Hit that volume and take a moment to rock out to “I Should,” the latest single from Darkinjung Country/Central Coast alternative-rock act Deadshowws. This is an anthemic single which takes its cues from 2000s emo music but reinterprets the sound for modern listeners. In short, it’s bloody good.
“It’s a song about battling yourself to get better,” the band explained. “It’s a short version, recounting my experience with the people I love begging me to seek help and my struggle in doing so while wallowing in a self-made pit of hopelessness.”
Deadshowws will launch the single with a string of shows around their home state this April. Here are all the dates you need music lovers:
Mika James has stepped out from behind the drum kit of Naarm/Melbourne punk act The Vovos to launch her solo career. Her first single “Nonna’s Trolley” is a joyous folk song with a splash of punk sensibility. Just see if you can resist singing along to those “la la las”!
“’Nonna’s Trolley’ is a song that was written out of the feeling you get when you overestimate how many things you can carry when you’re walking down the street – when you have to get from A to B but everything you’re carrying is impossibly balanced across bags strung on both shoulders, jean back-pockets and two waiter-style-full hands,” Mika admitted. “You’re in a target stare of the destination but you can feel something slipping – it’s a panic laugh in a La la la. I wrote it in a time of my life where everything was a bit off-kilter and retrospectively wild, but when I looked down at all the things I was carrying, and the people who were at the A and B – I think of it as a highly special time in my life. ‘Nonna’s Trolley’ is for the people who run into door frames and make Bolognese for their friends who come over and eat it in their bath, for champagne in the shower – It’s for the laugh when everything falls out of your arms after you try to pick up what fell out of the bag over your left shoulder.”
I’m obsessed with this song and the sentiment behind it and I can’t wait to hear more from Mika.
Image used with permission from Riot House Publicity
I’ve been thoroughly charmed by “Ardmona Rd,” the latest release from local independent folk-pop act Tom Nethersole. An exploration of young queer love, it’s brimming with optimism and nostalgia. Take a listen and I know you’ll be smiling by the time the chorus kicks in.
“It’s deeply personal but also relatable, especially for queer listeners who are searching for that fairytale moment we don’t always see reflected in music,” Tom said.
Tom is definitely an artist on the rise. He’s graced the stages of Midsumma Pride Street Party, Always Live, and the Rockhampton River Festival and amassed more than 180k streams. No wonder major media outlets like Rolling Stone, JOY FM, FBi Radio, and this blog are starting to take notice.
For years we’ve known Tom Busby as one half of local indie-folk duo Busby Marou, but now he’s going solo. Sort of. Ahead of the release of his first solo album, Tom has dropped a fantastic new single “Waiting for Tomorrow,” which he recorded with Ben Kweller. If you know anything about Ben’s music, this song is everything you’re hoping for. I was a big Busby Marou fan, but I think this might just be the best thing Tom’s released.
“Waiting for Tomorrow” comes from Tom Busby’s new solo album Rockhampton Hangover, which we’ll hear in the middle of the year.
“This record is me at my most honest – no filter, no hiding, and ‘Waiting for Tomorrow’ sets the tone for that,” Tom said. “It’s about regret and restlessness but also about dusting yourself off and charging forward. Recording it with Ben Kweller in Texas, with my family there, made it even more real. It’s a new chapter, and I’m all in.”
Something tells me we’ll hear a lot more from Tom Busby this year as he enters this new musical chapter.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Naarm/Melbourne trio BB Sabina have blown me away with their latest single “Multititude.” This song defies categorisation, instead drawing elements of post-rock, electronica, trip hop and synthwave together to create something that’s so original and exciting. It’s only fitting that it doesn’t fit into a neat box though, as frontwoman Beth Uhe wrote the song as a protest against being classified or categorised by others.
“The song explores what it means to contain many facets and contradictions and to be in a constant state of flux – the beauty and magic of this,” she explained. “It’s a reflection on queerness, gender, and beyond. The song feels like a strong statement about who I am. How I don’t easily fit into a box, and feeling uncomfortable when someone tries to put me in a box, how this can feel so limiting.”
This is the second incarnation of BB Sabina. Beth formed the band in the Northern Territory and released a debut EP in 2019. However, in 2020 she moved back to her hometown of Naarm/Melbourne and began experimenting with new sounds and textures. She found bass guitarist and synth player Warrick Newman through an advertisement and soon recruited Warrick’s jamming buddy, drummer Travis Germaine.
Discover this exciting new lineup when BB Sabina launches “the single”Multitude” for hometown fans at The Gem on April 12. The show kicks off at 4 pm and entry is free.
Up-and-coming Meeanjin/Brisbane indie-rock act Tomorrow’s Forecast have really impressed me with their latest single “Ribbons.” Frontwoman Bonnie Kruger’s emotionally charged vocals and bittersweet lyrics really resonate.
“Ribbons is a track I wrote about longing for an ex-boyfriend to come back into my life after breaking my heart,” she explained. “I found myself constantly waiting for, or maybe even expecting, him to lay his cards down and finally say everything I wanted to hear. The metaphor of ‘ribbons’ ultimately signifies commitment and that although you can attempt to mend a broken bond, the ‘ribbons’ tying you together will eventually unravel.”
The recording of “Ribbons” saw the band reuniting with Emily Hopley at Hunting Ground Studios.
“We had worked with Emily on ‘Pathetic’ so it was a really comfortable experience. It is a super refreshing – and unfortunately uncommon – to work with an AFAB producer and it felt like there was an immediate connection and mutual understanding of each other’s work,” Bonnie said. “Emily really helped me push my vocals in a way I hadn’t pushed them before, focusing on the grit and emotion of my voice, rather than the vocal quality itself.”
Tomorrow’s Forecast will launch “Ribbons” with two shows in their home state. Tickets are on sale for both gigs via OzTix.
If you thought you knew had Charlie Bedford’s sound pegged after hearing his recent single “(The Out of Town) Laundromat Blues,” his latest release will prove you wrong. “Violet Street” is a much more soulful endeavour fused with elements of pop-rock. This genre blend goes down easy. It’s just the thing I can imagine being a big hit on radio if the stations ever played new Aussie music!
Charlie recorded this one at Guffland Studios in Naarm/Melbourne with Mark Lowrie on producing and engineering duties. It comes from his soon-to-be released album Daydream, which based on his recent singles is sure to keep us guessing. Expect to hear “Violet Street” and more new tunes when Charlie plays the following shows:
Few things excite me more musically than a really good duet. A song that comes from the heart with two voices that seem to join together effortlessly. The chemistry between two talented artists who’ve created something beautiful together is palpable as you listen to the song unfold. Now those top tier duets are rare, but “No Cure For Love,” the latest track from Rowena Wise and Didirri, is definitely one of them. We shouldn’t be surprised these talents have chemistry though, because away from music they’re a real-life couple.
“‘No Cure for Love’ was written in the wake of realising our love can be a double-edged sword. We’ve been in a relationship for 8 years, and turbulence is inevitable with anything that lasts a long time,” they admitted. “During a phase of smoking weed and arguments, we could not see eye to eye. It was confusing when we’ve known each other so deeply and for so long, only to arrive at the feeling that we’re complete strangers. In those moments we considered whether the bond that tied us together was becoming too much to bear. The words ‘I’m too much for you’ and ‘you’re going to leave me one day’ were carelessly spoken, like a self-fulfilling prophecy waiting to happen. This song captures those moments where we have crumbled, said hurtful things, and had to look at our options. We came out of that chapter ready to face the challenge of our love, realising we can only love and respect each other if we do this for ourselves first. We can’t take each other (and ourselves) for granted if we want to be companions in this long journey together.”
The song comes with a beautiful video that Didirri directed and edited, which was mostly shot on 8mm black and white film. It uses Shibari knotwork as a metaphor for the simultaneous pleasure and restrictive discomfort that long-term relationships can bring.
“We were stripped bare and tied up for the final shot of the clip, embracing a new phase of creativity by exploring body positivity in both our artistic expressions. We were supported by an incredible crew which made the challenge fun to undertake,” they said.
Rowena and Didirri work so beautifully together, so I’m thrilled it doesn’t end here. They’re going to warm up your winter with 11 shows that will see them performing side by side around the country. Get onto it, because these gigs are bound are bound to be amazing.
Listening to Brad Cox’s latest single “I’m a Boxer,” I think he just might be Australia’s answer to Bruce Springsteen. I know that’s a massive call, but listening to the way his music has evolved and the ease with which he creates rock-infused anthems that speak for the common man definitely makes me think of The Boss.
And just like Bruce, world domination seems to be on the cards for Brad. He recently played some massive shows in the United Kingdom and Europe and signed deals with Ground Control Touring and ATC Live, some of the biggest booking agencies in North America and the UK/Europe respectively.
“I feel like I’ve finally solidified my place in the Australian music scene and just getting started at the same time,” Brad said. “UK and Europe are quickly becoming places I’m going to invest a lot of time into. We loved that tour.”
There’s more than a little touch of old school Taylor Swift in “We’re Not Friends,” the latest single from Shanleigh Rose. But we all miss old school Taylor music, right? That sweet country delivery mixed with all the sass of a woman scorned never gets old.
“Often, people think they can treat you carelessly and have the audacity to try and call you a friend afterwards. In my case, this someone was an ex,’ Shanleigh said. “I’ve learnt that self-respect and knowing what’s best for you are so much more important than letting your emotions allow the wrong kind of people to stay in your life.”
Amen! Shanleigh said she hopes the song will empower others to recognise their self-worth and move on from the wrong people.
It sounds like she’s definitely moving on to bigger and better things as she’ll play a couple of cool country festivals in the coming months. If you’re heading to these events, make sure you show Shanleigh some support.
