It’s just close enough to the weekend to start the party tunes I think. Queue Laura Mac’s, whose latest single “Don’t Know What I’m Thinking” deserves to get turned up loud at your next shindig. I’ve been moving and grooving to this one at home, but something tells me it’d sound even sweeter surrounded by mates with a bevvy in hand.
“Party, disco, dance – we’re just having fun with it!” explained one half of the Queensland duo, Laura Maclachlan. “All our songs have a different vibe but I feel like we’ve kept our own unique sound. DKWIT is staying up all night partying and loving every second of it. Celebrate every chance you get, party with your mates and dance ‘til you drop… High 5!!”
Laura Mac will play their very first live show supporting British India tomorrow night before playing some East Coast shows in July and August.
21 May 2022 – Solbar, Maroochydore (supporting British India)
29 July 2022 – Greaser Bar, Brisbane (FREE)
6 Aug 2022 – The Last Chance, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Dane Beesley
Lara Dee, the frontwoman of Brisbane band Cheap Date, has released a gorgeous new single “Dear Daughter.” This is a real departure for Lara, a song that sees her being truly vulnerable. It’s something that has taken her many years to do, but I’m so glad she did.
“‘Dear Daughter’ is a song that I wrote during a very tumultuous period of my teen years. Some six years later, I have finally worked up the courage to release the song and be a little bit vulnerable,” she admitted.
“I had to grow up very quickly, spending much of my adolescence in and out of hospital wards both for my own treatment and my brother’s. When I reflect on this song and my state of mind during the writing process, I have finally realised that ‘Dear Daughter’ saved me.
“Unlike many of the songs I write, ‘Dear Daughter’ was complete within 30 minutes, without any hesitation or reflection. I was 15 and buried deep in a vicious cycle of a relapsing eating disorder and self-harm. On this particular night I was pushed to my limits and needed to escape. Before the ritualistic process of self-harm could progress to something scarily worse, I remembered my mum was in the room next door.
“Music was something I had always been passionate about and used to express emotion. It was also one of the many things I had thrown to the wayside in the grips of my struggles. In this particular moment I thought about my mum and our relationship. She has always been my best friend and biggest support and our relationship is one that I am always grateful for. I thought about how she would feel and respond if she knew how I was feeling and how I was treating her ‘little girl’.
“This led to a bigger thought and emotion around how I would feel if I had to enforce my thinking and actions onto a younger version of myself. So I sat down and decided to write a note to a future child of mine and a past version of myself. ‘Dear Daughter’ is the product of that evening and I am very proud to have emerged on the other side.”
This might be a solo release, but it definitely doesn’t spell the end of Cheap Date. The band are supporting Suzi on her upcoming Aussie tour. Check out both great acts at the following venues:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
MID CITY’s latest single “Choc Mint” is exactly the kind of high-energy rock number your weekend needs. Just see if you’re not punching your fist in the air by the time that chorus kicks in. Like the love child of Gang of Youths and Arctic Monkeys, the Melbourne band has really outdone themselves here. They had a simple aim with this single: they want to get you moving!
“Our entire existence as a band is about getting people to uncross their arms at gigs,” they said. “There’s enough terrible stuff going on in the world without a bunch of relatively fortunate dudes in a band making people feel worse about themselves or disappearing up their collective musical butts trying to be the saviours of music as we know it. We wanna write fast songs with big choruses that make other things in your life feel less shit.”
Amen to that! “Choc Mint” is the first track lifted from MID CITY’s forthcoming debut album. The band are preparing to play a few shows in Europe but they’ll be back before too long for some Aussie dates. Catch them anywhere you can!
16 May 2022 – Ostpol, Dresden
17 May 2022 – Klubovna, Prague
18 May 2022 – Privatclub, Berlin
19 May 2022 – Nochtspeicher, Hamburg
20 May 2022 – Artheater, Koln
21 May 2022 – Jugendheim, Haldern
24 May 2022 – Schon Shon, Mainz
25 May 2022 – Kohl, Karlsruhe
26 May 2022 – Substanz, Munich
2 July 2022 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
15 July 2022 – The Chippo, Sydney
16 July 2022 – The Greaser, Brisbane (FREE)
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Nick Manuell
Suzi really captured my heart last year with her track “Amelia”. Now she’s impressing me all over again with her latest release, “Everyone I’ve Met Hates Me”. Suzi has a great knack for creating songs that capture specific moments in time that are so relatable. They’re not always pretty, but real life rarely is.
“You know when you wake up after a big night on the bevs and your hangxiety is so bad you never want to leave your house or talk to anyone ever again?” Suzi says of the song’s inspiration. “It is absolutely impossible for everyone you have ever met to hate you – but dear lord does it feel that way sometimes.”
Ready to prove that there’s a lot of love for her out there, Suzi is about to embark on a six-date headlining tour. Catch her at the following shows:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
Image used with permission from GYRO PR; credit: Ruby Boland
With fans already snapping up tickets to The Show Business Tour, there’s no better time to remind you that Hilltop Hoods are bringing new music to your ears and preparing to tour. If you thought their best music might be behind them, press play on their latest track “Show Business” immediately. With special guest vocals from Eamon (remember him?!), this feel-good single is a real crowd-pleaser.
With the pandemic slowing everyone down, Hilltop Hoods haven’t had the chance to headline shows since The Great Expanse World Tour in 2019. This time around they’re taking A.B. Original, Elsy Wameyo, and DJ Total Eclipse along for the ride. Fan club members could nab their tickets yesterday before Telstra Plus members get in on the action tomorrow. The general sale happens at 10 am on Wednesday 11 May. The last shows sold out, so you can expect these ones will too. Don’t say you weren’t warned!
The Hard Aches celebrate finding comfort in the uncomfortable with their latest single “Party Ghost.” Featuring guest vocals from Cahli Blakers of Teenage Joans, it’s a real return to form for this iconic Aussie band.
“It’s all about finding yourself in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells and unfamiliar sounds … it’s about reflecting on your own existence, and your own experiences then learning from them, and doing everything you can to do better,” explained the band’s frontman, Ben David. “Most of all, it’s about trying to understand how it must feel to be an animal, moved away from your safe place, put through big changes, and unable to understand them.”
The fun doesn’t stop there though. The Hard Aches haven’t been on the road since they supported Grinspoon in 2019. The Black Summer bushfires and global pandemic has kept them grounded, until now. The Hard Aches will party all around the country in the middle of the year. Here are all the dates you need!
1 July 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
2 July 2022 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
3 July 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Southport
7 July 2022 – Cambridge Side Room, Newcastle
8 July 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney
9 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
10 July 2022 – UC Hub, Bruce
13 July 2022 – Beer Deluxe, Albury
14 July 2022 – Tonic Bar, Bendigo
15 July 2022 – Barwon Club, Geelong
16 July 2022 – Volta, Ballarat
22 July 2022 – The Leadbeater, Richmond
23 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
28 July 2022 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
29 July 2022 – Pub Rock Diner, Devonport
30 July 2022 – Republic Bar, Hobart
6 August 2022 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide (ALL AGES)
Greta Stanley is an artist who refuses to be pigeonholed. Just when you think you’ve got her figured out, she takes a left turn. It’s exciting. She showcases the full breadth of her artistry on her sophomore album Real Love in Real Life.
Real Love in Real Life seems like a pop record at first. The upbeat vibes of tracks like “Plant My Feet” and “Keep My Cool” match the vibrant pinks and purples on the album cover. It’s incredible pop music, energetic and fun and fresh. And then just like that, we’re on track six, “Heartbeat Harbour”, and everything changes. It’s darker, bluesier, more raw. “Hold on You” brings back the pop beats, but doesn’t shake that darkness. We’re getting to know another side of Greta. It’s different but so compelling. As the album progresses, it seems like Greta Stanley peels back more layers. “Favourite Songs” and “Close Call” are some of my favourite songs. The instrumentation is pared back, giving the honest lyrics space to breathe. They’re confessional, like diary entries, giving us real insight into the artist and her experiences. The current single “Red Earth Dirt” sees Greta return to pop princess mode, bringing the album full circle … or so I thought. However, Greta leaves us with the title track, a beautiful country song that sounds like it’d be at home in a honky tonk bar.
I must admit, it took me a little time to warm up to Real Love in Real Life. All the twists and turns took me by surprise. While I heard flashes of brilliance on the first couple of listens, I needed a little time to embrace the album as a whole. However, by the third listen, I was hooked. This is an album that challenges the listener, but since when was that a bad thing?
Real Love in Real Life is out today. She’s giving us a couple of months to familiarise ourselves with the songs before she hits the road for her headlining tour. Check her out at the following venues:
7 July 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
9 July 2022 – Waghorn to West Festival, Ipswich
14 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
15 July 2022 – Waywards, Sydney
16 July 2022 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
22 July 2022 – Suburban Vibes, Western Australia
23 July 2022 – Four5Nine, Perth
30 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
5th August 2022 – Otherwise Bar, Townsville
6 August 2022 – Tanks Art Centre, Cairns
Pacific Avenue really impressed me with their single “Easy Love” last year. In fact, it was my most-streamed track on Spotify. But I think the Gerringong band might have topped it with “Give It Up For Yourself”. It’s a bright, shimmery indie-rock banger that somehow fuses psychedelic and Brit-pop vibes.
“’Give It Up For Yourself’ is a song that acknowledges and celebrates your life, everything that you are, and everything that you have overcome,” the band explained. “When I was writing the lyrics, I wanted to keep in mind the importance of taking a step back and appreciating how far you have come, no matter how far along you are in achieving your dreams. This song is about giving yourself some credit because if the younger version of yourself could see you today, I’m sure you would be proud.”
A song this good is only going to sound better live, so Pacific Avenue are taking it to capitals all around the country in the middle of the year. Catch them near you, supported by last year’s Unearthed High Competition winners, The Rions.
17 June 2022 – Mojo’s, Perth
18 June 2022 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
24 June 2022 – The Brightside, Brisbane
25 June 2022 – Howler, Melbourne
2 July 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Image used with permission from Good Intent; credit: Charlie Hardy
Ghanaian-Aussie sister duo Kinder are celebrating their culture with “Rasta”, a floor-filler that shares their father’s story.
“Rasta is the story about our dad Kofi and his journey to Australia, where he literally walked across a desert in search of a brighter future. From Ghana to Libya, Europe and finally here,” explained Savannah Osei. “The making of this song was a long process for us. It started off very simply with a vocal chant Briony [Savannah’s sister] came up with walking on the street and recorded it as a voice memo in 2019. We came up with the basic melody, lyrics and started working with a few different producers first with Tasker and Mickey Kojak, then with Kim Moyes of The Presets, the song kept developing further and further, it was an amazing experience to keep pushing the beat along to where it is now”.
They thought they’d finished the track, but then they came across demos from local MC Gold Fang. They knew he could take the song to the next level, so Gold Fang recorded a freestyle verse during last year’s lockdowns. The sisters enthuse that “it was really the last missing piece of the puzzle”.
If you love what Kinder are laying down, make sure you catch them at one of the following shows:
1 May 2022 – Big Gay Day, Brisbane
12 June 2022 – Laundry Bar, Melbourne
17 June 2022 – Civic Underground, Sydney
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia
We’re only a quarter of the way in, but it looks like this year will be massive for Yorke. She’s just released a poptastic new single “next life” and announced some headlining shows in addition to some impressive support gigs.
Yorke’s debut EP Liberosis was one of my favourite releases of 2020. It perfectly showcased her introspective lyrics and knack for perfect pop melodies. But I feel Yorke has taken her sound up a few notches with “next life.” While it acknowledges dark feelings of denial and anger, there’s a euphoric optimism that I just can’t resist. Yorke penned the song in a single day with JIM ALXNDR (James Vincent).
“James really took the time to make sure that every word/melody was considered and purposeful allowing for a certain type of vulnerability that’s rare when you first meet someone. It felt like going back to my roots of pure storytelling and that’s why it came together so well,” Yorke explained. “When it was time for production, we already knew what we wanted and spent the rest of the day messing around with different equipment and warped effects. I’m a huge fan of James’ work and had goosebumps the entire day.”
Yorke also produced “next life’s” music video, working alongside director Kyle Caulfield.
“There was a spectacle about this video and the concept that we didn’t want to feel like a music video, we were really pushing for an international cinematic look,” he added. “We wanted it to feel more like a movie or movie trailer, to help the audience digest themselves in the story. It was important to create a new world with the locations, the styling, and other creative choices that help facilitate the story of the song. Exploring the five stages of grief was a big theme of the clip, and it was interesting to explore the representation of these feelings and emotions visually. I also had a lot of fun structuring the scenes and narrative around the arrangement of the song, both James and Grace have both really brought to light some very special sonic moments in this track.”
As I mentioned, Yorke has a stack of gigs on the horizon. She’ll support San Cisco in her hometown of Byron Bay before playing her own gigs and supporting Amy Shark on shows around regional Victoria.
29 April 2022 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (supporting San Cisco)
1 May 2022 – Golden Shores Festival, Gold Coast
26 May 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
27 May 2022 – Waywards, Sydney
12 July 2022 – Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre, Wangaratta (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
14 July 2022 – Riverlinks, Shepparton (supporting Amy Shark)
16 July 2022 – Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, Traralgon (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
17 July 2022 – Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, Traralgon (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
19 July 2022 – Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
20 July 2022 – Bendigo Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
21 July 2022 – Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts, Ballarat (supporting Amy Shark)
22 July 2022 – Horsham Town Hall, Horsham (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
23 July 2022 – Costa Hall, Geelong (supporting Amy Shark)
27 July 2022 – Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura (supporting Amy Shark – SOLD OUT)
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia
