Category: Single Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Casey Barnes Gets Romantic With “God Took His Time On You”

Last time we heard new music from Casey Barnes, he was rocking out with the sexy “Come Turn Me On.” But he reveals a more tender side with his latest single “God Took His Time On You.” It’s another confident country-crossover track that should make listeners swoon. It also proves that a pandemic and its border closures don’t have to stand in the way of creating a great song with people on the other side of the world.

“I’ve absolutely loved teaming up with my US buddies in Brown & Gray co-writing tracks for this next album and when we worked on this single we knew straight away it was something really special. Every lyric in this song is a dedication to the one you love. Using the metaphor in the line ‘when heaven dreamt you up, God took his time on you’ I think is the ultimate tribute of how perfect you feel your partner is.”

“God Took His Time On You” is the latest track from Casey’s next album, which will drop early next year. Hopefully the country will be a little more open and Casey can tour it as planned. Before that, Casey will defend his Artist of the Year title and hopefully pick up Song of the Year, Release of the Year, and Live Act of the Year at the 2021 Gold Coast Music Awards on September 4.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Turn Up Bellwether’s New Track, “Shortsighted”

Perhaps it’s Monday or the umpteenth day of lockdown getting to me, but the angsty punk of “Shortsighted,” the latest track from Sydney act Bellwether, is really resonating with me today. It’s an all-out assault on the senses with big chunky chords and all-too-relatable lyrics.

“‘Shortsighted’ is, in essence, a song about self-acceptance. It’s about confronting and admitting your own flaws, while at the same time accepting yourself for who you are and abandoning the expectations imposed onto you by others,” explained Bellwether’s guitarist and songwriter, Heath Joukhadar. “That all being said, the song doesn’t take itself seriously, which is not only reflected by the message of the lyrics but also the numerous pop culture and meme references included throughout the track.

“We took a lot of inspiration from BoJack Horseman when we were writing ‘Shortsighted’, as he was a character we could all empathise with,” Heath added. “BoJack personifies the feeling of never being good enough and we tried channelling that energy into the song. Sometimes you feel like a piece of shit and that’s alright.”

You might not have heard of Bellwether yet, but a lot of influential people are sitting up and taking notice. They’ve played shows with American acts Four Year Strong and Knocked Loose, British bands WSTR and Trash Boat, and our own Between You and Me and Yours Truly. This track also premiered on leading USA outlet Substream Magazine. It sounds like this is one local act destined for big things in the not-too-distant future.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Sunday Estate Deliver With “When You Get Home”

I’ve been a little quiet lately. It’s not like I haven’t been listening to music, but I have been searching for something that really hits. Writing posts about music that doesn’t impact me seems a bit disingenuous. I know there are plenty of media outlets out there who just post about everything, but if I wouldn’t share it with a friend, I can’t see the point in wasting my time writing about it. I was starting to think maybe I was just being too picky, and then I heard The Sunday Estate’s new EP When You Get Home. This Sydney five-piece have got something really special. But if you’ve had your ear to the ground, you knew that already. If not, prepare to discover why tastemakers are raving about them.

The Sunday Estate have already released three singles from the EP: “Pray for Rain,” “Fight Me,” and “Bike Thief,” which I’ve already written about. Those tracks have enjoyed airplay on triple j, Beats I, and KCRW. So rather than going over old ground and writing a traditional EP review, I thought it better to highlight the latest single, “We Were Kids.” It’s a nostalgic track with cool indie pop-rock vibes that really hit the spot. Lead vocalist Conor O’Reilly calls it “another song about the trials of getting older,” but it’s a little more than that. The personal lyrics help it stand alone.

“I wanted to really lean into those bittersweet feelings that come with past love/friendship,” he explained.

If you’re not already across The Sunday Estate’s music, check out When You Get Home on your preferred streaming platform. Then if you’re near Sydney, snap up some tickets for their launch show. The gig at The Lansdowne on November 7 is something to look forward to once we (hopefully) get out of lockdown.

Image used with permission from Mirror Music Group; credit: Maclay Heriot

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Camille Trail Embraces Unpretty With New Single, Album

Camille Trail isn’t like other female country acts, and she’s proud of it. While other performers embrace pretty things, she doesn’t want a bar of them. It’s an approach that made her recent studio sessions with producer Shane Nicholson a little out of the box.

“I don’t like pretty things,” she confessed. “He’d play a guitar and say is that too pretty and I’d say yep, too pretty. I don’t like shiny things, I like it to be raw and vulnerable and I wanted to make my debut album a bit more of a statement.”

I’ve had her debut album, River of Sins, on repeat for the last couple of days, and I think the unconventional approach works. These songs are honest and unashamedly real. She calls it “a sit down with a whiskey kind of album,” and that’s a description I can really get behind. It’s also a country album that refuses to play with the classic tropes.

“It never really occurred to me to write about [utes and boots] because it was my everyday life,” explained the Rockhampton native. Instead she took inspiration from the classic rock, blues, and gospel she grew up on.

“I think I’ve always loved vulnerable music. There’s something really beautiful about just a piano and lyrics and space,” she said. “I’ve always loved those darker themes and I’m a big believer in what goes around comes around.”

You can dip your toe into Camille’s music with the new single “I Don’t Like You,” a track that provides a counterpoint to all those sappy songs of yearning that flood the airwaves. But I recommend just diving in and listening to River of Sins from start to finish. If you like what you hear, you can see her perform at the following shows, unless COVID spoils the party!

23 September 2021 – Oodies Café, Bundaberg (with Michael Waugh)
24 & 25 September 2021 – Outback By The Sea Festival, Karumba
2 & 3 October 2021 – Savannah in the Round, Mareeba
9 October 2021 – The Barn at Wombat Flat (with Michael Waugh)
10 October 2021 – Trinity Sessions, Adelaide (with Michael Waugh)
17 October 2021 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle (with Shane Nicholson and Michael Waugh)
22 October 2021 – Junk Bar, Brisbane
3 December 2021 – Murray Delta Juke Joint, Goolwa (with Shane Nicholson)
5 December 2021 – Trinity Sessions, Adelaide (with Shane Nicholson)
20 January 2022 – Wests Leagues, Tamworth
21 January 2022 – Wests Leagues, Tamworth (with Michael Waugh)
4 February 2022 – Railway Hotel, Macedon (with Shane Nicholson)
11 February 2022 – Factory Floor, Sydney (with Shane Nicholson)
12 February 2021 – Bowral Bowling Club, Bowral (with Shane Nicholson)

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Taylor Moss Releases Bluesy and Boozy Break-Up Anthem, “Chaser”

If getting over an ex ever felt like a hangover for you, you’ll love Taylor Moss’s new single “Chaser.” With this track, the Ulladulla-based singer-songwriter compared to ex to low-grade, bottom-shelf booze. Haven’t we all had one of those! I love the way Taylor combines blues, country, and pop influences here so effortlessly.

“This is the most amazing song to sing,” she gushed. “I feel like it’s showing people another side to me, to my vocal, but it’s still got sass and attitude. ‘Chaser’ is all about finding light at the end of the tunnel … someone might leave a bad taste in your mouth, but you can always have a sweet chaser to wash it down. I think most people will find my song relatable, we’ve all had a bad shot with someone!”

Fans can see Taylor playing live in Mackay later this week at the NQ’s Rock’n Country festival.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dani Teveluwe Drops Beautiful New Single, “Movin’ On”

The global pandemic has encouraged so many of us to look inside for what we need to be truly happy. In that current climate, “Movin’ On” by Dani Teveluwe, a singer-songwriter living on Yugambeh Country, really strikes a chord.

Releasing music is one of the things Dani’s realised makes her happy. A professional school teacher, she started releasing music last year. While the process was confronting, the positive feedback she received has helped her feel more confident sharing her music with others. Her new single “Movin’ On,” her third release for the year, celebrates living for yourself instead of existing to please others. The stripped-back instrumentation showcases Dani’s pure voice and stellar lyrics so beautifully. Dani wrote the song after visiting someone and deciding she needed to “move on” from relationships that no longer served her.

“I had just gotten back from catching up with someone who I thought was a friend and our time together that had left a real sour taste in my mouth. There was this feeling of resentment, judgement, disappointment that had reared its head during my visit. When I left, I didn’t feel like I had gotten to catch up with a friend, it was more of an obligatory visit to keep someone happy,” she explained.

“The real problem was me though. I had become such a people pleaser. I was so desperate for everyone to like me that I had become a chameleon, morphing and shifting my personality, opinions, and actions to meet their needs, to keep them happy. Stepping back from myself I saw how I’d change my personality around specific people, mirroring them, purely from a place of wanting to be liked. However, ‘they’ always changed, the goalposts always shifted and moved. It was impossible, exhausting and I wasn’t being me. I am forever grateful for that catch-up because it gave me this song and a valuable lesson.”

“Movin’ On” is out today.

Image used with permission from Dani Teveluwe; credit: Lauren Hooper

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

NIDALA Wows Me With New Single “Said Too Much”

Byron Bay-based First Nations performer NIDALA has captured my heart with her gorgeous new single “Said Too Much.” It’s an earnest folky love song that is so disarming in its simplicity and rawness. I felt this one, and honestly, that’s the highest compliment I can pay a piece of music.

“’Said Too Much’ is about dating and how it collides my worlds together! My ancestral heritage sees partnership as a central part in human-nature relationships, and my tech-ridden modern existence plays it out through online dating in a culture that fears deep connection,” NIDALA explained. “It’s about being confused, and being able to dance it off. I chose this theme because I wanted it to feel relatable and deeply human, and I wanted to paint my Indigeneity in the colours of softness it so rarely gets to wear in white Australia.”

“Said Too Much” comes from NIDALA’s debut, carbon-neutral EP Colours of My People, which drops on September 2. NIDALA will donate 20% of the EP’s proceeds to programs for planting trees and another 20% to Indigenous-run mental health and creative mentoring initiatives. Preorders are available now through NIDALA’s Bandcamp page.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rude Rum Release Rocking New Single, “Talk”

Brisbane band Rude Rum have just dropped their latest single “Talk,” and I can’t stop listening. With infectious hooks and plenty of swagger, this is rock music the way it’s meant to be.

“This is definitely one of our most attitude-filled tracks” explained the band’s frontman and songwriter Jaeden Ogston. “It was created with such raw emotional energy, and definitely nurtures a new side of our persona by stepping away from previous funk-esque influences”.

You might have seen Rude Rum touring with FANGZ or Total Pace, but they’re ready to play their own headlining shows around their home state. Check them out at the following venues to see how they bring all that energy to the stage.

3 September 2021 – Studio 188, Ipswich
11 September 2021 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Gold Coast
18 September 2021 – King Lear’s Throne, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Rude Rum; credit: Darcy Goss Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Julia Lostrom Releases Dreamy New Single, “Want It All Back”

With so much of the country in lockdown, there’s no better time to discover Julia Lostrom’s self-care anthem “Want It All Back.” Julia is a Greek-born, Zambian-raised, Melbourne-based artist with a cool, sultry vibe that I’m really digging.

“Want It All Back” reminds listeners of the importance of taking care of yourself, even when everything appears to be fine. “I hope people take whatever they need from this song,” Julia said. “If it connects to anyone sonically, lyrically or visually I’d feel extremely honoured. I write to connect to myself and process my life and if anyone resonates with it, then that’s amazing.”

Julia has plenty of new material in the pipeline, so expect to hear a lot more from her in the coming months.

Image used with permission from Broken Leg

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Wanderers Drop Groovy New Single, “Penny”

Adelaide band Wanderers have found inspiration from the big screen for their latest single “Penny.” The track is a homage to Penny Lane, Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous. If you’ve longed for the return of yacht rock (and who hasn’t?), this is your tune.

Dusty Lee, Wanderers’ singer-songwriter, explained how the song came together quickly in the band’s 60s inspired cabin. “There was something in the air that night, what initially started as a jam, became a nearly fully fleshed out song in about an hour. Told from the perspective of the young journalist in the film and the impact the character Penny had on him.”

“Penny” comes from Wanderers’ forthcoming EP, which should drop later this year. The band will play the following shows in the coming weeks to celebrate its release.

21 August 2021 – The Lab, Adelaide
2 September 2021 – The Gaso, Upstairs, Melbourne
10 September 2021 – Soundcity, Port Lincoln

Image used with permission from Big Oak Records