Amy Shark Teases New Album With “Loving Me Lover”

Local hitmaker Amy Shark should add a few more successes to her repertoire with the release of her third studio album Sunday Sadness on August 16. She’s got my interest piqued with the release of her latest single “Loving Me Lover,” a song which she called “a dreamy love song, based around happy guilt.”

“I was in LA by myself working on music, there were things happening back home, people missing me being around and I remember feeling guilty enjoying this completely different life,” she admitted. “Hence the line fighting forever so stop loving me lover.”

The title of the album, Sunday Sadness, reflects not just the writing process but Amy’s headspace as the weekend draws to a close and a new week begins.

“I specifically wrote this album on Sundays, constantly daydreaming about the happiest moments and the worst, remembering the best people while still getting over others. I am different on Sundays, I am not sure why, but I bet you are too,” she said. “I think about my life so much on Sundays, my family, my friends and probably you. I’m still learning people, I’m still trying to be a better person, Sunday Sadness has every emotion I feel, you’ll smile in some songs and feel the love – but you’ll also be sad and probably not sleep well this Sunday night”.

Pre-orders are available here for the digital download, CD, and vinyl copies of Sunday Sadness. Different retailers have cool offers like signed copies, exclusive coloured vinyl, and guitar picks, so make sure you check them all out.

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Abbey Lane Rocks Out With “State of Mind”

With more than a decade of industry experience, Abbey Lane is a seasoned pro. However, I think her recent releases are her best yet. Tracks like her latest single “State of Mind” show an artist brimming with self-confidence creating her own brand of indie pop-rock. It’s fierce and so much fun.

“’State of Mind’ is a letter of all the things you never got to say to someone,” she admitted. “It’s the story of falling in love with someone, and the pain of falling out of touch with them.”

“State of Mind” comes from Abbey’s forthcoming debut EP Afterthoughts, which will drop on June 12. She’ll launch the EP at 3 Wise Monkeys in Eora/Sydney on June 14 and play TBH Fridays at Towradgi Hotel in Woolyungah/Wollongong on July 19. Entry for that one is free, so if you’re in the area there’s no excuse for staying home!

Image used with permission from Kick Push PR

Two Times Shy Drop Latest Pop-Punk Banger, “Losing My Mind”

If you’re looking for a Monday morning pick-me-up, press play. Two Times Shy’s latest single “Losing My Mind” has all the big pop-punk power chords and energetic vocals you need to get moving.

“‘Losing My Mind’ was written about a scenario in which multiple things are contributing to you feeling like you’re going crazy,” recalled the band’s frontman Douglas Hudswell. “The relationship that you are in is causing you grief and the problems are exacerbated by your inability to deal with them and your self-destructive tendencies. This whole situation leads to you being fed up, wanting to break free of the situation and needing to do things your own way for a while.”

The band’s It Looks Better Than It Sounds EP was one of my favourite releases of 2023. Hopefully this single is a sign that there’s plenty more new music from Two Times Shy on its way.

Photo credit: Gabi Rankine Creative

The Superjesus Still Strong With “We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over”

Fresh from their massive tour with Live and Incubus, The Superjesus have just dropped a fantastic new single “We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over.” I’ve been so impressed with the new music they’ve been releasing, which is every bit as good as the tracks they released decades ago. Just in case you thought they were just another nostalgia band.

“This song is one of my favourites from the record,” frontwoman Sarah McLeod said. “I wrote it ages ago and submitted it to the band when we were doing the Love And Violence EP back in 2016, for whatever reason it didn’t make the cut. Never one to give up, I tried again in 2023. With our new lineup and producer/drummer Murray Sheridan on the dials it finally came to life. I think the lyric line is quite fitting for this!”

Hopefully this year will bring a lot more new music from this always excellent Aussie outfit.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute PR

Zachary Leo Releases Funky New Single, “On My Mind”

Naarm/Melbourne artist Zachary Leo has brought the funk with his latest single, “On My Mind.” Turn this one up and get your groove on. The bass line is absolute fire.

“‘On My Mind’ is about trying to reach out to someone close to you to tell them something is wrong but struggling to find the words to explain how you are feeling,” Zachary explained. “The song’s meaning is backed by an upbeat disco/pop-style groove that contradicts the lyrical theme. It kind of represents how I go about my day-to-day life; inside, I am struggling, and on the outside, I am full of beans and ready to take on the day.”

“On My Mind” comes from Zachary’s forthcoming EP, which drops on June 14. He’ll celebrate its release with a launch show at The Bergy Bandroom in Naarm/Melbourne on July 27.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Dane Tutty Releases Powerful New Single, “Little Fears”

Mulubinba/Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Dane Tutty is one of those artists who never seems to put a foot wrong. His latest single “Little Fears” is the latest in a string of tracks characterised by emotional vocals and revealingly honest lyrics.

“Most nights at the moment I get high and just try to write a song, basically just cross my fingers as I go to sleep and hope when I wake up and listen to what I recorded it is half decent,” Dane admitted. “They are generally quite bad to be honest, but ‘Little Fears’ was one that worked. ‘Little Fears’ stems directly from those late nights – and is written about how I sit awake some nights while everyone in the house is asleep and have really terrible thoughts.

There’s more music on the way for Dane, who plans to release his third EP later this year.

Photo credit: Mitch Strangman

Jess Day Showcases New Rock Sound With “Lilith”

Tarntanya/Adelaide-based singer-songwriter Jess Day’s unveiled a new, much darker sound with her latest single “Lilith.” While her past releases have been more pop leaning, this new track showcases an edgier rock sound.

“’Lilith’ is a particularly potent song in terms of the language choices I made,” Jess explained. “It’s very visceral and specific to that song. The last song on the album is probably closest to ‘Lilith’ in terms of its content. However, all of the songs on this album have a very clear concept and you can find that specific brand of darkness creeping its way into even the happier songs on the album.”

That album Jess is talking about, called A Garden of Small Disappointments, is slated for a November release. We can expect three more singles before then, so make sure you follow her socials to learn exactly when they’ll drop.

Photo credit: Christina Lauren

The Nomadic Rock Out With “First Light”

The Nomadic is the coolest local supergroup you haven’t heard about yet. The band features frontman Rob Gaylard, Miles Thomas (Lior, Ronan Keating, Montaigne) on drums, Oliver Thorpe (The Whitlams, Matt Corby, Meg Mac) on guitar, and Brendan Clark (Meg Mac, Montaigne, Jack River) on bass. Their latest single “First Light” has a classic sound that reminds me of 90s bands like Collective Soul and Goo Goo Dolls.

“First Light” comes from The Nomadic’s upcoming album, New Horizons, which should warm up your winter on its release.

Image used with permission from The Planetary Group

Aaron Thomas Releases Fun New Folky Ditty, “Before I Met You”

After going on a cruise over the weekend, I’m having a Tuesday that feels like a Monday. However, it’s a lot better for hearing “Before I Met You,” the latest indie-folk charmer from Aaron Thomas. If you’re having one of those days, I promise this is exactly what you need.

“This is a song about the joy of a new relationship,” Aaron said. “The killing of the old self and the optimism and excitement of love in a bit of a silly way.”

“Before I Met You” comes from Aaron’s new album Human Patterns, which drops this Friday.

“A lot of the songs were written in the throes of a new relationship after coming out of years of sadness and loneliness. So that’s unavoidable. But there are also songs about family and about loss,” he said. “I always dabble in the painful parts of my life and use music to talk about things pretty openly.”

I can’t wait to take a listen!

Photo credit: Lucy Spartalis

Teenage Joans Join Frank Turner On New Single

UK folk-punk icon Frank Turner has teamed up with our own Teenage Joans for a new rendition of his recent single “Girl From the Record Shop.” I really love what Teenage Joans have brought to this absolute banger.

“I’m beyond stoked to be collaborating with Teenage Joans – one of my favourite new(er) bands in the world,” Frank gushed. “And they really brought the fire to this, they’ve turned the lyric around and made me laugh and dance at the same time, to my own song.”

Teenage Joans were every bit as thrilled to collaborate with Frank.

“We were SO excited when Frank asked us to jump on this song,” they enthused. “It’s punk and it’s punchy, and Tahlia literally works at a record shop … it’s the perfect vibe for us!”

Crank this one up, and don’t be surprised if you don’t press play a few times!

Image used with permission from beehive PR