I’m not sure he had the global pandemic in mind when he penned this track, but Will Clift’s latest single “Get By” is the perfect iso anthem. If you’re getting by on your own these days, this laidback funk track is bound to resonate.
Rather than dwelling on the isolation, Will revels in the space that solitude brings. It’s the perfect song about reclaiming your power, whether you’re living in lockdown, you’re enjoying the single life, or both!
“All of my close friends know that I love Tom Misch and ‘Get By’ is definitely my Tom Misch inspired song. It’s really about being comfortable on your own and not relying on others for your happiness,” Will explained. “Julian Steel and Ben Oldland did an amazing job working on the production and if you listen carefully you can hear some cheeky BV’s from JAYDEAN. I’m incredibly happy with how it turned out!”
“Get By” is the latest track lifted from Will’s forthcoming EP Coast, which will drop real soon.
Releasing new music during a pandemic presents a challenge, but Melbourne soul-pop act Kinkora won’t let the virus slow her career down. She recently dropped a brand-new single “Set Me Free,” and it’s got just the kind of upbeat vibes we all need right now.
“Set Me Free is about being in a relationship with someone that you know isn’t good for you, but feeling trapped and unable to find a way out. It’s about that toxic, helpless kind of love that keeps pulling you back in,” Kinkora explained. “Whilst I wrote the song over a year ago, the release has coincided with the current shared experience we have of feeling confined – so I think everyone will be able to relate to the general sentiment of wanting to be set free in some way!”
It sounds so slick, but Kinkora actually recorded the song in her bedroom before letting master mixer Matthew Hadley work his magic. Recording the video took some lateral thinking, but it’s pretty brilliant. Check out the clip which sees Kinkora’s dancing flash mob unexpectedly crashing some Zoom calls.
“It was a massive project to coordinate. Each of the dancers learnt the dance via video and we had one run through on Zoom. On the day of the flash mob we used a group text to send cues such as “Go Group 1”, “Go Group 2” etc to notify the dancers to enter the zoom call at the right moment – the whole thing was done completely live. It was chaotic but absolutely hilarious.”
“Set Me Free” is the first of several songs Kinkora will release this year and into 2021, so watch this space!
Image used with permission from Kinkora; photo credit: Naomi Lee Beveridge
Sydney singer-songwriter Nick Marcus has me swooning with his latest single “Falling.” It’s a gorgeous track anchored by the guitar, but with some cool electronic beats for freshness. Its lyrics about falling too fast, and too deep are bound to strike a chord with all you hopeless romantics out there.
“I wanted to express the feeling of someone who has fallen in love and the other person doesn’t feel the same way,” he explained. “I hope I expressed this with the acoustic nature of the piece and mellow percussion. I wanted to challenge myself vocally and I feel that this song brings out the emotions of heartbreak and longing for someone.”
“Falling” comes from Nick’s self-titled EP, which will be released on October 18.
I’m not sure anything hurts quite like losing a pet. My 18-year-old family dog Charlie died a couple of years ago and I’m not even close to over it. So my heart goes out to Sarah McLeod, who recently lost her beloved pooch Chachi. He was a proper part of Sarah’s touring crew, and he will be so missed. I have no idea where she found the strength, but she’s managed to put her grief into a beautiful new song, “Chachi’s Theme.” All money raised by the single will benefit the RSPCA.
“Chachi has been my everything for 15 years, she came with me on almost every Australian tour and everyone loved her. She recently passed away and I’ve been trying to work out how to live without her. I found myself going a bit nuts, asking all the birds if they had a message from Chachi, then I thought instead of sitting waiting for a message from her, I’ll send her one from me,” Sarah explained.
“I read this poem about the rainbow bridge by Paul C Dahm that comforted me so much. They say that’s where animals who were especially close to their owners go after passing, it’s a beautiful utopia of love and sunshine and all the sick are healed. Here they wait for their special friends, and when it’s our time to pass, we meet them and cross the bridge to eternity together. I’ve taken great comfort in this poem and I wanted to make sure Chachi knew what to do. I figure if I’m singing this song night after night she will undoubtedly hear me and get the message. It was so hard to write because I did it the week she passed, it was all so raw and I cried all the way through it, but I had to push through because I knew I needed it to heal. Now, besides a piano covered in tears, I have this song, I have something solid I can connect with her through, forever, she will be with me always but especially when I sing this song. I wrote it to heal my heart and to let her know that everything is OK. Then I thought, it may heal other hearts in similar situations so I thought I should release it and donate the proceeds to the RSPCA.”
I’m warning you now, if you’re still grieving a pet, this one is likely to get to you. I couldn’t listen to it without ugly crying. Honestly, I’m still wiping tears away as I type this. Don’t say you didn’t have notice. But this piano ballad is a beautiful, cathartic piece, a fitting tribute to Chachi. How amazing to create something that can make other people feel so deeply.
Sarah was all set to play electric solo shows before COVID hit. She’s just announced details of her post-pandemic tour, but it’ll be a little bit different. The first set will be electric, but the second will be a more intimate piano-based one. Sarah learned how to play the instrument in lockdown and she’s keen to show off her new skills. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows.
25 February 2021 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
26 February 2021 – Workers Club, Geelong
5 March 2021 – Ballina RSL, Ballina
6 March 2021 – The Lounge, Nundah
7 March 2021 – Wallaby Hotel, Mudgeeraba (FREE)
11 March 2021 – The Vanguard, Newtown
12 March 2021 – Royal Hotel, Queanbeyan
13 March 2021 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla (Early and late shows)
19 March 2021 – Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
Caitlyn Shadbolt was one of the standout contestants in the sixth series of The X Factor. If you haven’t been watching her career since then, it’s time to come back up to speed. She’s just dropped a new single “Edge of the Earth,” which gives you a taste of the kind of crowd-pleasing country-pop you’ll hear on her forthcoming sophomore album. Caitlyn co-wrote the song with Sarah Buckley of The Buckleys.
“Sarah and I wrote this song after learning that we both love to push the boundaries in life and in music. I feel like this song sums me up well: free-spirited, adventurous and … stubborn!” Caitlyn explained. I recorded it with Stuart Stuart during lockdown and engineered all my vocals and acoustic guitars in my home studio, then sent them to Stuart in Brisbane and we collaborated over the phone.”
“Edge of the Earth” comes from Caitlyn’s album Stages, which will be released on November 6.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Meg Hitchcock was born in London, but now she’s living in Byron Bay I think we can definitely call her one of our own. That’s a good thing too, because she’s making some fantastic music. Her latest single “Hello Moon” is an absolute delight, with sublime vocals and a real retro pop sensibility that has me begging for more.
Meg wrote the track while in London, inspired by the beauty she saw in the night sky.
“One night I had walked to get groceries, and on my return, as I turned the corner, there, proud in the sky, was the shining full moon. In awe and disbelief, a tear ran down my cheek. I felt completely disconnected to nature,” she explained. “The first line and melody, “Hello, Moon, it’s been awhile. I’ve been in the city where I can’t see the sky” whispered out. I ran inside, chucked the groceries down, jumped straight to my laptop and found the arpeggiator. ‘Hello Moon’ was born.”
The music video also has me pretty excited. If you love quirky cult movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice, this clip will be right up your alley.
Australia has a rich tradition of producing mainstream rock acts. But somewhere along the way, they became few and far between. The bands that really rocked seemed to move to the fringes. We have an amazing metal scene, but there’s not a lot of new music you can imagine dominating the airwaves. There’s a gap in the market, but thankfully Reckless Empire are here to fill it. Their latest single “The One” is a masterclass in how a rock ballad should sound.
From Justin Mansour’s powerful vocals to those soaring electric guitars, this song is so exciting. There’s the theatre of glam rock and those classic ‘80s hair bands, but without the cheese. If you love bands like Van Halen, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi though, I think this song will be right up your alley.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken so much from the music industry, but without it, this new music might never have been. Reckless Empire got together in 2016. They gigged relentlessly and released their debut EP, V. But then the lead guitarist Simon Davis moved interstate and the band dissolved.
Enter COVID-19. Justin was songwriting and working remotely with his old buddies Simon and Steve Twist (bass, backing vocals) seemed only natural. Boom, just like that Reckless Empire was back together. They make the tracks in their home studios before handing them over to Sydney producer Luke Bertoz. The founding trio has also enlisted Phil Pender (drums) and Simon Gilmore (guitar) for streaming and live shows. Keep an eye on their Facebook page to learn more about those gigs and check out their website for some sweet merch. It’s a great way to support the band until those live gigs start up again.
Brisbane singer-songwriter Jack Bratt recently dropped his new single “The Outsider,” and it’s giving me nostalgic vibes. The press release draws comparison to hot rock acts like Holy Holy and Foo Fighters, but I’m personally hearing pop-rocks from the ‘90s like Toad the Wet Sprocket and Gin Blossoms. One thing we can agree on is just how good this song is though. The lyrics, which deal with themes of self-perception and isolation, hit so hard during this global pandemic.
“It’s about being left of centre, about not fitting in. It’s about perception,” Jack explained. “You may have an idea about how others view you, but that’s not necessarily who you are. It’s easy to think somebody might be doing really well, but that could just be a front, while they’re dealing with a lot of problems. I think what I’ve learned from being in lockdown and having conversations with friends, is that nobody is really okay; we all have our own struggles.”
The alien-themed film clip really hammers home the idea of being on the outside.
“I was just thinking about the most extreme version of somebody who doesn’t fit in and stumbled on the idea of a man who falls from space and is trying to find his way home,” Bratt says of the charming clip, “but in the end, he transitions into a normal life on earth, adding a fun little twist.”
Jack was meant to visit New York City for a three-month artist residency after winning the Grant McLennan Fellowship, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Instead he’s at home working on his debut album, which should drop early next year. Stay tuned for more new music from Jack ahead of its release.
Isn’t it funny the way artists can write songs in a different time and place, but on their release, the lyrics take on a new meaning? Such is the case with “Space,” the fantastic new single from ELEEA. She was inspired to write this beautiful ballad looking up at the night sky in outback NSW, having just driven from the Gold Coast to Broken Hill. Gazing at the stars gave her a moment of peace after a horror trip, where she busted two tyres and had to go door-knocking with her chihuahua to find a phone and call help. A journey that should have taken a little over an hour actually took 32!
“Space” captures a moment in time, but one that we can’t imagine having right now. Crossing state lines for travel has been out of our grasp for months now. We’d kill for a holiday, even one that starts off on the wrong foot. Yet this song is eerily relatable. That’s because it’s anchored by the line “At least we’ve got something in common, even if it tears us apart.” And isn’t that the truth. It’s easy to feel disconnected right now, with whole cities locked down, others like myself in self-imposed iso because the world doesn’t feel safe, conspiracy theorists and anti-maskers causing further divides. But at the end of the day, we’re all human, we’re all not quite ourselves, we’re all struggling. “At least we’ve got something in common, even if it tears us apart.”
“The first time I played Space for an audience was during a live-stream concert, and I had tears in my eyes,” she admitted. “The chorus has taken on a whole new meaning now, with everyone globally united, experiencing this pandemic together, yet having to stay completely distanced from each other.”
“Space” is the latest song from ELEEA’s forthcoming album, The Travel Collection.
Image used with permission from Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
When Harry James Angus releases music, you know you’re in good hands. The esteemed Cat Empire trumpeter-vocalist often innovates in his solo music, but he’s accomplished that I’m always happy to go on the ride. His latest release is “Old-Fashioned Mayhem” and it’s like nothing you’ve heard before. Rest assured, that’s a very good thing. The accompanying animated video is also superb.
“Right now, we want things to be in control. We want orderliness, rationality, and community spirit. I totally agree with that. But this song harks back to a time not so long ago when chaos was fun,” Harry said. “Deviance, disobedience, hurtling into the unknown… and yes, even mayhem, which I think a lot of us are missing at the moment.”
So strap yourself in for this one. It’s bold, brassy, and so much fun.
