I wasn’t going to let Gravy Day go by without posting a version of Paul Kelly’s classic Christmas song, “How to Make Gravy.” There are so many to choose from, but I couldn’t resist the version Morgan Evans released last month. It’s got a country feel and that certain longing that comes from living so far away from home.
“Recording ‘How To Make Gravy’ came with a weight and responsibility. It’s one of the greatest songs ever written,” Morgan said. “It’s not your typical Christmas song, but it’s always hit me right in the guts. Anyone who’s ever spent Christmas away from home knows that feeling. I wanted to make a version in 2025 that honors Paul Kelly’s original, but brings a little country soul, texture and the emotion that comes with that. What a song. Means a lot to release my own version. Have a Merry Christmas!”
Morgan lovers will get more music when he releases his sophomore album Steel Town on March 20 He’ll also be back in Oz early in 2026 for the following festivals:
Pacific Avenue are wearing their hearts on their sleeve with their sophomore studio album Lovesick Sentimental. Their new single “Here We Go Again” sets the tone with its emotionally honest lyrics.
“The new single ‘Here We Go Again’ is a song about holding onto love, through the good times and the hard throughout a relationship, it’s finding the small things that make you continue to fall for that person,” frontman Harry O’Brien explained. “The song reads like a first-person recount; however, moments of the lyrics are meant to shift perspectives, ‘I almost forgot what you did’ is meant aimed back towards me, in times when I was hard to love.”
Pacific Avenue will release Lovesick Sentimental on March 6 and waste no time getting back on stages. They’ll kick off their Aussie tour the same day in Boorloo/Perth before hitting most Aussie capitals followed by shows in Europe and the United Kingdom.
jnr. is delivering the good vibes you need to transition into your weekend with his summery new single “as you are.” It’s got a slick indie-pop sound, but beneath the polish is a serious message about self-acceptance and loving others the way they want to be loved.
“A lot of the songs I wrote in France are written to both my partner and to myself. With ‘as you are’, I was looking back on a conversation we had where I might have been prying a bit too much,” jnr. admitted. “I realised I wasn’t ready to understand parts of her because she hadn’t confronted those parts within herself yet. There were holes in myself that I didn’t understand yet that I was trying to fill with her. A lot of my songs are from a place of trying to understand myself through other people, and realising that whatever messed up way we are in is the way it’s supposed to be.
“as you are” is the title track from jnr.’s forthcoming EP, which is scheduled to drop in March. Until then, I’ll have this song on heavy rotation.
Eora/Sydney pop power-duo Foley keeps the vibes upbeat on their new single, “Honey.” It’s got a sweet title and sound, but this song actually explores the sour points in relationships when arguments go a little too far.
“Honey is about taking it too far and realising you might have pushed your luck – we all have moments in a relationship where you make your point a little TOO WELL and realise you played too rough,” Foley admitted. “In the right relationship those moments aren’t make or break; instead they are the times you see compassion and understanding in a partner who is willing to have your back and stick with you.”
It’s no surprise that this song sounds slick, because Foley worked on it with a world-class team. It was mixed by Pedro Calloni (Chappell Roan, ELIO, Alex Warren, Daniel Seavey, GAYLE) and mastered by Grammy-nominated audio engineer Nathan Dantzler (Sabrina Carpenter, sombr, Niall Horan, Jonas Brothers, Teddy Swims). Foley also cowrote “Honey” with Max Jacobs and Nico Scali of Loretta.
“We all clicked straight away and had so many laughs, it made for a really energetic session,” Foley said. “Those magic guitar chords that carry the song were brought to the session by Max and having a new guitarist in the room helped us to get into a different headspace. We wanted to write something with the acoustic guitar front and centre that could bring a bit of a bluesy tone – and the chorus really dabbles with that in the guitar and vocal stacks.”
Foley have recently been making waves with shows in Korea. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they announce some local gigs. Keep an eye on their socials to learn all about any upcoming dates as soon as they’re released!
Meeanjin/Brisbane-based duo STAHR have knocked it out of the park with “Loving Friend.” This ultra-cool desert rock track has gotten under my skin with its smouldering vocals and irresistible groove.
You can hear a palpable chemistry between Grace Harris and Samuel Shepherd as they trade vocals. They only began making music in 2024, but they’ve got enough swagger to convince you they’ve been doing it for years.
If you’re in Meeanjin/Brisbane tomorrow night, make sure you don’t miss STAHR playing the final Live & Unwrapped for this year at Blute’s Bar. Entry is totally free, although you can RSVP through Oztix.
You might want to have some tissues nearby when you press play on Angus Legg’s latest single “May All Your Friends Be Artists.” Angus’ late father wrote this song for his son before he passed away. Ten years ago, it was played at Alex Legg’s funeral. Now in this new recording you can hear father and son singing this song together for the very first time.
“Every time I hear or sing the last line, it’s like the first time I heard it. Floodgates open,” Angus admitted. “In the second chorus, you can hear my father and I singing together… something I never got to do while he was alive.”
Be right back, got to call my folks. This is one of those special tracks that reminds you that life is too short, so you shouldn’t waste a moment.
Chloe Marks & The Mayhem are pushing the boundaries of the country genre with their latest single, “Cheaper Than Therapy.” The band blends country vibes with Americana, soul, and hippie sentiments in this earworm.
“‘Cheaper Than Therapy’ is about my personal journey in finding out who I am,” Chloe said. “It’s about admitting my flaws but also celebrating the incredible road I’ve had to walk to become this version of myself. It’s about spirituality, honesty, and openness.”
Chloe Marks will play shows through the rest of the year and into 2026. Here are all the places you can catch her:
18 December 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 December 2025 – Gem Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Yatala 26 December 2025 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 December 2025 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 31 December 2025 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 16 January 2026 – Tudor Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 17 January 2026 – Southgate Inn, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (3-6 pm) 17 January 2026 – Tudor Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (7:30-10:30 pm) 18 January 2026 – Joe Maguires, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 20 January 2026 – Joe Maguires, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 22 January 2026 – Riverside Stage, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 29 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 30 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 31 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 5 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 6 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 7 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 10 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 12 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 14 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 15 February 2026 – Beechmont Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Advancetown 19 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 20 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 28 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 1 March 2026 – Beechmont Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Advancetown 6 March 2026 – The Irish, Giabal, Jarowair, and Jagera Country/Toowoomba 7 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 12 March 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 13 March 2026 – Suzi Wongs Goodtime Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane 15 March 2026 – Bearded Dragon, Yugambeh Country/Tambourine 17 March 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 19 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 March 2026 – Suzi Wongs Goodtime Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
My heart is heavy as Eora/Sydney deals with the aftermath of Sunday’s attack on the Jewish community. I can’t understand the mentality of hating what you imagine of people so much that you fail to see their humanity. It feels so out of step with the Australia I know and love.
I can’t find the “right” song for today. I’m not sure it exists. But it didn’t feel right to go quiet either. So instead I’m going to post something that will hopefully make you smile. Because I think we all need all of that. And if anything will help you block out the darkness for just a few moments, I think it might be Gareth Leach & the Narratives of Hope’s version of John Farnham’s “Reasons.” If you’d ever wondered how this Farnsy classic might sound as a bluegrass song, this one’s for you.
“This is a song that we have been playing live and is a crowd favourite, so it only feels right to release it for our fans,” Gareth Leach said. “Doing a bluegrass cover of a song can be a pretty tricky thing to pull off without being super cheesy, so we were very cautious to not cross into that territory. This song, in particular, is so much fun for us to play and it was important for us to capture that whilst also staying faithful in tipping our caps to the great man, John Farnham.”
“Reasons” is the first track lifted from Gareth Leach & the Narratives of Hope’s upcoming EP Blues, Grass & Gospel, which we’ll hear early next year. They’ll also play the Echuca Country Music Festival at Echuca Racecourse on March 28.
Incredible female-fronted rock acts have been back in the headlines lately after visits from international powerhouses Garbage and Evanescence. But you don’t have to look that far for female-fronted acts that pack a punch. Naarm/Melbourne-based band The Beautiful Monument show they’ve got the goods with their impressive new single “Dancing With the Buried.” It’s a powerful number that explores the often harsh reality of picking up the pieces after domestic violence.
“This track hits very close to home,” admitted vocalist Lizi McIntosh. “It’s about victims not being believed about their abuse because of the stigma that surrounds domestic violence as a whole. The video represents that abuse comes in all forms, shapes and sizes; even if it’s not what’s stereotypically perceived by societal norms.”
The release of “Dancing With the Buried” marks the start of a new chapter for The Beautiful Monument, who’ve spent the last year writing, recording, and developing their sound.
“We’ve taken our time to ensure the next era of The Beautiful Monument is our best yet; not only for our fans, but for us as musicians,” they said. “We can’t wait to show the world what we have been cooking up, and we look forward to the thrill ride to come!”
The Beautiful Monument will show metal and hard rock fans just what they’ve got when they play the Hellbound cruise next October.
Meeanjin/Brisbane-based father-daughter duo The Kunins have offered an early taste of their third album with their new single. It features two gorgeous folky songs, “The Levee” and “The Sorrow You Are Drawn To.”
Lily Maia Kunin takes lead vocals on the A-side, “The Levee,” while her dad Ken takes the mic on the B-side, “The Sorrow You Are Drawn To.” The Kunins recorded these songs back-to-back at their home studio and said they serve as companion pieces, “Like pairing the perfect wine and cheese.”
The Kunins will release their third album, Time is a Cruel Master, on January 23. They’ll promote it with a string of shows at community halls around the country. Here are all the confirmed dates so far:
