After spending much of 2024 on the road here and abroad, Press Club are serving up more new music this year. They’ll independently release their fourth album, To All The Ones That I Love, on Friday May 2 featuring the songs from their new double A-side single, “Tightrope” and “Vacate.” These songs are everything I love about Press Club: killer rock music that perfectly backs up the force of nature that is frontwoman Natalie Foster.
She said “’Tightrope’ is about hitting that point where you’re done trying to fix things, becoming frustrated and numb taking on everybody else’s thoughts, worries and expectations. It’s that feeling of barely holding it together, like you’re walking a tightrope on the edge of a breakdown. Musically, it’s a bit of an ode to The Hives, written after meeting them at Hurricane festival in Germany.”
Meanwhile the band were inspired by classic acts like David Bowie, New Order, and Joy Division when writing “Vacate.” You can definitely hear their influence in those retro guitars.
As we inch closer to the release of his New Love album, Ziggy Alberts has dropped another romantic folk ditty for your listening pleasure. His new single “I’m With You” is another beautiful song that celebrates being with the right person.
“Love in its purest form, has a way of bringing us back to ourselves. This song is about embracing that with open arms,” Ziggy said. “Sometimes we are blinded by desire when some things are right in front of us. It’s a really, truly happy song; it’s not even sentimental; it’s simply happy-go-lucky, which I love.”
You can hear more from Ziggy when he releases New Love on February 21. He’ll hit the ground running playing some local shows from release day through to early April before heading to North America, Europe, and the UK. They’re all selling out left and right, so if you want to get along make sure you grab some tickets soon.
Canadian indie folk duo The East Pointers are heading to Australia on the back of their recently released single “Anniversary.” This beautiful song honours their late bandmate Koady Chaisson, who died suddenly in January 2022.
“When Jake [Charron, keys, guitar, and vocals] and I sat down to write, ‘Anniversary’ was the first song that came out—it was as if Koady was in the room with us, it flowed so fast,” said Koady’s cousin and East Pointers vocalist, fiddler, and guitar player Tim Chaisson. “We want this song to give anybody permission to give themselves a pat on the back, for any of the wins or positive changes in their life. A celebration you continue to honour, especially when times get tough.”
“‘Anniversary’ is a song about how making one positive decision can change the rest of your life,” Jake added. “11 years ago today (on his birthday) our late band member Koady made some major changes to his life to improve his mental health, one of which was becoming sober. This is a song to celebrate fresh starts, milestones, and the wins that we have along the way, big or small.”
The East Pointers will play some of the country’s leading folk festivals and headlining shows in the coming months. Tickets are on sale now for all the following shows.
Music lovers are in for a real treat when Andrew Blanch, Vladimir Gorbach, and Slava and Leonard Grigoryan take their Bach, Bossa and Beyond show to the major capitals next month. These guys are all exceptional individually, but when they join forces as the Australian Guitar Quartet magic happens. Check out this video for just a taste of what you’re in for.
The quartet promises to play music spanning almost 300 years in these not-to-be-missed shows. They’ll take you on a journey through genres including classical music, opera, Latin, and modern jazz, so there’s bound to be something for everyone. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows:
With Forgiving Spree, Slowly Slowly proves the old adage that quality is always better than quantity. Its nine tracks spanning will take you just a little over half an hour to listen to, but I guarantee you’ll be thinking about them long after the final note.
It’s no coincidence that Slowly Slowly released five singles from this album before its launch. It opens with the title track before moving on to “Gimme the Wrench” and “How Are You Mine?”, all so catchy and crowd-pleasing. You might expect a dip in energy as Slowly Slowly move on to those album tracks, but in all honesty, any song on this album might have served as a single. This is an album that sees Slowly Slowly leaning into their pop sensibilities, unafraid to take inspiration from more commercial influences like John Farnham and Bruce Springsteen. There are more love songs than gritty anthems here. Most songs encourage listeners to sing along, but with the closer “Born Free,” Slowly Slowly shows they have what it takes to silence you. It’s such an epic ballad, stripped back and vulnerable until its dramatic musical and emotional crescendo.
Forgiving Spree is Slowly Slowly’s fifth album and their most accomplished. It sees them taking well-educated musical risks that always land, yet still surprise listeners. They’re stretching themselves musically and proving that just maybe, they can do it all.
Forgiving Spree is out now. Slowly Slowly will celebrate their new release with shows in Europe, the United Kingdom, and here at home over the coming months. Get your tickets now because they’re bound to sell out.
Naarm/Melbourne rockers Among the Restless have really impressed me with their latest single “Running Away.” The band is a three-piece, but they’ve got such an epic sound that wouldn’t be out of place in any stadium. If you love acts like The 1975 and Nothing But Thieves, I know you’re going to crank the volume on this one.
“The lyrics are vulnerable and honest, recounting the emotions felt during parting ways with someone close to you, whilst regrettably feeling happy about the outcome,” Among the Restless explained. “Running Away has a sense of tragic hope that almost all of us have felt at some point in our lives.”
Among the Restless will close out the summer with shows all along the East Coast. Catch them at the following venues:
Boorloo/Perth-based indie rock trio Fool Nelson are preparing to embark on their first headlining tour of the country on the back of their latest single “Don’t Feel Right.” Despite its name, listening to this ultra-catchy track feels so very right! It’s a cracker of a song that begs for repeat plays.
“‘Don’t Feel Right’ is about not taking the people around you for granted,” the lads from Fool Nelson said. “It touches on the idea of growing apart from friends and forgetting about how important certain people are in your life.”
After playing plenty of shows in 2024 supporting the likes of Ball Park Music, The Grogans, and Old Mervs, Fool Nelson are thrilled to finally take top billing.
“We’re super excited to be doing our first ever headline Australian tour finally. It’s a big effort to do coming from WA, but now that we’ve got a bit of a taste for it, we’re definitely keen to keep the ball rolling with playing as many shows around the country as we can!”
No doubt as the year progresses we’ll see these guys playing larger venues, so make sure you catch them at these more intimate shows while you can!
No one does a summer tune quite like Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast trio Bootleg Rascal. For their sexy new single “Drip Your Love,” they’ve enlisted the help of South Summit’s Zaya. The result is a smooth soul number that’s perfect for pool parties and summer road trips.
“It’s long, hot summer days spent by the pool sipping ice cold, extra strong, homemade margies,” Bootleg Rascal guitarist and dad-bod extraordinaire Jimmy Young said of the single’s inspiration. “It’s steamy nights spent with your new flame, picture the love scene from the OG Top Gun movie, ‘Take My Breath Away’ playing on cassette tape. It’s traffic jams spent sweating it out in your 1986 Toyota Corolla with busted A/C. It’s pretending to drown at the community pool just so you can get resuscitated by the hot lifeguard on duty, see Squints Poladoris in the ‘Sandlot Kids’. It’s trying to finish your Frosty Fruit before it melts in the blazing hot sun (aka impossible). It’s necking your first cold beer of the day so fast it feels like the liquid just evaporates before it even touches your lips. It’s slamming chip sambos at the beach, white bread/chicken salt/extra sauce. It’s hanging for summer to come around just to complain every day about how hot it is, then lament it when it’s all over for another year. It’s summer lovin’ just the way Olivia and John boy would want it.”
Bootleg Rascal will keep the summer vibes flowing after the season ends with their mini-festival, Booty Block Party. It’ll feature a revolving roster of guest artists including Dante Knows, Dear Sunday, Dizzy Days, and Tasman Keith. They’ve also got a few shows before that happens supporting Steel Pulse, so see them anywhere you can!
Former Chats guitarist Josh “Pricey” Price is striking out on his own with a brand new single “Bastards Never Change.” It’s a raw, rock track delivered without a hint of bullshit. If that’s the sort of thing you need on your Friday, press play. But if you’re in the office, you might want to grab some headphones, because the lyrics aren’t exactly work-safe!
“The song came about during a recent tour with The Screaming Jets,” Pricey recalled. “As we travelled from venue to venue, I found myself gazing out the bus window when I noticed a homeless man holding a cup. In that moment, I didn’t just see him. I saw my reflection. It struck me how lucky I am to be living my dream, touring with a rock band, having fun, and doing what I love. This song isn’t about that man. it’s about me appreciating the blessings I have and recognizing the stark contrast of our lives. ‘Bastards Never Change’ is my way of expressing gratitude and resilience, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys.”
Pricey is back on tour, this time supporting Wheatus on their acoustic Dirtbags Across Australia shows. Here are all the remaining dates on that run!
I thank my lucky stars regularly that I can work from home for myself. The corporate world and the conformity that came along with it was never for me. So Jet City Sports Club’s latest single “Mini Skirt,” which celebrates finding your own path, really resonates with me. And if you’re not one for blending in, I think it’ll strike a chord with you too.
“You don’t have to be perfect or conform to the ways your friends, family or the world might want you to,” the band insists. “The story is narrated from the perspective of a young girl going through serious body image issues and pressure to be someone they might not necessarily be. The verses talk about this and the chorus aims to reclaim a sense of independence and self worth.”
Jet City Sports Club are preparing to hit the road with a couple of acts that celebrates nonconformity, DICE and Eliza and the Delusionals. They’ll also find time for a pitbstop at Party in the Paddock. Where will you see them?
