Category: Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Down and Out Team Up With Kellin Quinn For “Four Leaf Clover” Single

If you’re struggling to transition back to the grind after the long weekend, turn up “Four Leaf Clover”, the latest track by Tandanya/Adelaide-based pop-punk act Down and Out. Trust me, this energetic track, featuring Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens, will do more for you than any cup of coffee.

“The song is about getting into a relationship with someone that you know you shouldn’t; the sort of person that makes you think, ‘yeah, they’re gonna ruin my life’. Then guess what?! SURPRISE – they ruin your life!” the band said. “ I mean, you can kind of blame them, but you’ve also gotta blame yourself for walking into oncoming traffic despite all the very obvious red flags all over the road and the barricades that were attempting to stop you from making terrible decisions. So, yeah, the song is about a person that I knew was going to ruin my life, but I went ahead and let them, and now I’ve gotta take accountability for the choices that I made to get myself into that situation.”

Fresh from playing shows with Drastic Park, Down and Out have a few headlining gigs coming up. Catch them doing their thing at the following shows:

20 October 2023 – Pub Rock Diner, Palawa Country/Devonport
21 October 2023 – Altar, Nipaluna/Hobart
18 November 2023 – The Vanguard, Eora/Sydney

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Paulina Releases Heartbreaking Single, “Give It All”

Meeanjin/Brisbane artist Paulina proves she’s one of the best neo-soul talents in the country with the release of her stunning new single “Give It All.” Notice I didn’t just say she’s one of the best neo-soul voices we have. That’s a given of course. You know within the first few notes that her rich voice is exceptional. But it’s the way that Paulina backs up that voice with songs of real depth that impresses me. This song is an exploration of the grief that never quite leaves you when you lose someone significant. You don’t just hear that loss when you listen to this song. You feel it.

“The music video explores stages of grief – specifically an older girl grieving her childhood best friend who unfortunately passed away. This future and older version of me is seen walking through my own memories of my younger self and my childhood best friend, playing in the front yard, whilst I’m reminiscing on those days and reflecting on how things have since changed,” Paulina explained. “Certain clips within the video depict how those memories haunt me at times, which is further accentuated when the little kids run into the house, and I frantically look for them inside but they are nowhere to be found. When you’re grieving a huge loss, it can sometimes be hard to decipher past memories from your reality, and that’s what this music video is all about.”

Let this release serve as a reminder to check out Paulina’s gorgeous EP Just Know, It’ll Be Okay. It’s out now.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cookin’ on 3 Burners Feature Stella Angelico on Fire New Single, “I’m Comin’ Home to You”

I might be biased, but I think Australia has one of the best modern soul scenes on the planet. The United States might get all the accolades, but I think we definitely punch above our weight. Cookin’ On 3 Burners make some of the best local soul around. If you’re not already across their incredible music, their latest single “I’m Comin’ Home to You” tells you everything you need to know.

This track is a straight-up feel-good bop featuring Stella Angelico on vocals. Stella has been a constant presence at the group’s live shows, so you can pretty much call her the fourth member of the group. And with vocals like this, why wouldn’t you?

“As soon as I heard this one, I knew I wanted to write on it. It conjured images of water sparkling in the sun, bright blue skies, riding a bike on a warm night,” Stella said. “I was thinking of Sicily, I was thinking of Melbourne, where I’ve grown up and feel most at home – and where we chose to shoot the gorgeous, very domestic cover shots with Jo Duck. I was thinking of coming home to someone you love, coming home to yourself…”

As an added bonus, “I’m Comin’ Home to You” is bundled on the streaming services with “Whole Woman,” a beautiful ballad also featuring Stella’s serious vocal talents. It’s like two sides of a very soulful coin that I know you’ll really dig.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Jo Duck

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Angie McMahon Wows Me With “Fireball Whiskey”

Angie McMahon’s upcoming album Light, Dark, Light Again promises some very revealing, personal songs. It’s not here yet, but I predict her latest single “Fireball Whiskey” will be one of the highlights. It’s so intimate, with confessional lyrics about managing anxiety that really shine against its minimalist musical backdrop. After it fades out, don’t be surprised if you have to take a moment to take it all in before rejoining the world.

“‘Fireball Whiskey’ touches on using alcohol to navigate my anxiety, and also just realising over time that caring for your mental health is so important and will affect the way you can love and be with people,” she admitted. “I think I’m afraid of change and didn’t know that about myself, but the process of writing this one helped bring it to light.”

Angie took charge of the video, editing footage captured by friends on lands belonging to the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation and the Chumash tribe in California.

“I’ve never edited a video before, but I used this Handycam footage taken by my friends to try and tell a visual story of dancing and swaying myself out of the darkness,” she said. “Travelling to this mountain range outside of Ojai felt like visiting a place where all my silly little worries and bruises could be transformed into something open and time could be suspended and I could empty everything out again, and that’s the reward for leaving behind what I loved but wasn’t right for me.”

Angie wraps up a string of sold-out shows here and overseas with a gig in Naarm/Melbourne tonight. You might not be able to score tickets now, but I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t announce more local shows to coincide with the album’s release on October 27. Watch this space.

Image used with permission from Super Duper; credit: Taylor Ranston

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mathilde Anne Releases Fantastic New Single, “To Be Honest”

I am loving the angsty tracks that Naarm/Melbourne-based talent Mathilde Anne has been dropping, and her latest offering, “To Be Honest,” is no exception. It’s a ballad this time, but that anger is just simmering underneath the surface.

“We can all find a little comfort in letting people know they’ve hurt you and telling those we actually loved through hell, to finally fuck off,” Mathilde Anne enthused. Too right!

“‘To Be Honest’ was one of my favourite songs to record,” added her producer, James Seymour, known for his work with Merpire and Elizabeth M. Drummond. “It came together instantly. James and I really wanted to create something soft but gritty at the same time”, says Mathilde. “We created multiple juxtaposing guitar patterns to express the emotion in the track and this ended up starting a bit of a theme throughout the whole album”.

This is the latest release from Mathilde Anne’s forthcoming debut album Normal, which is slated for release next year. Until then, you can see Mathilde Anne doing her thing live at the following shows:

29 September 2023 – The Evelyn Hotel, Naarm/Fitzroy (with Lucy Lorrenne)
1 October 2023 – The Workers Club, Naarm/Fitzroy (with Sarah Yagki)
11 November 2023 – The Evelyn Hotel, Naarm/Fitzroy (with Pixel Junkies)

Image used with permission from Sandhill Records; credit: Shilo Shaker

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Eaglemont Impresses With “You Don’t Live Here”

Eaglemont has dropped what the press release calls “another epic ‘sad and gay’ love song”, “You Don’t Live Here.” I feel that description sells the song a little short though. That comment almost suggests this track is interchangeable with any others, but it’s far from formulaic. And while it might draw from Eaglemont’s experiences as a gay woman, I think the themes are so universal and delivered so powerfully it’s bound to hit everyone in the feels.

“‘You Don’t Live Here’ is a yearning for the past, the uncertainty of the future and the kind of anxiety that makes your throat close up and your stomach drop to your socks. At the beginning of 2020, I fell in love with the love of my life who lived interstate at the time. When we finally got to see each other I remember being in my kitchen, with the chaos of the world swirling around us, and the simplicity of watching her do the dishes was the best moment of my recent life. Naturally the moment was fleeting and she had to leave again,” recalled Bridgitte Jessop, the woman behind Eaglemont. “This song is about frustration and longing, the big gay yearn and desire for simpler times, the cracking of your own reality and a good old fashioned half-drunk driveway cry, hoping someone would pull in and run you over.”

Eaglemont has just wrapped up a string of shows with Cry Club, but don’t stress if you missed them. She’ll play the Suzi’s Going Away (To Record an Album) Party at The Gasometer Hotel in Naarm/Melbourne on November 3.

Image used with permission from Habit Music; credit: Tim Lambert

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

MARLON X RULLA Smash It With Powerful Single “Trauma Patient”

With an irresistible blend of soul and hip hop, First Nations duo MARLON X RULLA make a strong statement with their new single “Trauma Patient.”

“‘Trauma Patient’ is a thought provoking expression of one of the many anxieties of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in Australia. It places responsibility on listeners to challenge the behaviors and values of the term “Allie” and define what that title means in its truest form,” explained Marlon Motlop, who provides the soulful vocals you hear on this track. “’Trauma Patient’ in its essence, is a challenge of today’s societal WorldView of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the narrative that our successes are formed or created, and actioned from a deficit model-based origin.”

“‘Trauma Patient’ provokes the very irony of our trauma being exploited by those who created it, for profit,” added the other half of this dynamic duo, Rulla Kelly-Mansell. “Challenging the structure of allies, industries, and people in positions of power and their priorities of analytics. Asking them the question, are we talented? Or are we ourselves shining a microscope on our experiences of trauma? What level of comprehension do those people see that in?”

This is such a timely release as we edge closer to the vote on the Voice. Listen to the lyrics, think about your own allyship, and remember this track as you go to the polls on October 14.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Jack Fenby

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

GRXCE Challenges Social Norms With “Everything I Wanted”

If you’ve ever felt like pursuing your goals put you out of step with society, GRXCE’s latest single “Everything I Wanted” is bound to resonate with you. It’s an angsty indie pop-rock track which reminds me of grungy female-fronted ‘90s acts like The Julianna Hatfield Three and Veruca Salt, in the best possible way.

“‘Everything I Wanted’ depicts the catastrophisation of the future and the different paths life can take both you and the people around you,” explained GRXCE’s frontwoman, Jamila. “When I wrote this track I was very much grappling with how I pictured my life evolving overtime and my limitations I felt were imposed on me as a woman when choosing my career as a priority over the usual expectations to be a partner, or a mother, or a wife.”

“Everything I Wanted” has a big sound, with layered guitars and bold percussion, but it took some time to get it from the home studio of band member Alex Berger to the track it is today.

“We tracked all the instrumental and vocal parts in Alex’s home studio in his bedroom in Camperdown over the course of a few weeks. In between sessions we had zoom calls with Jackson [Barclay, producer] to hear feedback and discuss the track before jumping back in,” Jamila added. “Finally we travelled up to Gosford and spent a day in Jackson’s home studio to put the finishing touches on the song.”

GRXCE are currently playing shows around the country. Catch them at the following venues:

29 September 2023 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane QLD (supporting Dusty)
6 October 2023 – OAF Gallery, Eora/Sydney NSW (HEADLINE SHOW)

Image used with permission from Habit Music; credit: Sevin Pakbaz

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Archer Drops “Bittersweet” Single

I’m really vibing on “Bittersweet,” the latest single from up-and-coming Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast artist Archer. This indie pop is a total earworm with relatable lyrics about one-sided relationship.

“The track itself is about going out of your way to change how you are for the benefit of someone else and the realisation that the whole feeling is bittersweet when it doesn’t work out,” Archer explained. “The story is told in the terms of a relationship that goes sour after miscommunicated expectations which makes it all a bit sassy and fun – I mean not for anyone who takes it to heart though.”

The release of “Bittersweet has been a long time coming. Archer began working on it with Naarm/Melbourne rapper and producer Drest last year, but it wasn’t until they added producer Riverine to the mix that it found its feet.

“Drest and I had worked on the beat in late 2022 but with different lyrics and then kind of worked on other things and the track was left on the shelf. Then in early 2023 we decided to revisit it because the demo was really cool and had heaps of potential,” Archer added. “The chorus started with the line ‘Boy your rings just make your fingers green’ which was a really cool concept to start to workshop the rest of the lyrics around. Once we’d finished the basic idea of the beat and all the lyrics, we brought on Riverine to beef it up and add a little razzle dazzle to the drops. And so that’s how the track became the way it is.”

This is Archer’s first release since 2021, but she says she knows it’s the right time to put more music into the world. Hopefully that means she won’t leave us waiting so long for the follow-up!

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Meliora Film

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lenka Back to Her Best With “Silhouette”

Remember Lenka? Even if you don’t remember the name, I know you’ll remember her smash 2008 single “The Show.” It’s been a long time since she made an impact on the charts, but if there’s any justice she should do it again with her latest single “Silhouette.” This nostalgic 80s throwback is so much fun, just like the best pop songs should be!

“This song is my delicious 1980s pop jam about being worn down by life to the point where you feel like you’re disappearing and becoming numb. Almost a nihilistic feeling, but in a joyful way!” Lenka enthused. “It’s fun to get creative with your more negative emotions and wear them like a costume, turn them into armour.”

The video continues the 80s vibes, with Lenka taking inspiration from pop icons like Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, and Madonna.
“This was such a fun video to shoot. The goal was to evoke the feel of 80s glamour, the nostalgia, but without the cheese,” explained Lenka’s director, Adam Jordan. “Lenka absolutely smashed it with the clothing options, my favourite shots became the black sparkly top with the backlight, the perfect mix of the glamour and nostalgia vibe we were going for.”

And if that wasn’t enough, Lenka is playing shows just about everywhere. She’s just played a string of shows in China. The US comes next before Lenka arrives home for some local gigs in November. Get on it!

1 October 2023 – City Winery, New York
8 October 2023 – Resident, Los Angeles
17 November 2023 – The Gaso, Naarm/Melbourne
24 November 2023 – Valley Loft, Meeanjin/ Brisbane
25 November 2023 – Great Club, Sydney

Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit: Tanja Bruckner