Category: Single Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Salter Announces Massive NZ/Australian Tour for 3rd Album Release

Ben Salter is one of those incredible Aussie talents that flies under the radar. He releases his albums with little fanfare, then takes the time to assemble another collection of quality songs so he can start the process all over again. What he does isn’t flashy, but it’s bloody good. His latest album Back Yourself, the follow-up to his sophomore release The Stars My Destination, will be released on September 1.

Ben made Back Yourself over 12 months at locations around Tasmania and Victoria, including time spent at producer Chris Townend’s picturesque White Light studio. The studio overlooks Tassie’s Huon Valley and I think it influenced this release. You just get a different sound when you leave the pace of the big city behind and retreat to rural Australia. There’s a calm that comes through the music, putting you at peace as you listen to it.

Back Yourself features the current single “Isolationism.” To call it a love song doesn’t really do it justice, because love songs are a dime a dozen, but at its core that’s what it is. It’s more than though. Take a listen and see for yourself.

If you like what you hear, make sure you check out Back Yourself. Ben is playing full band and solo shows in New Zealand and Australia in the coming months to support the album’s release. Tickets are available from his website.

3 September 2017 – Willie Smith’s Appleshed, Grove (FREE)
8 September 2017 – Golden Dawn, Auckland
9 September 2017 – Leigh Saw Mill, Leigh
10 September 2017 – Refreshment Room, Auckland
14 September 2017 – Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
15 September 2017 – Dome Bar & Cinema, Gisbourne
17 September 2017 – Rogue Stage, Rotorua
21 September 2017 – Sherwood, Queenstown
22 September 2017 – Grainstore Gallery, Oamaru
23 September 2017 – Dog With Two Tails, Dunedin
24 September 2017 – Blue Smoke, Christchurch
27 September 2017 – Mussel Inn, Takaka
28 September 2017 – Meow, Wellington
12 October 2017 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
13 October 2017 – The Barn, Aldgate (SOLO)
14 October 2017 – The Odd Fellow, Fremantle (SOLO)
19 October 2017 – High Tea, Sydney (SOLO)
21 October 2017 – The Flamin’ Galah, Brisbane
25 October 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
27 October 2017 – Marrickville Bowls Club, Sydney NSW
28 October 2017 – Gooloogong Log Cabin Hall, Gooloogong (SOLO)
29 October 2017 – The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland (SOLO)
2 November 2017 – The Eastern, Ballarat
3 November 2017 – The Tote, Melbourne
5 November 2017 – Castlemaine Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
9 November 2017 – St John Craft Beer, Launceston (SOLO)
10 November 2017 – The Wharf, Ulverstone (5 pm SOLO)
10 November 2017 – Mountain Mumma, Sheffield (8 pm SOLO)
19 November 2017 – MONA, Hobart

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Alice Skye Impresses With “60%” Single Ahead of Bigsound Performance

Alice Skye has one of those voices that stops you in your tracks. This proud Wegaia woman has a tone that’s so rich and mature beyond her 20 years. With her single “60%” she shows she’s got a really big future ahead of her.

“60%” was one of several songs Alice penned during a flight from Melbourne to Alice Springs, where she recorded her debut album Friends With Feelings at the esteemed CAAMA Music studios.

“I did a lot of writing on the flight to Alice to distract myself from being terrified (I hate flying),” she explained. “At the time I was in a relationship where my anxiety was too much for the other person. So I had the line ‘swim out to me, I sink everyone that gets close.’ It was actually a really hard thing to go through and I think a lot of people would feel it in any kind of relationship. The feeling of wanting to talk and share things with someone but not wanting to overwhelm them. Not wanting to rely on someone … but also, wanting to rely on someone.”

We won’t see Friends With Feelings in stores until early 2018, but Brisbane will get a taste of the songs from it when Alice plays the Bigsound CAAMA Music Showcase at Ric’s Big Backyard on September 6.

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Jezabels Release Stunning Standalone Single “The Others”

The Jezabels are one of those rare bands that never seems to show signs of fatigue. With the release of a new single “The Others,” they’ve left no doubt that they’ve got plenty of creative juices running through their collective veins.

Interestingly, “The Others” is a standalone track. It doesn’t come from an album or an EP. It’s just here for us to enjoy in all its glory.

“We’re revisiting our romantic roots in this new song, though with a newfound directness,” the Jezabels said in a press release. “Lyrically it’s a reflection of the kind of intense loneliness that makes simply being in ones own body feel painful. The unsolvable predicament of ones desire for another crossing over into a desire to lose yourself, where the body is both the blissful point of contact, but also, the thing which keeps you constantly separate. Musically we have tried to sit that on a soundscape that is both euphoric and melancholy, driving but pensive”

The Jezabels have just wrapped up seven sold-out nights at The Lansdowne Hotel. Fans get their next chance to see them at the Wildwood Festival in Port Macquarie on October 1.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Plastic Attraction Releases a Smashing New Single “Shifting in Degrees”

The Plastic Attraction’s new single “Shifting in Degrees” is the perfect soundtrack to your Saturday, an energetic pop-rock song that is bound to have you dancing around your lounge room.

It’s an upbeat number but listen to those lyrics and you’ll hear the sad story of a couple realising they’ve grown apart.

“It’s a bit of a bleak story really! But strangely, we had a lot of fun writing it and messing around with harmonies and if you don’t listen to the lyrics, you’d probably swear it was a pretty happy song,” explained guitarist, Matt Nunes.

“Shifting in Degrees” comes from the Perth band’s debut EP How Far to the Moon, which is released on September 15. They’ll join forces with The Stanleys for a big double launch party at four5nine in Perth on September 16.

Image used with permission from Minor Major

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Collegians Release Long-Awaited Single “Vaccine”

This article has been a long time coming. I honestly can’t remember a single release that’s been pushed back as many times as “Vaccine,” the debut offering from Melbourne rock outfit Collegians. It’s been hanging around in my inbox since June. But two months since the time I first heard it, the band’s unleashing it on the public.

But it seems my wait is nothing compared to how long it really took to get to you. Collegians formed way back in 2014, signed a deal with Cultivator Records in 2015, and only just released a single now. That’s some gestation period! But is it worth the wait?

I think so. It’s sophisticated rock music, a little bit dark and brooding with killer vocals from British-born frontman Glenn Patrick. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does showcase a band of superb musicians coming together to make bloody good music.

Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from these guys really soon.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Custard Back With New Song, Album, And Tour

Custard left fans waiting 16 years for the release of Come Back All is Forgiven. Thankfully they’re not leaving them hanging so long for the follow-up. If the lead single “In the Grand Scheme of Things (None of This Really Matters)” is any indication, The Common Touch was no rush job either.

It’s such a quality song, with an infectious melody and relatable lyrics. And that horn section, sublime.

“’Come Back All Is Forgiven’ was the sound of us playing together in a small room, minimal overdubs,” frontman Dave McCormack explained. “The new album has cello, pedal steel, piano and a variety of backing singers. Some of the tunes were cut up and stitched back together in ways I never thought possible.”

The Common Touch will be released through ABC Music on October 6. Custard will play shows along the East Coast to support its release.

13 October 2017 – The Bundy Hall, Gippsland
14 October 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
20 October 2017 – Soundlounge Currumbin, Gold Coast
21 October 2017 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
22 October 2017 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
9 November 2017 – The Basement, Sydney
10 November 2017 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gareth Jay Releases Touching Single “Thoughts of You” For His Wife

Sydney singer-songwriter Gareth Jay does everything right with his emotional new single “Thoughts of You.”

If the track has you swooning, just think how his wife must feel. Gareth penned the song as a dedication to her better half and all she does for their family. It’s so special, with Gareth’s soulful voice crooning over a simple acoustic guitar arrangement.

“I’m a musician at night, and a stay at home dad during the day,” Gareth explained. “I’m not complaining, I love spending time at home with my children, but sometimes it’s overwhelming and pretty full on. My wife has done this all before, and she made it look so easy!”

More like this please!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shag Rock Plays Local Shows Ahead of US Adventures

I’m not sure there’s an Aussier band name than Shag Rock. This Queensland band creates the kind of music you might expect from the Sunshine State. There’s a great beach rock feel to their stuff which helps cut through that lingering wintery gloom. You can hear those summery vibes coming through in the current single “Loosen Up,” lifted from Shag Rock’s current album Barefoot.

The band has developed a great sound under the mentorship of Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug and they’ve been sharing it with music lovers along the East Coast.

See Shag Rock while you can guys. They’re jetting off to New York to perform at the Mondo Festival in early October, where no doubt they’ll catch the attention of the right people and these little pub gigs will become a thing of the past!

25 August 2017 – The Foundry, Brisbane
26 August 2017 – 38 Berwick, Brisbane (Under 18s)
1 September 2017 – Solbar, Sunshine Coast (FREE)
8 September 2017 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast (All Ages FREE)
14 September 2017 – Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar, Sydney
15 September 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
14 October 2017 – Red Deer Music & Arts Festival, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Pompadour PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

CREO Makes a Big Impression With “Subtitles for X, Y, Z”

Sydney indie-rock band CREO has released an epic new single “Subtitles for X, Y, Z” in the lead-up to the release of the EP of the same name.

This is a cinematic piece of rock music, with an anthemic chorus and dramatic musicality. It plays with light and shade so beautifully, easing off the pedal now and again just to sweep you back up in the musical wave.

“We all go through the process where age and experience starts to skew the innocence and purity of our natural habits and emotions. I remember vividly the first time I fell in love or even lust, and it was a simple feeling, it just came over me, I didn’t think about the alternatives and possible scenarios, I just accepted the feeling for what it was. Nowadays, I battle with myself, to avoid certain feelings and thoughts because of past experiences,” explained the band’s singer Jorjee Haman. “‘Subtitles for X, Y, Z’ is all about getting out of your own head, fucking off agendas and accepting that those innocent quirks you try to hide need to be loved by yourself, first and foremost.”

“Subtitles for X, Y, Z” comes from the EP of the same name, which is scheduled for a September 8 release. Expect to hear a tour announcement to celebrate the EP’s launch really soon.

Image used with permission from Rare Finds

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sarah King Impresses With “Back Home”

British-born Adelaide-based pop-jazz chanteuse Sarah King has won me over with her beautiful new single “Back Home.”

It’s the kind of song that stops you in your tracks because it’s so different from what other people are releasing. Her voice is just beautiful, angelic and ethereal.

“The single ‘Back Home’ is pretty special to me as I wrote it at a time where I was settling myself and my family into South Australia, our new home state,” Sarah explained in a press release. “I started exploring themes of home and what home means to different people, whether it’s a place, a person or something completely unique. It’s a song about what and where home can be, a story of longing, reminiscing, reflection, acceptance and gratitude.”

Sarah hopes “Back Home” can also help raise awareness for the thousands of women homeless in South Australia and the rest of the country. She performed the track at Umbrella Winter City Sounds last month to further the cause.

There’s more where that came from on Sarah’s self-titled EP. She’ll officially launch that at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton on August 27.

Image used with permission from Against the Grain Publicity/Photo credit: Hannah Tunstill