Most of us have struggled with the feeling that we’re not measuring up. We worry we’re not meeting the expectations family or society places on us, or we see what others achieve and wonder why we’re lagging behind. If you’ve let feelings of self-doubt creep in, “Don’t Compare Yourself,” the latest single from My Chérie, will help you change the tape on that negative self-talk and start accepting and embracing your unique identity. The Tarntanya/Adelaide based artist grew up in conservative South Africa, and found herself grappling with cultural Afrikaans pressure, her Christian faith, and her queer identity.
“In my personal life, my art has allowed me to break free of the conformity of my religion, cultural background and the confinement of being put in a box – either as a Christian or as a Queer person,” she explained.
I love the message, but also the delivery here. My Chérie’s voice is beautiful, and I love the way it sits in this gorgeous soundscape she’s created. If there is a heaven, I imagine it’s got to sound something like this.
Image used with permission from Pretty Good Thanks
Jebediah seem to be aging like a fine wine. I wasn’t always a fan of their earlier material, but their latest track “Motivation” is right up my alley. It comes from the Jebs new album OIKS, their first since 2011, which drops on April 12.
“’Motivation’ was a song that came from the initial in studio jam sessions that kick started the process of recording OIKS,” the band said. “At that stage, we didn’t really know what kind of album we were trying to make. We were simply getting together in a room and making noise and seeing what eventuated. Given that ‘Motivation’ came from these sessions, it’s a very ‘band’ sounding song, as opposed to some of the more experimental stuff that came along later during the recording process. It captures the sound of the band playing in a room together and we tried not to embellish it too much. This song is a bit of a band favourite for sure, so we are obviously excited about it being released as a single before the album appears.”
“The video clip is intended to represent the simplicity of the song and the fact that we were trying to capture the raw sound of the band playing in a room together,” they added. “The video was shot in Melbourne by Arlo Cook who has been following us around with a camera since 2015, taking footage at shows all around Australia. We can’t wait for everyone to hear OIKS soon. It was a labour of love that took us five years to complete, often during extremely turbulent times.”
Jebediah has just played Spring Loaded, but I’d be very surprised if we don’t see a few more show announcements when the album’s released. Until then, turn this new single up!
William Drummond, the bassist for British India, is now making music under a new moniker Heartbeatz. His latest single “Heavyweight” is a really cool indie-rock track which brings the pub scene of Naarm/Melbourne to life with its vivid lyrics. I’m not sure when I last heard such a well-crafted song.
“This is my ode to hospitality,” William explained. “To the unbreakable friendships made, nights that seem to drag on forever and others that disappear in the blink of an eye. To the feelings of stagnation and yearning, to hot blooded heartbreak. To all the people who fight vehemently for us even when we are bringing them down.”
“Heavyweight” comes from the first Heartbeatz album Memory::Loss, which gets released on March 22.
I’m getting so excited about the glut of great pop music coming from local female artists at the moment. “We’re Not Really Strangers,” from Naarm/Melbourne artist POLLY, is the latest to get me buzzing.
“I wrote this song to process that weird feeling when you reconnect with someone from the past that you once knew inside out, and then time passes by, and all of a sudden they’re a stranger again – but like, not really? And you both are awkward and not sure how to navigate the strangers but not really territory,” POLLY explained.
This track is so incredible, it’s hard to believe it’s only POLLY’s second release. Expect to hear big things from this awesome local talent in the coming year.
“Say Goodbye” has long been a live favourite for Concrete Gold fans, and now the Cavanbah/Byron Bay act are unleashing it on the public. This is a straight up rocker which manages to celebrate the band’s alternative rock influences while sounding fresh as a daisy.
“’Say Goodbye’ came together after I had been practicing a cover we would often play, called ‘Reptilia’ by ‘The Strokes’,” frontman Cameron Lockwood explained. “The main chorus hook of the song provides a similar rhythm and tonal characteristic used by the popular New York band. The rest of the song was then put together in a demo before finalizing the song with lyrics and structure through pre-production at Red Star Music.”
“Say Goodbye” is the second single from Concrete Gold’s debut album Burning Out, which will drop on March 23rd. They’ll launch the album at Tomcat in Meeanjin/Brisbane on March 30.
The Bad Dad Orchestra have just dropped “Makin’ Me Wild,” the title track from their forthcoming debut studio album, and it’s an absolute banger. Its driving guitars and drums give it a classic rock feel, but then there are those horns and lush backing vocals adding a sprinkling of soul.
Talking about the track, which is a tribute to their late founding member Liam Guthrie Pennicott, frontman Jimi Steele says “A lone wolf’s judgement can be shifted by the pack, sometimes in a good way, but likewise contribute to poor decisions. A sudden whim of wildness and you’ve turned into one of the bunch. We need to sometimes call on our primal instincts, or be tamed. The Wolfpack will undoubtedly decide if it’s let off the leash to run wild.”
You won’t have to wait too long for more new material from these guys, as the Making’ Me Wild album is slated for release later this month. Expect to hear a few more new tracks and old favourite when the Bad Dad Orchestra plays the following shows.
Valentine’s Day may be behind us for another year, but I’m a firm believer that you should keep romance alive every day. So on that note, I wanted to bring you Angus & Julia Stone’s latest single “The Wedding Song.” The single is so charming, but then you add in the music video, which features footage from their fans’ weddings … let’s just say it’ll warm even the coldest of hearts.
“‘The Wedding Song’ was originally written for a friend’s wedding years ago. Since then, we’ve been honoured to play it at several friends’ and family’s weddings, including our mum’s, and we received so many requests from fans for a proper recording to use on their special day, so we decided to make that happen,” the siblings shared. “We chose it as the first single from our upcoming record because it’s all about love. The song is a celebration of love and human connection. In a world that can feel disconnected and frightening, we want to share something that reflects the beauty of how humans choose to treat each other, love each other, and make promises to build something beautiful together.”
“The Wedding Song” is the first track lifted from Angus & Julia Stone’s sixth album Cape Forestier, which will be released on May 10. It sees the duo going back to basics with songs that focus on storytelling and simple arrangements. They’ll support its release with the Living Room Sessions tour, a series of intimate shows in beautiful theatres all around the world which let the new music and old favourites shine.
After treating us to three fabulous EPs in as many years, Highline are preparing to release their long-awaited debut album, Shapes We Figure Out. It’s still a couple of months away, but the release of their latest single “Believe Me I’ll Run” should satisfy you until it drops.
“’Believe Me I’ll Run’ is an admission of sorts that you’re all in on a relationship, regardless of whether the other person is feeling the same way,” explained Highline’s lead singer, Sam Rigney. “Unlike a lot of our songs we’ve made in the past, this song offers up a bit of hope as opposed to being down about a situation. It felt good to write a song with positive notes that had some happy memories attached to it.”
Listen out for Highline’s debut album Shapes We Figure Out when it drops on April 19. These guys have been making waves around the Eora/Sydney live music scene, so I’ll be very surprised if we don’t see some shows this autumn coinciding with the album’s release.
We all know Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday and we should be keeping romance alive all year round, but I think it’s also kind of nice to take the day to celebrate love. In honour of February 14, Jacob Fitzgerald has released his brand new single “Sophia.” It starts as a classic tale of boy meets girl, but this is no ordinary love song.
“Sophia’ is a simple premise: a man falls in love with a woman, but the woman does not fall in love with the man. It’s the tale of a heartbreaker,” Jacon said. “After absorbing the Nashville music scene in early 2023, I came home with the original riff and hook for ‘Sophia’ tattooed on my mind. The enhanced blues-rock-inspired nature of my music consumption gave birth to a song I knew I NEEDED to write. As someone who feels deeply, in my mind, Sophia is distant, hurt and cautious with who she lets love her.”
Jacob has some choice supporting slots coming up. Make sure you arrive early enough for his set if you have tickets to any of these shows:
Meeanjin/Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Benny Elder is building hype for the release of his debut album by dropping a fantastic new single “Coffee Don’t Taste the Same”. It’s such a well-written track with excellent vocals from Benny.
“‘Coffee Don’t Taste The Same’ is about longing to belong and have purpose in life. It’s about the feeling we all have growing up, where we are figuring out who we are, where we belong and what we want in life,” Benny explained. “I hope that it helps a few people that feel like they don’t belong to relate and realise there are others feeling the same. You are not alone, and you can find your peace.”
