After going on a cruise over the weekend, I’m having a Tuesday that feels like a Monday. However, it’s a lot better for hearing “Before I Met You,” the latest indie-folk charmer from Aaron Thomas. If you’re having one of those days, I promise this is exactly what you need.
“This is a song about the joy of a new relationship,” Aaron said. “The killing of the old self and the optimism and excitement of love in a bit of a silly way.”
“Before I Met You” comes from Aaron’s new album Human Patterns, which drops this Friday.
“A lot of the songs were written in the throes of a new relationship after coming out of years of sadness and loneliness. So that’s unavoidable. But there are also songs about family and about loss,” he said. “I always dabble in the painful parts of my life and use music to talk about things pretty openly.”
UK folk-punk icon Frank Turner has teamed up with our ownTeenage Joans for a new rendition of his recent single “Girl From the Record Shop.” I really love what Teenage Joans have brought to this absolute banger.
“I’m beyond stoked to be collaborating with Teenage Joans – one of my favourite new(er) bands in the world,” Frank gushed. “And they really brought the fire to this, they’ve turned the lyric around and made me laugh and dance at the same time, to my own song.”
Teenage Joans were every bit as thrilled to collaborate with Frank.
“We were SO excited when Frank asked us to jump on this song,” they enthused. “It’s punk and it’s punchy, and Tahlia literally works at a record shop … it’s the perfect vibe for us!”
Crank this one up, and don’t be surprised if you don’t press play a few times!
I’ve been following South Summit’s music journey for a couple of years now, and it’s been pretty exciting watching them go from strength to strength. As their new single “Givin’ It Up” shows, their music is maturing, without losing the easy, breezy surf vibes we all know and love. They’re also playing some pretty iconic venues on their upcoming tour. Hello Opera House! But more about that later.
The band says their latest single “tells the story of South Summit! Illuminating the everyday life for us, Sharing the best of times where we as a band, find ourselves at our happiest. We cherish blissful vibes and whanau, and really capture the feeling of sharing stories and having a jam in the backyard over a couple drinks and a bbq. This is elevated through reggae chops and singalong melodies where everyone can feel a part of what makes us, South Summit. The things we give up and the sacrifices we make to reap certain rewards, come in all different shapes and sizes. But at the end of the day, we can all relate to what we are sacrificing for.”
South Summit have built a reputation as one of the best touring acts in the country, and they can’t wait to get back in front of audiences.
“Playing the iconic Sydney Opera House is a huge milestone achievement for the band, we’re so stoked to be given the opportunity! We’ll also be heading back to our favorite spots Brisbane and Melbourne, while finishing off the run with an Indi Bar show in our hometown of Perth. We’ve got a lot of new music coming out soon, and we can’t wait for you all to hear them. These will be some of the biggest shows we’ve ever done around the country, and we can’t wait to see you all there.”
South Summit will play the following shows later this month:
Don’t you just love those songs that sound like classics from the first listen? Heath Burdell’s latest single “No Promised Land” is one of those special songs. It’s radio-friendly rock that simply makes you feel good.
Heath’s based in Eora/Sydney now, but grew up around the sugar cane fields of Northern Queensland. I can definitely hear a lot more of that influence in Heath’s music. Could he be Australia’s answer to John Mellencamp? We’ll just have to wait and see.
AYLA is one of those fabulous artists that always keeps you guessing. Her music is always quality, but you can never put her into a box. Her latest offering is “I Liked You Better When You Were On My Side,” a cool, brooding pop track that you’ll be humming long after the music stops.
She co-wrote this song with Ed Quinn of Telenova, who also produced it. “’I Liked You Better When You Were on My Side’ started as a topline on a production track, and with Ed’s help, we refined the structure and added new elements to take the song to the next level,” AYLA shared. “It was a collaborative effort that brought a real effortless groove to the production.”
“I Liked You Better When You Were On My Side” comes from AYLA’s long-awaited debut album DOPAMINE, which drops on July 12. AYLA will give fans a preview of her new material when she plays Solbar Playhouse in Maroochydore on July 7.
Australian powerhouse Greg Gould is bravely sharing his experiences with sexual assault with his incredible new single “Who Gave You Permission?” A potent mix of pop and soul, the anthemic song calls out his abusers and reveals his own strength. He hopes the track might empower other survivors on their own journey through the trauma.
“To be honest I’m only just starting to feel comfortable to talk about this,” he shared. “The first time I performed the song live I burst into tears. I have been a victim of sexual abuse on four separate occasions in all very different circumstances from when I was 10 years old, right up until I was 30. Each time left me feeling so violated, so powerless, paralysed. Nobody has the right to touch you without permission. No means no. It was a very emotional, heart-wrenching, and confronting experience to write this song to be honest as I’d pushed a lot of those feelings and experiences down and hadn’t dealt with them – it took a while for me to be OK to admit it. There is a stigma around sexual abuse in general, and I do think it can be really difficult for men who are the victim – whether it be at the hands of another man or a woman. In my case, it was both on separate occasions. I want other men to feel comfortable to talk about this and speak up too.”
Greg has a string of shows happening over the next few months, including several where he’ll play this stirring single.
“Whether the subject matter is darker or lighter, guests at my shows can expect big vocals, big moments and a lot of fun,” he enthused. “I love to perform and I’m excited for the next 12 months! I’ve got big plans and even bigger dreams. I am so proud that ‘Who Gave You Permission?’ is out now and I’m moving forward both personally and professionally! I would love if even one survivor of abuse feels stronger as a result of hearing this song. I want people to know they are seen, they are heard and they are believed. We won’t be broken.
Weekends call for feelgood music, right? I’ve got you covered with “Where did you go?”, the latest track from Naarm/Melbourne outfit Psychic Social Club. It’s got such a fantastically fun pop-rock sound, you might not clock that it’s a breakup tune.
“This song delves into the aftermath of a hazy breakup from a long-term relationship, the kind where you’re not quite sure if there’s anything left to be salvaged,” explained the band’s frontman Jared Roscioli. “Sometimes you’re so sure that two people will find their way back together, but then they don’t, and life pushes on.”
The hilarious music video is a fantastic foil for this upbeat track. Produced and directed by Aidan Rice, it follows a quirky director, played by Jack Walker, doing his best to create a music video. It’s such good stuff, just what your Sunday calls for!
“WORTH”, an exciting new collaboration from African-Australian hip hop artist Ruu. and R&B act Chelle Tamika, is this year’s first release from Campbelltown Art Centre’s Conscious program. This professional development program first came to my attention when P.Smid released “WESSIDE” in 2022. It’s fabulous to hear it’s still supporting and elevating local artists.
“This song is about my experience growing up Black in South-West Sydney, being (and feeling like) the only Black person in my area and experiences on Black culture and how it has been perceived and taken advantage of as I continue to live life,” Ruu. explained. “I hope the song allows the African-Australian community to embrace their culture stronger, and brings more internal discussion and support for each other, as it is needed as the music scene in Australia continues to grow.”
If you like what he does, make sure you catch Ruu. at one of his gigs this month:
Meeanjin/Brisbane dream rock act Mt. Nadir have gotten under my skin with their latest single “Knife’s Edge”. It took me a few listens to fully appreciate it, but once it clicked for me I was all in. This track has been a staple in Mt. Nadir setlists for some time now, and I can see why.
“For my whole life, I’ve been someone that falls in love hard and fast, and once I’m with someone, I never want to leave. ‘Knife’s Edge’ is about the year I was 24, when this changed,” admitted the band’s frontperson, Frankie Rosbrook. “I would fall for people hard and fast, but lose interest within weeks, and my mind would inevitably wander back to my first love. I upset a few really lovely people and it made me feel really awful. It was a stressful, confusing, sometimes fun time of my life. I was living on a knife’s edge.”
After recently launching the single for hometown fans, Mt. Nadir will support The Vaccines before heading south for a string of New South Wales shows in a couple of weeks. Here are all the places you can catch them on their A Slightly Smaller Tour.
Tom Neilson strips things right back for his breathtaking new single “Minefield.” Inspired by the music of Regina Spektor, it shows us that a great song needs little more than top-notch lyrics, vocals, and melody.
This is a bit of a left-turn from Tom’s previous works, but I’m here for it. He described the songwriting process as “a transformative creative journey” akin to “falling deeper into wonderland.”
I want to sit with this gorgeous song just a little bit, but Tom is already looking forward to his next project: the release of his debut EP on May 3.
