If you’re need a little pick-me-up today, look no further than “Second Chance,” the latest single from Jake Davey. It’s an upbeat country-pop anthem about moving forward, despite the odds. Just see if you’re not feeling inspired by the time the song ends.
If you want to keep the good times flowing, make sure you grab a ticket for the Viper Creek Band’s Sydney Harbour Cruise on November 2. Jake will be one of the special guest entertainers on what’s sure to be a stacked event.
Sin City, a Naarm/Melbourne-based Kiwi band formed in Spain, are making the kind of country-rock that we just don’t hear enough of. Their latest single “Candy” is a raucous track that’s all the better for being a little rough around the edges. It was recorded on an analogue reel to reel tape, which gives it such a cool vintage feel. Singer and keyboardist Nick Armstrong said the band wrote the song about a romance cut short due to the demands of being a travelling musician.
“When you eventually see they’ve moved on and are happy, you can’t help but be a little bit disappointed!” he admitted. “But passing flings can’t last, and you have to accept it. That’s what this song is about.”
You can hear more from Sin City when they release their sophomore album Another Round in April.
Image used with permission from Chris Familton Publicity
Joe Mungovan continues his musical evolution with the release of “Cyclone.” It’s a world away from the laidback romantic tunes that turned me on to his music, but it’s so cleverly written and sonically interesting that I just don’t care. I’m sure it’ll turn off some of the fans he made in the start of his career, but I love listening to the twists and turns his career’s taking.
“Cyclone” comes from Joe’s forthcoming album SUGAR, CANDY, LIPS, which drops on March 15. He’ll waste no time taking these songs on the road.
“We knew (the band and I) that we couldn’t wait to get these songs in front of a crowd as soon as we were recording them – they’ve got big, electric energy that screams for a live audience to get amongst it and have a boogie,” Joe enthused. “We’re stoked to return to some old haunts on this East Coast line up, and play some new venues too. The boys in the band absolutely kill it and while this is our most ambitious headline tour yet, and we are itching to get on the road and bring the show to a city near you.”
Joe will play a string of shows with The VANNS before kicking off his headlining tour. Here are all the dates. You know what to do!
Baeden Feint had me at the harmonica opening of his debut single “Hometown Fantasy.” He’s a classic country troubadour, the kind of artist who paints a story with his words and brings it to life with honest vocals. This single is about the little “map dot” where he grew up, the place where he learned to love people and music.
“This song is essentially me reminiscing on past relationships where it seemed everything was laid out. Ready for the white picket fence and kids. But also, that it was like having blinders on, as to whether it was a good thing or not,” he explained. “I wrote this song like a lot of other songs – with a bottle port, smoking alone late at night, with too much time for thinking.”
If you’re into the current wave of American country artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, I know you’re going to be into this. If you want to hear more, catch Baeden performing at Mount Hope’s The Royal Hotel on March 3.
After losing a loved one, most of us would do almost anything for one last conversation. Melanie Cowmeadow used that desire as the inspiration of her latest single “Dear Dad.” Melanie penned this tender ballad two years ago after the unexpected death of her father.
Hailing from Tarntanya/Adelaide, Melanie has explored everything from alt-rock to music theatre. However, her voice and ability to paint vivid stories with her lyrics really suit this acoustic, singer-songwriter vibe. Hopefully this is just the start of many exciting releases from Melanie in the coming year.
South African born and Australian raised, queer Eora/Sydney-based singer-songwriter Jordy Burns has made a massive impression on me with her debut single “Walls.” Yes, that’s right, debut single. I want to emphasise that, because this is one of those tracks delivered with such heart and confidence that you’d swear she has an exhaustive back catalogue if you didn’t know better.
“‘Walls’ is about heartbreak and broken trust,” Jordy admitted. “A person I was seeing convinced me that I was safe to open my heart and that they wanted what I wanted. As it turns out, as soon as I let down my guard, they all too quickly realised that they weren’t ready to move on from their last relationship. In saying that, they continued to stay with me and we made a mess of things… it was a rollercoaster, to say the least.”
Jordy will celebrate the release of “Walls” with a hometown show at Tokio Hotel on April 6.
Friday might be still too far away, but I think it’s always a good time for dancing. If you agree, you’ll want to take some time to cut loose listening to Sophian’s new track “Dance With Me.” This is an irresistible cut from a band that’s quickly establishing themselves as one of Boorloo/Perth’s hottest up-and-coming acts.
“When I started to write this song, I had just come out of deep conversations with two people I really love, about their feelings of their own self-worth and how they were struggling to see that,” explained frontman Sophian Manik of the song’s inspiration. “I wanted them to know how amazing and special they are and how they just needed a little push to know this.”
Sophian have some big things in the pipeline, with some choice local supports, slots at Nannup Music Festival and Booty Block Party, their first East Coast tour, and a big single launch party all happening over the next few weeks. Get out and support them anywhere you can.
Eora/Sydney-based singer-songwriter Jamieson is kicking off a big year with the release of his latest single “Cruel.” It’s a charming pop-rock track that explores the way that time encourages us to look back and see our flaws in technicolour.
This is somewhat of a comeback single for Jamieson, who took time away from releasing music last year. He’s coming back with a vengeance though; “Cruel” is the first of five singles Jamieson plans to release this year.
Between You & Me are one of the best pop-punk acts around, so I’m pretty psyched to hear they’ve got a whole bunch of new music coming our way. They’ve just dropped their latest single “In the Middle,” which offers a taste of what’s in store when they release their new EP SH!T YEAH on April 5.
“‘In The Middle’ is about the realisation that your relationship is over,” said vocalist JT. “The strong joy and excitement you once brought to each other’s lives had been replaced with fighting, bitterness and a complete breakdown in communication. Even despite this, you both yearn for it to work out and dream of the better times. You break up, you get back together, and the cycle continues, despite both recognising you had grown apart as people and the trust for each other was irreparable. The song encapsulates the slow breakdown of a relationship and the acceptance in moving on.”
Between You & Me seem set for global domination. They’re currently playing gigs in the United Kingdom and will head to North America in March to headline shows on the continent for the very first time. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see them back on Aussie soil. Until then, international readers, make sure you check them out at a venue near you.
Chinese-Australian artist Laius has just dropped his latest single “i hope they cried for me,” and it’s probably the most powerful pop release you’ll hear all year. This incredibly personal song sees Laius exploring the raw emotions he still feels after being given up by his parents as a child. His heartbreaking words sit against a cinematic electronic pop soundscape that might just have you dabbing away your own tears by the end.
“Pain bears the fruit of art and this record is the truest, rawest testament to that,” Laius said.
Take a moment to properly listen to “i hope they cried for me.” It’s one of those really special songs that deserves to be more than simply background music for your day.
