Category: Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Turpentine Babycino Release Rocking Second Single, “Calamity”

Mulubinba/Newcastle indie-rock act Turpentine Babycino impressed me from the jump with their debut single “Write a Song Sounds Shit.” Now with the release of their follow-up “Calamity,” they prove they’ve got real staying power. It’s another high-energy number that’s short, at less than three minutes, but definitely not sweet.

“Gabe, our drummer, wrote the music for this song and it was my job to create a story with the lyrics and melody,” explained the band’s frontwoman, Georgie Winchester. “The music was very energetic and kinda agro which spurred a sleeping monster – memories of my days at college university. I was reading a book at the time in which I found the word ‘calamity’ meaning ‘an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster’. This is exactly what happened during my time at college after getting mixed up in a passionately toxic relationship. I decided it was my time to finally write about my experience and get the fuck over it through this track. In my mind, I traveled back to those days at uni and felt everything again which was great as I harnessed the emotions and wrote the song in around 30 minutes. As a band, it’s one of our absolute favorite Turpentine tracks as it sounds awesome live and it’s as real as it gets.”

You’ll soon get to hear just how awesome it sounds live soon, as Turpentine Babycino are wasting no time getting on the road. They’ll kick things off with a couple of hometown shows before touring up and down the East Coast.

22 January 2023 – The Cambridge Hotel, Mulubinba/Newcastle
28 January 2023 – Prince Hotel, Mulubinba/Newcastle
3 February 2023 – Towradgi Beach Hotel, Dharawal/Wollongong
9 February 2023 – The Retreat Hotel, Naarm/Melbourne
11 February 2023 – Transit Bar, Ngunnawal/Canberra
17 February 2023 – Lass O’Gowrie, Mulubinba/Newcastle
23 February 2023 – The Rails, Cavanbah/Byron Bay
24 February 2023 – Tomcat, Meeanjin/Brisbane
25 February 2023 – Wave Bowl, Guruk/Port Macquarie
2 March 2023 – Eddie’s Grub House, Bundjalung/Coolangatta
3 March 2023 – Last Rites, Yaegl/Yamba
5 March 2023 – The Grand Junction, Wonnarua/Maitland
8 April 2023 – The Beatty Hotel, Dungog/Gresford
29 April 2023 – Hoey Moey, Gumbaynggirr/Coffs Harbour

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Romanie Releases Powerful Pop Single “Anthony”

Watching art that imitates your own life can be pretty powerful. If you’re as talented as Naarm/Melbourne artist Romanie, it can also be inspirational. After she watched Anthony Hopkins playing a man coming to terms with dementia in “The Father” within a year of losing her grandfather to the disease, she felt compelled to write her latest single “Anthony”.

“I remember coming home from the cinema late at night and getting this wave of inspiration,” she recalled. “I sat down with my guitar and wrote the song almost completely in one go. We were still in and out of lockdowns and I was chatting on Zoom with my friends from overseas Michiel and Kate who encouraged me to finish the song. The first band rehearsal back, we played Anthony through and it felt like magic to make this song into something bigger with my band, so much fun.”

If you’ve ever lost someone to dementia, I know “Anthony” will strike a chord with you too. Romanie will celebrate its release with the following shows in the coming weeks.

16 January 2023 – The Merri Creek Tavern, Wurundjeri Country/Northcote (supporting Enjoy Your Stay)
19 January 2023 – Nighthawks, Yálla-birr-ang/Collingwood (supporting Dayzed)
22 January 2023 – Tomcat, Turrbal Country/Fortitude Valley (free)

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Claire Louise

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

LOSER Shows a Different Side With New Ballad, “Only One”

The music scene has been a little quiet as everyone’s taken time off for the festive season, so I’m pretty excited to hear my first great new release for the year. LOSER have just dropped “Only One”, their third song from their Stadium Dreams on a Bedroom Budget EP, and it continues the trend of quality releases from this alt-rock act.

It’s more of a ballad than the EP’s previous songs, but you could hardly accuse it of being gentle. If those powerful, heartfelt vocals don’t wake you up from your mid-afternoon slump, nothing will.

“The ballad of the EP, this song took ages to get right. We recorded it multiple times and I doubted it for a while but eventually, we got the right sound. ‘Only One’ is one of the first love songs I have written,” Tim Maxwell admitted. “No matter how many times you fuck up in life there will always be someone by your side to support you and give you hope.”

The music video sees the band playing live, giving fans a little taste of what they’re in for when they come to a LOSER show.

“We wanted all the music videos for the release to be live performances. This was to create a different reason to watch the video, because you are getting an actual live take audio performance and not the audio from the EP,” the band explained. “We also wanted to show people that we can actually play our own instruments. It’s funny that in 2023 that has become a point of difference, but we don’t wanna hide behind technology, because when it comes to performing we’re the real deal.”

You’ll get a chance to see LOSER playing live when they launch the single at Yah Yah’s in Naarm/Melbourne on February 17. The next track from their EP drops on February 24.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Ian Laidlaw

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Find Yourself Under Bumpy’s Spell With “Hide & Seek”

What better way to kick off the New Year than with one of the country’s very best voices? Bumpy, a Naarm/Melbourne artist and proud Noongar woman, is about to release her debut EP, but before that she’s treating us to a sumptuous new single, Hide & Seek”.

“‘Hide & Seek has lived in many different forms in this project. From playing it solo, duo, trio to full band it has been a really enjoyable time arranging it to be recorded, trying to reflect more of the live band’s sound,” Bumpy explained. “Hide & Seek follows the playfulness of desire and the feelings of getting caught up in temptation.”

This track showcases Bumpy’s sublime vocals perfectly. Her soulful voice is just exquisite, and she knows how to use it just right. She isn’t one of those artists who litters her songs with runs and trills, preferring instead to use her voice to tell stories. It’s so authentic and honest, ensuring her message cuts through.

“Hide & Seek” comes from Bumpy’s EP Morning Sun, which drops on January 27.

Image used with permission from [PIAS] Australia; credit: Feign Jima

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Casey Donovan Drops NYE Anthem “Shake It”

With the end of the year just a day away, Casey Donovan has dropped the ultimate party anthem. Once you hear “Shake It” once, I’m pretty sure you’ll add it to your NYE playlist. This is Casey’s first original single since she dropped her Eurovision entrant back in 2020, and it’s well and truly worth the wait.

A song this fun could only come with an equally entertaining music video. The clip, which stars some elite ballroom dancers, was filmed at the Revesby Community Centre, in the Bankstown LGA where Casey grew up.

“I’m proud of who I am and where I come from both heritage and the place, I grew up in,” Casey confirmed. “I will never mask or shy away from the suburbs, we all start from somewhere and everything and anything is possible”.

You can watch Casey debut this song tomorrow night at the ABC’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Sydney Opera House. She’ll be back there on January 26 for the network’s Australia Day concert. She’ll also appear on ABC’s Sydney World Pride concert at the Domain on February 24 and the Sydney World Pride First Nations Concert at the Opera House on March 2. Then on March 9 she’ll begin her starring run in & Juliet. It’s not even 2023, but already it’s shaping up to the be a big year for Casey Donovan!

Image used with permission from Karen-Lee Goody

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers Drop Bluegrass Banger, “If You’d Have Told Me”

I’m not sure I’ve ever written about a bluegrass track on Sounds of Oz before. After listening to “If You’ve Have Told Me”, the latest single from Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers, I’m convinced I need more music from this genre in my life. Michael said it wrote the song about the “hidden extras” that often reveal themselves in relationships once you’re in them.

With so much country music focused on crossing over to the mainstream, it’s refreshing to hear something so pure. If you dig it too, you’ll be as excited as I am to hear there’s more where this came from. Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers have recorded a whole bluegrass album, to be released early next year. Fans might get an early listen to some of that material when Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers play the Hunter Valley’s Dashville Skyline festival from February 25 to 27.

Image used with permission from Rock This Country

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Sunday Estate Back With “Lost and Disappointed”

After impressing me with singles “Bike Thief” and “When You Get Home” in 2021, The Sunday Estate fell off my radar. It turns out they spent much of this year writing so they could end the year on a high. “Lost and Disappointed” is everything I love about these guys. It’s got a great pop-rock sound and super relatable lyrics.

“‘Lost and Disappointed’ is about being stuck in a loop of negative thought patterns, constantly overanalysing, overthinking and replaying everything you do in your head,’ explained the band’s frontman, Conor O’Reilly.

The good news is that this is just the first of three songs The Sunday Estate wrote with Xavier Dunn, who’s worked with the likes of Jack River, Gretta Ray, and Peking Duck. It sounds like we’ll be hearing a lot more from The Sunday Estate in 2023.

Image used with permission from Mirror Music Group; credit: Jess Gleeson

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

LOSER Continue Hot Streak With “Hold On You”

LOSER’s EP Stadium Dreams on a Bedroom Budget is shaping up well with the release of their latest single “Hold On You”. This fabulous rock track is a worthy follow-up to last month’s release, “Heaven Can Wait”.

“This is probably my favourite song on the EP,” said frontman Tim Maxwell. “I started listening to heaps of Aerosmith and this song just fell out in one day. Usually the songs that take less effort are the ones I think are special because your consciousness is running in a way unlike any other. This song is about having a deep connection with another human being who you never want to let go of.”

LOSER will continue releasing songs from this EP every month or so, like episodes from an addictive Netflix series. If they’re as good as the ones that have already dropped, we’re in for a real treat.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Ian Laidlaw

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jack Hudson Drops Catchy New Single “One Way Ticket”

You know those songs that you hear that seem instantly familiar? “One Way Ticket” by Queensland country-rock act Jack Hudson is one of those songs. It was only released this month, but its easy harmonies, big guitars, and punchy drums pay homage to the radio-friendly rock of the early 2000s. I never mind a throwback done well, and this is done really well.

“Have you ever found yourself feeling like you were at the lowest crossroads in life, yet the only direction to travel is up? ‘One Way Ticket’ is a song about exactly that!” Jack explained. “At the apex of 2021, I found myself between relationships, isolated from friends and family and stuck in a permanent rut.”

Music has been one way that Jack’s gotten out of that rut. After spending 10 years as a “gun for hire” sideman and musical director, he’s now focusing on sharing his own original songs with the world.

“This project is about sharing my experiences, thoughts and beliefs as a young man, through songs I birthed on my acoustic guitar. The thrill of the project has been taking my raw tracks to the studio to collaborate in real-time with some of my best friends and favourite players. It felt like the right time and place to make music with the people I have in my circle. Whilst it is early days for this project, I am excited as I know a lot more music is to be written and released. After the events of 2020 and 2021, I just can’t wait to get out on the road and share this project with the world”.

Hopefully that means we’ll see him gigging around the country, and perhaps the planet, next year!

Image used with permission from Rock This Country

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Piper Butcher Makes Strong Statement With “Unconscious Mind”

Piper Butcher proves she’s one to watch with her bold new single “Unconscious Mind.” It’s a gritty anthem, a call to arms that encourages people to seize their opportunities to carve out the life they want.

“People crave freedom in their own lives, but sometimes the only person blocking that is themselves”, said Piper of the song’s inspiration.

After enjoying some downtime for Christmas, Piper will head to Tamworth for the Country Music Festival followed by Thredbo’s Blues Festival. Mark these dates in your calendar fans!

14 January 2023 – The Welder’s Dog, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (FREE)
15 January 2023 – Fanzone Stage, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (10:30 am)
19 January 2023 – Maton Showcase @ West Blazes, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (10 am)
19 January 2023 – West Diggers, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (with Melanie Dyer)
27-29 January 2023 – Thredbo Blues Festival, Monero – Ngarigo Country/Thredbo

Image used with permission from Red Rebel Music