Canberra singer-songwriter MAXO should get your heart soaring with his new single “Light It Up.” It’s a uplifting song which MAXO says it “about leaving the 9-5 jobs, chasing my dreams, and bringing everyone along for the ride. To break their shackles. To chase their dreams. To feel ALIVE!”
I’ve written about MAXO a few times and I think he’s going from strength to strength. With one accomplished pop-rock song after the next, I can’t wait to hear his next release.
Taking their cues from Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, Melbourne act Leipzig Lab have released a hard-hitting single “Unloved.”
This is actually the band’s fifth single but their first released in six months. The hiatus seems to have done that good, with the band refining their sound and creating something which is bold and unforgettable.
“We write all of our songs over the internet,” explained one half of the duo, Keiran Bahlmann. “We both have home studios and a shared drive. We take turns with coming up with parts and recordings, these automatically arrive in each other’s studios. It’s the beauty of making music in this age, we can work and rework a song until we know it’s the best it can be before we even get to rehearse it.”
It’s an unconventional approach to the creative process, but when it turns out music this strong, who am I to question it?
Image used with permission from The A&R Department
Meg Mac has given us one more reason to get tickets for her upcoming shows, her brand new single “Something Tells Me.” It’s everything you want in a Meg Mac song, strength and vulnerability, killer vocals and those melodic hooks you just can’t get out of your head.
Meg is currently touring Europe, after recent dates in North America, so she’s bound to be in fine form once she finally touches down on home soil. Many Aussie shows are already sold out, so the remaining tickets won’t last long. If you manage to nab one, make sure you arrive early enough for the support act, Fergus James. Meg hand-picked Fergus, a triple j unearthed artist, as she felt the platform was so pivotal to her own career. Catch Meg Mac in Oz or abroad at the following shows.
12 March 2019 – Baumhaus, Berlin
14 March 2019 – Paradiso – Upstairs, Amsterdam
15 March 2019 – Pop Up , Paris
16 March 2019 – Botanique – Witloof Bar, Brussels
18 March 2019 – Omeara, London (SOLD OUT)
6 April 2019 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
12 April 2019 – Coffs Ex Services Club, Coffs Harbour
13 April 2019 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
14 April 2019 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast, QLD
3 May 2019 – The Wool Exchange, Geelong (SOLD OUT)
4 May 2019 – Forum Theatre, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
8 May 2019 – ANU, Canberra (SOLD OUT)
9 May 2019 – Uni Bar, Wollongong
10 May 2019 – Newcastle Uni, Newcastle (SOLD OUT)
16 May 2019 – Tanks, Cairns (SOLD OUT)
23 May 2019 – Hobart Uni, Hobart
13 June 2019 – HQ, Adelaide
14 June 2019 – Astor Theatre, Perth (SOLD OUT)
Melbourne-based writer-producer Sam Phay has floored me with his latest offering “Fool.” It’s difficult to believe this is just Sam’s second solo offering. There’s a confidence in this electronic track, yet a vulnerability in the vocals which reminds me a little of works from James Blake and Matt Corby.
Sam took inspiration from Father John Misty’s “The Songwriter,” which he says “really made me think about how I write, and that it is so often through my own eyes. But, so many of my stories had an entire other person experiencing those things with me. I wanted to write the other side of the story.”
“Fool” comes from Sam’s forthcoming EP Botanical, which drops later this year. He’ll play the following shows with Machine Age next month.
20 April 2019 – The Bearded Lady, Brisbane
26 April 2019 – The Gaso Upstairs, Melbourne
27 April 2019 – Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar, Sydney
Image used with permission from Arow Agency
Aurelia and Deutsch Duke are two exciting Australian acts making waves overseas. When you put two such talented people together, magic is bound to happen. And so it does with their brand new single “Battleground II.”
As the name suggests, this isn’t your average three-minute pop song. It’s an epic, cinematic, atmospheric piece that really needs to be heard rather than read about. Listen in.
“There was a lot of crazy things going on in the world at the time, there still are I guess, and we just felt really compelled to write about how it’s so common to be living in fight mode and how desperately we need to choose peace and kindness,” Aurelia explained.
These guys have teamed up several times for other people’s projects. It’s thrilling hearing them now making their own beautiful music together.
Image used with permission from Beehive PR
Melbourne soul singer Kattimoni has releases a sassy new single, just in time for International Women’s Day. “I Do What I Want” is a fierce feminine anthem about independence and living your best life. Turn it up loud ladies!
“We don’t have to listen to all the noise that tell us what to do, how to look and who to be,” Kattimoni insists. “Take ownership of yourself, trust your own inner authority and do what you want. Be the Boss Queen of your own life.”
Kattimoni will launch “I Do What I Want” at Brunswick’s The Penny Black on March 30.
Tesse and Georgia Mulligan have come together for one of the most beautiful duets I’ve heard in some time. “Over Now” is a bit of a slow burner, but take a moment to let it wash over you. The connection that comes through is really so magical.
This collaboration has been a long time coming, as Tom Stephens, who records under the name Tesse, and Georgia met in the studio way back in 2015.
“I was called in to play drums on Georgia’s record,” he recalled. “From the start there was an ease to the interaction. Georgia is a straight shooter; it saves a lot of time. There’s a mutual understanding and appreciation for the process.”
Both artists had a big year in 2018. Tesse released the debut album How it Unfolds and supported the likes of Jack River, Angie McMahon, and Oh Mercy. Meanwhile Georgia impressed at BIGSOUND and Newtown Festival. Both acts had tracks among the most played on FBi Radio. However, they’re both happy to take time out from their own careers to explore something new together.
“It gets exhausting focusing solely on your own creative pursuits,” Georgia added. “It’s refreshing diving into someone else’s headspace and seeing how they tackle the creative process.”
Tesse is working on album number two while Georgia will release her debut album Mirror in April. But before all that, they’ll team up for a blink-and-you’ll-miss it tour celebrating the release of “Over Now.” Both shows are free to attend, so there’s really no excuse for missing them!
21 March 2019 – Golden Age Cinema, Sydney
23 March 2019 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Tesse
Queensland’s own High Tropics have released the indie rock song you’re bound to find yourself singing all day. Their new single “Feel the Same” is ridiculously catchy with a nostalgic feel that quickly gets under your skin.
Singer and songwriter Josh Stewart says the song is about “finally reaching that goal or milestone you’ve been chasing, only to find that nothing has changed at all.”
And haven’t we all been there! 2018 was a massive year for High Tropics, who represented Australia in the Project Aloft Star Asia competition in South Korea and got us all streaming “You Never Made it Easy” and “Wait for You.”
High Tropics promise they’ll play shows around the country in the coming months. In the meantime, they’ve announced they’ll be at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on May 25.
Image used with permission from Good Intent
Gold Coast electronic artist Jordan Burns, making music under the moniker Reynier, has just dropped a fresh new track “Lukewarm,” the second single from his forthcoming EP Surrender.
“This is one of the more upbeat songs on the upcoming EP,” Reynier explained. “This song has an uplifting and positive energy to it. When listening I can imagine people on each other’s shoulders, in a crowd at a festival all singing along and grooving out.”
The dreamy single sees Reynier collaborating with singer-songwriter KESMAR, who believes working with artists like Jordan is a vital part of his creative process.
“It can be so refreshing working with someone new, and especially when working with someone as talented as Jordan,” he said.
Surrender will be released in April. If the tracks I’ve heard so far are any indication, Reynier has a bright future ahead.
Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Yen Nguyen hasn’t released material under his alias Mechanical Pterodactyl for seven long years. But as they say, some things are worth waiting for. He’s breaking his silence with a new single “Strike Up a Match,” a cool track which explores the monotony of being stuck in a familiar grind. Could it be more appropriate for Wednesday?
I love the way Yen’s dark brooding vocals interplay with the sweeter sound of his guest single Jenny Lee. Her angelic voice really elevates this already strong single.
“Strike Up a Match” comes from Mechanical Pterodactyl’s forthcoming sophomore album Timelapse.
Image used with permission from The Right Profile