Tamma Overcomes the Odds With “Beat You Down”

After several vocal surgeries and the traffic loss of her nephew, Tamma knows more about overcoming adversity than most. But rather than letting her struggles consume her, she’s channelled them into her feel-good new single “Beat You Down.”

“Music is my healer and I wanted to write something to make them feel uplifted – the way music does for me. I was thinking about my little nieces (and nephews) navigating through life at different ages and stages; it’s confusing enough as a young one, but then trying to understand that loss on top of that is so hard. I thought about my own journey, what it’s like to be a female today,” she explained of the song’s inspiration. “’Beat You Down’ came at the last minute, and it’s a message for my nieces: if they ever feel discouraged or hurt, don’t let it beat you down. Stay close to your loved ones … it’s a message for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. Life’s bigger than letting toxic people or trivial things get to you.”

The Melbourne-based singer combines pop, soul, and dance vibes into this summery track that should have you singing along before you too long. With much of Australia receiving gloomy, grey weather, Tamma headed to sunny Venice Beach for the film clip.

“Venice Beach is place close to my heart for many reasons: the warmth, the weirdness, the music, blue skies and palm trees, but mainly because of my awesome mates who live there, who also feature in the clip. We filmed some of it in their backyard in their amazing airstream caravan,” she said. “I picked skateboarding because I wanted a visual representation where persistence and resilience pays off. I have always loved and respected skateboarding since I was a kid; it’s an artform that requires courage to master it. You get physically hurt as well as rejected from society and little recognition, you eat shit and you get up again!”

No matter what you’re going through this Monday, crank this one and you’re bound to feel better.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

The Vanns’ Rock Out With “How Was I Supposed to Know”

Wollongong rockers The Vanns have been wowing crowds all around the country on their current tour promoting new single “How Was I Supposed to Know.” They’re playing pubs at the moment, but with a sound this big it’s only a matter of time before they’re in stadiums.

“How Was I Supposed to Know” has everything you want from a rock song: dirty, chunky guitars, powerful vocals, and a chorus that will have you pumping your fist in the air from the first listen.

The track explores the emotions swirling when a relationship breaks down, and the clip, which puts you in the middle of an uncomfortable and explosive dinner date, is the perfect accompaniment.

The Vanns have one more show on their current tour, their first since May. If you’re in the area, catch them at the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost celebrations in Campbelltown on November 3.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Kodey Brims Recalls Memories of Home With New Single “Bundaberg Rum & Coke”

She might be based in Nashville these days, but it seems home isn’t too far from Kodey Brims’ mind. Her new single “Bundaberg Rum & Coke” is a tender nostalgia-tinged ballad about her formative years and the memories one of Australia’s favourite drinks evokes for her.

“On one of my first nights in Nashville I picked up my guitar and wrote this song when I was feeling particularly homesick. One thing I’ve learned about living overseas is that the feeling of homesickness doesn’t really go away, you just find new ways of being okay with it,” Kodey explained. “This song was my way of capturing the good memories of my family staring out onto the sugarcane fields in Maryborough, QLD, all drinking the same Australian rum.”

The heartfelt lyrics of “Bundaberg Rum & Coke” are impressive, but I’ve also fallen for Kodey’s sound, which is like some unique blend of Tori Amos and Natalie Merchant. If you loved these ‘90s songstresses too, this track will be right up your alley.

Ivey Release Poppy Gem, “Won’t Be”

The rain might have been relentless in many parts of the country of late, but Gold Coast five-piece Ivey are bringing the sunshine with their feelgood new single “Won’t Be.” Lifted from their recently released EP Gorgeous, it’s a catchy piece of indie pop brilliance with real summer vibes.

“This song actually began from an ableton loop our drummer Matt had created. Drawn to the lead synth riff you hear at the start of the song, we started to construct a song around it,” the band explained. “What was resulted from that is one our most collaborative songwriting effort to date, and our first exploration into electronic music. ‘Won’t Be’ became a kind of anthem for the whole EP, theming topics of lost love, animosity and clarity.”

Ivey have supported acts like Ocean Alley and Cub Sport, but they’re ready to step into the spotlight with shows celebrating their recent EP release. Hear “Won’t Be” and other tracks from Gorgeous at the following shows.

26 October 2018 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
2 November 2018 – West Thebarton Hotel, Adelaide (FREE)
3 November 2018 – Gasometer (Upstairs), Melbourne
8 December 2018 – Waywards, Sydney
9 December 2018 – North Gong Hotel, Wollongong (FREE)
22 December 2018 – End of Year Party Vol. 2, Gold Coast

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Zap Releases Dreamy New Single “Legs and Arms”

With equal measures of romantic charm and quirk, Zap brings you their latest single “Legs and Arms.” The release is a truly international one; Zap is made up of two Aussies and a Greek who found their artistic groove in their adopted home of Berlin. The film clip, which is sure to make you giggle and also encourage you to book a Mediterranean holiday, took them to the Greek Islands.

Zap have a couple of shows in Berlin, so if you’re spending time in the German capital make sure you check them out. They’ll play Yorckschlösschen on November 2 and Artistania on November 23.

Spectoral Puts Heart and Soul into New EP Release

Melbourne producer Spectoral has just released his debut EP An Incorruptible Dream, so there’s no better time to introduce you to everything he’s about. He has a knack for creating complex, interesting sounds, but for me the most interesting thing about Spectoral is the emotive, poetic lyrics he writes. Sometimes electronic artists neglect that, but the strong emotional core helps anchor every song on Spectoral’s release.

Take my favourite track from the EP, the single “Movin’ On,” an honest exploration of unrequited love. While Spectoral was inspired by a friend’s plight, the song has such heart that it’s easy to imagine he experienced all of the torturous yearning first-hand.

“We’d catch up and she’d always tell me news about this guy she was in love with. Things never really worked in her favour with him because he was already taken – it was this kinda Love Actually moment for her I guess, just in reverse,” recounted Spectoral. “So anyway, we’d chat about it, and she just found it so hard to give up the dream of one day him being hers. So this song’s about that. It’s about accepting the loss and letting it go.”

An Incorruptible Dream, featuring “Movin’ On,” is out now.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Loser Back With Another Earworm, “Phase Me”

Loser prove they’re not one-trick ponies with the release of new single “Phase Me,” the follow-up to their self-titled debut.

“Phase Me” is not quite as aggressive as “Loser” but it’s every bit as addictive. Just try to get that riff out of your head. It’s a real alt-rock gem with a nostalgic ‘90s feel.

“Phase Me” is the latest cut from Loser’s forthcoming debut EP Restless Noise, which will be released on October 26.

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

M-Phazes Releases Stellar Colabs With Daniel Johns & Josh Hardy

Gold Coast producer M-Phazes has teamed up with Daniel Johns and Hopium’s Josh Hardy for two new songs, released as a double A-side called II.

These two tracks couldn’t be more different. “Bad Behaviour,” featuring Daniel Johns, is emotionally intense, hard-hitting and full of aggressive yearning. “Heavy,” featuring Josh Hardy, has a much more chilled sound, with swooning vocals and laidback synths wrapped around powerful lyrics. They show the diversity of the ARIA Award nominated producer and hint at good things to come.

M-Phazes recently wrote on his Instagram, “After 8 years of co-writes, re-writes, label politics, building studios and relocating to LA, I’m finally ready to release a collection of new music that almost never saw the light of day. I’m constantly producing music for other artists but always found it hard to really “finish” my own songs. Those feelings of “is this good enough?” created a weight of expectation that dragged me down, feeling like the music I put out defined my worth as a person. I know I’m not the only one who goes through this and I feel like it’s a big problem throughout the artistic community.”

The release of these strong tracks is definitely a step in the right direction.

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Glades Drop Another Awesome Track Ahead of Album Release

Sydney electro-pop trio Glades has just dropped a killer new cut from their forthcoming debut album, their banging new single “Eyes Wide Shut.” The track comes with an awesome video shot in Los Angeles and directed by Grey Ghost.

“Eyes Wide Shut” is the fourth track lifted from Glades’ debut album To Love You, which will be released on November 2. Glades will celebrate its release with shows around the country at the following venues. Get your tickets while you can; I don’t think these guys will be playing venues as small as these forever!

24 November 2018 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
30 November 2018 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
1 December 2018 – Jive, Adelaide
6 December 2018 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
7 December 2018 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Cyrus On the Comeback Trail With “Blah”

Cyrus has been a little quiet since taking the X Factor crown in 2015. Ordinarily that might be a sign that a reality TV winner will drop out of the industry, but in Cyrus’s case I think we can rest easy. He’s spent the last couple of years honing his craft and surrounding himself with some really cool local talents like Ned Philpot, Feki, Simba, and M2. Listening to his new single “Blah,” it seems time out of the spotlight has done him good.

This is such a cool, fresh track, co-written by Cyrus and his producer Amastro. The delivery is so soulful and the lyrics are authentic, if perhaps a little edgy for X Factor viewers.

“‘Blah’ is about dismissing the social norms and pressures that society places on us. I think everyone has or will experience this sort of pressure at some point in their lives, and can identify with the lyrics of this song,” Cyrus explained. “Walking into this session, I told Angus (Amastro) I wanted to work on something heavy. It’s the most experimental session I’ve been in, and the concept for the song was literally inspired by how honest and free our time was together.”

If you have preconceptions about who the people who win reality TV shows are, I encourage you to leave them behind when you listen to this. It’s a sign that Cyrus is capable of much more than the karaoke covers that thrust him into the limelight.