Maybe it’s the stormy weather making me angsty, but I’m finding plenty of rock music to get me excited this week. My latest discovery is Cardboard Cutouts, a Toowoom/Toowoomba-raised act who’ve just dropped their powerful new single “My Best Friend.” Hit that volume button, because this one sounds best loud.
“‘My Best Friend’ is about a friend who was involved in a toxic relationship with someone and had substance abuse issues,” the band revealed. “They lost sight of who they were and what their purpose was. This song tells the story of that battle from an observer who is struggling to cope with what is happening, but has lost any bit of leverage to help and support the person.”
After sharing stages with Phil Jamieson, Greta Stanley, and Vera Blue, Cardboard Cutouts are stepping up as headliners with a quick tour celebrating the single release later this month. Check them out at these intimate venues before they inevitably graduate to the big gigs.
Boorloo/Perth indie quartet Daisy Park have got me rocking out with their latest single “Always” this morning. It’s got a quintessentially Aussie sound that feels effortless. Make no mistake, these guys are the real deal.
“At its core, ‘Always’ is about the sudden loss of a relationship and trying to cope with not knowing what went wrong,” explained Daisy Park’s frontman Fyn Slarke. “It covers the feelings I showed externally to my friends and family as opposed to how I really felt on the inside. The contrast of my outward projection and my interior dialogue was a really big part of the writing process.”
Daisy Park shot the video for “Always” along the coast of Walyalup/Fremantle, a place that holds a special nostalgia for the band.
“This was the first music video we’d ever done as a band,” Fyn said. “That green lighthouse is an iconic part of Fremantle, the place where most of us grew up in our teenage years. We’re all just young adults that met in high school and are creating art together and the fact that we do this because we love it is really special to me. I’m super proud that we were able to do this on our own.”
Daisy Park are set to have a stellar year with a debut EP on the horizon and plenty of shows already locked in. Western Australians can catch them at the following upcoming gigs:
Zanna Black has really impressed me with her latest single “This Town.” It’s such a unique tune that refuses to sit neatly in any box.
Zanna’s sweet voice has a definite folk feel, but the guitars bring a bit more of a rock edge to it. And then there’s that extra something that’s so hard to define.
Zanna said this song has a dual meaning for her, noting she was inspired by the residents of Queensland who had to flee their homes during flooding and her grandfather who had to leave his homeland. Whatever you take from “This Town,” I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do.
Fresh from his first headlining show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Nathan Lamont shows he’s a star on the rise with “Bigger Things.” It’s a fabulous country-rock crossover track which reminds me of music from industry icons like Dan + Shay, Rascal Flatts, and our own Keith Urban. Nathan’s not imitating these artists though. Instead he shows he just might be their natural successor. The single saw Nathan working with MSquared (Michael Paynter and Michael DeLorenzis), who’ve previously written and produced hits with Aloe Blacc, Tina Arena, and Casey Barnes.
“This was my first time working with the MSquared fellas! We had so much fun working on this track together,” Nathan said. “I have been a big fan of their work for a long time so to have the opportunity to get in the studio with them, I knew we would cook up something amazing, and I feel like we achieved just that.”
While headlining a Tamworth Country Music Festival show is likely to remain one of the year’s highlights, Nathan’s got plenty of other exciting shows in store. Catch him promoting “Bigger Things” at the following gigs:
Ruby Gill has absolutely floored me with their latest single, “Touch Me There.” This intimate exploration of sensual awakening and coming out is a real revelation. Take a few moments just to listen to this one. It’s subtle, but if you give it your full attention I know you’ll fall as deeply in love with it as I have.
“During the longest dry spell of my life, I came out to myself,” Ruby recalled of the song’s inspiration. “The first time I said it out loud was in this song – all that sitting by a river waiting for the truth to come out led to me being honest for the first time about who I was attracted to and what kind of sex I wanted in my life. It took almost two years of zero kissing to get to that point of self-knowledge. Not intentionally – everything just felt so wrong and scary after being touched in really unsafe ways before that. I was numb for years, but I finally felt sensation in my body again after writing ‘Touch Me There.’ It broke me open. I hope it breaks other people open too, whether it’s about queerness or otherwise. You have a say over your love and pleasure.”
“Touch Me There” comes from Ruby’s sophomore album Some Kind of Control, set for release on March 28. They’ll play the following shows through March and April to celebrate the new music:
For someone who doesn’t consider themselves a country music fan, I’m sure enjoying a lot of it lately. Or maybe there’s just a glut of outstanding country music coming out of this country. The latest track to delight my ears is Andrew Swift’s new feelgood single, “Nothing Better.” Andrew drew from his own experiences of a life that couldn’t be panning out any better!
“It feels like not long ago I was mentally preparing to be fixing caravans and living life as a single man until the end of my days,” he admitted. “I didn’t think that being a full-time musician, homeowner, having a loving partner and a baby on the way would be on the cards, but here we are. Sometimes life blindsides you in the best way possible.”
Recording “Nothing Better” saw Andrew reunite with his long-time collaborator, the multi-award-winning Matt Fell.
“Having previously worked together on the last three albums, I feel like we’re on the same page now more than ever,” Andrew said. I love being able to get down to his new studio, Wilder Studios, in remote Tasmania. It feels like you’re a million miles away from the real world and you can really focus on the recording process.”
You can hear Andrew’s authenticity in his lyrics and vocals, so it’s only right that the music video features the real people and places that shaped him rather than actors and fancy locations. Jeremy Minnett of Eyes and Ears Creative captured footage of Andrew’s childhood home and real-life partner Simone.
Country artists are some of the hardest working musicians in the nation, and Andrew is no exception. Even though he’s got a baby on the way, it’s on the road and playing shows all over this wide brown land. Make sure you catch him anywhere you can.
After a pretty stressful few months dealing with the aftermath of my car accident, Lucy Korts latest single “Stronger” is exactly what I needed to hear. This authentic girl power anthem sees the Meeanjin/Brisbane artist reclaiming her own power, and hopefully inspiring a few listeners to do the same. I know she’s got me fired up!
“I hope that ‘Stronger’ can give you the same strength that I found writing it,” she confirmed. “I hope that it can pick you up when you don’t know how to get up. And I hope that it can help to push you forward when you don’t know which way forward is. I hope that ‘Stronger’ can remind you to be stronger than whatever it is that hurt you.”
For more pop goodness, check out my Spotify playlist, Sounds of Oz Loves Pop. It features plenty of fabulous new pop music from local artists including Lucy. I’m always adding new music so make sure you follow me to stay up-to-date!
Harry Carman’s new single “It’s All Good” is the musical equivalent of a warm hug. Whether you need a little sonic support or just want to chill out today, you’ve got to hear this sweet indie-folk song.
“This song was originally written when my ex was going through pregnancy with our youngest son,” Harry recalled. “I wanted to make a song that was reassuring and comforting in the hardest of times. It’s now become a song I play for my two boys (they already know all the words) whenever we’re in the car or before bed. Myself and my producer, Josh Richens, made the production of the song evolutionary to capture how the song evolved from a simple phone recording, to a demo for SoundCloud, all the way to what it is now.”
If you want to hear more from Harry and you’re around Ngambri/Canberra, treat yourself to lunch at Ballyhoo today. He’s playing from midday to 4 pm, so get out and show your support.
As we inch closer to the weekend, it’s time to put the working week behind us and drop some party tunes. “VIP,” the latest single from Stephen Royale has me buzzing. It’s a total 2000s throwback that reminds me a bit of classic Chris Brown and Jason Derulo tunes, and I’m personally here for it. Crank this one and I’m sure you’ll be grooving along in no time!
“VIP is an electro RnB/pop song designed to get everyone on the dance floor,” Stephen explained. “It’s got that throwback flavour but feels fresh enough to own today’s scene. We poured so much into this track, and I just want people to feel it, vibe to it, and party with it. Let’s gooooo!”
“VIP” comes from Stephen’s debut EP, so we can expect plenty more tunes from him in the near future.
Canadian indie folk duo The East Pointers are heading to Australia on the back of their recently released single “Anniversary.” This beautiful song honours their late bandmate Koady Chaisson, who died suddenly in January 2022.
“When Jake [Charron, keys, guitar, and vocals] and I sat down to write, ‘Anniversary’ was the first song that came out—it was as if Koady was in the room with us, it flowed so fast,” said Koady’s cousin and East Pointers vocalist, fiddler, and guitar player Tim Chaisson. “We want this song to give anybody permission to give themselves a pat on the back, for any of the wins or positive changes in their life. A celebration you continue to honour, especially when times get tough.”
“‘Anniversary’ is a song about how making one positive decision can change the rest of your life,” Jake added. “11 years ago today (on his birthday) our late band member Koady made some major changes to his life to improve his mental health, one of which was becoming sober. This is a song to celebrate fresh starts, milestones, and the wins that we have along the way, big or small.”
The East Pointers will play some of the country’s leading folk festivals and headlining shows in the coming months. Tickets are on sale now for all the following shows.
