Some singles hit you immediately, making you fall in love in an instant. Others are slow burns, taking a few listens before they really get under your skin. I’m still not sure I fully understand Shugorei’s new single “Meet the Sun,” but I know I can’t stop listening. And that’s probably reason enough to share it with you.
Shugorei have enlisted the talents of vocalist Shêm Allen and the Black Square Quartet, whose contributions make the duo’s sound even richer. The song, which features lyrics in English and Nozomi Omote’s native Japanese, celebrates the risks artists take to make their dreams reality. You can see those lyrics in the video, to be released on February 10, which also features live-in-studio performance footage and some of Nozomi’s travelogues from her recent trip home to Japan.
“Meet the Sun” is really different. It’s experimental music and as such, I know it won’t be to everyone’s tastes. But it’s compelling, mesmerising, and totally unforgettable. I encourage you to press play with an open mind and give it at least a couple of listens before you decide whether or not it’s for you.
Image used with permission from 4000 Records
It might be only the first month of the year, but is anyone else hanging out for holidays? Because honestly, same. That public holiday might still be too far away for many of us, but Eora/Sydney singer-songwriter Sabrina Sekuloski can take you there for just a few minutes with her latest single “Red Convertible.” It’s an ode to freedom, escaping the nine-to-five grind and doing what makes you happy. Sabrina doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, but this song is a lovely piece of pop which reminds me of easy-listening tracks from Colbie Caillat and Sheryl Crow.
“The songwriting process for this single started back in 2018 so it’s really nice to see this song come to life,” Sabrina explained. “I still remember writing the chorus, it happened really naturally and quickly. The lyrics and melody came out together and the vibe was so infectious that I started dancing in my room. I wrote the Billy Joel reference in the chorus first and just kept adding them in when we started working on the song in 2022. When there’s mention of ‘the piano man’ in the bridge, you can hear a piano being introduced which I thought was a nice touch. When I brought the song to my dad in 2022, he found an old guitar riff he’d written in 2019 that we thought suited the song – which is what you hear in the verse, it formed a cool groove for the song.
“‘Red Convertible’ came about from a longing to escape from the mundane day-to-day activities that leave one feeling uninspired and burnt out. The title of the track was taken from the last line in the chorus which is a daydream of doing things you’ve never done that make you feel alive.”
It sounds like Sabrina has more songs of escapism for us, as “Red Convertible” comes from her forthcoming EP called Scenic Route.
Image used with permission from Planetary Group; credit: Sasha Sekuloski
As a John Mayer fan, I was instantly drawn to NedR’s new single “Stood Here Too.” The warm guitar tones bear more than a passing resemblance to a John Mayer jam, but when it’s this good that’s not a bad thing. NedR also has his own voice, which seems like it can do just about anything. Those falsetto notes are so compelling.
“Stood Here Too was inspired by a mate who was in the midst of packing up her late grandfather’s house. It talks about the memories that are attached to said place and the hope of seeing him again someday,” NedR explained. “I wrote this song with Dominik Dale who wrote and made the first initial demo with me and also mastered the final track. Through winning the Fender Players Plus competition, in collaboration with Studios 301, I got to work with Jesse Deskovic who recorded and mixed the track. And my drummer Matthew Ferguson who really enhanced the groove of this song.”
NedR also teamed up with Pat Taylor from Hustle Media for the gorgeous film clip.
“My videographer Pat really wanted to focus in on the image of the sun which is the main illustration throughout the song which was represented by the single spotlight featured in the video,” he added. “Our aim was to show a time of reflection that we go through when a loved one passes. A time to be by yourself and process your loss.”
NedR has such a gorgeous sound and real depth behind his music, so I hope we hear a lot more from him this year.
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Pat Taylor
Sometimes you hear about a song and you know it’s going to be good before you even hit play. “High & Unsteady” is one of those songs. A collaboration between Pierce Brothers and Tash Sultana, how could it be anything but brilliant? My expectations were sky-high, but this track is everything I hoped it’d be. Pure feel-good indie-folk goodness with all the energy you need to get moving on a Monday.
“I really enjoyed working with the guys,” Tash enthused. “We’ve been working together for years on the road, so I had a great idea on how to capture their sound.”
The admiration is mutual, with Jack commenting “We’ve loved everything that Tash has done over the years, and when they had the idea to collaborate, we jumped at the opportunity! Pat and I put together the bones of the track so when we got into Tash’s studio we had a base from which to create and explore new sounds. Tash is one of the most talented producers we’ve had the pleasure of working with, they brought so many new sounds to mix that we would never have even thought of. I didn’t know what a mellotron was before that day!”
“High & Unsteady” comes with a cool animated music video directed and edited by Patrick Pierce, who combined 35mm analogue and digital footage.
“About 12 months ago I found a video featuring this rare Japanese film camera from the 90s. It has 16 separate frames across two rows on it, and was used for things like shooting a golf swing. I was searching for about 8 months before I could find one and start testing it out,” he explained. He edited the clip in-house over a painstaking summer, noting that “Easily the biggest hurdle in this music video was the edit. I had to develop, scan, separate and animate over 3,000 individual images. It took months, and I’m certain that the response from the general public will be ‘Huh … nice filter.’ That said, I’ve had this idea for ages now, so I’m really happy I’m finally getting it out of my head and onto a screen.”
Pierce Brothers plan on starting work on their next album this year, but you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to see them play. They’ve announced a bunch of festivals and single launch shows, and have plans to tour Australia, South Africa, and Europe to boot. Get your tickets for the following events:
4 February 2023 – Music in the Vines, Baragil/Macarthur
11 February 2023 – Hello Sunshine Festival, Wurundjeri and Bunurong Country/Scoresby
25 February 2023 – Tumbafest, Ngarigo Country/Tumbarumba
10 March 2023 – Cambridge Warehouse, Mulubinba/Newcastle
11 March 2023 – Lighthouse Festival, Darkinjung Country/Norah Head
24 March 2023 – Marlo Hotel, Marloo/Marlo
27 May 2023 – Tropic Sounds, Thul Garrie Waja/Townsville
5 July 2023 – Big Red Bash, Wirrarri/Birdsville
19 August 2023 – Mundi Mundi Bash, Wilyakali Country/Broken Hill
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Dara Munnis
Not a lot of bands survive 20 years. Fewer still rock just as hard as they always did. But the release of The Go Set’s new single “West Into the Sun” proves they’re doing just yet. I also have it on good authority that their new album The Warriors Beneath Us, which drops on March 17, is one of their best.
“We have done it the hard way,” admitted The Go Set’s frontman, Justin Keenan. “I don’t know a band that has slept on as many floors as we have. We have done 1,500 shows and played in 27 or 28 different countries, and you are always building from scratch every night when you do that.”
But of course, struggle builds greatness. Such is the case with The Warriors Beneath Us, which came out of a brand new challenge for the band: the COVID pandemic.
“We weren’t playing live so revenue was down but during COVID we discovered we could record ourselves at home without being on the clock in a big studio,” Justin explained. “An idea for a song would come from me and we would send it around to our home studios. We could add, subtract, layer, and that became the creative process. That was new for us. We didn’t have a budget but we had all the time we needed to make the record we wanted.”
The Go Set will mark the release of The Warriors Beneath Us with their first tour in three years.
“It’s exciting to be reconnecting with people and getting out on the road. We’ve had limited opportunities over the last couple of years and we’re really excited about sharing the new material at these shows. It was something I think we may have taken for granted a while back, but a couple of years of lockdowns and unprecedented difficulty has actually made us realise how much we truly appreciate each other, playing live, and sharing our music with people around the world”.
Tickets for all those Go Set shows are on sale now, so grab yours before they sell out!
31 March 31 – Vinnies Dive, Bundjalung Country/Gold Coast
1 April 2023 – The Zoo, Meeanjin/Brisbane
2 April 2023 – Platform 5, Turrbul Country/Nundah
14 April 2023 – TBC, Naarm/Melbourne
15 April 2023 – Crown and Anchor, Tarntanya/Adelaide
21 April 2023 – The Founders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre, Nipaluna/Hobart
22 April 2023 – The Royal Oak, Therrernotepanner, Leterrermairrener and Panniher Country/Launceston
23 April 2023 – Kindred Hall, Tommeginne Country/Kindred
28 April 2023 – Moshpit Bar, Eora/Sydney
29 April 2023 – Dicey Rileys, Woolyungah/Wollongong
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Society might try to sell us on forever love, but most of us go through a few relationships that are destined to burn out. Anna Smyrk gets honest about that with her latest single “I Don’t Want to Meet Your Mother.” With its refreshingly honest lyrics and chunky guitar chords, it’s a nice change of pace.
“I wrote this song thinking back to my first relationships,” Anna recalled. “I grew up in a small town but I had all these big dreams. I didn’t want to get tied down to any one person or place. So I always kept a wall up, I didn’t want to accidentally find myself in too deep to get out.”
She had a whole lot of fun recording the track in Nashville with producers Jake Finch and Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus).
“There’s a part in this song where me and the producers are all just shouting ‘NO!” at the top of our lungs, like a bunch of cranky toddlers. It was probably my favourite studio moment, even though I kind of lost my voice after that.”
Anna has some big shows appearances coming up, including Newstead Live which kicks off today.
20-23 January 2023 – Newstead Live, Jaara Jaara Country/Newstead
19 February 2023 – Brunswick Artists Bar, Bulleke-bek/Brunswick (FREE 4 pm show)
25 February 2023 – Tanswells Hotel, Baarmutha/Beechworth
10-13 March 2023 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Dhauwurd Wurrung Country/Port Fairy
Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit: Jeff Anderson Jnr
Good Lekker are bringing the summer vibes with their dancetastic new single “Show I Care.” It’s an absolute charmer which is sure to get your toes tapping, at the very least!
“I tried to keep the lyrics as simple as possible in ‘Show I Care’,” vocalist Joshua Fahy explained. “To an extent, I want listeners to be able to imbed their own meaning into the song, however they relate to it. Context is impossible to escape when writing, however. This song reflects me, in my mid-20s, unsure of what comes next in life. It’s about dragging others along for the ride while goals dissipate and past dreams begin to look foreign to yourself. It’s about the transience of friendship as everyone moves on to different stages of life and the difficulties of keeping in touch. It’s about trying to glue all these parts into a half-decent collage and loving what you make. Take your pick for what appeals to you.”
The Eora/Sydney band will hit the road this May with shows in all the East Coast capitals. May might seem like a long way off, but it’ll be here before you know it. Put these dates in your calendar so you don’t miss out!
20 May 2023 – Lady Hampshire, Eora/Sydney
26 May 2023 – The Workers Club, Naarm/Melbourne
27 May 2023 – O’Skulligans, Meeanjin/Brisbane
Ngambri/Canberra rapper YNG Martyr is one of those young acts that has kind of passed me by. I know he’s played hot festivals like Falls, Spilt Milk, and Lost Paradise, and gone viral with his meme-powered single “Nike Ticks”. But he hasn’t really been on my radar, until now. Hearing his latest single “WAIT!” featuring Naarm/Melbourne artist Logan M, I can definitely hear what the fuss is all about.
“’WAIT!’ is about acknowledging the pain of an impending break up and wishing for things to go back to the way they were,” YNG Martyr explained.
This track effortlessly blends hip-hop and indie-pop influences to create a sound that’s fresh and instantly accessible. I can imagine this one blowing up, and with YNG Martyr’s massive online following it just might.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia; credit: She is Aphrodite
Thundamentals are bringing the summer vibes on their latest single “100 Degrees.” This absolute banger features the band’s long-time collaborator Thom Crawford and their touring pals Horrorshow. Just try to resist grooving along to this one.
The single’s release is a great reminder that Thundamentals are touring all around the country right now. Limited tickets are still available, so get onto it.
If you had any concerns that line-up changes might negatively impact The Superjesus’ sound, let me put them to rest. Their latest single “Money (We’re Only In It For Love)”, their first with Murray Sheridan and Cam Blokland, is one of the best modern rock songs I’ve heard in years.
Frontwoman Sarah McLeod is itching to get back on the road later this month, commenting “We’re gonna play this song so hard on this tour, I can’t wait, I’m gonna scream my eyeballs out!”
Bassist Stuart Rudd added “Having been together in the same band for over 20 years, the DNA wasn’t hard to find and tapping into new creative veins would soon yield our first new single and now we’re looking at our first new album in 20 years.”
I expect you might get a sneaky listen to a few new album tracks when The Superjesus hit the road with Dallas Crane. These shows are long overdue, so make sure you don’t miss them.
27 January 2023 – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney
28 January 2023 – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney
9 February 2023 – The Triffid, Meeajin/Brisbane
10 February 2023 – Kings Beach Hotel, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country/Sunshine Coast
11 February 2023 – Miami Marketta, Bundjalung Country/Gold Coast
17 February 2023 – The Gov, Tarntanya/Adelaide
3 March 2023 – The Corner, Wurundjeri Country/Richmond
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute; credit: David Sheerman
