Category: Single Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Snark Drop Rocking New Single, “Pressure”

Melbourne band Snark are here to shake up your Thursday with their latest track “Pressure.” With elements of pop-punk and indie-rock, this is one of those songs that demands to be cranked up loud.

Frontman Stefan wrote the song dealing with the pressures of Melbourne’s second lockdown last year. As someone living in New South Wales right now, it’s definitely striking a chord with me at the moment!

“I wrote the song in the middle of Melbourne’s second, seemingly never-ending lockdown, as all of life’s stresses really began to pile up and take a toll,” he explained. “I realised that without the outlet or release valve of time with friends and loved ones, I found myself crumbling. I channeled that hopelessness and frustration into this song, as well as a sense of longing for better times. I’m really hoping it can resonate with people and be as cathartic for them as it has been for me.”

Melbourne music lovers, save the date for Snark’s single launch on August 7. They’ll name the venue once they finalise the details, so make sure you give them a follow on Facebook to learn more.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co; credit: Act Four Photography

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Roy Bing Celebrates Sports Legend With Absolute Banger, “Rabs”

I pride myself on appreciating music of all genres, but every now and then I find myself getting into something that even surprises myself. That’s the case with “Rabs,” a high-energy new electro-dance number from Sydney producer Roy Bing.

Now you wouldn’t think that Ray “Rabs” Warren’s enthusiastic commentary would be a natural marriage for the genre, but here we are. Somehow, someway, it works. The track is a celebration of the colourful commentator’s prowess calling rugby league and Australian swimming. I honestly think it’s genius. It’s even been endorsed by the man himself!

“I will not be dancing – but maybe you might have a boogie!” he said.

Roy Bing said “I made this bass-line in Ableton which I had looping in my headphones. For some reason, I went on YouTube (with the loop still playing) and opened a video of ‘State of Origin highlights’ that I was watching the night before. Suddenly, two worlds collided … I heard Rabs’ voice singing over the bass-line – and it blew my mind. I love tech-house beats, and I also love Rabs – so it felt right to do to put them together.”

Ray Warren calls his 99th State of Origin tonight. Cranking this one up is the perfect way to celebrate the milestone. Go the Blues!

Image used with permission from GYRO PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

BARKAA Releases Powerful New Single, “King Brown”

Proud Malyangapa, Barkindji woman BARKAA proves she’s an absolute queen with her new single “King Brown.” I love this track’s empowering lyrics and the way she’s effortlessly married hip hop sounds with some Latin flavour. This is absolute fire.

“I was in a very toxic relationship for years and it did its toll on my confidence and my self-esteem was really low,” BARKAA explained. “I believed in my head I deserved that kind of love at one point. But then after relearning, getting to know myself again and seeing my worth I could never look back. King Brown is just a f*ck you to my ex basically, it’s cheeky, it’s comical and it’s fun … I guess with King Brown I wanted to show that side of me. I made the decision to cut a lot of ties not only for my mental health and well-being, but for my babies. Love is a doing word and if it isn’t actioned it has no room in mine or my babies’ lives. This is a track for my sisters to keep their head up too, to feel good again, and to put their middle fingers up at those who don’t deserve us.”

BARKAA filmed the music video in Sydney with Paven Gill of Sonder Films.

“As soon as we heard the song we knew we wanted strong scenes/visuals to match the energy of the song, especially the vibe of the production,” said Paven. “After listening to the lyrics we wanted to focus on the visuals that show strength, confidence, family, culture while still keeping the overall vibe to be fun and energetic.”

“King Brown” gives us our first taste of BARKAA’s debut EP Blak Matriarchy. And what a taste it is!

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Luke Currie-Richardson

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Your Groove On With Emma Donovan & The Putbacks’ New Single, “Out The Door”

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks have just dropped their funky new single “Out The Door,” giving us an exciting taste of things to come.

“Out The Door reflects our return to the studio and realigning as a band coming out of some very dark and tormenting times. We literally ran out the door from lockdown and jumped deep into the studio,” Emma explained. “When The Putbacks and I are in the studio, we jam, we write and there’s a lot of trust for me to play with lyrics and melody. This single shows our strength as a musical unit, our relationship and trust with one another, and marks my return to the Melbourne community”.

“Out The Door” is the first track lifted from the outfit’s new album Under These Streets, which drops on September 17 as part of the City of Melbourne’s Flash Forward program. The album was written and recorded on Wurundjeri Country, home of the Kulin Nation. It features eight tracks lifted from The Putbacks’ vault and given Emma Donavan’s unmistakeably soulful treatment. And if this first track is any indication, it’s going to be sensational.

Image used with permission from Brain Drain PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Blake O’Connor Goes Retro With “Soul Feeling”

Soul and country don’t seem like a natural music marriage, but Blake O’Connor has brought these genres together for his latest single “Soul Feeling.” I didn’t expect it to work as well as it does, but this is actually brilliant. Just see if you’re not tapping your toes along by the end of it.

“I wrote ‘Soul Feeling’ right around the time when I was heavily listening to a lot of soul-inspired music, and watching a bunch of old videos of the Muscle Shoal Swampers, who were the original rhythm section for Sound Studios,” Blake explained. “That whole era of music is very inspiring to me, from the musical approach to the way they got their sounds in the studio! And when I sat down to write this song, all I could think about was how the upbeat soul songs of that era made you feel.”

Blake gave his hometown of Port Macquarie a retro makeover for the fun video. Set in the local laundromat, it’s such a fabulous throwback.

Blake had to cut his tour with Diesel short due to the unfolding COVID situation, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we see him back on the road.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Don’t Bring Stacey Drop Brilliant New Single, “Bandaid”

Adelaide indie pop-rock act Don’t Bring Stacey are here to shake up your working week with their high-energy new single “Bandaid.” Crank this one up and I swear you’ll feel better. Lead singer Angus Purvis wrote the track on the 2018 Groovin’ the Moo tour while still smarting from a failed relationship.

“Freshly dumped I realised I was actively stopping myself from moving on from the relationship in fear of hurting my now ex-girlfriend. I was still too hopelessly in love with her to put myself first,” he admitted. “The song explores the entirety of this relationship from that seemingly hopeless moment at Groovin’ the Moo to getting back together and breaking up again and finally reflecting three years on. Desperately wanting that feeling to disappear, but also wondering what could be/ could have been. The name band-aid comes from an old chorus for the song but still felt in line with the ideas of the song, knowing you’re not good for each other but being together because it’s easier than being heartbroken. A Band-Aid fix.”

Don’t Bring Stacey will launch “Bandaid” for hometown fans at the Crown and Anchor Hotel on July 14. And they’re pretty psyched about it!

“With a fair few songs under our belt now, playing our first single launch feels well overdue,” the band said. “We’ve got some of our favourite local acts on the bill with us and with some new songs to debut we couldn’t be more excited!”

Sounds like it’ll be a great night out, so don’t miss it Adelaide music lovers!

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Jack Fenby

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sophisticated Dingo Releases Anthem for the Working Week, “Day in the Life”

Getting over the hurdle of Hump Day is hard, but Sophisticated Dingo are here to wake you up with their latest single “Day in the Life.” These guys have always been bold, but their latest track is a real shock to the system. It’s surf-punk turned up to 11 with relatable lyrics about surviving the daily grind.

“I was not enjoying my job, and with time this fed into my wider life that I found myself not enjoying as a whole,” explained frontman Lewis Matte of the song’s inspiration. “At first, I didn’t accept that work was causing me grief, and I’d block out the idea that I was unhappy at all. After a lot of self-reflection and some time in therapy, I came to realise that my job was making me unhappy and this was affecting my overall enjoyment of life. Making the choice to start looking for a new job, and then eventually landing a new role was a really empowering moment.”

“If I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to take the time to think about what you want to do, research how to get the opportunity to do it, and try it out before committing your life to it. This is more important than doing what anyone else thinks you ‘should’ do.”

Despite the threat of COVID still looming large, Sophisticated Dingo have been kicking goals in 2021, playing six sold-out shows in their hometown of Melbourne. The rest of East Coast will get to see why they’re so beloved when they go on the road in a couple of months’ time. Catch them at the following shows:

4 September 2021 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
16 September 2021 – Sideways, Canberra (FREE)
17 September 2021 – The Chippendale Hotel, Sydney
18 September 2021 – Dicey Rileys, Wollongong (FREE)
1 October 2021 – The Tote Hotel, Melbourne
8 October 2021 – Amplifier Bar, Perth

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

iyah may Impresses With New Acoustic Version of “XO Girl”

I love the way an acoustic rendition can make me appreciate a song that initially passed me by. iyah may’s “XO Girl” didn’t grab me when it was originally released, but I’ve fallen in love with her new acoustic take.

This version sees iyah strip away the swagger. With only a gentle keyboard accompaniment, I can appreciate her vocals, lyrics, and the song’s pretty melody. It brings a real gravity to this song that I missed before.

iyah will debut her live show this October at The Grass is Greener Festival at Cairns Showground.

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Elaskia Drops Beautiful New Single “Can’t Help Loving You”

You might not know her name, yet, but the music of Central Coast singer-songwriter Elaskia has been featured in major TV shows like “Dynasty,” “Marvel’s Runaways,” and “Home and Away.” With that kind of exposure, it’s only a matter of time before she gains mainstream awareness. I wonder whether her latest track, “Can’t Help Loving You,” might be the one that makes people sit up and take notice.

It’s certainly got my attention. Its vulnerable lyrics, which so eloquently explore the struggles of leaving a toxic relationship, are so relatable. I also love the way the simple production supports Elaskia’s rich voice, rather than overshadowing it.

If you love what you hear, catch Elaskia at Norah Head’s Lighthouse Festival on November 13.

Image used with permission from Play MPE

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall in Love With Kevin Riady’s New Track, “Marco”

Jakarta-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Kevin Riady wears his heart on his sleeve with his new single, “Marco.” It’s a tender folk-pop song about self-discovery and unrequited love.

Kevin was inspired to write the song after falling in love with a friend, a fellow foreign exchange student he met in Lyon, France. While the song was inspired by a specific relationship, the experience it explores is one Kevin has experienced many times as he struggled with his sexuality.

“I think this song is important to me because these experiences of having straight/curious/closeted friends always put a toll on me and (‘Marco’) is just my way of externalising both conscious and unconsciously,” he explained.

The music video moves the romance from the streets of France to Kevin’s adopted hometown of Melbourne. The self-directed and produced clip beautifully captures the agony and ecstasy of a relationship that almost was. It drops this time next week, so make sure you give his Facebook page a follow to see it. I’ve had a sneak peek, and I know you’re going to love it.

Listen out for more from Kevin Riady. He plans to release his debut EP and play his first full band show later this year.

Image used with permission from Kevin Riady