The gloomy pre-winter weather is the perfect backdrop for listening to “Alright Now,” the latest single from local multi-disciplinary artist Hayden Calnin. This gentle acoustic folk track is a bit like a big warm blanket or cup of tea. It just wraps around you and takes you to a place of serenity. It’s gorgeous.
“This song speaks to being okay with all the weirdness around you. Rather than avoiding it, I’ve found it’s often better to accept it and ride along with it,” Hayden said. “There’s also a realisation that you can’t talk to everyone about everything – stigma is a real thing and it exists around the globe on a range of topics, but it’s nice knowing that there’s a few people with whom I can talk to about the weirder side of life. It’s a gentle song, and hopefully it brings some calm to those who hear it.”
Hayden will support Canadian indie-folk artist Leif Vollebekk on his Australian tour, which kicks off on Tuesday. Both artists are so good; if you love gentle acoustic folk you won’t want to miss these shows:
A month writing and performing in the United States seems to have reinvigorated Naarm/Melbourne-based Kiwi outfit Bakers Eddy. Their latest single “Dust On My Brain” is a fabulous indie-rock track that deserves to be played loud.
“’Dust On My Brain’ comes from a feeling of having the walls close in around you, and being trapped in self-destructive cycles,” frontman Ciarann Babbington said. “I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t going out, seeing people. Just spinning myself out with negativity and stress and making bad coping decisions. I don’t tend to write songs when my mental health is struggling, but this one kind of poured out when I was at my lowest and ended up being the catalyst for change, which I’m very grateful for. It made me excited to make music, so most of the EP was written because of ‘Dust’.”
Bakers Eddy will release that sophomore EP called I’m Doing Better on June 6. It was self-produced alongside Vincent McIntyre (Fan Girl, Mr Industry,Elizabeth M. Drummond), mixed by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Weezer), and mastered by Emily Lazar (Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Sia). No wonder the music’s sounding so good!
The weekend isn’t quite here, but Sophian are bringing those laidback vibes to you with their latest single “Heaven.” It’s a gorgeous pop-rock track with feelgood vibes and a deep message about love, connection, and holding the special people close.
“This song started as a love letter, an ode to the kind of love that makes you feel like you belong,” the band explained. “But life has a way of shifting meaning beneath your feet. In the middle of writing, Michael’s best friend lost his mother to suicide. I lost two friends of my own. Grief has a way of changing everything, and suddenly, ‘Heaven’ became more than just a song about love, it became a song about absence, about longing, about the quiet hope that one day, we’ll be together again.”
Sophian will officially launch the single with a show at Gage Roads in Walyalup/Fremantle on May 23. Entry is totally free, so if you’re local there’s no excuse for missing it!
I’m feeling like a lot less of a weirdo after hearing “Metro Girl,” the latest single from Western Eora/Sydney singer-songwriter, Ama.
“You ever wonder if that person you miss would come visit you in the hospital if you got hit by a car?” she asked. “Yeah… ‘Metro Girl’ is that song.”
And I’ll be honest, I thought I was the only one who let my mind wander and create such insane, improbable scenarios. I feel seen. Lyrical connection aside, I also really appreciate hearing Ama stripping things back for this song. Most of “Metro Girl” sees Ama accompanied by just an acoustic guitar, so we can hear every lyric and her insanely good vocals.
“Metro Girl” showcases yet another side to Ama’s artistry and I’m here for it. Who else can’t wait to hear her next one?
Aussie-born, LA-based singer-songwriter ILUKA has just dropped an irresistible new girl power anthem, “Girl On the Run.” If there was ever pop music in the Wild West, it’d probably sound something like this.
That makes sense because ILUKA wrote the song after being inspired by the photos she took with cacti on a girls’ trip through Tucson, Arizona. She completed the lyrics imagining herself and her friend as outlaw cowboys on the run. The story ended up becoming an ode to her journey from Australia to the United States.
“’Girl On The Run’ is my love story to myself,” ILUKA explained. “It’s about unapologetically forging your own path and following it ruthlessly even when it confuses or pisses off those around you. Ultimately being a ‘girl on the run’ is about becoming the heroine of your own life story, choosing to love yourself first and foremost, and continuing to say yes to the ride of life —no matter how crazy, wild, or uncertain the road seems.”
No matter what your gender, crank this one up if you need a little extra pep in your step today.
Eora/Sydney-based duo Lucky Governors have just released their second single “Cinders,” but they’re already gaining a reputation as one of the finest new acts around. Singer and guitarist Andrew Fischer and drummer David Shirley recently sold out their single launch show at LazyBones Lounge, and when you give “Cinders” a listen I’m sure you’ll understand why. Its lyrics are thoughtful and introspective and they’re supported beautifully by the stripped-back arrangement.
“’Cinders’ is about that ever-present internal wrestle we deal with in life and how we deal with the limited time we have here,” Andrew explained.
Lucky Governors are set to have a massive 2025 with more new music and live shows on the horizon. Follow them on Instagram to keep across everything that’s happening with the band.
Since returning to the music scene in Eskimo Joe, everything the Western Australian rockers have released has been gold. Their latest banger “Miracle Cure” is so exception. From a stripped-back beginning, it builds into an epic feelgood anthem.
“‘Miracle Cure’ is about the search for redemption and how only love can pull us back from the edge,” frontman Kav Temperley explained. “It’s about hope and the vulnerability that comes with trusting someone to save you. This song is about confronting our flaws and finding strength in love and hope, even if the cure were searching for might not exist. “
The music video, shot by cinematographer David Le May, features footage of the band performing at the Old Customs House in Walyalup/Fremantle and a little Australian Gothic imagery. Think Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Nosferatu.
Eskimo Joe recently played an acoustic gig at Darwin Entertainment Centre, and I hear there may be a few more of those stripped-back gigs in the works. Follow the Eskies on Facebook to hear about all their upcoming shows as they’re announced.
Ahead of the release of her new album Forest House, Kiwi singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell has released a brand new song and revealed she’s heading Down Under. Her latest release “Heart Like a House” sounds like a love song, but Jenny says she wrote it about a different kind of connection.
“’Heart Like A House’ is inspired by how important it is to me to build a life in music that is welcoming and safe for my band and my team – which has largely been influenced by watching other artists carve their own paths that don’t necessarily fit the mainstream industry model,” she explained. “It’s also really influenced by my upbringing, in a family who have always kept welcoming and hosting as a core value.”
“Heart Like a House” comes from Jenny’s fourth album Forest House, which she’ll release in May 16. You’ve got a couple of months to learn the new songs before Jenny arrives on our shores in July.
I love when artists release songs from albums you love and remind you just how good they are. I’m always looking forward to the next thing I vibe with, so often I forget to revisit what’s revved me in the past. But “Feeling Blue” by Ziggy Alberts, lifted from his fabulous seventh studio album New Love, is back on my radar and I couldn’t be happier about it. This song is thick with wisdom. Make sure you catch every lyric, because it contains some real pearls.
“I started writing this song in June 2023 while I was in Europe on break in between tour legs,” Ziggy recalled. “I remember working on it a lot in Ericeira, Portugal, and Biarritz, France. The opening line says it all: ‘I’m not convinced in all the ways I’ve been living now.’ It’s about being really unhappy – and if you didn’t listen to the lyrics carefully, you maybe wouldn’t know, because the song is really upbeat and positive in every other aspect. That contrast really reflects where I was at the time – a paradox of emotions / in the balance of opposites. In many ways, it’s one of the most honest songs I’ve written – just calling out my thoughts and feelings as they were. I’m thankful to have come through some of the personal challenges I was facing then.”
Ziggy has just wrapped up the Aussie leg of his tour but he’s got plenty of international shows in the pipeline. If you’re living abroad, here’s where to find him.
Naarm/Melbourne singer-songwriter Magdalia delivers a breakup anthem for the ages with her latest single “Housewife.” Inspired by a close family member’s relationship struggles, the song explores the complex emotions that can come from a bitter breakup.
Magdalia’s incredible lyrics really resonated with me. They brilliantly take us inside the head of someone rebuilding their life on their own. These words can be cutting, vulnerable, and fierce, often all at the same time, but they’re always real.
Magdalia’s vocals also sound incredible on this number. Her rich voice has such authority; it commands you to listen and pay attention to what she’s singing, even if it hurts. I can definitely hear why people have compared her to rare talents like Florence & The Machine and Lorde.
After earning a Music Victoria Award nomination last year and playing local shows at the Paris Cat Jazz Club and The Festival of Sails, Magdalia’s showing us all that she’s one to watch. Follow her on TikTok to learn more about her music.
