Slowly Slowly’sForgiving Spree was one of my favourite albums of 2025. Honestly, I’ve been hanging out for new music ever since its release. My patience has been rewarded with a fantastic new single, “Sacrosaint.” You’re going to want to crank this up music lovers. It’s some of the best rock music you’ll hear this year.
“‘Sacrosaint’ is about the things that we’ve taken for granted, the things that have been sacrosanct in the past, and how we always think they’re going to be there,” explained Slowly Slowly frontman Ben Stewart. “In that laziness, you’re watching the pillars of what holds up your life and society erode. The good in the world felt like it was disappearing. It felt like a big warning sign – if we stop watering those things that are so important for our happiness, it’s over. So, it felt like a warning.”
Slowly Slowly are getting amongst it with performances slated for Good Things and Great Escape. See them anywhere you can this December.
Castaway Festival will be back, bigger and better than ever this year with a eclectic line-up of Aussie talent. Hilltop Hoods, Violent Soho, Amy Shark, Playlunch, Trials, Lyric, and Birdland will play three shows in coastal cities in Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
“We’re so stoked to be a part of Castaway Festival with this STACKED lineup of incredible acts,” Playlunch enthused. “We’ve had the craziest 18 months and touring select markets with this festival is going to be insane! We’re such big fans of all the acts on the bill and are fresh from our overseas touring of the US and UK/EU … it’s going to be so nice being back on our home turf and kicking off festival season with the biggest party in town!”
“I’m a huge fan of Hilltop Hoods and Violent Soho, I was more than happy to join the boys on the road!” Amy Shark added. “I don’t think you could get a better lineup. Hip-hop, rock and pop – I can’t wait!”
Castaway Festival tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster:
Meatstock is serving up fantastic country music, delicious meats, and more next March. American country stars Nate Smith and Gavin Adcock will headline the events alongside local talents including Imogen Clark, Casey Barnes, Wade Forster, and Bella Mackenzie. There’ll also be a couple of performers exclusive to each location, like Kasey Chambers in Gunaikurnai Country/Gippsland and Lee Kernaghan in Giabal, Jarowait, and Jagera Country/Toowoomba.
And of course if you’re a carnivore, you’re spoiled for choice. Enjoy Brazilian barbecue, slow-cooked meats, and everything in between from some of the country’s best cooks. There’ll also be cooking and Beard & Me competitions, bull riding, axe throwing, and heaps more. If you’re planning to indulge in a few bevvies or attend both days, enjoy the convenience of on-site camping.
If you streamed “Gold” when I posted about it a few weeks ago, you know Leslie D. King is making the kind of back-to-basics music that’s the perfect antidote to the AI age. It sounds like it might have come from an impromptu jam session where the musicians play by feel and feed off one another’s energy. It’s the sort of music that’s made for the stage.
I recently caught up with Leslie to chat about the song, the album he’s been working on, and his recently announced Victorian regional tour. If you want to learn all about that, click through to read my feature article on Hold the News. This online publication feels like a breath of fresh air in these days dominated by social media and its algorithms. If you’re looking for thoughtful articles exploring travel, technology, and topics that will make you think, make sure to subscribe. It won’t spell the end of the unfiltered interviews I publish here, but I might refer you to my articles there when it makes sense.
And if course, you don’t have to go anywhere if you just want those tour dates! You can see Leslie D. King for “a very large dose of high-energy Rock ‘n’ Soul” at the following shows:
I don’t know what your Saturday night will entail, but Ricky Albeck’s latest single “Playing Pool and Drinking All Night” definitely sounds like the kind of track that’s bound to hit for some of you tonight. Even if you’re not heading out for a few bevvies, I know you’re going to appreciate this bluesy post-pub-rock from one of the finest rising musicians out of Tarntanya/Adelaide.
“My friends and I used to play pool and drink a lot at The Cranker [the recently closed Crown & Anchor Hotel in Adelaide], it’s basically how I spent most nights of my early 20s,” Ricky recalled. “For a while we would just go there almost every night – played as many gigs as possible there, worked there, would stick around after work and even go in on nights off. We would stay until everyone else left and sometimes they’d let us play a couple games of pool while they cleaned the bar. We just wanted to keep hanging out forever. The song mostly focuses on the good parts of these memories, but there’s a darkness there too. Questioning how much is too much and whether you’re trying to run away from something with all the excess.”
“Playing Pool and Drinking All Night” is the first single lifted from Ricky’s forthcoming album, which is set to drop later this year. Ricky will close out 2026 with a bang, as he’s also got plenty of headlining shows scheduled in the coming months. Tickets are on sale now from the links below.
As the weather warms up, I’m already thinking about summer getaways. If you are too, perhaps a trip to Woppa/Great Keppel Island is in the cards? This tropical paradise will host a sparkling variety of talent this November when Sunset Sessions returns.
This year’s line-up is stacked, with James Blundell, Lyn Bowtell, and Kylie Fisher all heading up the bill. Lily-Grace Grant, Trent Richardson, The Short Fall, The Loops, Dawn & The Sax, and No Drahma will round out two days of entertainment in one of the most picturesque parts of the country.
“There’s something really special about bringing artists and music lovers together on Great Keppel Island,” Sunset Sounds organiser Amy Harris said. “People come for the music, but they also get to enjoy everything the island has to offer. Whether it’s spending the morning on the beach, catching up with friends over lunch or settling in for an afternoon and evening of live music, it’s a weekend that people remember.”
If you’re keen, I wouldn’t wait too long before organising your accommodation. Options on the island regularly sell out before the festival. If they book out, consider staying in Yeppoon or Rosslyn Bay and catching the ferry across for the music.
Sunset Sessions hits Woppa/Great Keppel Island on November 13 and 14. Tickets are on sale now from the Sunset Sounds website.
Image used with permission from Bec Gracie Publicity
If you’re a fan of old-school hip hop as I am, Talib Kweli needs no introduction. Coming out of Brooklyn, he formed Black Star with Mos Def in the late ‘90s. Both artists carved out massive solo careers and Talib formed his own record label Javotti Media. In recent years he’s collaborated with the likes of Anderson .Paak, Q-Tip, and Winston Surfshirt. And away from the music scene, he’s been a fierce campaigner against racial inequality and police brutality. In short, he’s one of the most influential people in the hip hop scene, and he’s coming to Australia this November.
Not only is Talib coming, but he’s coming to some tiny venues. Insanely small considering his stature in the hip hop world. So tickets will not last long people. You have been warned. They’re on sale now from the links below.
Naarm/Melbourne-based creative Spike Fuck is back with his new single “All By Myself,” his first released via legendary New York label Sacred Bones Records. It comes ten years after he pioneered his sound with the Smackwave EP, then disappeared without a trace. Spike gives no explanation for his absence, although there were rumours he might have traded in the spotlight for years in monastic solitude or perhaps relapsed. All the speculation just makes his return more iconic.
Speaking on the release of “All By Myself,” Spike says “If someone asks ‘What does it mean?’ We’ve done the job. As society has abandoned mythologies, we must create our own… that sounds trite and I’m not quite sure how to defend that statement really. We’re not existentialists. In any case, we also live in a completely schizophrenic society in this sense, so the idea to create a story of a war hero/criminal undergoing an absurdist spiritual transformation seemed almost obligatory. Purgatorial musings, heaven and hell, redemption, fantasy, a mushroom that talks, so on and so forth.
“People understand truth through analogy, moreover, parables. We sought to create something about redemption, forgiveness, faith, hope, and charity that is available to whomever seeks it. I may not be the most reliable narrator, I admit that freely, yet the fantasy of it all is healthy. So is a dose of whimsy or even a small dash of grand delusion. So this video, along with the entire record, is a series of clues, a collection of pieces of evidence… Hopefully this video raises more questions than it answers.”
“All By Myself” is the lead single from Spike’s debut album evidence, which drops on October 2. He’ll celebrate the release with a massive tour. It kicks off in Australia on release day, then travels to the United Kingdom and Europe.
Memphis hard rock act Sleep Theory burst onto the music scene in 2019, and then COVID-19 happened. Any plans for world domination got put on hold, until now. With one album and a couple of EPs under their belts, they’re finally heading our way, and they’re bringing fellow American band RIVALS along for the ride.
I must admit, while I was aware of Sleep Theory I wasn’t across their music before this announcement. But that’s taken me down a bit of a rabbit hole. The hard rock tag doesn’t really do them justice because their music really blurs genre lines. It’s so melodic and hooky, with pop and R&B influences that really set them apart.
They’re going to tear the roof off the venues they’re playing next February. Many venues have already been upgraded, but I still can’t see tickets lasting into the New Year. Get them while you can music lovers!
I’ve always been impressed by the way that country singer-songwriter Saralyn wears her heart on her sleeve and encourages listeners to step into her world. But she’s never been quite as open as with her new single “Goldline,” a moving new ballad from her debut EP.
“‘Goldline’ is the most personal song I’ve ever written,” Saralyn shared. “As I was creating my debut EP, I found myself reflecting on the moments that have shaped me. The loss, the love, the heartbreak, the healing, and the hope that carried me through it all. The song begins with the loss of my sister and grows into a reflection on every challenge I’ve faced since.”
“Goldline” is the emotional centrepiece and title track of Saralyn’s debut EP, which she’ll release on August 28. You can preorder a signed CD copy from Saralyn’s website. She’s also announced a stack of shows to support the EP’s release which take us right through to the New Year.
