jnr. is delivering the good vibes you need to transition into your weekend with his summery new single “as you are.” It’s got a slick indie-pop sound, but beneath the polish is a serious message about self-acceptance and loving others the way they want to be loved.
“A lot of the songs I wrote in France are written to both my partner and to myself. With ‘as you are’, I was looking back on a conversation we had where I might have been prying a bit too much,” jnr. admitted. “I realised I wasn’t ready to understand parts of her because she hadn’t confronted those parts within herself yet. There were holes in myself that I didn’t understand yet that I was trying to fill with her. A lot of my songs are from a place of trying to understand myself through other people, and realising that whatever messed up way we are in is the way it’s supposed to be.
“as you are” is the title track from jnr.’s forthcoming EP, which is scheduled to drop in March. Until then, I’ll have this song on heavy rotation.
Eora/Sydney pop power-duo Foley keeps the vibes upbeat on their new single, “Honey.” It’s got a sweet title and sound, but this song actually explores the sour points in relationships when arguments go a little too far.
“Honey is about taking it too far and realising you might have pushed your luck – we all have moments in a relationship where you make your point a little TOO WELL and realise you played too rough,” Foley admitted. “In the right relationship those moments aren’t make or break; instead they are the times you see compassion and understanding in a partner who is willing to have your back and stick with you.”
It’s no surprise that this song sounds slick, because Foley worked on it with a world-class team. It was mixed by Pedro Calloni (Chappell Roan, ELIO, Alex Warren, Daniel Seavey, GAYLE) and mastered by Grammy-nominated audio engineer Nathan Dantzler (Sabrina Carpenter, sombr, Niall Horan, Jonas Brothers, Teddy Swims). Foley also cowrote “Honey” with Max Jacobs and Nico Scali of Loretta.
“We all clicked straight away and had so many laughs, it made for a really energetic session,” Foley said. “Those magic guitar chords that carry the song were brought to the session by Max and having a new guitarist in the room helped us to get into a different headspace. We wanted to write something with the acoustic guitar front and centre that could bring a bit of a bluesy tone – and the chorus really dabbles with that in the guitar and vocal stacks.”
Foley have recently been making waves with shows in Korea. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they announce some local gigs. Keep an eye on their socials to learn all about any upcoming dates as soon as they’re released!
Chloe Marks & The Mayhem are pushing the boundaries of the country genre with their latest single, “Cheaper Than Therapy.” The band blends country vibes with Americana, soul, and hippie sentiments in this earworm.
“‘Cheaper Than Therapy’ is about my personal journey in finding out who I am,” Chloe said. “It’s about admitting my flaws but also celebrating the incredible road I’ve had to walk to become this version of myself. It’s about spirituality, honesty, and openness.”
Chloe Marks will play shows through the rest of the year and into 2026. Here are all the places you can catch her:
18 December 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 December 2025 – Gem Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Yatala 26 December 2025 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 December 2025 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 31 December 2025 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 16 January 2026 – Tudor Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 17 January 2026 – Southgate Inn, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (3-6 pm) 17 January 2026 – Tudor Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (7:30-10:30 pm) 18 January 2026 – Joe Maguires, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 20 January 2026 – Joe Maguires, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 22 January 2026 – Riverside Stage, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth 29 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 30 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 31 January 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 5 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 6 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 7 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 10 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 12 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 14 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 15 February 2026 – Beechmont Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Advancetown 19 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 20 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 February 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 February 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 28 February 2026 – Chattahoochee Joes, Meeanjin/Brisbane 1 March 2026 – Beechmont Hotel, Yugambeh Country/Advancetown 6 March 2026 – The Irish, Giabal, Jarowair, and Jagera Country/Toowoomba 7 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 12 March 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 13 March 2026 – Suzi Wongs Goodtime Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane 15 March 2026 – Bearded Dragon, Yugambeh Country/Tambourine 17 March 2026 – Brooklyn Standard, Meeanjin/Brisbane 19 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 21 March 2026 – Honky Tonks, Meeanjin/Brisbane 27 March 2026 – Suzi Wongs Goodtime Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
Crank up the volume, press play, and give yourself a couple of minutes to appreciate “No Vacancy,” the latest single from Meeanjin/Brisbane-based rock outfit Pilot Crisis. With Evie Cowen out front, this is an absolute belter.
Guitarist and core songwriter Mitch Chen said he wrote “No Vacancy” during an introspective moment of procrastination.
“I was sitting on the couch watching King of the Hill, noodling on the guitar and thinking about how I’d spend long stretches of time just wasting away,” he reflected. “Hours would slip by while I kept dreaming of doing something better, but never putting the energy into actually doing it.”
The release of “No Vacancy” caps off a big few months for Pilot Crisis, who toured with Vipersnatch, supported Beddy Rays, and laid down a bunch of new music which we’ll hear in the coming months.
‘90s romantic-comedy Sliding Doors is one of those movies that lives in my mind rent-free. The premise of a single decision completely changing the trajectory of your life is fascinating. It seems local singer-songwriter Sidney agrees, as the flick inspired her fantastic new indie-pop single, also called “sliding doors.”
“I was still holding onto the belief that if I just pushed hard enough, maybe it could still work. But sometimes, choosing one path is what shows you the truth about what you actually wanted,” Sidney explained. “With its light/dark contrast and undercurrent of emotional unrest, ‘sliding doors’ sonically captures the emotional tug-of-war at the heart of the EP, sitting right at the tipping point between fantasy and clarity.”
Sidney will release that EP on February 27. You can hear a couple more songs from that release, including previous singles “golden boy” and “what if it ends?” on your favourite streaming services.
If you’re feeling that midweek slump, take a moment to press play on “Running,” the latest track from Meeanjin/Brisbane-based rockers Lucid Safari. It’s such a fabulous feel-good track from a band that seem destined for big things.
“‘Running’ is about that ache you feel for someone you never really got the chance to know. It’s that unspoken connection that lingers, the one that got away before anything real could even start,” explained Lucid Safari’s lead singer, Daniel Lewis. “You’re replaying moments, chasing fragments and memories that never quite left you. Underneath the energy of the song, there’s a quiet kind of longing about how time moves on, people change, but some feelings just stay with you.”
Discovering “Running” has sent me down a little rabbit hole listening to all of the most recent Lucid Safari’s releases, and I am so impressed. Hopefully we hear plenty more these guys in 2026.
Charly Oakley has won my heart with their poppy new single “Against the Odds.” This is one of those special pop tracks that wears its heart on its sleeve. The combination of Charly’s relatable lyrics and gorgeous, warm voice is incredible.
Charly might be just starting their musical journey, but they’re already impressing the right people. They were signed to management under Sam Dainty and Paul Dainty AO, AM, which put them on the radar of Jonathan Daniel, founder of CRUSH MUSIC whose roster includes megastars like Miley Cyrus and Lorde. Jonathan introduced Charly to LA producer Xandy Berry, who’s worked with artists like Rihanna, Bon Iver, and Miley. Along with his long-time friend and collaborator Jordie Thomas, he helped bring Charly’s vision for “Against the Odds” to life. With all those heavy hitters on their side, you know we’ll be hearing a lot more from Charly Oakley.
Joe Mungovan takes the idea of suffering from art to the next level with his latest single “Hurts.” While the lyrics of this ultra-catchy indie-rock bop say “I love it when it hurts,” he might have reconsidered the notion after filming the video at Kiama Tennis Court. Take a look and you’ll see exactly what I mean!
“This was without question the most painful release I’ve ever made – and not in a deep, emotional, ‘artist suffers for his craft’ way,” Joe joked. “No. I mean actual, physical pain. I had this brilliant/stupid idea for the visual world: ‘What if I just… got hurt? Repeatedly?’ And, as always, my long-time collaborator and good mate Mikey Conlon laughed and said, ‘Yep. Love it. Let’s make it worse.’ So we did. Sometimes the best creative decisions are also the dumbest.”
So you’ve got to watch, if only so his efforts won’t be in vain! Fresh from supporting The Rubens last weekend, Joe will also play the following headlining shows to support the release of “Hurts.”
Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Ellis King has blown me away with her latest single “fitymi.” Standing for “fake it till you make it,” “fitymi” is one of six songs Ellis wrote to process the end of her first long-term relationship. While it came from heartbreak, “fitymi” has a bright, piano pop sound that is bound to put a smile on your face.
“I’ve been trying to push myself to write about different things and also be a bit more reflective. After a big life event, like a breakup, you end up doing a lot of that,” Ellis said. “Thinking about yourself, the effort you put into your life, and where your energy really goes. For me, this song is about realising how much time I’ve spent putting on a face, holding it together, while actually struggling underneath – not wanting anyone to see me as anything other than a perfectly well put together person.”
Ellis will drop all of her breakup musings when she releases her EP Everything That Comes After on February 20.
Floodlights may be one of the most exciting acts you’re yet to hear about. Allow me to change all that and introduce you to their latest single “Tricky.” It’s an anthemic rock song that reminds me a bit of The Killers or Arcade Fire. It’s so polished, yet it doesn’t sacrifice the heart.
“It’s the first love song we’ve written” explained Floodlights’ frontman Louis Parsons, “Although it still sounds like us, we did want ‘Tricky’ to be something that felt new. We leant more on synth and rhythm to drive this track which helped to create that feeling of euphoria that comes from letting go of the past and embracing the future.”
After wowing crowds in the UK while supporting our own Amyl and the Sniffers, Floodlights are back home playing local gigs. They’re destined for stadiums, so make sure you take the opportunity to see them at these smaller venues while you still can.
