In the modern age, when so much music is overcomplicated and overproduced, I appreciate the simple things more than ever. Honest lyrics that speak to me. Organic instruments. A great melody. Pure vocals that follow it, without runs or autotune. I’ve found all that and more in “All My Friends (Atrophy),” the debut alternative-folk single from Western Australian outfit Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town.
This song immediately captured my attention with its classic acoustic guitar intro and opening lyric “All my friends are moving in a straight line while I’m spinning in time.” What a great line! “All My Friends (Atrophy)” goes on to celebrate the pals that help you through the hard times. It acknowledges the challenge of feeling out of step with your peers while paying homage to the people willing to support you until all feels right with the world.
From the single acoustic guitar at the beginning, the sound gradually builds. The introduction of more instruments echoes the song’s theme that if the right people are in your orbit, you’ll never truly be alone.
While “All My Friends (Atrophy)” is the first single from Clay Brown & The Trouble Round Town, he’s no stranger to the music scene. Over the last decade, Clay has built a reputation as one of the most versatile guitarists in Boorloo/Perth. Locals might know him from shoegaze outfit The Limbs, grunge act Filth Wizard, or jazz fusion act King Proteus. The Trouble Round Town are equally seasoned. Drummer Jess June played with Clay in Filth Wizard. Bassist Zoe Gol was a member of Single Cell Sharks, while lead guitarist Michael Menna is best known for his time in Art of Dysfunction.
The release of “All My Friends (Atrophy)” is just the start of an exciting musical chapter for Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town. They’ll drop their debut EP later this year.
Image used with permission from Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town
Djilang/Geelong-based artist FARAH is holding nothing back with the release of her stunning debut single “Gasoline.” Written after her 2023 cancer diagnosis, this introspective song is like a letter to her former self and the person she’s becoming. It’s got such a quiet power, it’s beautiful.
“This release signifies the beginning of a new chapter for me as an artist and as a person,” FARAH shared. “It’s a letting go, and a promise to myself to always create with intention and free-flowing expression, without judging the words that want to be sung.”
The release of “Gasoline” comes with a gorgeous short film directed by Sam Biddle. It follows FARAH as she learns to lean into joy once again after overcoming devastation. We’ll hopefully see her leaning more into that joy as releases more new music. I’m so excited to hear what she shares next.
The gloomy pre-winter weather is the perfect backdrop for listening to “Alright Now,” the latest single from local multi-disciplinary artist Hayden Calnin. This gentle acoustic folk track is a bit like a big warm blanket or cup of tea. It just wraps around you and takes you to a place of serenity. It’s gorgeous.
“This song speaks to being okay with all the weirdness around you. Rather than avoiding it, I’ve found it’s often better to accept it and ride along with it,” Hayden said. “There’s also a realisation that you can’t talk to everyone about everything – stigma is a real thing and it exists around the globe on a range of topics, but it’s nice knowing that there’s a few people with whom I can talk to about the weirder side of life. It’s a gentle song, and hopefully it brings some calm to those who hear it.”
Hayden will support Canadian indie-folk artist Leif Vollebekk on his Australian tour, which kicks off on Tuesday. Both artists are so good; if you love gentle acoustic folk you won’t want to miss these shows:
A month writing and performing in the United States seems to have reinvigorated Naarm/Melbourne-based Kiwi outfit Bakers Eddy. Their latest single “Dust On My Brain” is a fabulous indie-rock track that deserves to be played loud.
“’Dust On My Brain’ comes from a feeling of having the walls close in around you, and being trapped in self-destructive cycles,” frontman Ciarann Babbington said. “I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t going out, seeing people. Just spinning myself out with negativity and stress and making bad coping decisions. I don’t tend to write songs when my mental health is struggling, but this one kind of poured out when I was at my lowest and ended up being the catalyst for change, which I’m very grateful for. It made me excited to make music, so most of the EP was written because of ‘Dust’.”
Bakers Eddy will release that sophomore EP called I’m Doing Better on June 6. It was self-produced alongside Vincent McIntyre (Fan Girl, Mr Industry,Elizabeth M. Drummond), mixed by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Weezer), and mastered by Emily Lazar (Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Sia). No wonder the music’s sounding so good!
Aussie-born, LA-based singer-songwriter ILUKA has just dropped an irresistible new girl power anthem, “Girl On the Run.” If there was ever pop music in the Wild West, it’d probably sound something like this.
That makes sense because ILUKA wrote the song after being inspired by the photos she took with cacti on a girls’ trip through Tucson, Arizona. She completed the lyrics imagining herself and her friend as outlaw cowboys on the run. The story ended up becoming an ode to her journey from Australia to the United States.
“’Girl On The Run’ is my love story to myself,” ILUKA explained. “It’s about unapologetically forging your own path and following it ruthlessly even when it confuses or pisses off those around you. Ultimately being a ‘girl on the run’ is about becoming the heroine of your own life story, choosing to love yourself first and foremost, and continuing to say yes to the ride of life —no matter how crazy, wild, or uncertain the road seems.”
No matter what your gender, crank this one up if you need a little extra pep in your step today.
Since returning to the music scene in Eskimo Joe, everything the Western Australian rockers have released has been gold. Their latest banger “Miracle Cure” is so exception. From a stripped-back beginning, it builds into an epic feelgood anthem.
“‘Miracle Cure’ is about the search for redemption and how only love can pull us back from the edge,” frontman Kav Temperley explained. “It’s about hope and the vulnerability that comes with trusting someone to save you. This song is about confronting our flaws and finding strength in love and hope, even if the cure were searching for might not exist. “
The music video, shot by cinematographer David Le May, features footage of the band performing at the Old Customs House in Walyalup/Fremantle and a little Australian Gothic imagery. Think Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Nosferatu.
Eskimo Joe recently played an acoustic gig at Darwin Entertainment Centre, and I hear there may be a few more of those stripped-back gigs in the works. Follow the Eskies on Facebook to hear about all their upcoming shows as they’re announced.
Ahead of the release of her new album Forest House, Kiwi singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell has released a brand new song and revealed she’s heading Down Under. Her latest release “Heart Like a House” sounds like a love song, but Jenny says she wrote it about a different kind of connection.
“’Heart Like A House’ is inspired by how important it is to me to build a life in music that is welcoming and safe for my band and my team – which has largely been influenced by watching other artists carve their own paths that don’t necessarily fit the mainstream industry model,” she explained. “It’s also really influenced by my upbringing, in a family who have always kept welcoming and hosting as a core value.”
“Heart Like a House” comes from Jenny’s fourth album Forest House, which she’ll release in May 16. You’ve got a couple of months to learn the new songs before Jenny arrives on our shores in July.
I love when artists release songs from albums you love and remind you just how good they are. I’m always looking forward to the next thing I vibe with, so often I forget to revisit what’s revved me in the past. But “Feeling Blue” by Ziggy Alberts, lifted from his fabulous seventh studio album New Love, is back on my radar and I couldn’t be happier about it. This song is thick with wisdom. Make sure you catch every lyric, because it contains some real pearls.
“I started writing this song in June 2023 while I was in Europe on break in between tour legs,” Ziggy recalled. “I remember working on it a lot in Ericeira, Portugal, and Biarritz, France. The opening line says it all: ‘I’m not convinced in all the ways I’ve been living now.’ It’s about being really unhappy – and if you didn’t listen to the lyrics carefully, you maybe wouldn’t know, because the song is really upbeat and positive in every other aspect. That contrast really reflects where I was at the time – a paradox of emotions / in the balance of opposites. In many ways, it’s one of the most honest songs I’ve written – just calling out my thoughts and feelings as they were. I’m thankful to have come through some of the personal challenges I was facing then.”
Ziggy has just wrapped up the Aussie leg of his tour but he’s got plenty of international shows in the pipeline. If you’re living abroad, here’s where to find him.
After two decades writing music, Mulubinba/Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Farrelly is sharing his music with the world. His self-titled debut album is packed with powerful tunes that explore the human condition and society’s injustices. I recently caught up with Farrelly to chat about the album, how it came together when the world shut down, and how he plans to bring it to people around the globe.
You’ve been writing songs for your self-titled album for the last 20 years. Why do you think it’s taken so long to release it?
Honestly? A mix of things. Imposter syndrome played a role — this feeling like I hadn’t earned the right to take up musical space. Life, work, other obligations filled the gaps. But truthfully, it just never felt like the right time until it did. Lockdown stripped everything back. It gave me a moment of clarity where I realised if I didn’t do this now, I might never. That urgency cut through all the excuses.
How do you think your writing has evolved over that time?
When I’m writing now, if something sounds a bit uncomfortable, if it feels a little too naked — that’s where I go. Once upon a time, I would’ve written around something and called it poetic, but really it was a facade. It made the songs sound clever but hollow. These days, if the lyric makes me wince a little or feel exposed, I know I’m onto something real.
This album really came together over the lockdown periods. What was it like putting together an album during that strange time?
It was disorienting, cathartic, and quietly liberating. There was this sense of pause, globally. And in that quiet, I felt a loud call to finally give these songs a home. With so much noise in the world, it felt like the only meaningful response was to make something that cut through it — something honest.
How important was music for you during the pandemic?
It was the outlet. But more than that, it was the method of reflection. Interestingly, I turned to the piano during lockdown. The weight of the keys and the rawness of the sound just felt like the right medium to express what I couldn’t say any other way. It allowed a slower, more contemplative approach. It grounded me.
You grew up in Apsley (Jandwadjali), which is a quiet rural area in Victoria, but you now live in Newcastle (Mulubinba). That’s a real change of pace. How has it impacted your music?
Apsley has this brutal honesty to it. It’s raw. Rural life doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. And that honesty sticks with you. Funny enough, Nick Cave was born not far from there, and when I saw The Proposition I remember thinking, “Ah, so it scarred him too.”
I lived in Melbourne for 20 years — the lights, the buzz, the burnout. But moving to Newcastle changed something. It’s gritty but creative, working-class with a strong artistic undercurrent. It feels like Apsley and Melbourne collided. That’s the backdrop for this album.
You recently launched your album at the Hamilton Station Hotel. What was it like to play it for people in your adopted hometown?
It was electric. There’s always that internal fear that maybe no one will come, or worse — that they will and it won’t land. But when we played “Shadows,” something changed in the room. People were holding their breath. I know because I was holding mine. Newcastle crowds don’t fake it. When you get their attention, it’s real. It felt like connection in its purest form.
“Sign of the Times” and “Indignation” are some of the amazing protest songs from this album. What issues are firing you up at the moment?
There are too many to name. Sometimes it feels like the entire system is designed to overwhelm us with injustice. Even before we get to anything local, the sheer emotional fatigue of Trump-era politics is exhausting. But here at home, I’m gut-punched every time I see Australians slipping into homelessness — people who did everything asked of them, followed all the rules, and still lost.
That’s what “Heroes of the Day” is about. It’s for the people who did the heavy lifting while those in power hoarded the rewards. Our youth are inheriting a harsher world: more expensive, more unequal, and far more hostile thanks to human-made climate change. I write because it helps me process. I sing because I feel I have to try.
There’s a real authentic Australian feel to your album, but the opening track “Somewhere in Uvalde” was actually inspired by an American school shooting. What was it about that event that made you want to write that song?
I get asked this one a lot. In fact, I’ve had audience members come up after shows and ask if I lost a relative in the Uvalde shooting. I hadn’t. But when I was recording in the studio, the news broke. Normally, I don’t give much attention to US domestic issues — I’ve always believed that’s their business. But then I saw Ted Littleford’s cartoon. A dog sitting joyfully in front of a door, waiting for children who would never return.
It broke me.
I sobbed uncontrollably. And I couldn’t stop. That one image said more than any speech, policy, or outrage post ever could. That dog would sit there forever, unable to make sense of the absence. And that’s where the true heartbreak lies — in not being able to understand. Understand what happened, and understand how can it be allowed to keep happening. I wanted to honour that beautiful, tragic brilliance with a song.
When Matt from Lodge Productions, a UK based animation artist created the clip, and I watched it for the first time I sobbed all over again. I know every note of that track. But seeing it paired with that imagery made it hit all over again. That’s when I knew we had done it justice.
As a side note, I was at school and had a teacher whose parents were killed in the Port Arthur massacre. That kind of violence and grief casts long shadows and stays with you. Maybe the cartoon triggered something– I honestly can’t say.
Your album sees you playing around with rock, folk, punk, and blues sounds. What musicians influenced your sound?
Nick Cave, for sure — both musically and emotionally. The Pogues gave me permission to be messy and lyrical. Nirvana taught me that vulnerability could roar. Arcade Fire’s theatricality, The Smiths’ melodic melancholy, and The Cure’s dark pop sensibilities all crept in.
And then there’s Paul Kelly — not just the protest songs, but the voice-as-truth-teller ethos. I’ve had people describe my sound as “Paul Kelly/Dylan being molested by Depeche Mode,” which is disturbing and oddly accurate. What unites all those influences is that none of them were trying to be perfect. They were trying to be honest.
I also owe a lot to the band I played with. Gareth Hudson (producer and lead guitar), Mick Rippon on bass, and the horn section added new dimensions that lifted my songs into something I never could have created alone. They shaped the sound every bit as much as I did.
Now that this album is out after such a long gestation period, what’s next for Farrelly?
I want to show off the album — take it around Australia. It seems to be getting a bit of love in Europe too, and strangely in Brazil. Honestly that would be a dream come true. I’ll be in Ireland this September and I’m planning to perform there. And then? Back to the studio for album #2. The next batch of songs is already forming a line in my head. I don’t intend to wait another 20 years.
Farrelly’s self-titled debut album is out now on all the major streaming platforms. You can also purchase a digital copy from his Bandcamp page. Make sure you follow him on Instagram or Facebook to learn about Farrelly’s shows as soon as they’re announced.
Joe Mungovan’s latest single “Parachute” is the mid-week pick-me-up you’re looking for. With all the energy of the lovechild of Spacey Jane and the Arctic Monkeys, it’s an ultra-catchy indie-pop gem that encourages repeat listens.
“It’s about knowing a relationship is doomed from the get go, but not being able to find the evacuation button before it’s too late,” Joe explained. “You know you’re going down and there’s no cushion upon landing.”
Joe has had a massive 12 months on the road headlining two tours and supporting Caravana Sun, Subtribe, Alex Lloyd, Pete Murray, and most recently Ben Lee. Follow him on the socials to see when he announces his next batch of gigs.
