kemp Headlining New Country Festival in Wauchope

From my recollection, there’s not a lot at Wauchope. When my family passed through we enjoyed checking out Timbertown and probably had a great pub meal, but I can’t remember it having a lot of entertainment options. So the locals will no doubt be thrilled to hear a brand new country music will hit Wauchope this August.

Troy Kemp will headline the first annual Coastal Country Music Festival Wauchope, which will also feature Josh Setterfield, The Trade Ins, Rusted, Blake O’Connor, and Emma Dykes. There’ll also be plenty of American-style food and even a mechanical bull to keep the crowds entertained.

Festival founder AJ Davis says she “wanted to create a country music experience in our region that celebrates music, our incredible community and everything they mean to each other. The country feel and character of Wauchope is the perfect setting for the Coastal Country Music Festival and the fact that I grew up in Wauchope, makes it that little bit more special.”

The Coastal Country Music Festival hits Wauchope County Club on August 4. Tickets are on sale now from Eventbrite.

Image used with permission from RAWR Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Fired Up About Sydney’s Retrograde

Retrograde are coming at you like a dose of caffeine with their high-energy debut single “You. Me. Sanity.” It’s got a retro 80s synth pop meets rock feel which is so fresh and fun. It’s the kind of track that has me anticipating what will come next for this trio from Sydney’s North Shore.

The single “very much represents what this band started as for me,” says vocalist Samuel Edward. “A culmination of decisions to move forward.”

The band came about almost by accident, explained Retrograde’s vocalist and guitarist, Samuel Edward. “As I was writing demos for a band I was in at the time, I found it became increasingly clear that the music was deserving of its own project I quickly contacted long-time friends (Austin Megier and Cody Stebbings) to see if they’d want a part in starting the new band.”

Apparently live shows and more music aren’t too far off. You’re going to want to get in on the ground floor, because I am predicting big things for these guys.

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Reece Mastin Reemerges as Mastin With Rocking New Single

Reece Mastin has come a long way since he appeared on our TV screens and took home The X Factor crown. His last album Change Colours saw him shed his earlier pop image and embrace a bluesier rock sound. The evolution is now complete, with Reece opting to release music under the name Mastin. Our first taste of this new maturity comes in the form of “Not the Man For You,” a high-energy rock number that gives us a taste of what’s in store on Mastin’s forthcoming EP Suitcase of Stories.

“Not everyone will love this record, and I’m very okay with that,” concedes Mastin. “But for those who share the same taste as I do for the grand and world-changing genre of rock ‘n’ roll, I wanted to make something special and long-lasting. I wanted to make something that can change your day, change your mindset, and make you feel like you can take on the world.”

Suitcase of Stories hits stores on April 6. Mastin will waste no time taking its tracks to the people, kicking off a national tour in Sydney the very next day. Here are the places you can see him play around the country. Tickets are on sale now. All shows are strictly 18+.

7 April 2018 – The Basement, Sydney
13 April 2018 – Saloon Bar, Launceston
14 April 2018 – Waratah Hotel, Hobart
20 April 2018 – Shoalhaven Bowls Club, Shoalhaven
21 April 2018 – Waves, Wollongong
29 April 2018 – Fowlers, Adelaide
3 May 2018 – Lismore Workers Club, Lismore
4 May 2018 – Surfers Paradise Live, Gold Coast (FREE)
5 May 2018 – The Brightside, Brisbane
6 May 2018 – Sold Bar, Maroochydore
10 May 2018 – Transit Bar, Canberra
19 May 2018 – Winton Supercars, Winton
25 May 2018 – Grand Hotel, Mornington
27 May 2018 – Max Watts, Melbourne
15 June 2018 – The Grand Central Hotel Midland, Perth
16 June 2018 – The Charles Hotel, Perth
12 July 2018 – The Loft, Warrnambool
13 July 2018 – The Workers Club, Geelong
14 July 2018 – SS&A Club, Albury (FREE)

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

There’s Nothing Fishy About The Montreals’ New Single, Sardines

Adelaide band The Montreals are spreading a healthy dose of feel-good weekend vibes with their new single “Sardines.” Its title gives nothing away, but this is such a catchy indie-pop number. Rest assured, I like it a lot more than the fish!

The release of “Sardines” comes in the midst of a purple patch for The Montreals, who last year shared a stage with Duke Damont and Safia as part of Oh Yes Festival in Adelaide and supported Northeast House Party and The Creases. They’re now welcoming the next stage of their career, stepping up as headliners on a capital city tour to promote the single’s release. Catch The Montreals on their Sardines tour next month.

12 April 2018 – Moonshine Bar, Sydney
13 April 2018 – Selina’s, Sydney
15 April 2018 – Grace Darling, Melbourne
20 April 2018 – Fat Controller, Adelaide

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Steph Fischer-Ivanscy Rocks Out on “Warning Signs”

Melbourne’s Steph Fischer-Ivancsy has released a foot-stomping new single “Warning Signs,” and it holds nothing back.

This is a swampy track, with gritty guitars, big, booming drums, and powerhouse vocals from Steph. It reminds me of something you might hear in a pub in some far-flung Aussie location, just before trouble goes down.

“There’s a whole bunch of things in this song. It’s all about realising it’s okay to stuff up every once in a while, but we just need to keep going and to not always believe the lies people tell,” Steph explained. “Also to be cautious because we never really know someone.”

Steph’s single suggests to me she’s one of these artists who is even better live. See her let loose next month on one of the following stages near you.

12 April 2018 – Hume Blues Club, Coburg
28 April 2018 – Jamieson Autumn Festival, Jamieson
12 May 2018 – Baby Black Café, Bacchus Marsh (with Shaun Kirk)

Image used with permission from A & R Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Embrace the “Chaos” With Asha Jefferies

Brisbane’s Asha Jefferies continues to impress with the release of her latest single “Chaos,” a powerful ballad about recognizing, accepting, and embracing the failings of the people around you, then moving forward together.

“Chaos captures everything I felt driving to a party one night last year. I remember watching my friend behind the wheel, realizing they were driving me into a lot of chaos and wherever I followed them, that chaos came too,” Asha explained.

“I write music music to capture and anchor a feeling or a period of time in my life. I like to think I can hold it hostage, forever. Music has always used itself as a memory clock to me.”

It might have been written about a specific moment in her life, but “Chaos” is so easy to relate to. I was so drawn into this world she’s created, and all the emotions that go along with it. This is another strong single in a long line from this exceptional Brisbane talent.

Image used with permission from Major Minor

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Exile – Songs & Tales of Irish Australia” – Various Artists

I’m not sure where I was in 2016, when a wealth of Australian and Irish talents played the ABC’s Radio National of Exile shows in Melbourne and Brisbane, but the concerts certainly passed me by. Hearing about them doesn’t even trigger a vague memory. However, I’m glad the songs performed as part of these shows are now seeing the light of day as Exile – Songs & Tales of Irish Australia.

This is such an intriguing recording, with songs that tell the story of Irish immigration to Australia, the impact that relocation had on the Irish people who decided to call Australia home and the difference their presence made to our wide brown land.

It’s a diverse album which captures the spirit of Irish people so well. Normally I gravitate to songs with lyrics I can latch onto, but I loved the beautiful instrumental pieces like “O’Carolan’s Welcome” and the stirring “The Orphan/Australian Waters.” “Na Conneries,” performed by Pauline Scanlon, shows the power of a single, pure, beautiful voice. It gave me chills.

Songs like “Moreton Bay,” performed by Declan O’Rourke, and “Mary Kate,” performed by Lynelle Moran, have such a timeless quality. There’s a gravitas about these songs we rarely hear in modern music.

“Silvermines” drew me in to its story of a young Irish woman making her way through the world in such challenging circumstances. Leah Flanagan shines on this track, which may be my favourite on Exile. I also felt my soul stir listening to “Cry of A Dreamer” performed by Sean and Aine Tyrrell.

And you know you’re in good hands when industry legends Paul Kelly and Shane Howard team up for “Farewell Dan and Edward Kelly.” John Spillane’s “Ireland and Australia” is such good fun, the kind of raucous track that calls for a sing-along with pint in hand.

With almost a third of Australians claiming some degree of Irish ancestry, this is an album sure to resonate with many people living here. Exile – Songs & Tales of Irish Australia is out now. Find it in digital stores and physical record stores, where it’s bundled with a live DVD.

Image used with permission from Universal Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Verge Collection Release “Feelin’ Old” Ahead of Album Shows

I’ve been feeling every one of my years of late. Aches and pains are starting to linger, busy weekends and late-night drinking sessions are taking longer to recover from. In short, “Feelin’ Old” from Perth rockers Verge Collection is striking a real chord with me!

This is such a great track, with jangly guitars and a chorus that will have you singing along in no time. It comes from Verge Collection’s new album Flaneur, set to drop on March 30. The lads will celebrate its release with their largest national tour to date. Good buddies White Blanks will be along for the ride, so make sure you arrive early to check out their set.

13 April 2018 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
14 April 2018 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
19 April 2018 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
20 April 2018 – OAF Factory Floor, Sydney
21 April 2018 – The Foundry, Brisbane
22 April 2018 – Miami Shark Bar, Gold Coast
27 April 2018 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
28 April 2018 – Jive, Adelaide

Image used with permission from Mucho Bravado