Another day, another pop-punk banger. Am I sorry? Not even a little bit. Because “have u got a light?,” the latest single from Eora/Sydney act BESTIES featuring Somber Hills is just that good.
“For me, it’s easier to make light of a situation. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to take myself too seriously, for better or for worse — but I think music, and in particular this song, is a fun way to say that although I might not always fit in, I just gotta keep being me,” explained BESTIES frontman Max Pasalic.
The follow-up to BESTIES’ debut EP flare guns in the living room, “have u got a light?” shows this duo is going from strength to strength. More like this please!
Image used with permission from Capital Artist Group
After capturing hearts with singles released through triple J’s Unearthed High, Mulumbinba/Newcastle artist Grace Aberhart continues her rise with the release of “Letterbox.” This song reminds me so much of the angry girl rock I listened to in the ‘90s, with its vulnerable lyrics and grungy instrumentation. Music this good never goes out of style.
“‘Letterbox’ is a decision and a realisation that letting go and moving on is what you need and knowing that you’ll be fine,” Grace explained. “It’s about going through the motions of heartbreak and how those feelings will fluctuate from day to day, wrestling with yourself to be stronger than you feel.”
I grew up in Mulumbinba/Newcastle, so the music video shot in Grace’s hometown is also giving me nostalgic vibes. I can’t wait to hear more from Grace when she releases her debut EP later this year.
Image used with permission from Fright Night Music; credit: Nikola Jokanovic
The Aussie pop-punk scene is so strong at the moment. It feels like I’m writing about bands from this scene most weeks, but they’re so good I can’t leave any out. Tandanya/Adelaide act Down and Out is the latest to get me fired up with their latest single “Paper Skin.” With killer vocals from frontman Luke Ganeo and an exciting mix of classic guitars and synths, there’s a lot to like.
“The song is about being in a situationship that falls apart due to a lack of clear communication and intentions. It’s easy for things to become messy quickly in a situation like that unless everybody is on the same page, and this situation became messy pretty quickly,” Down and Out explained. “Unfortunately, if nobody has the insight or guts to call it off early enough it can devolve into an unstable and toxic dynamic, which is exactly what happened.”
Watching the video for “Paper Skin”, which features live performance footage from shows at Mobile Barber Shop Depot and Hijinx Hotel, makes me want to see Down and Out in some sweaty pub somewhere. They’re fresh from shows with SoSo, but no doubt it won’t be too long before they’re back on the road. Keep an eye on their socials for news of gigs as soon as they’re announced!
KYE has teamed up with Budjerah for her fabulous new single “Heavy Love.” While so many duets celebrate love, this one’s a little bit darker. While the lyrics explore the struggles of a relationship, the energetic mix of pop, R&B, and Afrobeat keeps it light. And can we take a moment to appreciate how good their voices sound together? Please tell me this isn’t the last time we’ll hear them collaborating!
“It’s been at the top of my list to work with Budjerah and his vocals have made this track really special,” gushed KYE. “We recorded it on my birthday in the Byron Hinterlands and the meeting of our voices really blew our minds. Our running joke is that it’s our version of Jordan Sparks’ ‘No Air’”.
And it seems like the admiration is mutual, with Budjerah commenting “KYE is one of my favourite artists at the moment and I just had to sing with her. The track has so much bounce too and a beat that just makes me want to move. I had an easy time saying yes to this.”
“Heavy Love” comes from KYE’s recently released sophomore EP Ribena. Catch her at the following venues in the coming weeks.
16 June 2023 – Volta, Ballaarat/Ballarat (supporting Telenova)
17 June 2023 – Torquay Hotel, Wadawurrung Country/Torquay (supporting Telenova)
23 June 2023 – OAF Gallery, Eora/Sydney
24 June 2023 – Felons Barrell Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (FREE)
DENNIS. is best known for her upbeat pop numbers, but she’s taken a bit of a left-turn with “Sober.” This track is a real sucker punch, a vulnerable and confessional exploration of identity and self-doubt.
“’Sober’ is about how I like myself more when I’m sober but my friends like me more when I drink,” she admitted. “I guess it’s a drinking anxiety theme, with a focus on being too much inside your own head to the point that you almost create a reality that isn’t true. What if I was Sober would you love me like I do? We’ve all been there before, had one too many and maybe said too much or did something we shouldn’t have.”
DENNIS. has already clocked up more than 7 million streams; if there’s any justice this awesome single will net her a few more.
After years of keeping her degenerative nerve disorder hidden, Eliza Hull has laid her feelings about her condition bare in her powerful new single “Running Underwater.”
“For a long time, I hid my disability, especially in the music industry. This was due to under-representation of disabled musicians and I was constantly shown that disability was a deficit or something that should be feared and hidden. It was such a heavy weight holding onto these beliefs, it was exhausting to constantly hide,” she admitted. “This song is about pushing up against society’s view of disability, it’s about letting go of the fear and being authentic and true to myself and showing that it’s OK to be different.”
The single’s power is matched by the video, which features dancer roya the destroyer, a fellow disability advocate and creative force.
“The music video features my very good friend ‘roya the destroya’. She is a brilliant disabled dancer who moves like nobody I know. She actually started busking with an early version of the song and sent me a video of her performing with it. When I watched that video I knew I had to collaborate with her on the official music video,” Eliza added. “She has a beautiful ability to inhibit what I am feeling in my music and then express that through movement. In the music video she is like my alter-ego, almost like the spirit part of what I am feeling in the lyrics. Keiran Watson-Bonnice is the director of the music video. We have worked together in the past on the ABC Kids TV show And Then Something Changed, which I produced and wrote the music for. We shot the clip in one day, in mostly one take in the Goods Shed on a freezing winter’s day. “
Fresh from dates in the United Kingdom, Eliza will play the following local shows in August and September.
26 August 2023 – Melbourne Recital Centre, Naarm/Melbourne
10 September 2023 – Riverside Theatre, Eora/Sydney
22 September 2023 – Undercover Festival, Meeanjin/Brisbane
Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
I have no idea where I was when Noah Dillon released his debut album Kill The Dove last year, but I’m making up for lost time streaming it now. That’s all thanks to Noah’s latest single “Drip Dry,” a boisterous and bold pop song that encouraged me to listen to the rest of his material. If it doesn’t hook you in too, I’m a poor judge.
“This song was probably my favourite to record and write,” Noah said. “It encapsulates the sonic and lyrical style that I’ve aimed for with this album, contrasting the light of love and the darkness of loss. Lyrically it’s about learning to lean on loved ones through hard times and finding solace in friends and family when relationships end. I wrote the chorus melody on the toilet one day and couldn’t stop whistling it so I stayed up all night and the song just came through that melody.”
Noah will celebrate the recent release of “Drip Dry” with shows in the East Coast capitals and two massive hometown gigs. Catch him in a city near you.
22 June 2023 – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney
23 June 2023 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
24 June 2023 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
30 June 2023 – Mojo’s, Waylyup/Fremantle
1 July 2023 – Mojo’s, Waylyup/Fremantle (SOLD OUT)
I know before I post this one that not everyone is going to like this version of “Great Southern Land.” But it’s so fantastic I had to share it anyway. And since it gets Iva’s seal of approval, shouldn’t you at least give it a listen?
This reimagining is the brainchild of Cassian, a Grammy award-winning DJ and producer who emerged from the dance scene of Eora/Sydney. He was the first artist signed to RÜFÜS DU SOL’s Rose Avenue label way back in 2018, and he’s gone on to play seats at Coachella, Superior Ingredients in New York and Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles. This take on the ICEHOUSE classic might make my parents cringe, but it’s a stone cold banger.
“As an Australian, I was born with this song in my blood,” Cassian enthused. “I dreamed about making my own version for 10 years before reaching out to see if it was possible. Having full approval from Iva Davies/ICEHOUSE and being involved with the legacy of this song is probably the greatest honor of my career thus far, one that I don’t take lightly. After I was given the stems I spent the past year slowly, carefully & respectfully piecing it together. Around 100 versions later I’m proud to present the final, which I even mastered myself. Huge thank you to management, to Simon Moor and of course to Iva and his team for making the impossible possible.”
When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. ICEHOUSE were originally a pub rock band and I’m sure they lost a few fans when they started playing new wave and synth pop. This kind of floor-filling electro-dance music isn’t a million miles away from those genres. Listen with an open mind and this cover might just surprise you.
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia
After wowing me with his stellar catalogue of solo songs, Matt Joe Gow is taking on a new challenge and teaming up with Kerryn Fields. “Your Heart of Gold” is their first single as a duo, and it’s just as fabulous as fans of these artists, who’ve both won Music Victoria Awards for their solo material, might expect. I’ve always loved the interplay between starkly different male and female voices on a good duet, and that’s exactly what we get here.
Matt Joe Gow and Kerryn Fields have already been named finalists in the New Zealand MLT songwriting awards for three more songs of their upcoming album, so it sounds like we’ve got plenty of quality material on its way. Tomorrow they’ll play the Tussock Stage: Moonlight Session in Gore before heading to Hawke’s Bay for the Small Halls Sessions from June 9 to 11, so if you’re in that part of Aotearoa/New Zealand make sure you don’t miss these gigs.
I don’t know about you, but I look back on my creative output in high school and cringe. But not Bree Rusev, who penned her gorgeous new single “One Last Dance” for her HSC music composition in 2021. Colour me impressed.
“The song is about how things in life can change rather quickly and to remember to stay present in the moment and to appreciate and enjoy these moments by being aware and mindful of the present,” she explained.
Fresh from sharing the stage with Pete Murray and Pierce Brothers at this year’s Lighthouse Festival, Bree Rusev will support Jordy Maxwell at his upcoming shows.
14 July 2023 – The Chippo Hotel, Eora/Sydney
16 July 2023 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane
