Category: Single Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hayley Marsten Tackles Painful Divorce in “Coming Home”

Gladstone country artist Hayley Marsten wears her heart on her sleeve in her new single “Coming Home,” a powerful track recalling her teenage experiences as a child of divorce and the way those formative years still impact her today.

The song has been some time in the making. She’d sketched out the bare bones of the song, but found it difficult to complete the emotional number. It wasn’t until she started collaborating with six-time Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell on the DAG Songwriter’s Retreat that she figured out exactly what she wanted to say. The song has really resonated with fans, as Hayley recounts.

‘Coming Home’ is the song from Lonestar I get the most messages about,” she explained. People come up to me after gigs to tell me they identify with it or that it made them cry.” It’s rare for a song to move people to tears and Hayley is forever grateful for people sharing their own stories, believing “it’s extra special for that to happen on such a personal song.”

“Coming Home” comes from Hayley’s EP Lonestar. You can hear more when Hayley kicks off her Tour With No Name alongside Arna Georgia in Melbourne tomorrow.

12 September 2018 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
13 September 2018 – Bayview Country Art Club, Bittern
14 September 2018 – Music Man Megastore, Bendigo
15 September 2018 – Commercial Hotel, Terang
16 September 2018 – The Loft, Warnambool
29 September 2018 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane
25 October 2018 – Oodies Café, Bundaberg
26 October 2018 – Willy Ed’s, Gladstone
27 October 2018 – Saleyards, Rockhampton
28 October 2018 – Captain Cook Caravan Park, 1770
1 November 2018 – The Green Owl, Brisbane

Image used with permissio from Wild Heart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Indie Artist Mousewater Releases Brave Debut Single, “Panic Stations”

Melbourne singer songwriter Mousewater has released his psychedelic debut single “Panic Stations.”

It’s one hell of a way to introduce your music to the world. It’s ambitious, fearlessly so, with intimate lyrics exploring the way life’s pressures can trigger anxiety.

“I was riding to work on my scooter one morning, it’s about an hour commute, the ride always gives me time to think and sometimes song melodies pop into my head,” explained Mousewater. “Wearing a helmet, nobody can hear me, so I play with the melody and lyric. When I get to work I would find some secluded spot to sing the idea onto my phone before it disappeared forever. This was the genesis for a number of the songs on the album, including ‘Panic Stations.’”

Mousewater took total control of the track, recording it in his home studio. All the engineering, instrumentation, and performance you hear comes from Mousewater.

Mousewater cut his teeth playing in indie rock acts touring along the country’s East Coast. However, the touring lifestyle left him physically and mentally exhausted, leading to an extended hiatus from the music industry. It seems the time away has done him good, because this is inspired music.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Eliza Hull Returns to Music Scene With Rewind

Eliza Hull has a special way of tugging at your heart through her music. She seems to move the listener effortlessly with a turn of phrase, a melody, a note of her heavenly voice. Her 2015 debut The Bones of Us was so impressive, but she proves she’s got plenty more to say with “Rewind,” the first single lifted from her forthcoming follow-up EP, How We Disappeared.

Cowritten with Joel Quartermain, the song looks back at the past without ever losing focus of the present and future.

“‘Rewind’ is about how suddenly a person you loved can become a stranger,” Eliza explained. “I find that so unnatural and bizarre.”

I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed Eliza Hull’s music until I heard this song. Now I can’t wait to hear more when the EP drops on October 26. Eliza is playing the following shows over the coming months.

27 October 2018 – Kyneton Music Festival, Kyneton
8 November 2018 – Golden Age Cinema, Sydney (with Julia Johnson)
10 November 2018 – Boney, Melbourne (with Gena Rose Bruce and Julia Johnson)
11 November 2018 – The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine (with Julia Johnson)

Image used with permission from Eliza Hull

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Funky With Bootleg Rascal

Sydney ghetto dubsters Bootleg Rascal have just dropped a groovy new single “Mercy,” our first taste of their sophomore album Anònimo.

“Mercy” is so catchy, with a funky reggae core and a gospel-laden vocal hook. Those synthesisers are making me feel nostalgic, and I love the way the female harmonies complement the flawless vocals from Bootleg Rascal frontman Carlos Lara.

Bootleg Rascal will celebrate Anònimo’s October 5 release with shows along the East Coast. Tickets are on sale now.

19 October 2018 – Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
25 October 2018 – Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast
27 October 2018 – The Northern, Byron Bay
2 November 2018 – UOW Uni Bar, Wollongong
4 November 2018 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
5 November 2018 – Howler, Melbourne
9 November 2018 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane

Image used with permission from The Neighbourhood

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nathan Cavaleri Lays “Demons” Bare

Nathan Cavaleri had a rapid rise to fame. I remember him as a little tacker playing with Tommy Emmanuel and regularly appearing on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. By the age of 12 he was in the center of a bidding war between the labels of Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. By the age of 16 he’d already toured with B.B. King, played for the Clintons at the Kenny Centre. He rubbed shoulders with Jimmy Page and Mark Knopfler.

His battle with leukaemia at the tender age of seven was well documented. You might assume after beating cancer and gaining global attention for your music, life would be all smooth sailing. But in 2010, his battles with insomnia and anxiety were brought to the fore when he blacked out on a festival stage. The experience shattered his confidence, and he stepped away from his music, expecting he’d never return.

But he did.

“To move through those four years of paralysing anxiety/depression I had to ask myself the question, ‘Why’?” Nathan explained. “Out of self-preservation, I had to find reasons to fight and be ruthless in discarding any reason that wasn’t rock solid.”

In the process he rediscovered the same cathartic connection with music he had all those years ago when facing down cancer. During that time he wrote his new single “Demons,” and the EP of the same name.

It’s a fascinating story, and one that helps you understand the song, but “Demons” is the kind of track that stands up without it. I listened to it before I read the press release and knew where it came from, and was so impressed by the way Nathan’s sound has developed over the years. It’s an incredible track.

If you want to hear more, you can see Nathan playing shows along the East Coast in October and November. Here are all the dates you need.

6 October 2018 – Mane Event Music Festival, Geelong
7 October 2018 – Bar Open, Melbourne
13 October 2018 – 5 Church St, Bellingen
14 October 2018 – Panthers, Port Macquarie (FREE)
26 October 2018 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
27 October 2018 – Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane
28 October 2018 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
1 November 2018 – 505, Sydney
3 November 2018 – Flow Bar, Old Bar
4 November 2018 – The Rhythm Hut, Gosford

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Caiti Baker Showcases Bold New Sound With “Gimme”

Caiti Baker is all attitude in her new single “Gimme.” It’s a track with plenty of bite, cutting vocals and a unique sound blending roots samples, grinding bass, and electronics. “Gimme” gives us an exciting taste of a brand new batch of songs from this Darwin talent.

“These tracks seemed to push themselves in a new direction for us creatively—there were more elements of trap, synths and big bass that we were really excited about, but we knew they didn’t suit what we were going for on Zinc,” said Caiti. “We decided to come back to them later with fresh ears and that’s exactly what we did.”

The new songs will drop later this year, but you can get a sneak peek on Caiti’s forthcoming tour, her biggest solo one yet. Catch her at the following venues around the country.

20 September 2018 – Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River
21 September 2018 – Indi Bar, Scarborough
22 September 2018 – Blues for the Bush, Perenjori
26 September 2018 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 September 2018 – Yah Yah’s, Melbourne
29 September 2018 – Caloundra Music Festival, Sunshine Coast
29 September 2018 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
4 October 2018 – Waywards, Newtown
5 October 2018 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
6 October 2018 – Granite Town Music Festival, Moroya

Image used with permission from SGC Media; photo credit: Michelle Grace Hunder

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall in Love With Michael Burrows’ New Single


Melbourne singer-songwriter Michael Burrows has created another crowd-pleasing earworm, the title track from his forthcoming EP Turn This Love Around. The single doesn’t officially drop until September 10, but I wanted to give you the inside scoop.

“Turn This Love Around” a delightful blend of pop, country, and folk, with relatable lyrics about a relationship facing tough times. The track comes from Michael’s recent recording sessions in Nashville, where he rubbed shoulders with Frank Myers, who’s written tracks for John Michael Montgomery and Lonestar, and Jimmy Nichols, the former musical director of Faith Hill and Reba McEntire.

Michael Burrows isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but there’s something about his straightforward brand of music that’s so likeable. He recently wrote on Facebook that he’s ready for some live gigs, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we can see him do his thing in person.

Image used with permission from Australian Radio Promotion

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Peter Combe Takes Christmas Album on the Road

When I was a kid, we didn’t have giants of children’s entertainment like The Wiggles or Hi-5. They weren’t tempting us with merchandise or wearing colourful costumes. They were far more unassuming. Peter Combe might not have attracted the global fanbase of today’s kiddie megastars, but he found a special place in our hearts. So I’m sure plenty of my readers will be thrilled to hear Peter isn’t just rereleasing his beloved 1990 festive recording, Christmas Album; he’s taking the album on tour!

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of wonderful letters, emails, Facebook messages and many many more comments from families for 28 years expressing their love for this particular album,” says Peter. “I’ve been deeply touched by these expressions of love for the songs.”

“The album expresses the optimism of the Christmas message. I like to think the audiences will be uplifted by the joy expressed in the songs and the care that went into the writing them. It was a genuine labour of love. Christmas is unique in that it can be appreciated at a deep level whether you are Christian, agnostic or atheist.”

This album’s fans will know one of the things that makes its songs so special are the choirs that elevate the tracks. Determined to bring that same feel to the live shows, he’s contacted high schools in all the capitals to find great choirs to accompany him at each gig.

If you want to spend this festive season with the one and only Peter Combe, make sure you book your tickets now. Surely these nostalgic seasonal shows will sell out!

25 November 2018 – Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth
2 December 2018 – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
8 December 2018 – Dunstan Playhouse @ Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
12 December 2018 – Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne
14 & 15 December 2018 – Wrest Point, Hobart
18 & 19 December 2018 – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan
21 December 2018 – Monkey Baa, Sydney

Image used with permission from Hot Off the Press Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ocean Alley Prepare for Final Aussie Tour of 2018 to Promote “Happy Sad” Single

As I listened to Ocean Alley’s current single “Happy Sad” for the umpteenth time today, I came to a shocking realisation. Somehow I neglected to write about it. With the song’s video just released and a regional tour approaching, there seemed no better time to correct the oversight.

I just love this song, with its wailing guitars that seem to cry in response to the yearning lyrics. Vocalist Baden Donegal captures those bittersweet feelings of a relationship gone wrong so perfectly. Then there’s that fantastic video, with footage captured on four cameras over Ocean Alley’s recent Aussie and American tour.

Punters are snapping up tickets at a cracking pace for what will be Ocean Alley’s last headlining shows of the year. Get yours now, if they haven’t already sold out!

29 September 2018 – Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong
5 October 2018 – The Beery, Terrigal
7 October 2018 – UC Refectory, Canberra
12 October 2018 – The Roundhouse, Sydney
14 October 2018 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast
19 October 2018 – HQ, Adelaide

Image used with permission from Bianca Blancato

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nollsy Re-Releases “Lean On Me” for Drought Angels

We’re all trying to do our bit to support the farmers battling drought around the country. Whether it’s donating formal wear, food, or our spare change at the checkout, Aussies are banding together. However, what if you could lend a helping hand simply by listening to music? It sounds like a win-win to me!

Condoblin’s favourite son Shannon Noll has made it simple with the re-release of his 2012 anthem “Lean On Me.” 100% of the money raised from the single’s sale and digital streams will go straight to Drought Angels.

“This is essentially my shout out song for all city folk, especially, to lend a hand to their country cousins. People on the land are quite proud. We need them to know we are here for them and that they are not alone, it could provide them with some hope when many are, sadly, feeling hopeless due to this natural disaster,” Shannon said.

“Lean On Me is the song that came to me straight away when I was thinking what could I do within the industry to help. It came to me because the words are not my personal story, they are words for everyone to interpret how they feel with their own personal situation. All I hope is that the farmers and volunteers know it is really about and for them.”

Download or simply stream “Lean on Me” on Spotify or iTunes to do your bit. Look, I’ve made it easy for you by embedding the Spotify player. No excuses!

Image used with permission from Rock This Country