Category: Album Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Liv Cartledge Charms With “Heard Your Name” Ahead of EP Release

Two years ago Liv Cartledge took home the top prize in the Telstra Road to Discovery competition. This Melbourne singer-songwriter has made the most of the opportunities this competition provided and honed her craft over the years. Her new EP Timber, featuring the beautiful new single “Heard Your Name” is the culmination of those efforts.

Liv’s voice has such an appealing, huskiness to it. She’s also an excellent songwriter, so make sure you really listen to those lyrics.

“Heard Your Name started out as a grief-stricken heart pour onto paper not long after I lost my dad,” she explained. “Somehow after a few hours it had twisted itself into a song. I guess that’s the beauty of being a songwriter.”

Timber is released on October 6. Liv will take its tracks to the people with a string of shows in October and November.

7 October 2017 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
11 October 2017 – Folkswagon, Sydney (FREE)
12 October 2017 – Porch Light Sessions, Sydney
13 October 2017 – Parlour Gig, Sydney
14 October 2017 – Parlour Gig, Central Coast
21-23 October 2017 – Swagger Music Festival, Wandiligong
3-6 November 2017 – Happy Wanderer Music Festival, Benalla
3 November 2017 – Parlour Gig, Beechworth
5 November 2017 – Parlour Gig, Wagga Wagga
10 November 2017 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide (FREE)
18 & 19 November 2017 – Brown Brothers Spring Festival, Milawa
24 November 2017 – Tap House, Bendigo

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Roger Waters Bringing Us + Them Tour to Australia

I’m really excited to hear Roger Waters is on his way back to Australia for the first time since his The Wall tour smashed sales records in 2012.

Roger is responsible for some of my most vivid concert memories. I’m not quite sure when I saw him the first time, but knowing I was still living at home and working in retail dates the story. A checkout chick’s salary doesn’t really extend to many concerts, but I won a couple of tickets from the radio. I remember being in awe of the production, planes and flying pigs and all that, and the heart-thumping sound. When a concert gets loud it can simply become noisy, but this was so crisp and clear. You felt every beat of the drum reverberating in your chest. And I was in awe of Roger up there, so damn cool despite being roughly as old as my dad, which when you’re still living at home seems pretty old.

Then there was that tour for The Wall, one of the most formative albums of my teenage years. He brought it to life in such spectacular fashion. Again, I was awestruck.

So I have high hopes for the Us + Them tour, which American critics have already praised for its “eye-popping” production and “spectacular” set list which draws from Roger’s solo work and Pink Floyd classics.

Telstra customers get the jump with a presale on September 4 ahead of the general sale on September 8.

2 February 2018 – QUDOS Bank Arena, Sydney
6 February 2018 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
10 & 11 February 2018 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
16 February 2018 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
20 February 2018 – Perth Arena, Perth

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Salter Announces Massive NZ/Australian Tour for 3rd Album Release

Ben Salter is one of those incredible Aussie talents that flies under the radar. He releases his albums with little fanfare, then takes the time to assemble another collection of quality songs so he can start the process all over again. What he does isn’t flashy, but it’s bloody good. His latest album Back Yourself, the follow-up to his sophomore release The Stars My Destination, will be released on September 1.

Ben made Back Yourself over 12 months at locations around Tasmania and Victoria, including time spent at producer Chris Townend’s picturesque White Light studio. The studio overlooks Tassie’s Huon Valley and I think it influenced this release. You just get a different sound when you leave the pace of the big city behind and retreat to rural Australia. There’s a calm that comes through the music, putting you at peace as you listen to it.

Back Yourself features the current single “Isolationism.” To call it a love song doesn’t really do it justice, because love songs are a dime a dozen, but at its core that’s what it is. It’s more than though. Take a listen and see for yourself.

If you like what you hear, make sure you check out Back Yourself. Ben is playing full band and solo shows in New Zealand and Australia in the coming months to support the album’s release. Tickets are available from his website.

3 September 2017 – Willie Smith’s Appleshed, Grove (FREE)
8 September 2017 – Golden Dawn, Auckland
9 September 2017 – Leigh Saw Mill, Leigh
10 September 2017 – Refreshment Room, Auckland
14 September 2017 – Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
15 September 2017 – Dome Bar & Cinema, Gisbourne
17 September 2017 – Rogue Stage, Rotorua
21 September 2017 – Sherwood, Queenstown
22 September 2017 – Grainstore Gallery, Oamaru
23 September 2017 – Dog With Two Tails, Dunedin
24 September 2017 – Blue Smoke, Christchurch
27 September 2017 – Mussel Inn, Takaka
28 September 2017 – Meow, Wellington
12 October 2017 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
13 October 2017 – The Barn, Aldgate (SOLO)
14 October 2017 – The Odd Fellow, Fremantle (SOLO)
19 October 2017 – High Tea, Sydney (SOLO)
21 October 2017 – The Flamin’ Galah, Brisbane
25 October 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
27 October 2017 – Marrickville Bowls Club, Sydney NSW
28 October 2017 – Gooloogong Log Cabin Hall, Gooloogong (SOLO)
29 October 2017 – The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland (SOLO)
2 November 2017 – The Eastern, Ballarat
3 November 2017 – The Tote, Melbourne
5 November 2017 – Castlemaine Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
9 November 2017 – St John Craft Beer, Launceston (SOLO)
10 November 2017 – The Wharf, Ulverstone (5 pm SOLO)
10 November 2017 – Mountain Mumma, Sheffield (8 pm SOLO)
19 November 2017 – MONA, Hobart

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Custard Back With New Song, Album, And Tour

Custard left fans waiting 16 years for the release of Come Back All is Forgiven. Thankfully they’re not leaving them hanging so long for the follow-up. If the lead single “In the Grand Scheme of Things (None of This Really Matters)” is any indication, The Common Touch was no rush job either.

It’s such a quality song, with an infectious melody and relatable lyrics. And that horn section, sublime.

“’Come Back All Is Forgiven’ was the sound of us playing together in a small room, minimal overdubs,” frontman Dave McCormack explained. “The new album has cello, pedal steel, piano and a variety of backing singers. Some of the tunes were cut up and stitched back together in ways I never thought possible.”

The Common Touch will be released through ABC Music on October 6. Custard will play shows along the East Coast to support its release.

13 October 2017 – The Bundy Hall, Gippsland
14 October 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
20 October 2017 – Soundlounge Currumbin, Gold Coast
21 October 2017 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
22 October 2017 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
9 November 2017 – The Basement, Sydney
10 November 2017 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sarah King Impresses With “Back Home”

British-born Adelaide-based pop-jazz chanteuse Sarah King has won me over with her beautiful new single “Back Home.”

It’s the kind of song that stops you in your tracks because it’s so different from what other people are releasing. Her voice is just beautiful, angelic and ethereal.

“The single ‘Back Home’ is pretty special to me as I wrote it at a time where I was settling myself and my family into South Australia, our new home state,” Sarah explained in a press release. “I started exploring themes of home and what home means to different people, whether it’s a place, a person or something completely unique. It’s a song about what and where home can be, a story of longing, reminiscing, reflection, acceptance and gratitude.”

Sarah hopes “Back Home” can also help raise awareness for the thousands of women homeless in South Australia and the rest of the country. She performed the track at Umbrella Winter City Sounds last month to further the cause.

There’s more where that came from on Sarah’s self-titled EP. She’ll officially launch that at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton on August 27.

Image used with permission from Against the Grain Publicity/Photo credit: Hannah Tunstill

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Josh Johnstone Touring Album in Europe and Oz

Fremantle’s own Josh Johnstone has put a big smile on my face with his new single “Just What It Is,” the latest release from his debut album Call in Whispers.

It’s got a great spontaneous energy about it, perhaps because he allegedly wrote it in just five minutes! Who said good things take time?

“It seems that I had just returned home from the local pub after more than my fair share of ales, picked up a guitar and just like that, she was alive!” he explained. “Funny thing was that the following morning I had completely forgotten about it. It wasn’t until a couple of days later I was going though the recordings in my phone and I found it, then it all came back to me. It also explained why I had been wandering around for two days with this random melody in my head. They say the songs you write in five minutes are the best ones, I think this tune is fair proof of that.”

Josh has spent the last couple of months touring Europe, but he’ll be back to launch the album with local shows next month. Whether you’re here or abroad, you can catch him at the following venues.

15 August 2017 – Magick Gathering Festival, Švenčionys
16 August 2017 – Bix Baras, Vilnius
17 August 2017 – Rock River, Vilnius
18 August 2017 – Love Palanga, Palanga
19 August 2017 – Fontaine Palace, Liepaja
20 August 2017 – Kuldīgas Rātsnams un Rātslaukums, Kuldīga
22 August 2017 – Egle, Riga
25 August 2017 – Mad Murphys, Tallinn
29 August 2017 – Chicago 1933 Bar, Tallinn
30 August 2017 – Wall St Bar, Helsinki
2 September 2017 – Beat Café, San Salvo
23 September 2017 – Kalgoorlie Cup @ Exchange Hotel, Kalgoorlie
13 October 2017 – The Fly Trap, Fremantle
20 October 2017 – Venue TBC, Benalla
22 October 2017 – Bar 303, Melbourne
16 November 2017 – The Prince of Wales Hotel, Bunbury

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Citizen Kay Playing Almost Everywhere to Promote New Album

Citizen Kay is giving fans plenty of opportunities to hear the tracks from his upcoming album Belly of the Beast live. As if touring with Illy wasn’t enough, he’s also announced a string of headlining shows to celebrate the album’s August 25 release.

The Canberra-based rapper should excite fans of old-school party hip-hop with the way he blends genres, mixing slick rhymes with soul, funk, and jazz influences. While I loved his earlier EP Demokracy, Citizen Kay hasn’t rested on his laurels.

“A lot of time was spent choosing my words, and how I wanted things to be said,” he says of the writing process of writing Belly of the Beast. “I challenged myself more, as a wordsmith and poet on this album”

Hear the single “These Kicks” and other cuts from Belly of the Beast at the following shows.

25 August 2017 – Kay St, Traralgon (with Illy)
26 August 2017 – The Pier, Frankston (with Illy)
1 September 2017 – Odeon, Hobart (with Illy)
2 September 2017 – Club 54, Launceston (with Illy)
21 September 2017 – Wool Exchange, Geelong (with Illy)
22 September 2017 –Whalers, Warnambool (with Illy)
23 September 2017 – Shadows, Mt Gambier (with Illy)
28 & 29 September 2017 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (with Illy)
30 September 2017 – Sweaty Palms @ Proud Mary’s, Erina
6 October 2017 – Rolling Stone Live Lodge @ Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
7 October 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
13 October 2017 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide
14 October 2017 – The Transit Bar, Canberra
19 October 2017 – The Foundry, Brisbane
20 October 2017 – Amplifier Bar, Perth
3 November 2017 – Panthers, Port Macquarie (with Illy)
4 November 2017 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour (with Illy)
10 November 2017 – Home Tavern, Wagga Wagga (with Illy)
11 November 2017 – Area Hotel, Griffith (with Illy)
24 November 2017 – SSA Club, Albury (with Illy)

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Henry Clarke Takes New Musical Direction As Duncan Saige

You might know Henry Clarke as the frontman of raucous indie surf-rock outfit Stillwater Giants. If you do, you might be surprised to hear the music he’s making under his new moniker Duncan Saige. Much as Kevin Mitchell bounces between making high-energy rock music with Jebediah and gentle acoustic stuff as Bob Evans, Henry makes genre-hopping look easy.

As Duncan Saige, he’s just released his cruisy debut EP I’m Saved and the single of the same name. It’s a thoroughly pleasing piece of indie-pop which should put a smile on your face. Duncan Saige will launch I’m Saved with Western Australian shows next month in preparation for a national tour later this year.

1 September 2017 – The Odd Fellow Bar, Fremantle
7 September 2017 – Defectors Bar, Mt. Lawley
8 September 2017 – The Monkey Bar, Mandurah
9 September 2017 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
14 September 2017 – The Prince of Wales, Bunbury

Image used with permission from Firestarter Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

King Social Touring “In Colour”

King Social are likely loading up the van as I type, preparing to play shows around the country on the In Colour tour. The early shows will give fans a sneak peek at the album which will drop on September 3.

The album should be something special if current single “Lemonade” is any indication. I love the blending of genres here. The rap is honest and raw and the soul silky smooth. Stevie Mitchell, who wrote and raps on the song, says it’s one of the most specific and personal tracks the band has released.

“I started writing Lemonade just as I was about to begin my current job. I’d bounced around for a while and done every job under the sun and I’d come to a point where I just wanted to put my head down and finish something,” he explained. “It wasn’t meant to be so father-oriented; I was just being honest with myself, that I wasn’t a little kid anymore and it was time to grow up. My dad is a great role model.

“He hasn’t heard the song, but I told him the lyrics once. He gets too carried away though – I fed him the first three lines: “Call me that bastard, these bars are the weapons I harbour, I’m hoping to tread the same footprints and steps as my father…” He stopped me there to berate me for ever thinking I was a bastard – he listened too much, that he didn’t listen.”

Kevin was reluctant to release such a personal song, fearing people who hadn’t lived his life may struggle to relate, but he reconsidered after hearing the track come to life.

“The boys – and the production team at The Grove Studios – have just made it sound so fucking good,” he gushed. “I think maybe they’re more in love with the sound than the message, but I guess that’s what music is all about – presenting meaningful lyrics in an exciting way.”

King Social will play the following headlining gigs and festivals in the coming months.

4 August 2017 – Whitsunday Reef Festival, Cannonvale (FREE)
5 August 2017 – Gigs & Digs Festival, Yamala
25 August 2017 – Hudson Ballroom, Sydney
27 August 2017 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour (FREE)
1 September 2017 – SS & A Club, Albury (FREE)
2 September 2017 – The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick (FREE)
9 September 2017 – New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley
10 September 2017 – The Bearded Dragon Hotel, Tamborine (FREE)
23 September 2017 – Longreach Cup, Longreach
29 September 2017 – Caloundra Music Festival, Kings Beach
1 October 2017 – The Salt House, Cairns (FREE)
21 October 2017 – Darwin Railway Club, Parap
25 November 2017 – Brews & Barbie Bash, Toowoomba
8 December 2017 – King’s Christmas, Townsville

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Self Talk Releases “Beside Dictionary” Ahead of EP Tour

I’ve had one of those days where the little things don’t go right and molehills seem like mountains. What’s the best way to deal with a day like that? Experts might advocate meditation or slow breathing, but I find grabbing a hairbrush and bouncing around my bedroom singing out a track like “Bedside Dictionary,” the latest track from Melbourne indie-poppers Self Talk, so much more therapeutic.

This music sounds so fresh but it also reminds me of some of the angry girl music I was listening to in the ‘90s like Juliana Hatfield, Letters to Cleo, and The Breeders. This nostalgic track is about “relationships that don’t really get past the beginning, not because they don’t work or the people involved don’t like each other, but it just doesn’t go any further,” the band explained. “It’s about the various things that come with that, how it might feel, the frustration or disconnection, or even just acceptance really.”

“Bedside Dictionary” comes from Self Talk’s EP Almost Everything, which drops on August 11. Preorder the EP and you’ll get instant downloads of “Bedside Dictionary” and “Old Habits.” Self Talk will support its release with shows all around the country next month.

12 August 2017 – The Old Bar, Melbourne
18 August 2017 – The Phoenix, Canberra
19 August 2017 – The Record Crate, Sydney
25 August 2017 – Crown and Anchor, Adelaide
26 August 2017 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Paris is Patient