Bekdö has captured my heart with her new single “Dangerous.”
This song has such an endearing spirit to it, a naivety and honesty that sometimes gets lost in the technology of electro-pop music.
Expect to hear big things from this charming Melbourne muso.
Sydney band Ocean Alley can seem to do no wrong, and the rest of the world is beginning to take notice. They’ve just dropped another stellar single, “Knees,” from their critically acclaimed sophomore album Chiaroscuro, and I can’t stop listening.
It’s the perfect blend of soul and rock, full of yearning and honesty.
Ocean Alley are currently in the midst of a massive North American tour. If you’re in that part of the world, here are the remaining dates. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see some shows back here in Oz.
19 June 2018 – Brighton Music Hall, Allston
20 June 2018 – The Foundry at The Fillmore, Philadelphia
22 June 2018 – Mercury Lounge, New York
23 June 2018 – DC9, Washington
25 June 2018 – Blueberry Hill, University City
27 June 2018 – Larimer Lounge, Denver
29 June 2018 – Valley Bar, Phoenix
30 June 2018 – Constellation Room, Santa Ana
Image used with permission from Bianca Blancato
Melbourne’s Maya might just have one of the most soulful voices in the country. It’s used to full effect on her latest single “Blackout.”
“Releasing this single has got to be one of the most exciting times of my career,” she said. “’Blackout’ means so much to me lyrically and I feel like the production is the next step sound that really represents my aesthetic … Most people have ‘blacked out’ before, whether it’s when they drink, if they black out a bad memory, or if they just forget certain things. This song takes you through my perspective and how I felt when it happened to me – it was inspired by so many moments of blackout in myself that I still fight every day.”
“Blackout” saw Maya collaborating with producer Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe, Meg Mac) and director Grace Moore, who helped her put together this dramatic video.
“The ‘Blackout’ video shows a cross between the dark reality and positive space,” Maya explained. “It captures a representation of the dark energies that are felt in those fragile times, juxtaposed with a bright, welcoming space that leads to happiness. The video, set the morning after the night before, features the Blackout Girls chasing me out of my dark memories until finally I arrive at a space where there is no black. There I’m free from the watchful eyes of the blackout, and surrounded by positivity and light.”
Maya is currently in New York City working with some of the world’s best writers and producers, but it won’t be too long before she’s back home putting the finishing touches on some fresh new music for us all.
Image used with permission from On the Map PR
Pop has gotten to be a bit of a dirty word in recent years. A few local artists like Troy Sivan, Sia, and The Veronicas have earned the respect of critics, but by and large pop has become a genre that’s easy to poke fun at. However, when done right pop music can be sublime. Sydney’s Nick Summerfield shows the Australian pop scene has another artist worth taking seriously with the release of his new single “Shelter.”
“Shelter is a story of my personal growth,” Nick explained. “I was in a pretty unhappy place when I started writing, but I knew the only person that could change that was me. The lyrics talk about facing truth and confronting yourself – I had to look at myself, my flaws and questioned if I was good enough during those times of instability and vulnerability.”
This is such good stuff. I can’t wait to hear more from this self-taught talent.
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
Family Fold, the latest musical venture from Paul Andrews of Lazy Susan fame, has just dropped their brand new single “Crying in the Carwash.” It’s a straight-up pop rock pleaser with a soaring string section and solid lyrics.
“I recorded the track in Nashville with a guy called Brad Jones who has worked with lots of Australian artists like Bob Evans, Missy Higgins and Melody Pool,” Paul explained. “When it came to recording the solo … we were stuck for what instrument we should use. I suggested strings and Brad’s face immediately lit up. ‘I have a guy in Kentucky,’ which sounded so awesome I wouldn’t have cared if it was someone scraping a piece of cut glass across a toy ukulele, I had to go with it.
“We sent the track away, with no parts having been written, to this ‘guy in Kentucky’ and it came back magically a few days later with the most stunning string parts. ‘I have a guy in Kentucky’ has now entered my every day vocab for something a bit ‘on the down low’ that comes through with the goods.”
“Crying in the Carwash” gives us our first taste of Family Fold’s new album Ashfield Skyline. It’s set to drop in August, but you can get a cheeky sneak peek when the band played The Hideaway Bar in Enmore on July 21.
South Australia is such fertile rock ground, giving birth to such legendary names as Cold Chisel, The Angels, The Mark of Cain, Sarah McLeod, and Masters Apprentices. The latest SA act to catch my attention are Indiago, a four-piece who are giving me serious Kings of Leon vibes with their latest track “Gusto.”
“We’ve been through a lot of changes over the past twelve months,” says frontman Will Solomon. “I think this is a perfect example of where we’re at musically, and the song stands as a dedication to those who’ve stuck with us.”
It’s still a little rough around the edges, but Indiago have definitely got some skills. I’m looking forward to hearing more from this talented South Australian act.
Image used with permission from Mixed Muse PR
I know a bluegrass version of “Run to Paradise” sounds pretty far out, but open your ears and your minds to this cover from Melbourne’s Mustered Courage. Featuring none other than Mark Gable, it’s the cover you never knew you needed to hear.
It all came about after Mark had a chance meeting with the band during the 2012 Country Music Festival in Tamworth. He praised their work, and a fast friendship was formed.
“Being a young band and our first ever trip to the Festival, it really meant a lot to us,” explained guitarist Julian Abrahams. Their paths crossed paths for several years until the band “mustered the courage” to ask Mark to sit in on one of their sets in 2014. The crowd went wild, and they knew they were onto something special.
“The chord progression lends itself very well to the traditional bluegrass sound so it made a lot of sense and Aussies love this bloody song and we loved delivering a version that the country and bluegrass people could get into as well. That audience absolutely brought the house down after we played it with Mark.”
“Mustered Courage fans are no strangers to us doing left of centre cover versions, so we think this should be a nice addition to our repertoire. Maybe even a new country anthem that opens the doors of Aussie rock fans to a genre they don’t yet know they love. Time will tell … bluegrass paradise.”
It’s very different, but I think this cover is genius. How about you?
Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment
Press Club haven’t long wrapped up a national tour with The Smith Street Band, but they’re already itching to get back on stage. The Melbourne indie punk-rock act will headline their own East Coast tour to celebrate the recent release of their debut album Late Teens and the single of the same name.
The song “Late Teens” drops with a music video celebrating the best of Australia. Featuring footage filmed on the band’s most recent lap of the nation, it’s the sort of thing that makes you pretty proud to hail from this wide brown land. It also shows you just what you can create from the back seat of touring vans and airport gate lounges!
If you missed them with The Smith Street Band or you’re ready for a second helping, catch Press Club at the following gigs.
6 July 2018 – The Chippo Hotel, Sydney
7 July 2018 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
26 July 2018 – Strawberry Boogie, Wollongong
27 July 2018 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
4 August 2018 – Bloodhound Bar, Brisbane
Image credit: Zoe Yeoman
The release of “Stop the Bleeding” ushers in a new chapter for the Melbourne band formerly known as Residual. Now recording as Club Yorke, the four-piece rock act is making the kind of powerful, heart-on-sleeve music you can’t help but warm to.
“We wrote ‘Stop The Bleeding’ towards the end of what I guess was really an accidental hiatus,” lead singer Sam Burtt explained. “We had been writing lot of stuff that we were proud of and tweaking it here and there in preparation for a new single but one rehearsal, this song just happened. I remember having one kind of improvised run through of it and it all just fell into place from there, it was really one of those special rare moments where the song really writes itself. Discovering it rather than contriving it from nothing”
Club Yorke are currently touring the country with fellow Melbournians Empire Park. These are all the places you can catch them play.
14 June 2018 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
23 June 2018 – The Workers Club, Geelong
30 June 2018 – The TAH, Hobart
Image used with permission from Beehive PR
Working as a singer, songwriter, and producer, Melbourne’s Maribelle knows what it takes to create a smash single. No wonder her latest track “I’m a Mess Without You” is catchy as all get out.
This pop gem is a fun, feel-good number, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover it’s more than just an upbeat earworm. The track’s deeply personal lyrics reveal Maribelle’s journey embarking on a new relationship and coming to terms with her sexuality.
“I was hiding my feelings for somebody, and hurting them because I wasn’t being honest with myself,” Maribelle explained. “It’s actually about my current girlfriend and the early stages of our relationship. I was out in the club one night and had a ‘Days Of Our Lives’ montage of all of our memories together, and just realised what a mess I was being.”
With such immense talent and a killer pop sensibility, expect to hear plenty more from Maribelle.