In the 2000s, I missed a lot of the fabulous pop-punk acts America produced. Some like Green Day and Fall Out Boy broke through, but most passed Australia by. Thankfully now we can all make up for lost time with plenty of these acts visiting our shores on monster bills. In March, Philadelphia’s The Wonder Years will join forces with SoCal act Joyce Manor and Naarm/Melbourne up-and-comer Suzi for some killer shows.
“It’s been far too long and we’re extra excited that these are venue shows where we can play full and long sets for y’all,” said The Wonder Years’ frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell. “Also, to somehow make all of this even more incredible, we get to have Joyce Manor, one of our all-time favourite bands, and Suzi, who have quickly become one of our new favourites, on these shows with us. It’s truly a dream tour in dream places and we hope to see you there.”
Tickets are on sale now, so make sure you get yours!
If I’d have had my way, I would have told you about Slowly Slowly’s collaboration with Frank Turner months ago. That way you could have all gotten turned on to it before Frank visited Australia and played some capital city sideshows and slots at Good Things. However, the email came through while I was in New Zealand, and then I had my car accident days after my return, so things came a little … well … slowly. I considered just moving on, but I haven’t been able to get their take on “Show People” out of my head. And there’s so much new music out there, it’s so easy for releases to fall through the cracks. So while you might have already heard it, I thought I’d better share just in case it slipped under your radar.
“Show People” originally appeared on Frank’s most recent album, Undefeated. It was always a great song celebrating life as a touring musician, but it’s gotten an extra special something with the addition of our homegrown talent. Apparently the collab came about when Frank heard Slowly Slowly referenced him in a song. He reached out to frontman Ben Stewart and they became fast friends. So working together was the natural next step.
“I have been a monstrous Frank Turner fan for so many years,” Ben said. “After name checking him in ‘Turn It Around’ (a song from our 2022 record Daisy Chain), Frank reached out and it has now snowballed into me featuring on one his new tracks. Absolutely ecstatic to be able to call him a friend and so happy with how it all turned out – the song has a message I can really relate to. I hope we get to perform it live soon!”
“Slowly Slowly are one of my favourite Australian bands, ever, so when I reached out on a whim to ask if they’d be part of a collaboration, I was blown away when Ben said yes,” Frank added. “He brings such magic to his performance on what is one of the most important tracks from Undefeated, I kind of wish we could use this on the album proper. It’s an honour to have them involved.”
While I couldn’t get this news to you before Frank went home, I can bring it to you just before Slowly Slowly start their own tour to promote their latest album Forgiving Spree, which drops on January 23. They’re wasting no time playing some really cool acoustic shows with Q&A sessions and local festivals, then heading to Europe and the United Kingdom, before coming back home for a few more gigs. Here are all the dates you need!
It’s taken eight years, but Tyler Hilton is making his long-awaited return to Australia. Best known for his starring turn on One Tree Hill, Tyler is a super talented American singer-songwriter who’s blown me away with his latest EP No Man’s Land. It seems Tyler is every bit as excited about returning to ours as we are to have him.
“I have been DYING to get back to Oz since I came for the first time ever in ’17,” he said. “ Meant to get right back then the pandemic happened and it took a sec for me to get everything back on track. I had no concept of Australia before I came. No real idea of the culture or what the cities looked like … it just hadn’t really spent much time in my brain. I landed in Sydney, hit Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth and my life was changed. I was like, ‘What is this magical place?’
“The food! The people! The beaches! The coffee! I still drink flat whites as my daily drink to this day after that trip. I bought an acoustic guitar there from a local luthier to help commemorate my time there. I wanted to hold onto it so badly. Anyway, the point is, I’m BEYOND excited to be returning and so thankful to still have a fanbase there to justify the trip!”
Expect to hear songs from the incredible new EP and his entire catalogue, including many featured on One Tree Hill, at these East Coast shows.
Pacific Avenue have served up a summery delight with the latest track “Lucy”. It’s a feelgood exploration of infatuation and longing with a catchy chorus that compels you to clap along.
“The concept of Lucy represents the idea that everyone has their own version of ‘Lucy’ — someone or something they hold dear,” the band explained. “Love takes many forms, and beauty is ultimately defined by the one who sees it. This song was recorded at a studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles and is called ‘The Hobby Shop’; it’s a little hole in the wall studio that has some really beautiful gear. It was our first time recording overseas and something we’ve all dreamed of since we started the band.”
Pacific Avenue are making the most of the warm weather with some choice festival spots and solo dates in the coming week. Catch them at following gigs that are sure to brighten up your summer holidays.
Ziggy Alberts is easing you into your working week with his latest single, “Singing for Country.” This patriotic, chilled-out folk song is the latest track from Ziggy’s forthcoming seventh album New Love which drops on February 21.
“I wrote ‘Singing For Country’ along the Mid-North Coast of Australia. It’s a song about what it means to be Australian, to love this land and our planet. For me, being Australian is about embracing a unique mix of cultures on this sunburnt land,” Ziggy explained. “This song was my way of celebrating what and how it feels to be Australian. I performed this song across my tour in Europe, UK and North America and despite it being about my love for Australia, people really connected to it. I think that for anyone who loves the natural beauty of their homeland will relate and feel camaraderie in this too. It speaks to the core reason I write songs; to sing and celebrate people and nature.”
Ziggy has played plenty of shows all over the world, but he’ll be back home in February with gigs in the capitals and regional centres supporting New Love’s release.
“After being on tour all year, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home,” he said. “You don’t realise how much you love a place until you’re back, breathing it in again. There’s something raw and grounding about being back on home soil, smelling the bottlebrush, and returning to the ocean. Originally, this song was just going to be part of the album, but when I got back home, that visceral feeling reminded me how important it was to share it as a single ahead of summer. I’m grateful my team helped make it happen.”
Some shows have already sold out so don’t wait to get yours.
Yes, I know I said I was taking a break, but when I heard American pop-punk legends Yellowcard are heading to Australia for a massive tour I couldn’t resist making one more post today. Hearing Yellowcard are heading our way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ocean Avenue was exciting enough, but then I saw the headliners. We get Motion City Soundtrack and Plain White T’s too?! Yes please!
“It has taken us a long time to sort out bringing the 20th anniversary of Ocean Avenue to Australia, but we promise it will be worth the wait!” Yellowcard said in the press release. “This lineup is so good and we can’t wait to reconnect with our fans down under.”
Yellowcard haven’t played Australia since 2017 so I know fans will be hungry for these shows. Sign up for presale tickets from December 10 or try the general sale from December 12.
2 April 2024 – Metro City, Boorloo/Perth (18+) 4 April 2024 Hindley St Music Hall, Tarntanya/Adelaide (Licensed ALL AGES) 5 April 2024 – Margaret Court Arena, Naarm/Melbourne (Licensed ALL AGES) 9 April 2024 – Hordern Pavilion, Eora/Sydney (Licensed ALL AGES) 11 April 2024 – Bar On The Hill, Mulubimba/Newcastle (18+) 13 April 2024 – Fortitude Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (Licensed ALL AGES)
Solomon Island-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based singer, guitarist, and auu (panpipe) player Charles Maimarosia proves music really is the universal language with his gorgeous new single “Hote’ Hote’”. Like most listeners I don’t speak the Are’ Are’ language, but I’m moved by this gorgeous track. While Charles has to take a lot of the credit for that, he remains humble and acknowledges the part that Andrew Robison, who recorded, mixed, and produced “Hote’ Hote” played.
“Hote’ Hote’ is organic, rhythmic, soulful, and deeply rooted in the Are’ Are’ traditional ‘parani o’o’ rhythm, which shares similarities with rhythms found in many other cultures around the world. None of those rhythms would have been realised without Andrew Robinson,” Charles said. “He arranged the music chord progressions, and I layered the lyrics on top. If the words didn’t fit perfectly with the chords, we would try different ones until everything sat right, knowing that the words had to align with the context. For me, when I put Are’ Are’ lyrics in a song, I always make sure those words are true, make sense to ‘Are’Are’ people, and remain meaningful when translated into other languages, like English or Japanese. We’ve changed this song Hote’ Hote’ about three times already, and now we have this amazing version.”
Marcus Longfoot directed the song’s music video, which charts Charles’ personal journey from the Solomon Islands to Australia.
“The concept of the video is centred around voyaging in the ocean to the islands, which resonates with my own journey from Pipisu Village to Melbourne,” Charles explained. “I was shooting in the Melbourne city during winter, wearing shorts, which was quite an experience! I never imagined the video clip would turn out so well. The video was directed by Marcus Longfoot, with assistance from his team from RMIT media students: Rachel Kemp and Ruari Walsh. Natty [Dolaiasi] provided spoken word contributions from Lau Malaita Islands, whose people we call ‘masters of the ocean.’ Natty D’s spoken word and footage was filmed in Honiara Solomon Islands, my homeland, by Dream Cast Studios’ Mr Collin Leafasia. Marcus is a talented filmmaker and musician who has worked with Radical Son, another amazing artist from the First Nations community. It was a collaborative effort, and I’m grateful for all the creative minds who helped bring the video to life.” The year’s not done yet, but Charles is already setting his sights on 2025 when he’ll release a new album and play several shows.
“I want my audiences to know that I come from a remote village and that I’ll probably yarn a little bit on stage, share some stories, and make them laugh and reflect on their own life and journey while explaining each song,” Charles said. “Every time I’m on stage, I think of my mentor, and elder the late Donation Manu, an Are’ Are’ legend, and it reminds me that music is always here with us, before we are born and long after we are gone.”
Tickets for most of Charles Maimarosia’s February shows are on sale now, so don’t miss out!
South Summit are one of the coolest bands out of Boorloo/Perth, and that’s saying something. They just released their long-awaited debut album The Bliss, and they’re preparing to take their music around Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia next year.
I encourage you to dive into the album, but if you’re short on time make sure you check out the band’s incredible version of “Roxanne” recording for Triple J’s Like a Version. A band as iconic as The Police set the bar so high, but these guys weren’t afraid of the challenge. It might be that new sound energy talking, but I think this fresh take might even be better than the original.
South Summit are psyched to hit the road with their new material, noting “We’re super looking forward to our AUS/NZ Album Tour next February/March! These are by far the biggest headline shows we’ve ever played, and we can’t wait to get out there and see everyone again. These shows feel a little extra special though, it’s been a while since we’ve toured the whole country, and showcasing our debut album is something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We’ve got a brand new live show for you guys, and plenty more treats for ya! See you guys on the road.”
Before that happens, this hardworking band also have plenty of summer festival appearances. Tickets are on sale now for all these shows:
It’s taken some time, but King Stingray have finally given us a love song. “Cat 5 (Cyclone)” comes from the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, For the Dreams. Like the other songs on that album, and indeed the album before, “Cat 5 (Cyclone)” is a joyous track that celebrates life.
“Nothing’s changed in the sense that we’re still who we are, we’re still playing music and enjoying things. But what I think is different about this one is there’s a little bit more lived experience,” the band explained. “We wanted a lot of singalong moments … We were thinking a little bit more about getting everyone in on the party.”
I definitely found myself singing along to this track by the end, so I’d say job done! King Stingray’s new album For the Dreams drops on November 8. You can preorder it now from various retailers by clicking this link. The band have got some American shows with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard coming up, but Aussies won’t need to wait too long to see them. They’ll play their biggest local shows to date in March. The pre-sale kicks off on Thursday, the same day the band will release “Light Up the Path,” another track from the album. Exciting times for King Stingray fans ahead! Whether you’re in the States or here in Oz, here are all the dates you need:
News of Those Who Dream’s upcoming tour has me deep-diving into their back catalogue this afternoon. The Boorloo/Perth emo-pop-rock act conceived by siblings Josh and Hazel Meyer are making the long trip to the East Coast to play the capitals following the October 11 release of their new EP Therapy Machine.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring our upcoming EP Therapy Machine to intimate venues around the East Coast and have a crazy once-in-a-lifetime experience that leaves all of us fundamentally changed as people,” the band said. “Expect 117% energy, alt-rock with sprinklings of nu metal, pop and 15 other genres, a LGBTQ+ safe space, and inescapable infectious joy.”
Who could resist that, right? Those Who Dream have supported some massive acts like Mayday Parade, Nothing But Thieves, and our own Short Stack. They even played Good Things in 2022. They’re the real deal, so make sure you catch them at those intimate venues when you can!
