I’m coming at you today with something that’s a little out of the box, in the best possible way. Lachlan P. Rother is an artist in the true sense of the word, someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up. He fronted local new-wave act U-Bahn between 2018 and 2020 before moving on to play guitar in post-punk outfit GLASNOST and drums in another post-punk act, High Control Group. But he really pushes the genre boundaries with his solo project Ohms. His latest single under this moniker, “Geworfenheit” drops today, and it’s an absolute trip. Its odd time signatures take a little bit to get used to. Just when you think you’ve settled into the groove, it shifts again. My advice? Just strap yourself in and enjoy the ride!
Lachlan explained that “’Geworfenheit’ draws upon the existentialist philosophy of Heidegger, which deals with the notion that individuals are thrown into their circumstance through birth, unaware, and in no control of their fate – thus, forced to exorcise free will over our choices.”
Ohms is one of those acts that keeps you guessing and does not disappoint. Follow Ohms on Instagram to learn all about this always original music as soon as it’s released.
My husband and I have what we call the “no death” rule. In equal measures tongue in cheek and deadly serious (pun intended), we simply aren’t allowed to die on one another. Of course it’s likely to bite us as we invoke this rule as we get older, but for now if we’re sick or injured or laughing until we can’t breathe or tripping over the dog, we can simply say “no death rule” and feel confident our love will last forever. So I very much relate to “I’ll kill you if you die before me,” the dreamy new single from Naarm/Melbourne-based artist moonsea.
In this lullaby-esque song, moonsea only half-seriously threatens her love because she’s determined not to be left alone. Its lyrics use humour to process anxiety, grief, and the kind of everlasting love we all hope to hold on to. “I’ll kill you if you die before me,” comes with a stunning music video featuring real paper puppets and stop motion animation from Nadeera A.
If you’re feeling that midweek slump, allow Anna Dine’s poppy new single “anymore” put a little pep in your step. The follow-up to her smashing debut “kind 2 me,” this is feelgood music at its finest, with sparkling synths, vibrant vocals, and alt-rock guitars for a hint of edge. The contemporary lyrics, which celebrate the power of online blocking and setting your own boundaries, are also fantastic.
To celebrate the release of “anymore,” Anna Dine will head off on her first tour tomorrow. She’ll coheadline most shows with Cate Guirguis, except for her solo show at Towradgi Beach Hotel.
Although I live in Darkinjung Country/Central Coast now, Mulubinba/Newcastle will always be home to me. Those roots run deep, and it’s something you can’t properly understand unless you grew up there too. So it’s warmed my heart to hear music from Morgan Evans’ forthcoming album Steel Town, including the recently released title track. This music pays homage to our shared hometown in such a heartfelt, authentic way.
“’Steel Town’ is about where I come from and why I am the way I am,” Morgan explained. “Newy was a beautiful place to grow up, but also a tough one, and we poured all of that into this record.”
Morgan will release his Steel Town album on March 20 before embarking on the biggest tour of his career in May. American country star and his duet partner on the recently released single “Two Broken Hearts,” Laci Kaye Booth, will join him for these theatre shows. Before that, you can also see Morgan at Meatstock. There’s a Frontier member presale for the Steel Town tour today at 2 pm before the general sale tomorrow at 2.
Lana Karlay is set for a busy year juggling her rising musical career with her year 12 studies. The talented 17-year-old from Djilang/Geelong has just released a new single, “Running Out Of Time” which she wrote and recorded in Los Angeles alongside producer Esthy. It features guest vocals from US artist Cam’dn and is the ideal showcase for her heavenly voice.
Lana was recently named Emerging Artist of 2026 by KROCK and Forte Magazine and you can expect to hear a lot more from her this year. She’s got another single and three music videos on the way to support her upcoming debut album, along with a return trip to the United States for more writing and recording sessions. Mark my words, she’s destined for big things.
I get it. It’s Valentine’s Day. That Hallmark holiday celebrating love. And that’s lovely. But if you want love songs, there’s plenty of that around. So I want to do something different and showcase a song for all of my single readers out there. If you’re looking for a feel-good independent anthem today, you’ve found it with “Cowgirl Blues” from Saralyn. This reminds me of those upbeat country floor-fillers Shania Twain used to release in the ‘90s. It’s so much fun, whether you usually listen to country music or not.
“Cowgirl Blues was built around a fun, high-energy recording process that leaned into big country sounds and feel-good momentum,” Saralyn reminisced. “Guitarist Adam Osmanovic (Viper Creek) brought the unmistakable country twang, supported by honky-tonk keys, pedal steel, banjo, and driving drums. The track grew naturally into something bold, playful, and full, capturing the joy of the room and delivering a big, confident country anthem made to be turned up loud.”
The video, shot by Jake Davey Studios in Gringai Country/Gresford, captures that sense of fun.
“The night came together with the pub rallying the local ladies, crackers, cheese, wine, and dancing well into the night. Surrounded by friends & family, the blue 1975 Kombi van became part of the story, with standout moments including the choreographed leg kick, a confetti pop ‘owe!’ moment, and carefree scenes of driving the Kombi turning the shoot into a celebration rather than just a video.”
“Cowgirl Blues” is the first single to drop from Saralyn’s forthcoming debut EP, which we’ll hear a little later this year. While that release celebrates her original music, Saralyn will also pay tribute to one of her idols, Lainey Wilson, with a string of tribute shows next month. Catch her anywhere you can:
Many of the world’s best singers only need one name because they’re so recognisable, so iconic. Think Cher. Adele. Beyonce. Madonna. And now add Kaliopi to the list. Her voice captured me from the first gutsy note of “One Woman One Love,” her new single with her band The Blues Messengers.
Kaliopi’s powerful blues voice is undeniable, but The Blues Messengers match it so beautifully. Every musician on this track is a force of nature. Greg Rowan’s driving drumbeat, Paul Leeder’s easy bass, and Brendon Price’s piano chops, and John Drew’s talent on the retro Hammond organ create a classic shuffle sound that’s absolutely irresistible. Then Wayne Albury’s saxophone rips in and it all goes to the next level.
If you long for the “good old days” of music, before oversaturated production, auto-tuning, and sampling started to drown out the essence of the song, I know you’ll appreciate “One Woman One Love.” Consider it your invitation to deep dive into the music of Kaliopi & The Blues Messengers before they release their third album later this year. And if you’re in Naarm/Melbourne, catch Kaliopi & The Blues Messengers launching “One Woman One Love” tonight at Kew Court House. Tickets are still available for just $25 from the Boroondara Arts website.
Image used with permission from Kaliopi & The Blues Messengers
Eora/Sydney-based artist Chuck Sics is kicking off his next chapter with his dreamy new indie pop-rock single “Arms.” This is Chuck’s first new release since he dropped his debut EP Slipstream last September. I love its nostalgic noughties-influenced sound and vulnerable lyrics.
“’Arms’ is a song about falling in love, and letting love win you over when you’re afraid to lose it,” Chuck said about the track. “I guess it’s normal to be afraid to lose someone, but it’s also easy to become nihilistic in that fear and let it cloud your feelings. It’s easy to get swept away in the fear that nothing lasts forever. With Arms, I wanted to remind myself, and hopefully others, to be present, hold your loved ones and let them hold you – that’s all you need.”
Chuck is a true creative who wrote, sang, and performed almost every instrument on “Arms.” He also produced and mixed the track with a little help from frequent collaborators Blake Wares and River Langford.
Chuck is currently playing a hometown residency at Pleasure Club. After wowing crowds on the 5th, he’ll take the stage again with a free gig on February 19. Chuck is also planning to announce a string of local and interstate gigs really soon.
Pacific Avenue are getting me buzzing their upcoming sophomore album Lovesick Sentimental with the release of another new track, “Things We Wanna Say.” While their previous single “Here We Go Again” was a sweet ballad, this newie is a pure rocker.
“‘Things We Wanna Say’ is an ode to the core friendships that you build in the ‘coming of age’ years of your life,” said Harry O’Brien, Pacific Avenue’s vocalist and guitarist. “So much of our adolescence we’re surrounded by close friends and as [you] grow up together, experiencing the world and new things for the first time, you create bonds that are fundamental to our individual identities, then as you move through your 20s and people start getting jobs or moving away from home, the experience becomes a much more isolated one. We never say the things we want to say. We aim to lift up the meaningful connections that you’ve made and more openly feel like you can express your love for the people who make it all worthwhile.”
We’ll hear more new material from Pacific Avenue when they release Lovesick Sentimental on March 6. You can pre-order it now. They’re wasting no time bringing the new tunes to the stage, with their tour kicking off in Boorloo/Perth the same day and continuing on to Europe and the United Kingdom.
Most queer anthems tend to be high-energy dancefloor fillers, so I was really excited to hear Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Tommy Lellan taking a different route with his new single “CURSÈD.”
“CURSÈD” is a gorgeous jazz-pop track with powerful lyrics that encourage queer listeners to tune out negativity and practice self-acceptance. While it’s available on all the streaming services, I’ve decided to post the lyric video to make sure you don’t miss Tommy’s insightful songwriting. Follow him on Instagram to learn more about his releases as they drop.
