I have fallen head over heels for “How Do I Know,” the latest single from Hunter Adams’ debut EP Chrysalis. The song speaks so eloquently of the pain of unrequited love and how difficult it can be to let go.
“I’d spent so long spellbound by unrequited love that I was emotionally and psychologically exhausted. I just wanted to go somewhere else, be somewhere else, love someone else,” Hunter explained in the press release. “I had appealed to my brother for comfort, who had told me that when you properly love someone, you should want their happiness above your own, even if that means letting them go.”
I need to hear more from Hunter Adams, stat. This song is amazing!
Take a moment to shut the rest of the world out and listen to “For Now,” the latest single from Melbourne songstress BATTS. This track sees BATTS veering slightly away from the electronic music she’s famous for and getting back to a more organic sound. I’ve always appreciated her voice, but this is the first time I’ve really felt emotionally connected to what she does. This is great stuff.
In celebration of the single, BATTS will play Some Velvet Morning every Sunday in April, starting tonight. Every show is free, so Melbourne residents have no excuse for missing them!
Melbourne outfit The Meltdown wowed me last year with the single “Colours in the Sky.” Now with the release of the band’s soulful new single “Darkness Into Light,” I’ve fallen in love all over again. This is such quality, with big brassy riffs and sexy powerful vocals rom Simon Burke. I’m in heaven.
The strength of this song and that which came before bode well for the quality of The Meltdown’s self-titled debut album, which drops on April 7.
It’s not often that you hear something really different on the modern music landscape. But when you do, you can’t help but stop and pay attention. So I take my hat off to Archer, an Aussie singer-songwriter who sounds like he’s come straight from the past. There’s an intriguing old-timey feel about his blend of folk, country, and blues.
Archer’s latest single “My Little Sweet Aussie Sweetheart” reimagines Mike O’Malley’s ballad from the 1950s. The track was recorded straight to tape, which gives it that unmistakeable lo-fi feel. Archer says “It feels damn good to bring an old fair dinkum forgotten Australian love song out again. It’s a huggin’ your grandma kind of a song – livin’ and dyin’ music, somethin’ or nothin’ music.”
Archer is currently hugging plenty of grandmas as he makes his way around Australia. All women aged 65 can get free tickets to the show, in honour of the real life Aussie sweethearts out there. Archer is also stopping by nursing homes in the towns on his tour schedule to treat the seniors that can’t make it to his shows. No matter what age you are, you’ll find something to love at these shows. Bring your nan!
31 March 2017 – The Stag & Hunter, Newcastle (18+ FREE SHOW)
1 April 2017 – Django Bar, Sydney (18+)
8 April 2017 – Webb & Co, Bathurst (18+ FREE SHOW)
19 April 2017 – The Cambus Wallace, Gold Coast (18+ FREE SHOW)
20 April 2017 – Café Le Monde, Noosa (18+ FREE SHOW)
21 April 2017 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane (18+)
22 April 2017 – Bison Bar, Nambour (18+)
23 April 2017 – Paper Moon Café, Brisbane (ALL AGES)
24 April 2017 – No.5 Church St, Bellingen (18+)
26 April 2017 – Element Bar, Coffs Harbour (18+ FREE SHOW)
27 April 2017 – Tapp Bar @ Port Panthers, Port Macquarie (18+ FREE SHOW)
28 April 2017 – Hastings Hotel, Wauchope (18+ FREE SHOW)
29 April 2017 – Fox Den Café, Gloucester (18+ FREE SHOW)
30 April 2017 – Flow Bar, Old Bar (18+ FREE SHOW)
5-7 May 2017 – Los Highway Festival, Karuah (ALL AGES)
9 May 2017 – Old Bank Bar, Dubbo (18+ FREE SHOW)
12 May 2017 – Bells Milkbar, Broken Hill (18+)
18 May 2017 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide (18+)
19-21 May 2017 – Penola Arts Festival, Coonawarra (ALL AGES FREE SHOW)
24 May 2017 – The Loft, Warrnambool (18+ FREE SHOW)
26 May 2017 – Sound Recordings, Castlemaine (18+)
27 May 2017 – The Gasometer, Melbourne (18+)
Private Life is impressing all of the right people, and with tracks like new single “Lost Boy” it’s not hard to see why. The track is poetic and so heartbreaking. Lead singer Renee Anderson’s vocals are right on point on this stunning single.
The Melbourne duo has already garnered praise from international tastemakers like Pitchfork in the United States and Wonderland magazine in the United Kingdom. Could Private Life be our next big Aussie export?
It’s been a year and a half since I heard music from Helen Shanahan. But the Perth folk singer is one of those artists that I never forgot, because what I’d heard before really spoke to me. She’s making the same impact on me now with her latest single “I Only Hide.”
It’s a deeply personal track which documents her own struggles with anxiety and desire to break through those emotions to become a better performer. The clip pairs with the song perfectly; it’s sure to resonate with anyone who’s struggled with mental illness.
“The concept was based around the idea of ‘two Helens,’” Helen explained in a press release. “ One Helen was what we called ‘outside’ Helen, and the other ‘inside’ Helen. ‘Outside’ Helen encompassed the parts of me that were positive, free and fearless. ‘Inside’ Helen showed the parts of me that felt fearful, isolated and negative. We wanted the ‘outside’ Helen to be coaxing ‘inside’ Helen out of the house and into the light.”
Thankfully Helen won’t leave us too long waiting for more new music this time. She’s got a full-length album on the way in the coming months and a nation tour to coincide with its release.
Kristy James’ new single “Push” is a really gutsy girl power anthem. In the vein of powerful country women like Miranda Lambert or Gretchen Wilson, the Newcastle singer attacks the vocals in this track about taking chances.
The glammed-up video might seem a little left-of-centre for a country artist, but Kristy felt right at home.
“In another life I spent a lot of time dancing,” she explained. “From the moment I saw Dirty Dancing I knew I had to be able to do it.”
Kristy is currently preparing to head to Nashville to write music for her sophomore EP, which should drop in August.
It’s a Monday. And while it might be getting close to the end of the working day, there’s a whole lot left of the working week to go. It’s enough to make you want to leave all the pressures of our consumer world behind, right? If you’re feeling me, grab some headphones (because you do not want to play this track around your boss) and listen to “Fuck It All,” an inspired reggae track from Queensland artist The Lyrical.
The track explores our priorities and what we should let go of in our lives.
“It’s not about denying those things exist, or even the importance of those things, but recognising – hey, it doesn’t matter and it will be okay,” he explained.
The Lyrical is currently touring the East Coast. There are just two dates remaining on his current tour. Catch him at the Brunswick Hotel in Brunswick Heads on March 31 or Lennox Hotel in Lennox Head on April 2.
I have fallen for the raw, unbridled passion of “Shapes,” the latest single from Victorian band Mount Defiance. The track sings about friendships and relationships coming together on a packed dance floor.
“Shapes” comes from Mount Defiance’s forthcoming second EP Yankee Flat, which is scheduled for release later this year. It’s set to feature happy songs, sad songs, and intimate musical yarns recorded in the beautiful regional town of Mount Helen.
If you like your music loud, dirty, and in your face, then let me introduce you to Midnight Alibi. The Albury band has just released a brand new single “Ego Tripper,” and it’s the ideal introduction to their infectiously raw sound.
We should see this track on Midnight Alibi’s debut album Just Like You Want It, which should be available in the first half of the year.
