Category: Single Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Runaway Weekend Poised for Greatness

With a loyal fan base and plenty of buzz, Runaway Weekend could well be the next big thing. When they released the video for “Déjà Vu,” the title track from their debut EP, recently it garnered 20,000 views in just a couple of days.

I love the way this band plays with light and shade. The song is so epic and dramatic in places, but delicately restrained in others. I’m doubly impressed that Runaway Weekend have written, produced, and recorded this song and the others on their EP themselves. It’s got such a professional sound that we don’t normally see from acts just starting to play with production.

“We really hope that people can find something of themselves in our music and if they do, hopefully they can also lock themselves away in it to escape from reality for a bit, like we do with our favourite bands,” the guys from Runaway Weekend explained.

“At the end of the day we’re just some teenagers from Adelaide who want to affect people, we want to make people feel something, be that utter happiness or realisation. Through our music we want to touch people, like we’ve been touched by artists and if we can do half as good a job as the artists we admire, we’d be totally complete.”

Runaway Weekend are currently touring their EP. You can catch them at Wrangler in Melbourne on the 16th of July and Producer’s Bar in Adelaide on July 18.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Burn Antares Go Their Own Way With “Young Gun”

With the release of their latest single “Young Gun,” Sydney quartet Burn Antares continue to show they’re like no one else on the modern musical landscape.

There’s a sweetness in frontwoman Grace Farriss’s vocals which is beautifully tempered by the song’s big crunchy chords. It’s a throwback to the heady heyday of glam and psychedelic rock, but it somehow manages to sound fresh rather than dated.

“We typically spend countless hours creating our songs, being very clinical and harsh with ourselves but with Young Gun, it was quite different. We went at it with open minds and experimented a lot more with sounds in the studio and generally had a bit more fun with it,” Grace explained in a press release. “I think the end result is a great reflection of the process and the vibe was captured perfectly by our producer Tony [Buchen].”

Is “Young Gun” the cure for what ails you this Thursday morning?

Image used with permission from Rare Finds

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Robbie Miller Takes New Direction with “Road”

Robbie Miller could sing the phone book and I’d probably still listen. Thankfully though he’s being a little more ambitious with his new single “Road.”

It’s a slightly new sound for Robbie, with electronic elements building on the acoustic folk he’s famous for. It’s not such a dramatic departure that it should lose him any fans though.

There’s talk than a new EP isn’t too far off, which is a blessing if like me you can’t get enough of this incredible singer. Robbie is also set to hit the road supporting Dustin Tebbutt. Make sure you arrive early enough for his set at the following shows.

4 August 2016 – Byron Theatre, Broken Head
5 August 2016 – Foundry, Fortitude Valley
6 August 2016 – Solbar, Maroochydore
11 August 2016 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
12 August 2016 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
13 August 2016 – Workers Club, Geelong
18 August 2016 – Newtown Social Club, Newtown
19 August 2016 – Newtown Social Club, Newtown (SOLD OUT)
20 August 2016 – Transit Bar, Canberra
26 August 2016 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Northbridge
27 August 2016 – Jive, Adelaide

Image used with permission from Mucho Bravado

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jones the Cat Tour Paste on Smile EP

It seems like Australians have a lot to be angry about, because I think punk music is the strongest it’s been in this country for a really long time. The latest punk act to cross my path is Jones the Cat, a four-piece out of Newcastle who are currently touring their new EP Paste On Smile.

These guys formed at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in 2013, and they’ve been relentlessly gigging and recording ever since. The EP features the lead single “I Don’t Want to Die Here (Anymore),” an introspective take on gentrification and outgrowing a city that this girl from Newie gets all too well.

These are the remaining dates for the Paste On Smile EP tour.

21 July 2016 – Captain Cook Hotel, Sydney
22 July 2016 – Crown & Anchor Hotel, Adelaide
23 July 2016 – Whole Lotta Love, Melbourne
5 August 2016 – The Lass O’Gowrie, Newcastle

Image used with permission from Done Music Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Feuds Rocks Out with “River of Wine”

Brisbane band Feuds shows it knows how to craft a big rock song with their new single “River of Wine.” This track builds beautifully, with a composed verse giving way to a great big stadium rocking chorus. It sounds uplifting, but there’s a dark undercurrent to its lyrics.

“The bulk of the track comes from the struggles I was having with drinking a couple years back, suffering these awful bouts of depression for days afterwards, in this never ending cycle,” explained Feuds frontman Jeremy Hunter.

The clip’s also one of the cleverest uses of public domain footage I’ve seen in some time. It might have been put together on the budget, but it’s mesmerising.

“River of Wine” comes from Feuds’ debut EP Stay Lost, which is scheduled to drop in August. We should also see them gigging around the country to coincide with the EP’s release.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Young Vincent Provide Your Sunday Soundtrack with “Run”

What a thing of beauty is “Run” from Melbourne act Young Vincent. With sublime harmonies, poetic lyrics, and an awesome acoustic vibe, this is really the perfect track for a lazy Sunday.

Apparently this is the fourth single from Young Vincent, but one which sees the band taking a slightly different direction and expanding on their sound.

“It all started on my couch at home on the Mornington Peninsula. The bridge melody popped into mind, sparking the process of to-ing and fro-ing ideas with the band,” explained drummer Josh Walton.

Young Vincent has tour dates in the works, so listen out for them!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Felix Reibl and Martha Wainwright Release Duet Ahead of “Paper Doors” Launch

When I received a link to a trailer for Felix Reibl’s sophomore solo album Paper Doors I was a little disappointed. Not because it was a bad video per se, but because all of the behind-the-scenes studio footage of Felix mucking around with mates didn’t really give me any insight into what the album was all about.

I’m glad I watched it though, because when it finished YouTube found the audio of “In Your Arms,” one of the album’s lead singles. This duet with Martha Wainwright is apparently already at radio, but they certainly haven’t played it in my area. Which is a shame, because it’s such a great song.

If that’s not enough to get you excited about the September 2 release, the album also features duets with Little Birdy’s Katy Steele and Tinpan Orange’s Emily Lubitz.

“They all bring something out which is special to me,” Felix said in a press release. “When I’m able to sing really quietly, the presence of a female character adds some sparkle and character that brings another timbre in my own voice.”

An album that revels in quiet spaces like Paper Doors calls for a tour of some of Australia’s most intimate venues. Catch Felix bring the songs from Paper Doors and some old favourites to the following venues.

7 September 2016 – The Producers, Adelaide
8 September 2016 – Lizottes, Newcastle
9 September 2016 – Newtown Social Club, Sydney
10 September 2016 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
11 September 2016 – Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Billy Fox Goes Back to Roots with “Avalanche”

Sydney’s Billy Fox infuses soul and electronica beautifully in his latest single “Avalanche.” I just love its easy groove and gentle old-school hip hop vibe.

Billy noted that the song is a bit of a departure from his early singles.

“My first releases largely focused on electronic production, whereas with ‘Avalanche’ I’m revisiting my live roots to meld both forms of production together, which also relates directly to my live show and the way I perform my songs,” he explained. “I wanted people to really feel that, which is exciting moving forward into the next stages of refining my next body of work.”

While he hasn’t announced a tour as yet, I hear it won’t be too long before Billy’s playing shows along the East Coast.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lucy Neville Showcases New Sound with “Damaged Goods”

I’ve been a fan of Lucy Neville’s music since I heard her single “On My Own” nearly a year ago. However, with her latest track “Damaged Goods” I think she might have released her strongest single yet.

The stripped back treatment of this song makes it all the more haunting. I feel the vulnerability and brooding coming through. Its dark themes are beautifully juxtaposed with Lucy’s angelic voice.

”Although the original inspiration for ‘Damaged Goods’ was taken from an everyday conversation, the experience of writing the song was raw and cathartic and unlike any other song writing experience I’ve had,” Lucy explained in a press release. “This single is a bit of a different direction for me, but I wanted to follow my intuition and produce the song in the style that made the lyrics hit home.”

If this a sign of the new direction Lucy’s music is taking, I can’t wait to follow her on the journey.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dustin Tebbutt Provides Calm in the Storm with “First Light”

I’ve had one of those weeks where I’ve found myself with far too much to do and too little time to do it in. The blogging’s taken a back seat as I find myself scrambling to meet work deadlines which allow me to carve out a little social time seeing some of the great artists touring the country at the moment (more on that later). As much as I want to live in those social moments, there’s a nagging voice reminding me of all of those deadlines looming. As with all busy times, this too will pass, but until then good music is a wonderful companion.

I’m compelled to take time out of the deadline stress to write about one song that’s allowed me to take a little breath this morning, “First Light” by Dustin Tebbutt, a singer-songwriter from Armidale in regional New South Wales. Its folky acoustic sound is perfect for chilling out and its lyrics about falling in love and seeing the world in a brand new way are just gorgeous.

If you need to take a moment for yourself today, hit play and listen to “First Light.” It comes from Dustin’s debut album of the same name, which is released on August 5 but First Light is available for preorder right now.