If your Friday is feeling more like a Monday, I’ve got you covered with “Sinking,” the latest track from Evergreener. This is an absolute belter of a track, with bold drums, big angsty guitar riffs, and stellar rock vocals. Crank up that volume and just see if you can resist pumping your fists in the air.
“The song ‘Sinking’ takes a darker approach than the previous single ‘Deciduous’ as it describes the feeling of being trapped in a place where you’re living your life through someone else, unable to control your actions and thoughts while feeling paralysed in your own body,” the band explained.
If you love this, Evergreener won’t leave you waiting too long for more new material. Their debut EP After Thoughts drops on November 18.
The pandemic lockdowns might be behind us, but they continue to influence some fantastic music. Lemaire penned his latest single “Postcode” in the middle of those lockdowns, and it perfectly expresses the angst and tension associated with that time.
“It was crazy how quickly a difference of opinion could destroy a relationship that was built over years and years,” he admitted. “I watched friends of mine be completely disowned by their family on multiple occasions, just because of their stance on the vaccine.”
This song has evolved from a demo in Lemaire’s home studio to an absolute banger expertly produced by Meeanjin’s/Brisbane’s Aidan Hogg. It leans a little away from the classic hip-hop we’re used to from Lemaire, but it’s still super catchy. I love that we’re starting to see the full depth of his artistry.
If you love what you hear, make sure you keep an eye on his socials. He’s got plenty of new releases and shows planned for the new year, and you’ll hear about them there first.
Before you hit play on LOSER’s new single “Heaven Can Wait,” hit that volume. Crank it. Trust me. This is one of those killer rock cuts that deserves to be played loud.
“This song was written back in 2019 and was intended to make it on our first album Mindless Joy. It felt like too much of a leap forward for the sound at the time but now it’s making its debut finally!” enthused the band’s frontman Tim Maxwell. “The song’s lyrics portray my feelings towards the fear of death and anxiety, back then I was an anxious wreck and always thought of the worst-case scenario in my head.”
“Heaven Can Wait” is the first track lifted from LOSER’s EP Stadium Dreams on a Bedroom Budget. Rather than dropping it all at once, LOSER is releasing each song individually right through until May 19 next year.
“The whole idea with this EP was to switch up how we’ve released music in the past,” the band explained. “We’ve always been a traditional album band, but this new EP felt like a fresh direction for us musically, so we thought it could be fun to try something a little different in the way we presented it. It’s not a collection of singles, it’s more like a Netflix TV series, where the entire body of work is designed to flow as a whole, but is presented piece by piece.”
Give LOSER follow on Spotify to make sure you don’t miss one! In addition to the songs, LOSER will also drop limited edition merc, exclusive live performance vids, and a special Golden Backstage Pass. Just like Willy Wonka’s golden tickets, this pass will be randomly inserted into one lucky merch buyer’s parcel. The lucky winner will get free tickets to any show LOSER headlines for life. Unless you’ve got the golden ticket, you’ll need to click the links to get tickets for the following shows:
I never thought I’d be rocking out to a “synth-driven country single”, but here we are. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never really seen Harry Cleverdon as a country artist, no matter what his press releases say. I heard more pop and folk in his last single “Just For a Little While.” With his follow-up “Counting Sheep,” the big anthemic pop-rock vibe is a little more apparent. Whatever you call it, the music is pretty fantastic.
“Counting Sheep is a reflection on the depersonalising effect life can have,” Harry explained. “Losing sleep over build-ups of negativity or even a realisation of a harsh reality can have an interesting effect on our psyche. I wanted to create a piece that sounded happy and fun while talking of sadness and/or depression, of one not feeling like themselves. This juxtaposition would align with that feeling of being overwhelmed with everyday life and needing an escape, all whilst keeping a façade up for people you care for.”
Harry is writing really high-quality music that transcends genre, in my opinion. He might come from the country, but he doesn’t let that define his music. It’s such an exciting blend of influences, and I can’t wait to hear what comes next.
Ella Hooper has taken plenty of musical twists and turns through her career. I love that she keeps us guessing, but I kind of hope she stays in her current space for a little while. The country-rock vibes of her latest track “Words Like These” is right up my alley.
‘“Words Like These’ celebrates but also pokes fun at my lifelong obsession with language, poetry and communication, the world of words,” Ella admits. “A high-level communicator by day, sometimes in love and woo-ing is where the writer gets stuck, mixed messages, misunderstandings, promises are made and broken!”
“Words Like These” is the latest track lifted from Ella’s forthcoming album Small Town Template, which will be released on January 20. She’s currently playing songs from that record and some old favourites at shows all over the country. Here are the remaining dates:
11 November 2022 – Trinity Sessions, Tarntanya/Adelaide
12 November 2022 – Trinity Sessions, Tarntanya/Adelaide
17 November 2022 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
18 November 2022 – The Zoo, Meeanjin/Brisbane
19 November 2022 – Miami Marketta, Ngarangwal/Gold Coast
20 November 2022 – Brunswick Picture House, Durring/Brunswick Heads
25 November 2022 – Marys Underground, Eora/Sydney
26 November 2022 – Centro, Woolyungah/Wollongong
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Mondays are never easy, but Georgie Neilsen’s gorgeous new single “Eyes Wide Open” is making my morning a little easier. She won my heart with “The Last Time I Felt Better” in the middle of the year, and this is a brilliant follow-up. It’s such a beautiful blend of folk, rock, and indie-pop influences that’s a little reminiscent of material from Angie McMahon or Tia Gostelow. The big, heartfelt vocals from Georgie are giving me all the feels.
“Eyes Wide Open has gone through many forms,” Georgie admitted. “From a heavy guitar-driven song to a solo soulful folk tune and through drawing influences from HAIM and Katy Perry it has transformed into a sweet and sassy bop about reclaiming power and independence post-heartbreak.”
“Eyes Wide Open” comes from Georgie’s debut EP Suburban Daze, which drops on November 18. She’ll launch the EP for hometown fans in Meeanjin/Brisbane at The Brightside on November 20.
It’s starting to feel like Naarm/Melbourne-based indie-rock artist Jacob Fitzgerald can do no wrong. After wowing me with his previous singles “Muse” and “Shame on You,” he’s back with the earnest pop-rock gem, “Long Way Home.”
“It covers my own heartbreak and tells a story of loss. Basically, ‘Long Way Home’ is the song I wish I never had to write,”Jacoe admitted. “Essentially, LWH is about savouring the moment before the final goodbye. It follows the shock of heartbreak and captures the emotions of knowing that no matter what is said, the choice won’t be yours … they’ve made up their mind. It was a goal of the band and me to capture the intimacy and intensity of this track both lyrically and sonically. Overall, ‘Long Way Home’ was written to mend a broken heart, and with the help of my closest friends, we built a track that we just fricken love! I’m so proud of it as it captures a moment in time, I never knew I wanted to keep. It’s my silver lining and I can only hope it makes people feel something too!”
Jacob will play a string of shows to celebrate the single’s release. Catch him at the following venues:
25 November 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane
26 November 2022 – Hiway Live, Eora/Sydney
16 December 2022 – Crown & Anchor, Tandanya/Adelaide
17 December 2022 – The Workers Club, Naarm/Melbourne
Image used with permission from Good Intent
The Hollywood Waltz won me over with their ’80s-inspired single “There For You” a couple of months ago. Proving that was no fluke, they’re bringing more great retro vibes with their latest track “Someone Better.” It’s an unashamed throwback, and I’m here for it.
“It’s centred around the old cliche of feeling lonely and longing to be with someone and going back to something or someone that you shouldn’t, just to fill the time and fill the emptiness,” explained the Hollywood Waltz’s lead singer, Matt Druery.
“Once you’re back with that person, you think it’s going to be perfect and exactly what you want & need, but in reality, you just remember why you left them in the first place… And thus the line – ‘if drinking is all we have in common, maybe we shouldn’t be together sitting at this bar’.”
Fans in their hometown of Eora/Sydney have plenty of opportunities to catch them this month at the following shows:
9 November 2022 – Botany View Hotel, Eora/Newtown
10 November 2022 – Frankie’s Pizza, Eora/Sydney (single launch)
16 November 2022 – Botany View Hotel, Eora/Newtown
23 November 2022 – Botany View Hotel, Eora/Newtown
30 November 2022 – Botany View Hotel, Eora/Newtown
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute PR
After a 12-year hiatus, fans of Simon London + the Spirits might have assumed the band were lost to the industry forever. Last anyone knew, Simon London had left Australia to live and record with his wife in Sweden. However, rumours of this rock act’s demise are greatly exaggerated though. These guys are back recording, releasing new music, and playing shows. Get excited!
Their comeback single “Troposphere” shows they’ve lost nothing. It’s a powerful rock ballad that explores the loss of the band’s drummer and Simon London’s musical partner of 30 years.
“Troposphere” is also the last track, and my personal favourite, from Simon London + the Spirits album Don’t You Forget About Me, which just happened to drop today. It’s a proper old-school record that’s meant to be listened to in chronological order. Ensuring you do, Simon and the lads have released it as just two tracks on the streaming services, side A and side B. Brilliant! Simon London + the Spirits will play SONAR Room in Waylyup/Fremantle tonight, with more dates to come.
The weekend’s parties may still be days away, but Madoc Plane’s new track “Overdrive” will have you grooving as if they were already here. This is such a funky little number, with Madoc’s effortless falsetto soaring effortlessly over the beats. If Jamiroquai and The Weeknd had a musical baby, it might sound a little something like this.
“‘Overdrive’ is an electro-pop track showing hints of soul and dance. I tried to draw upon the sounds of The Weeknd and Kaytranada in this one, using a strong, driving drum beat underneath multiple layers of samples, synths and ambience,” Madoc explained. “There was a period earlier this year where I used a lot of mindfulness exercises to work on my mental health and I found it super helpful and inspiring. ‘Overdrive’ touches on this period, representing getting past self doubt and putting yourself out there with confidence.”
“Overdrive” comes from Madoc Plane’s debut EP Own Worst Enemy. Featuring previous single “Right Reason,” it’s well worth a listen. If you live near Boorloo/Perth, you can experience his music live at the stacked Tone City Records Dreamfest show at Rosemount Hotel. It was originally slated for November 5, but has been postponed. However, that just means you’ve got a little more time to nab early bird tickets before the new date is announced.
Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Michael Tartaglia
