Melbourne musician Marbee has thoroughly charmed me with her new single “Music Box.” It builds beautifully, starting with angelic, soft vocals and the gentle tones of a xylophone before the rock undertones really kick in with the chorus.
“I intend to awaken happy and nostalgic feelings from childhood, mixed with shades of ‘rains and thunder’ that even a childlike past cannot escape from,” Marbee explained. “The repetitive melody imitates the cyclical tone of the music box, evoking the protective, albeit fragile, shelter of human relations as well as the enchanting and lulling attraction of music in its simplest mechanical form. I recorded the xylophone in a 100 year-old building to capture its ancient atmospherics … ‘When I play the music box, it takes me back to home.’”
I’m always on the lookout for music that feels really fresh, and this track really fits the bill. It’s only Marbee’s first single, and it makes me pretty excited to hear more.
Marbee will launch “Music Box” in Melbourne tomorrow night, March 13, at The Tote Upstairs. Tickets are available now from the venue and Oztix.
Parker dropped her new single “Lie Low” a couple of days ago, just in time for International Women’s Day, but there’s never a bad time for female empowerment, right? So if you didn’t catch it then, make sure you listen now.
When you do, really listen to those lyrics. It’s so easy to get swept up in her angelic, ethereal voice, but those lyrics are what really sold me on this song. They’re so strong and wise. While I think they’ll really hit a chord with female listeners, I can imagine plenty of men will take something from them as well. If you’ve ever tried to shrink yourself down and or present a front that’s more palatable for the world than your authentic self, this one’s for you.
“I’ve always held myself with a belief that I should exist in the world with quiet grace. Not be too loud or stand out too much … Even though my friends, parents and partners have encouraged me to follow my dreams I always felt this responsibility to not be too loud or abrasive, to look pretty, to sound pretty, to not challenge people too much, make music and art that is beautiful and easy to listen to and look at,” she admitted. “Hans and I were working remotely on the track and we had the ‘be less, be less’ section looping at the end. I felt this rage inside me in response to that idea. This feeling of frustration at all the times I’ve controlled my emotions so that I didn’t make others feel uncomfortable. I set up my mic in my bedroom and just started screaming and yelling until finally it felt like my heart cracked open. The floodgates opened up and I wept loudly for about 10 mins.”
The emotions kept flowing for the music video. Parker explained the artistic choices she made in this beautifully surreal clip.
“We talked about the courage it takes as a woman to put yourself first in a world where there are still so many expectations for women to play support roles in both career and domestic spaces. Thinking about the concept of sacrificing time and energy for another we found a way to represent this with the metaphor of colour being drained from one character to another. I like that it is not explicit that the colour is being taken or given. When the character drops to her knees she could be crying or she could be praying. When we worship our loved ones we can fall into our own pattern of giving too much of ourselves to them.”
This isn’t the first time Parker’s impressed me, but I think “Lie Low” might be her best single yet. What do you think readers?
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Wilk
SENNSES’ latest single “Outside” feels more like the kind of track you’d listen to in the wee small hours in a sweaty club than first thing on a weekday morning. However, this electro-synth tune is helping me shake off that morning sluggishness, so I figure it might do the same for you.
“Outside” is incredibly catchy but it also has a beautiful, bittersweet quality. Trent Broussard’s vocals are so haunting and those synth sounds are just gorgeous.
“For me, this song is all about staying in your own lane, not listening to the noise and not listening to people when they say you can’t do something,” explained the other half of the Melbourne duo, Hayden Gordic. “It’s something we have lived by from day one, and something that has pushed us forward.”
“Outside’ is about the negative energy that all of us have to deal with in day-to-day life, especially when we choose to pursue a goal/vision,” Trent added. “The chorus of the song captures the sense of ‘calm’ you feel when you realise that people’s opinions don’t matter, and that only you can determine your own success.”
It might be Thursday, but crank “Outside” up anyway and remember the weekend isn’t too far away!
Adelaide quartet Pinkish Blu has won me over with their latest single “Backward.” With a clap-along chorus, relatable angsty lyrics, and a heavy sense of bittersweet nostalgia, this track ticks all the boxes. It’s the sort of song that you just want to keep listening to, but it almost didn’t see the light of day.
“During COVID we felt nostalgic and were looking back on our old demos and found ‘Backward’, actually, four different versions of ‘Backward’. From what it was back then to what it is now is vastly different, but the core idea of the song has remained prevalent throughout,” explained frontman Brice Young. “Sonically we’ve evolved to a sound we’re really comfortable with, which has given us the opportunity to be more open and wear our hearts on our sleeve.”
The nostalgia continues with the music video, which was filmed at Gawler Cinemas.
“Reflecting on something you may have just gone through or went through a long time ago … when you reflect on things that hold strong emotional value, these moments can play out in your head like scenes from a movie. We hit up our local small-town cinema and managed to convince them to let us film a music video there for a whole day,” added bassist Ricky Liddell.
If you’ve missed Pinkish Blu on the live circuit, the way is almost over. They’ll hit the road with Odette this May. Catch them at the following venues:
14 May 2021 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
21 May 2021 – The Triffid, Brisbane
22 May 2021 – The Northern, Byron Bay
23 May 2021 – HOTA, Gold Coast
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Noah Sutherland
Dean Lewis set such a high bar with his debut album a Place We Knew. It attracted attention all over the world. Suddenly he was hitting stages like Lollapalooza, Isle of Wight, and Splendour in the Grass. Household names like Ellen Degeneres and Jimmy Kimmel were clamouring to get him on their shows. After enjoying such a meteoric rise, everyone wondered what he’d do next. We finally have our answer with the release of “Falling Up,” the first single lifted from Dean’s sophomore album.
Dean doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, and nor should he. This track is emotive and relatable. We might never have experienced Dean’s particular struggles, but we certainly know the feelings of anxiety and isolation he sings about. This song feels accessible from the get-go because it’s a catchy pop song with real heart.
“I always thought I would be happy when I finished school or when I passed an exam, or I got a job or a promotion or if I went travelling and then I was like – ‘ooh, now I have a record deal, what if I have a big song? Then, I had a big song, and I was on the road for three years and when I stopped, I realised it had all passed me by and I was actually less present and more anxious and stressed than ever,” he admitted. “I looked back on my life and at all of these points along the way and I realised that I’ve never felt any better, it’s always been onto the next thing, always moving.”
Dean hasn’t announced when that new album will drop, but this single is sure to get people excited about its imminent release.
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Darren Craig
Peach PRC has attracted a legion of fans on TikTok since launching her channel in 2019, but with recent deals with Republic Records and Island Records Australia, it’s time for the rest of the country to fall in love with her. Peach PRC is making a strong statement with her debut single “Josh.” If you’ve ever had an ex you’d rather keep in the past, this shimmery, sassy pop track is for you.
“I’ve been wanting to put out this song forever,” she said. “It’s very special to me because it captured a real moment. I was a bit down when I was writing one day. My ex, Josh, kept calling me over and over again. He called all of the time because he was trying to get back with me. I thought I had blocked him though. Since he didn’t stop bothering me, I wrote the song about him. It’s a true story, but it’s still meant to be fun and colorful.”
Peach PRC already has more than 1.2 million TikTok followers and her videos have been streamed on the channel more than 10 million times. However, on listening to her latest song, I think she’s got real crossover appeal. Expect to hear a lot more about this Aussie talent in the coming months.
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Imogen Wilson
Guy Sebastian delivers another pop masterclass with the release of his latest single “Only Thing Missing.” Lifted from last year’s number one album T.R.U.T.H., it’s an effortlessly cool blend of pop and R’n’B, with a laidback funky groove and upbeat vibes. Just try listening to this one without a smile on your face.
“I wrote ‘Only Thing Missing’ on a songwriting camp in the thick of lockdown. It was one of the first virtual songwriting camps I had been a part of so it was a new way to write, which was actually exciting,” Guy explained. “For this session, I was in my home studio in Sydney and streaming online with Trevor and Zaire of The Orphanage, who were in LA. We started by building the track which was really fun, and we were loving the vibe and verses, but the chorus was taking time to come.”
Add the track to your Spotify or Apple Music library and you could win a signed Guy Sebastian puzzle. Guy will tour his T.R.U.T.H. album later this year. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows:
4 November 2021 – Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
5 November 2021 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
6 November 2021 – Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast
10 November 2021 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
12 November 2021 – Aware Super Theatre @ ICC Sydney, Sydney
13 November 2021 – Aware Super Theatre @ ICC Sydney, Sydney
14 November 2021 – Aware Super Theatre @ ICC Sydney, Sydney
17 November 2021 – Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo
19 November 2021 – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
20 November 2021 – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
21 November 2021 – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
22 November 2021 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
24 November 2021 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
26 November 2021 – RAC Arena, Perth
30 November 2021 – Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns
1 December 2020 – Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre, Townsville
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia
I knew Sachém’s new single “ZZZ’s” was something special from the moment that Donny Hathaway sample kicked in. It’s an insightful track with some fantastic rhymes exploring the importance of self-belief.
“The song ‘Zzz’s’ is a story of self-realisation told through the perspective of a young indigenous man stuck in the whirlwind of modern day life,” Sachém said, adding that he hopes people listening to this single will understand that”the frustrations we project outward, are just reflections of ourself. We must go within to find the answer and to find our peace.”
Sachém recently tore up the stage at the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl. Keep your ear to the ear to the ground because you’ll want to be wherever he’s playing next.
Feki has worked with some of Australia’s most exciting artists, including LANKS, Sloan Peterson, and Cyrus, so he knows talent when he sees it. So when he says “Paris Irwin is one of the most talented human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” you know she’s got something special. She’s captivated me with her latest single “Dark Tourist,” which Feki produced in his home studio. The song’s themes of alienation are so relatable, but Paris had a very specific idea in mind.
“The song’s concept holds a few different meanings however the primary tale narrates a story about a teenage witch growing up in a modern world,” she explained. “She is forced to keep her powers a secret from her significant other, knowing deep down she’ll have to keep torturing herself with silence as he will undoubtedly think she’s lost the plot and everyone will think she’s clinically insane.”
I’ve had “Dark Tourist” on repeat basically since it landed in my inbox earlier this month, so I’m so glad it’s out in the world and I can share it with you all. Get onto this one; it’s fantastic.
David M. Western’s new track “Take Your Opportunities” is like the musical equivalent of a cup of tea. It encourages you to slow down and just appreciate the moment. Its acoustic melody and direct lyrics seem simple, but they’re so good for the soul. The song explores the early days of a relationship, telling the story of a couple who are interesting in one another, but unsure whether they can commit.
“This is the second chapter in this journey that I’m trying to detail through my releases,” David explained. “I wrote it almost tongue in cheek about a relationship between two people entering into a relationship. Kind of like a ‘are you serious? I can barely cross the street or behave like a real person. How can you afford to take a chance on me?’. I wanted to ramble off things about these characters whose lives were a hot mess and were also looking at themselves saying ‘is this possible for someone to actually want this?’. With my single before – ‘Instant Life’ – I was detailing what the listener was getting into, now this song reads as a ‘brace yourself. Get ready. We’re going all the way here’.”
“Take Your Opportunities” is the second track lifted from David’s forthcoming debut album. He’s emerging from his pandemic bubble to play his first show of 2021 at Some Velvet Morning in Collingwood on March 13. Entry is free, so there’s no excuse for staying home!
Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit Joe Nigel Coleman
