The Screaming Jets Rocking All Around This Summer

If you missed The Screaming Jets touring with Boom Crash Opera recently, you’re in luck. Newcastle’s favourite sons have just announced summer shows to promote their brilliant covers album, Gotcha Covered.

Fans can look forward to plenty of their favourite Jets tracks along with tracks from the Gotcha Covered album, as well as a few surprises to keep them on their toes. In plain words, these shows are going to go off. Melbourne rockers Palace of the King will support on all shows, but there are a few other guest artists on selected dates.

7 December 2018 – O’Donoghues, Emu Plains
8 December 2018 – Central Hotel, Shellharbour
14 December 2018 – The Factory Theatre, Marrickville (with The Poor)
15 December 2018 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
21 December 2018 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
22 December 2018 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
28 December 2018 – Kingscliffe Beach Hotel, Kingscliff (with The Poor and Clam Sandwich)
29 December 2018 – Aussie World, Sunshine Coast (with The Poor and Clam Sandwich)
4 January 2018 – Wyong Leagues, Wyong
5 January 2018 – Laurieton United Services, Laurieton
11 January 2018 – Matthew Flinders Hotel, Chadstone
12 January 2018 – York on Lilydale, Mt Evelyn
17 January 2018 – Shoalbay Country Club, Shoalbay
18 January 2018 – The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle
19 January 2018 – Pittwater RSL, Pittwater

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Leon Bridges Announces Aussie Return

Leon Bridges is no stranger to our shores, but this morning was really the first time I’ve taken some time to listen to what he’s all about. Better late that never right? As he prepares to make his fourth trip to our country, I slipped on his latest album, Good Thing. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed.

Blending old-school soul vibes with fresh flavours is no easy feat, but Leon gets the balance right here. If the way these songs sound on the album is any indication, Aussie fans are in for one hell of a show.

Leon will get support from fellow American, Noah Kahan, on all shows. We went wild for his track “Hurt Somebody,” turning it platinum, so I’m sure plenty of music lovers will appreciate seeing more from him at these shows.

Tickets for Leon Bridges shows go on sale today at 11 am. Ticketek are selling for Sydney and Ticketmaster are handling Melbourne and Brisbane.

14 January 2019 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
17 January 2019 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
19 January 2019 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Chugg Entertainment

Family Fold Remember Countdown With “Molly Meldrum’s Eyes” Single

Gathering around the TV to watch Countdown is a ritual many Australians still hold dear. Family Fold have celebrated that beloved time Aussie music history with their new song “Molly Meldrum’s Eyes.”

Family Fold frontman Paul Andrews actually wrote the song in his mid-twenties but rediscovered in just a couple of years ago.

“I was clearly pining for the old days when I was in my 20s! My old band Lazy Susan did an online release in 2016 of a couple of unreleased/demos/live albums and I rediscovered ‘Molly Meldrum’s Eyes’ when I was sorting through old boxes of tapes and CDs,” he explained. “I thought it was too good to throw away on a demos album, so put it aside for consideration for Ashfield Skyline and it ended up making the cut.”

Something tells me that if Countdown were still alive, Molly would give the clip a spin. It’s a gentle homage to Cold Chisel’s “Cheap Wine” video, filmed in a 1970s fibro house in Sydney’s west.

“Molly Meldrum’s Eyes” comes from Family Fold’s forthcoming sophomore album, Ashfield Skyline. They’ll launch the single tomorrow night in Marrickville, then play shows in New South Wales in the coming months, including some album launch dates.

15 September 2018 – Gasoline Pony, Marrickville (single launch)
30 September 2018 – Dashville Skyline Festival, Belford
4 October 2018 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne (album launch)
13 October 2018 – The Noble Hops, Redfern
25 November 2018 – The Union Hotel, Newtown (album launch)

Brayden Sibbald Releases Beautiful EP Title Track, “Float”

Western Australia’s own Brayden Sibbald has been a regular on the West Coast wedding and winery circuit for some time, but I can’t imagine he’ll be playing covers for too long. I’m so impressed with his dreamy new single “Float,” pulled from his forthcoming EP of the same name.

“Float” provides the perfect introduction for his EP, recorded with Matt Gio (Troy Sivan/Rudimental) as Brayden explained.

“’Float’ was the first song we worked on together, around mid-last year. It’s the title track of the EP, as it’s the most reflective of the central theme of the release – which is that if you are down, you can always get back up. It’s not too late to get help, or help yourself, no matter how hard things may seem.”

Brayden Sibbald’s EP drops on September 28. He’ll support its release with shows on the East and West Coast. Catch him at the following gigs.

4 October 2018 – The Bird, Perth
10 October 2018 – The Toff, Melbourne
14 October 2018 – The Record Crate, Sydney
3 November 2018 – WAMfest 2018 Lot Party, Perth

Image used with permission from Habit Music Company

Hayley Marsten Tackles Painful Divorce in “Coming Home”

Gladstone country artist Hayley Marsten wears her heart on her sleeve in her new single “Coming Home,” a powerful track recalling her teenage experiences as a child of divorce and the way those formative years still impact her today.

The song has been some time in the making. She’d sketched out the bare bones of the song, but found it difficult to complete the emotional number. It wasn’t until she started collaborating with six-time Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell on the DAG Songwriter’s Retreat that she figured out exactly what she wanted to say. The song has really resonated with fans, as Hayley recounts.

‘Coming Home’ is the song from Lonestar I get the most messages about,” she explained. People come up to me after gigs to tell me they identify with it or that it made them cry.” It’s rare for a song to move people to tears and Hayley is forever grateful for people sharing their own stories, believing “it’s extra special for that to happen on such a personal song.”

“Coming Home” comes from Hayley’s EP Lonestar. You can hear more when Hayley kicks off her Tour With No Name alongside Arna Georgia in Melbourne tomorrow.

12 September 2018 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
13 September 2018 – Bayview Country Art Club, Bittern
14 September 2018 – Music Man Megastore, Bendigo
15 September 2018 – Commercial Hotel, Terang
16 September 2018 – The Loft, Warnambool
29 September 2018 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane
25 October 2018 – Oodies Café, Bundaberg
26 October 2018 – Willy Ed’s, Gladstone
27 October 2018 – Saleyards, Rockhampton
28 October 2018 – Captain Cook Caravan Park, 1770
1 November 2018 – The Green Owl, Brisbane

Image used with permissio from Wild Heart Publicity

Sam Perry Announces Tour & Support Act Competition

They cop a lot of criticism, but I am avid fan of music-based reality shows. They’re one of the few places a nationwide audience can see undiscovered musical talent, and that’s nothing but positive to me. The Voice Australia has perhaps faced the most criticism, a show that enjoys great ratings but has not, as the naysayers remind us, produced a big star. Personally I think “stars” are overrated. Plenty of singers unearthed on The Voice are gigging regularly … but I digress. If The Voice Australia was ever to deliver us a bona fide star, it might be Sam Perry. Simply because he broke the mould and gave us something we’ve never seen on shows of this ilk. In fact, it’s not quite like I’ve seen anywhere else.

Vocal looping in and of itself isn’t new, but the way Sam used it to create soundscapes was incredible. He had raw talent, but I felt like working with Kelly Rowland improved him week after week. It was mentoring at its finest, the kind of thing that happens when these shows are at their best.

Too many reality TV acts fade into obscurity once the cameras stop rolling, but Sam isn’t going to go away quietly. He’s making new music which we’ll no doubt get a taste of when he plays shows around the country later this year.

“My new music is coming together well,” he said. “I have a lot to do and more to learn, but it’s exciting. I also can’t wait to tour Australia and show everyone what I have been working on.”

Sam also wants to pay his good luck forward and use his profile to give another artist a leg up. So he’s launched the Not a DJ support competition. He encourages anyone interested in supporting him on his national tour to send a demo (Soundcloud or private download link), bio, and photo to info@michaelparismgmt.com for the chance to win a place on the bill.

“Starting out as a local artist in a small town, I know all too well how hard it can be to meet the right people, and be heard amongst the already established bands,” he explained. “I’m not great at networking and there is not really a rule book to follow. All I knew, is that I wanted to perform to a room of people, that were there to listen. I can’t wait to hear all your music, and find a local support act to join me in their city on my tour around the country.”

Sam Perry will play the following shows in November and December. Tickets are available from his website. If you go, remember to arrive early enough to cheer on the support act. They might just be the next star of the future.

16 November 2018 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
17 November 2018 – Dub in the Park, Adelaide
23 November 2018 – The Helm, Sunshine Coast
24 November 2018 – 256 Wickham, Brisbane
30 November 2018 – Civic Underground, Sydney
7 December 2018 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
14 December 2018 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
21 December 2018 – Magnums Hotel, Airlie Beach
22 December 2018 – Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Caiti Baker Showcases Bold New Sound With “Gimme”

Caiti Baker is all attitude in her new single “Gimme.” It’s a track with plenty of bite, cutting vocals and a unique sound blending roots samples, grinding bass, and electronics. “Gimme” gives us an exciting taste of a brand new batch of songs from this Darwin talent.

“These tracks seemed to push themselves in a new direction for us creatively—there were more elements of trap, synths and big bass that we were really excited about, but we knew they didn’t suit what we were going for on Zinc,” said Caiti. “We decided to come back to them later with fresh ears and that’s exactly what we did.”

The new songs will drop later this year, but you can get a sneak peek on Caiti’s forthcoming tour, her biggest solo one yet. Catch her at the following venues around the country.

20 September 2018 – Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River
21 September 2018 – Indi Bar, Scarborough
22 September 2018 – Blues for the Bush, Perenjori
26 September 2018 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 September 2018 – Yah Yah’s, Melbourne
29 September 2018 – Caloundra Music Festival, Sunshine Coast
29 September 2018 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
4 October 2018 – Waywards, Newtown
5 October 2018 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
6 October 2018 – Granite Town Music Festival, Moroya

Image used with permission from SGC Media; photo credit: Michelle Grace Hunder

Peter Combe Takes Christmas Album on the Road

When I was a kid, we didn’t have giants of children’s entertainment like The Wiggles or Hi-5. They weren’t tempting us with merchandise or wearing colourful costumes. They were far more unassuming. Peter Combe might not have attracted the global fanbase of today’s kiddie megastars, but he found a special place in our hearts. So I’m sure plenty of my readers will be thrilled to hear Peter isn’t just rereleasing his beloved 1990 festive recording, Christmas Album; he’s taking the album on tour!

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of wonderful letters, emails, Facebook messages and many many more comments from families for 28 years expressing their love for this particular album,” says Peter. “I’ve been deeply touched by these expressions of love for the songs.”

“The album expresses the optimism of the Christmas message. I like to think the audiences will be uplifted by the joy expressed in the songs and the care that went into the writing them. It was a genuine labour of love. Christmas is unique in that it can be appreciated at a deep level whether you are Christian, agnostic or atheist.”

This album’s fans will know one of the things that makes its songs so special are the choirs that elevate the tracks. Determined to bring that same feel to the live shows, he’s contacted high schools in all the capitals to find great choirs to accompany him at each gig.

If you want to spend this festive season with the one and only Peter Combe, make sure you book your tickets now. Surely these nostalgic seasonal shows will sell out!

25 November 2018 – Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth
2 December 2018 – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
8 December 2018 – Dunstan Playhouse @ Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
12 December 2018 – Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne
14 & 15 December 2018 – Wrest Point, Hobart
18 & 19 December 2018 – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan
21 December 2018 – Monkey Baa, Sydney

Image used with permission from Hot Off the Press Publicity

Kav Temperley Releases First Solo Single “Pollyanna”

When Kav Temperley releases music, you know you’re in good hands. The solo thing might be new for him, but the frontman of Eskimo Joe is such an accomplished musician it was never going to be a difficult transition. His new single “Pollyanna,” our first taste of his solo album All Your Devotion, is just what the doctor ordered.

“A friend once told me that our happiness is always relative, whether we live in a war zone or paradise – our happiness always swings back to the same place,” explained Kav of the song’s inspiration. “I had just lost my marriage and the band had decided to take a break, all of these things that defined me were now no longer around. It was one of the first times in my life I felt like a stranger just rolling along, but I realised that amongst all of this I was a Pollyanna, someone despite the bad news always looks on the bright side. This was a song I was singing to myself to remember to stay light.”

That headspace informs All Your Devotion, an album about figuring things out, letting ourselves be vulnerable, starting over, and moving on. It also sees Kav exploring more of a pop-folk sound than many of his previous rock releases. It sounds superb.

All Your Devotion gets a digital and vinyl release on September 28. He’ll celebrate its launch with shows all around the country. Sorry kids, they’re all strictly adults only. Snap up your tickets soon because they will not last.

5 October 2018 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane
6 October 2018 – Villa Noosa Hotel, Sunshine Coast
7 October 2018 – Public Bar @ Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast (FREE)
11 October 2018 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
12 October 2018 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
13 October 2018 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
19 October 2018 – Leadbelly, Sydney
20 October 2018 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
27 October 2018 – Mojos, Fremantle
2 November 2018 – River Hotel, Margaret River
3 November 2018 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury

Ruel Shows No Signs of Fatigue With Third EP Single & Tour

Forget about Bieber. London-born, Aussie-raised teen Ruel is creating much better music at 15 than Justin was at that age. He’s also writing the track and playing several instruments. And people are starting to take notice. Tyler, The Creator has just recruited him for his Camp Flog Knaw Festival, happening this November. But before that he’ll play shows around Australia.

If you’re not familiar with Ruel yet, his new single “Younger,” the third single lifted from his EP Ready, is the perfect introduction. It’s such smart pop music, with lyrics that speak to his core teen audience but also make people like me well past those years feel nostalgic. His voice is stellar and the production, which Ruel has a major stake in, is flawless.

See these shows while you can still catch him in small venues. This guy is destined for the stadiums. Trust me.

27 September 2018 – The Corner Hotel, Richmond (Under 18s matinee)
28 September 2018 – The Corner Hotel, Richmond (Licensed 18+)
29 September 2018 – Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley (Licensed ALL AGES)
4 October 2018 – The Gov, Hindmarsh (Licensed ALL AGES)
5 October 2018 – 256 Wickham, Fortitude Valley (Licensed ALL AGES)
10 October 2018 – Enmore Theatre, Newtown (Licensed ALL AGES)