Benny J Blake is appropriately ushering in a new chapter of music with his uplifting new single “Begin.” He has around 20 years’ experience in the music industry, but this is his first release under his current musical moniker. It all came about after Benny left his previous band and split with his long-term partner. Such big life events are bound to shake things up!
“’Begin’ is an exploration of healing,” Benny explained. “A cathartic starter pistol to “begin” the long road to recovery and acknowledging the small wins along the way. While slowly eliminating distractions and vices that have kept me stoned and frozen in existential dread and maladaptive coping mechanisms while accepting my human flaws and practicing foreign self-love and compassion.”
Benny took control of this project, playing most of the instruments and recording them in his home studio in Gadigal Country/Newtown. But you will hear guest vocals from Georgia Jones and Wade Keighran of Wolf and Cub on bass. He also produced this amazing track.
“Begin” comes from Benny J Blake’s forthcoming debut album, The Sharpest Tooth in the Jaw.
As we inch closer to the release of his New Love album, Ziggy Alberts has dropped another romantic folk ditty for your listening pleasure. His new single “I’m With You” is another beautiful song that celebrates being with the right person.
“Love in its purest form, has a way of bringing us back to ourselves. This song is about embracing that with open arms,” Ziggy said. “Sometimes we are blinded by desire when some things are right in front of us. It’s a really, truly happy song; it’s not even sentimental; it’s simply happy-go-lucky, which I love.”
You can hear more from Ziggy when he releases New Love on February 21. He’ll hit the ground running playing some local shows from release day through to early April before heading to North America, Europe, and the UK. They’re all selling out left and right, so if you want to get along make sure you grab some tickets soon.
There are few things I enjoy more than an angsty, female rock artist. So you can bet that I’ve got Hassall’s latest track “Dinner Table” on repeat. With its powerful vocals and vulnerable lyrics exploring her experiences with misophonia, this first single lifted from Hassall’s debut album sets a high standard.
“Ever since I was a young teenager, I’ve had a pretty severely negative aversion to the sound of people eating,” Hassall explained. “I would struggle to stay at the dinner table with my family and hated it when people got too close to me. Any kind of eating or loud breathing or sniffing sounds would result in me yelling or crying or leaving. I always thought this would be something that I got over, but the condition has only thrived over the years. This song’s about that, and any other of my traits I naively hoped would ‘just be a phase’. I’m always suspiciously appreciative of anyone who’s still willing to date me or be a close friend once they’ve uncovered this crazy-woman side of me, and the song is about that too.”
I can’t wait to hear more from Hassall when she releases her debut album Means More to Me Than It Does to You on July 3. Fans should get a sneaky listen to more new material when she launches “Dinner Table” at Persa Bar Fitzroy on February 22.
Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Jess Ball has really impressed me with her latest single, “Nightmare.” It’s a polished-sounding pop track with enough edge to keep things interesting. Perhaps that’s because Jess is more influenced by groundbreaking acts like Cigarettes After Sex and Massive Attack than the latest pop princesses.
“This track is more than just a viral hit; it’s a reflection of our shared experiences and the spontaneous magic that happens when Tom and I create music together,” Paulina shared. “It’s about finding solace in music and each other.”
Tom added, “Paulina and I have managed to find a synergy in our workflow and creativity that I only come across very rarely. I think the fact we both just want to be creative for the sake of simply enjoying the process, makes all of our ideas so far seem very natural. I think that’s why this song works, it was a fun, spontaneous seed of an idea that well and truly outgrew its pot very quickly.”
Eora/Sydney-based indie-pop artist Jessica Fortuin lays her childhood trauma bare with her breathtaking new single “The Devil.”
“I wrote when I was 16 years about sexual assault and how long-term, it can change a survivor’s life,” she explained. “For me, I felt like there was so much focus on the act itself, and that was kind of it. Not many people took into consideration how, after a trauma, you have to continue with a life that doesn’t feel right anymore”
Jessica said she was inspired by artists like Lana Del Ray and Chappell Roan to share her story in the hope it might connect with and help others who’ve endured domestic violence and assault.
“There are still so many places in this society where we have failed our women. But there’s power in sharing stories,” she said. “The amount of people who have come up to me after a live show or messaged me on social media about how they resonated with ‘The Devil’ is comparable to the amount that has told me they never even considered the aftermath or long-term how this affects someone’s life after the immediate danger is gone.”
Jessica’s next gig is supporting YAGKI at her Adults Back-to-School Party at The Lady Hampshire on February 22. Tickets are on sale now through Oztix.
Existential exploration isn’t the usual fodder for modern folk-rock songs, but I appreciate that Western Australian act Littlefair are willing to explore the big issues. Their latest single “Happy” has some heavy thematic content, but it’s balanced beautifully with their upbeat sound and sublime harmonies.
Lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Jessica Depiazzi penned “Happy” when she was feeling unsure of her purpose. She said it’s about “ticking off the goalposts of job, relationship etc. in life and then being like – is that it? And then venturing past those and finding your own meaning. This was one of the first songs where we started moving naturally away from the singer-songwriter folk feel to something a bit more up-tempo and fun.”
Littlefair were named best emerging artist at last year’s Nannup Music Festival, so they’re definitely an act to watch in 2025. Expect to hear a lot more from them when they release their debut EP in April. They’ll also return to the Nannup Music Festival stage on February 28 to March 3.
Meet your new indie-pop obsession, The Stamps. Originally beginning as a folk trio, Scarlett Graham, Rubina Bertolini, and Sofia Hourani showcase a more upbeat sound with their latest single “Slow Burn.” This super catchy song showcases their sublime harmonies and nostalgic sound.
Scarlett, who was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, explained the song’s inspiration, noting “I was missing the younger aspect of myself that existed in Canada; the carefreeness of being a child, and the many friends I left behind. One childhood friend of mine was on my mind after we caught up on Facetime. After weeks of missing each other’s phone calls, leaving ‘life update’ voice notes, we were finally able to find moments to connect. It was written when I was feeling frustrated about how difficult it is to keep in touch and the pride I can often have to not be the first one to call. I am guilty of how often I never want to be the ‘needy’ one.”
Scarlett met her fellow Stamps as an exchange student at a Walyalup/Fremantle high school. They formed an immediate bond and remained close even once Scarlett returned home, sending letters via snail mail. After years apart, they decided to start together afresh in Naarm/Melbourne. Their band name celebrates the way they stayed in contact despite their physical distance.
The Stamps will next play Hepburn Mineral Springs as part of Hepburn Shire Council’s free Sunset in the Springs concert series. Catch them alongside Dayfever and Sasha Taylor on Valentine’s Day, February 14.
Alistair Hayes of Daphnie and Max Jacobs of Loretta are some of the hottest up-and-coming pop artists in the country, so I knew anything they wrote together would be a total bop. I wasn’t wrong. Wrap your ears around “Wanna Be (with) You”. It’s the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up.
“It’s inspired by the classic story of not knowing if you wanna be with someone, or if you just want to be them. Obsessing over them to an unhealthy degree, wanting to steal their perfume or clothes, date them, or just be as cool as they are,” Alistair explained. “It pays homage to classic ‘90s rom-coms like Ten Things I Hate About You (the famous bleachers scene), and makes fun of other tropes like somehow running through the airport without getting caught. We even played the movie on mute in the background while writing it to make sure it matched that ridiculous and nostalgic ‘being way too in love with someone’ energy.”
So crank that volume. “This one”Wanna Be (with) You” is a real vibe.
Prolific local pop act Ama continues to pump out the tunes, yet the quality never seems to dip. Her latest single “Employee” is an ultra-catchy bop that’ll resonate with anyone who’s suffered through a one-sided relationship.
“It’s the perfect soundtrack for anyone desperately giving their constant attention to a person; kinda like a full-time job,” Ama explained.
“Employee” is just one of the fresh tunes featured on my playlist Sounds of Oz Loves Pop. Stream them all on Spotify.
