Sometimes songs draw you in immediately. Others are slow burners that sneak up on you when you least expect it. “Let Me Down” by Andy Ward fell into the latter camp for me. I heard it last week and thought it was a little sleepy. On receiving another email about it, I thought perhaps I should give it another chance. I’m so glad I did.
It’s such a haunting song, mesmerising in its stillness. Brisbane singer Andy’s voice is so beautiful, and the restraint with which he delivers this song is magic. I have no idea why I didn’t hear all this before!
Andy Ward will soon announce some live show for later this year, which will feature “surprising visual elements.” Colour me intrigued!
It was just a couple of months ago that I was sharing Polish Club’spub rock tune “Come Party.” Now I’ve discovered a very different side of the band with their latest single, “Divided.”
While I loved “Come Party,” I think “Divided” is so much better. It’s soulful with a rock edge, passionate and raw. I played it once, then again, then again. Then I shared it on my personal Facebook page while I played it again. And now I’m here, telling all of you about it.
“It’s about being stubborn and internalising in a relationship. Not being able to admit things aren’t working and lying to yourself,” explained singer-guitarist Novak in the presser. His vocals are sublime here, but don’t underestimate the impact of drummer John-Henry and those crashing cymbals.
I should also take the opportunity to remind you that Polish Club is touring the country. Here are the remaining dates. Plenty of shows have sold out now (you should have got on it when I told you about the gigs in March!), but there are limited tickets for the remaining dates. They’ve also just announced some New Zealand dates, so Kiwis take note!
11 May 2017 – Small Ballroom, Newcastle
12 May 2017 – Rad Bar, Wollongong (SOLD OUT)
13 May 2017 – Republic Bar, Hobart
19 May 2017 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide (SOLD OUT)
20 May 2017 – Amplifier, Perth
25 May 2017 – The Foundry, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
26 May 2017 – Elsewhere, Gold Coast
27 May 2017 – Big Pineapple Festival, Woombye (SOLD OUT)
1 June 2017 – The Transit Bar, Canberra
2 June 2017 – Workers Club, Geelong
3 June 2017 – The Corner, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
4 June 2017 – The Corner, Melbourne
30 June 2017 – Whammy Bar, Auckland
1 July 2017 – Meow, Wellington
Perth indie pop act Segers has made my ears prick up with her latest single “The Wandering.”
Make sure you tune in to the lyrics, because they contain so much wisdom. It’s all wrapped up in such a radio-friendly package, I’m surprised the commercial stations don’t already have it on high rotation.
If she keeps producing smart, pop music like this, Segers has got a big future ahead of her.
I am a massive fan of Glen Hansard’s music. So when I heard he’d been collaborating with Aussie-based Irish lass Áine Tyrrell, I couldn’t wait to give her new songs a spin.
“Don’t Be Crying” is her latest single, and it’s every bit a special as I’d hoped for. It stays true to her folk roots but the big brassy hooks give it a soulful flavour. It comes from Áine’s new EP Fledgling Fall, which will drop in August.
After working with Áine on this batch of song, Glen is keen to continue their connected. Aine will travel to Ireland later this year to record with him and The Frames.
“It has been such an amazing opportunity for me to work with one of my songwriting heroes,” Áine said in a press release. “He is a warrior of poetry and people. I feel blessed to have made such an inspiring friend and kindred spirit musically and being able to bounce ideas and share songs with him has been phenomenal for my songwriting and my soul.”
I can’t wait to see where their creative partnership takes them next!
Anyone who sees them knows that the best way to experience The Basics is to see them live. So it’s pretty exciting news that the Melbourne trio will release a brand new live album, In The Rude, on May 27.
Recorded at Melbourne’s legendary Howler, In The Rude is the band’s first release since Age of Entitlement in 2015. It features a bunch of killer tunes including the lead single “With This Ship.”
There’s no word about shows yet, but surely we deserve a run of dates to coincide with the release of this live treat!
It takes me a bit to get moving on a Monday. So rather than the mellow music that helps me cruise through the weekend, I like to fire up some dirty rock and roll. If that’s your thing too, fire up “Wishing Well,” the latest single from Melbourne’s Localles.
“Wishing Well is about always wanting what you don’t have, a grass is always greener type thing,” the band said in a press release. “But it is also a statement about positivity, about how things can be better if people work together.”
The track is ridiculously catchy will still maintaining a sense of rock and roll rebellion. Who else is feeling this one?
When you’re a writer blogging on your own, it’s easy for some stories to fall through the cracks. I’d intended to write about the video for “Paint This Land,” Busby Marou’s latest single on its ANZAC Day release, as the clip serves as a timely reminder of the contributions of Australian soldiers, particularly the Indigenous men and women that served who weren’t recognised for their efforts until far too late in my opinion. However, I was too busy playing Two Up and drinking schooners of beer, like all good Australians should, to get there. And now it’s May and the moment has well and truly passed.
But no matter what the time of year, this is a pretty awesome clip, co-directed by Wayne Blair who made Redfern Now, The Sapphires, and Cleverman. The video also features Wayne’s father Bob Blair, a Vietnam War vet and the first Aboriginal Regimental Sergeant Major, and actor Tony Barry. And it’s one of my favourite songs from Postcards From the Shell House. So is there really a wrong time to share it? I think not.
Besides, it serves as a timely reminder that Busby Marou will be loading up their van and touring the country in the next couple of weeks. These guys are sensational live, so if you haven’t seen them yet or you’re ready for another serve, make sure you head along.
25 May 2017 – 48 Watt Street, Newcastle
26 & 27 May 2017 – Leadbelly, Sydney
28 May 2017 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli
1 June 2017 – Southern Cross Club, Woden
2 June 2017 – Launceston Country Club, Launceston
3 June 2017 – Wrest Point Casino, Hobart
8 June 2017 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast
9 June 2017 – Triffid, Brisbane
10 June 2017 – Sea & Sound Festival, Sunshine Coast
11 June 2017 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
15 June 2017 – Fat Controller, Adelaide
16 June 2017 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
17 June 2017 – Workers Club, Geelong
18 June 2017 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
22 June 2017 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
23 June 2017 – Northshore Tavern, Hillarys
24 June 2017 – Mundaring Weir Hotel, Mundaring
25 June 2017 – The Boston, Perth
30 June 2017 – Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin
1 July 2017 – Triffid, Brisbane
Most singers rely on musicians to support their vocals. But not Aurelia, who uses the sound of her own martial arts practice as the background for her new single “Are We Losing.” It’s a fitting way to combine the passions of this musical songstress who competes in martial arts at an international level.
Listening to the track, it’s so easy to forget that the background music is a woman working out. It’s unique, sure, but it sounds far more beautiful than anything I’ve heard in a gym! Aurelia’s layered the sound of her training with her own vocal samples to create a really wonderful soundscape. I also love Aurelia’s voice. It has such a special, hypnotic tone which also helps set this song apart.
“Recording the Are We Losing demo was a pivotal experience for me of how magical I think making music should feel,” she explained. “This, and the fact that Are We Losing is essentially about freedom and abandon, lead me to the realisation that I’m free to release whatever I want, so I am.”
After discovering such an original single from Aurelia, I can’t wait to hear what she surprises us with next!
When I was growing up, Deni Hines seemed to be everywhere. If she wasn’t burning up the charts with her band The Rockmelons she was taking the stage by storm in musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar. However, like so many icons of the 90s, she seemed to fade from the music scene, popping up only occasionally on reality TV. I’m so glad to see her back doing what she’s best at with a brand new single “I Got Your Back,” a cut from her November album The Soul Sessions.
While much of the album features covers of the soul songs that shaped her own sound, “I Got Your Back” is an original song Deni penned with Clive Young and Damian Smith about the hardships she saw people in her life facing. The music video, directed by award-winning filmmaker Dean Francis, features Deni bathed in projection mapping images and backgrounds including photos from her trips to Africa supporting the Oasis Africa Foundation.
It’s such a welcome return to form and a real reminder that Deni is one of the greatest soul singers we’ve produced.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than two years since hit makers Sheppard headlined an Aussie tour. However, they’re just about ready to do it all again on the back of their latest smash “Keep Me Crazy.”
This is another feelgood pop gem from the Brisbane band. Just try getting it out of your head!
Sheppard looks forward to playing for local fans in more intimate venues before heading to the United Kingdom to support Little Mix.
“Playing live is so important to us and before things get too crazy overseas, we are looking forward to playing for our fans here,” said George Sheppard. “Playing with Justin Bieber around Australia was a dream come true for us, so to get the opportunity to play to our UK fans with a band like Little Mix is yet another opportunity this year where we’ve had to pinch ourselves!”
Make sure you arrive early to catch sets from the stellar support acts No Frills Twins and Reece Mastin.
27 May 2017 – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
10 June 2017 – The Croxton, Melbourne
11 June 2017 – Metro Theatre, Sydney