CMC Rocks 2024 kicks off tonight! While international acts like Lainey Wilson and Chris Young will grab the headlines, I’m music more interested in up-and-coming local talents like Josh Setterfield. He’s just released a cool new party anthem “Something That You Just Might Like” which is perfect for the occasion.
“I wrote a pretty laidback party track to get myself out of writer’s block, I played it at some shows and people went WILD for it, singing along before it had even ended,” he said. “It’s been the best response I’ve EVER had for an unreleased song and people have said it reminds them of early Florida Georgia Line vibes. Bro country revival 2024, what’s good!? Haha!”
Josh will play the tailgate stage at CMC Rocks 2024 tonight exclusively for campers before taking the event’s main stage on March 17.
As a keen James Reyne fan, I’ve been impressed by the guitar prowess of Josh Owen for some time. So my hopes were high for the release of his new solo single, “Hold Your Breath.” Believe it or not, this bluesy rock is even better than I imagined.
If you like what you hear, strap yourself in for plenty more from Josh. He’ll release his debut album, As the Night Falls, in August. Before that he’s got a couple of headlining shows to support the singles. He’ll also play a solo set before rejoining James Reyne Band at all the upcoming Crawl File tour shows. Here’s everywhere you can see Josh in the coming months.
Delta Goodrem is one of the most consistent talents in our country. What she releases is always good, so good that perhaps it doesn’t get its due. But every now and then she releases something that’s not just good: it’s great. Her latest single “Hearts on the Run” is one of those special tracks, a high-octane anthem that you’re going to be humming for the rest of the week.
“I wrote ‘Hearts on the Run,’ as a message that it’s possible to tap into an unyielding positivity,” Delta explained. “I wanted to create a high-energy feeling with so much momentum, that you can’t help but run. That feeling when you’re in the middle of a marathon, when your legs ache, when your breath is running out, and you question how much further you can go… It’s precisely in that moment that the song insists you can go further, driven by a combination of love and an unbreakable spirit. The song urges you to discover what you’re truly made of by pushing your own boundaries. This song was made to make me run! Your heart is on the run!”
Delta has a handful of shows in different parts of the world in the coming months, so catch her anywhere you can:
Sin City, a Naarm/Melbourne-based Kiwi band formed in Spain, are making the kind of country-rock that we just don’t hear enough of. Their latest single “Candy” is a raucous track that’s all the better for being a little rough around the edges. It was recorded on an analogue reel to reel tape, which gives it such a cool vintage feel. Singer and keyboardist Nick Armstrong said the band wrote the song about a romance cut short due to the demands of being a travelling musician.
“When you eventually see they’ve moved on and are happy, you can’t help but be a little bit disappointed!” he admitted. “But passing flings can’t last, and you have to accept it. That’s what this song is about.”
You can hear more from Sin City when they release their sophomore album Another Round in April.
Image used with permission from Chris Familton Publicity
Baeden Feint had me at the harmonica opening of his debut single “Hometown Fantasy.” He’s a classic country troubadour, the kind of artist who paints a story with his words and brings it to life with honest vocals. This single is about the little “map dot” where he grew up, the place where he learned to love people and music.
“This song is essentially me reminiscing on past relationships where it seemed everything was laid out. Ready for the white picket fence and kids. But also, that it was like having blinders on, as to whether it was a good thing or not,” he explained. “I wrote this song like a lot of other songs – with a bottle port, smoking alone late at night, with too much time for thinking.”
If you’re into the current wave of American country artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, I know you’re going to be into this. If you want to hear more, catch Baeden performing at Mount Hope’s The Royal Hotel on March 3.
South African born and Australian raised, queer Eora/Sydney-based singer-songwriter Jordy Burns has made a massive impression on me with her debut single “Walls.” Yes, that’s right, debut single. I want to emphasise that, because this is one of those tracks delivered with such heart and confidence that you’d swear she has an exhaustive back catalogue if you didn’t know better.
“‘Walls’ is about heartbreak and broken trust,” Jordy admitted. “A person I was seeing convinced me that I was safe to open my heart and that they wanted what I wanted. As it turns out, as soon as I let down my guard, they all too quickly realised that they weren’t ready to move on from their last relationship. In saying that, they continued to stay with me and we made a mess of things… it was a rollercoaster, to say the least.”
Jordy will celebrate the release of “Walls” with a hometown show at Tokio Hotel on April 6.
Boorloo/Perth band Mars on Holiday are one of the hottest acts coming out of Western Australia right now. So you might wonder, who are they vibing? They sat down to share their five favorite new acts from their home state, exclusively for Sounds of Oz.
Make sure you check out Mars on Holiday’s new track “We’re Gonna Change,” available on all your favorite streaming services right now. You can also see them support Stem Stellar at Jack Rabbit Slims on March 2.
Between You & Me are one of the best pop-punk acts around, so I’m pretty psyched to hear they’ve got a whole bunch of new music coming our way. They’ve just dropped their latest single “In the Middle,” which offers a taste of what’s in store when they release their new EP SH!T YEAH on April 5.
“‘In The Middle’ is about the realisation that your relationship is over,” said vocalist JT. “The strong joy and excitement you once brought to each other’s lives had been replaced with fighting, bitterness and a complete breakdown in communication. Even despite this, you both yearn for it to work out and dream of the better times. You break up, you get back together, and the cycle continues, despite both recognising you had grown apart as people and the trust for each other was irreparable. The song encapsulates the slow breakdown of a relationship and the acceptance in moving on.”
Between You & Me seem set for global domination. They’re currently playing gigs in the United Kingdom and will head to North America in March to headline shows on the continent for the very first time. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see them back on Aussie soil. Until then, international readers, make sure you check them out at a venue near you.
Jebediah seem to be aging like a fine wine. I wasn’t always a fan of their earlier material, but their latest track “Motivation” is right up my alley. It comes from the Jebs new album OIKS, their first since 2011, which drops on April 12.
“’Motivation’ was a song that came from the initial in studio jam sessions that kick started the process of recording OIKS,” the band said. “At that stage, we didn’t really know what kind of album we were trying to make. We were simply getting together in a room and making noise and seeing what eventuated. Given that ‘Motivation’ came from these sessions, it’s a very ‘band’ sounding song, as opposed to some of the more experimental stuff that came along later during the recording process. It captures the sound of the band playing in a room together and we tried not to embellish it too much. This song is a bit of a band favourite for sure, so we are obviously excited about it being released as a single before the album appears.”
“The video clip is intended to represent the simplicity of the song and the fact that we were trying to capture the raw sound of the band playing in a room together,” they added. “The video was shot in Melbourne by Arlo Cook who has been following us around with a camera since 2015, taking footage at shows all around Australia. We can’t wait for everyone to hear OIKS soon. It was a labour of love that took us five years to complete, often during extremely turbulent times.”
Jebediah has just played Spring Loaded, but I’d be very surprised if we don’t see a few more show announcements when the album’s released. Until then, turn this new single up!
While his next official studio album is some time away, Matt Joe Gow has dropped a special treat for his fans online. Exclusively available online, The Woodshed Sessions is a beautiful collection of Matt’s best loved songs stripped back to their very essence.
This is a live album with a difference. Instead of recording it in front of an audience, Matt recorded the stripped back, acoustic versions of these songs in the studio in just one take. It’s a brilliant idea. While I love the energy of live recordings, the crowd noise can get distracting and the sound quality is often poor. There’s an energy to these songs too, but that comes from the dynamic between Matt and the members of his long-time band The Dead Leaves. You can feel the chemistry as their voices combine in beautiful three-part harmonies. Hearing the way the vocals sat alongside the piano and strumming of an acoustic guitar, I thought this is what music should be. It’s organic and pure, coming from the soul so naturally, free from studio “enhancements” like autotune and drum machines.
If you’ve listened to Matt’s music before, you know these songs are ripe for this kind of treatment. In acoustic mode, their introspective lyrics and perfect melodies come to the fore. If you’re new to Matt’s music, this compilation of career highlights makes the perfect introduction. It’s really like a greatest hits with a beautiful acoustic twist. I can’t wait to hear new music from Matt, but this release will keep me satisfied until that time comes. I’m going to leave you with this video of “Grand Ambition” from The Woodshed Sessions; check it out and I’m sure you’ll want to discover the rest of the tunes. You’ll find The Woodshed Sessions on all your favourite streaming services. If you’d like to purchase a physical CD copy, head to Matt’s Bandcamp page.
While his next official studio album is some time away,