Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dinley Jones Delivers Fun Throwback Single, “Get Down, Right Now”

Eora/Sydney artist Dinley Jones is giving me late ‘90s, early 00’s vibes with his fun new pop single “Get Down, Right Now.” If you blasted acts like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and 5ive back in the day, you’re going to love this one.

Dinley started his career in musical theatre at the tender age of 13, which explains the fire dance moves in the clip. It’s been a long time since we’ve had an artist like this on the scene. Only time will tell whether the scene has moved on from music like this, but I’d love to think there’s still a place for something so purely nostalgic.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Paul Kelly Releases Voice-Inspired Single, “If Not Now”

Normally the press release that accompanies the launch of a single contains information about the song and the artist. There’ll usually be quotes from the musician about the track’s inspiration, the recording process, and its video. There might even be some tour dates or information about the album to come. There are probably images attached so press outlets like mine can include them in our articles and catch your eye.

The press release of Paul Kelly’s new single “If Not Now” doesn’t have any of that. Instead, it just contains the lyrics of this song. As you listen to this one, it makes perfect sense. Honestly, the words to this song are all that matter. They speak for themselves, a call to all Australians to make change today. Or at least when we head to the ballot boxes on October 14.

These Voice-inspired songs are coming thick and fast at the moment, and I love it. The best art has something to say. When it can inspire us, immobilise us, perhaps even change our hearts and minds, it’s done its job.

In case you were wondering, Paul does have some upcoming shows. Check him out when he plays near you:

6 October 2023 – Now & Forever @ Shepparton Showgrounds, Kanny-goopna/Shepparton
14 October 2023 – The Warm Up, Mparntwe/Alice Springs
29 October 2023 – Harvest Rock II Festival @ Murlawirrapurka and Ityamai-Itpina/Rymill and King Rodney Parks, Tartanya/Adelaide

Image: Stuart Sevastos @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Benn Gunn Shows Yes Support With “Let Their Voice Be Heard”

John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice” might be the official anthem for the Yes campaign, but Benn Gunn’s latest single is a worthy unofficial option. “Let Their Voice Be Heard” is a plea for all Australians to come together as one and vote yes in the upcoming Voice referendum.

“It’s long overdue that we are proud of our indigenous Australians,” Benn enthused. “They’re the longest surviving culture on earth which makes them the greatest survivors in human history.”

I love how inclusive this song is. It’s a celebration of the notion of moving forward as a society, doing better because everyone is heard. The press release for this single explains that the feedback the Voice to Parliament could provide has the potential to save Australians hundreds of millions of dollars. The Federal Government currently invests around $4.5 billion dollars a year on Indigenous initiatives including health care and other essential services. However, the distrust some Indigenous Australians have of governments stemming from harmful policies of the past mean that even programs with excellent intentions can struggle to gain widespread acceptance in the communities they’re trying to help. With Indigenous elders offering their feedback on new policies and programs, we’re likely to see greater acceptance and outcomes. Surely that benefits us all. As Benn Gunn sings, “It’s time to come together and make a brand new start.”

Image used with permission from Checked Label Services

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Saralyn Finds Closure With New Single, “Last Goodbye”

Wonnarua Country/Hunter Valley singer-songwriter Saralyn has got me right in the feels with her latest single “Last Goodbye.” It’s such a beautiful country ballad about lost love inspired by Saralyn’s own heartbreak.

“I feel like in life we say goodbye to many things unexpectedly, it doesn’t just have to be a relationship, but deep down there is a knowing that maybe it’s for the best,” says Saralyn. “When I wrote this song it allowed me to have closure … I didn’t know that it was still lurking in the back of my mind.”

Saralyn will support Amber Lawrence at her show at the Paterson School of Arts Hall this Saturday, October 7.

Image used with permission from Rock This Country

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Good Intent Giving Indie Artists a Leg Up With Greater Good Program

Time’s running out to get your application in for Good Intent’s Greater Good program. This exciting initiative aims to nurture independent artists by providing a cash grant totally more than $25,000 and services from Good Intent and their partners, including Studios 301, Billy Zammit, Make Merchandise, Zenith Records, and Media Arts Lawyers.

“This all started with our passion for championing Australian music that we love, and we’re fortunate to be in a position to be able to give back to our community, connect dots and provide advice for artists on their journeys,” explained Good Intent’s Chief Operating Officer Rick Bridgman. “It’s challenging to catch a break in today’s climate, so we’re truly stoked with this year’s offering and linking up on a bigger pack with our partners.”

“Greater Good really changed the trajectory of my EP campaign,” added Peni Parker, who took home the grant 12 months ago. “Good Intent supported me with the first single ‘Disrupt’, giving me some great advice, a huge insight into digital marketing and really started me off with some big wins with playlisting, radio play, some fun interviews and even rotation on triple j Unearthed. It really was a total package though; a dream to work with Billy Zammit, who helped bring to life my visual concepts. Ben [Mitchell] helped rework my logo and a huge shout out to Make Merchandise too, always love working with that team. Every single element of the prize was so helpful to my year and allowed me to get to work with creatives, that I normally wouldn’t have the budget for as a fresh artist.”

Applications for this year’s Greater Good program close on October 12. For more information on the program and how to lodge your application, head to Good Intent’s website.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Skyuka Shows Her Darker Side With “Houseplants”

Boorloo/Perth talent Skyuka first caught my attention with her upbeat indie-pop ditty “Michael Cera.” It was playful and sweet, and not at all like her latest single “Houseplants.” We love peeling back the layers of an artist, so we’re pretty psyched to her switching things up with this brooding, angsty track.

“‘Houseplants’ is definitely the first angry song I’ve released, and it feels great,” she enthused. “It’s about having complete, utter disappointment in someone and a lack of communication making you question everything to the point that you drive yourself crazy, creating your own narratives that may not even exist. ‘Houseplants’ originally started with just a bass line that I wrote and from there came the melody quite easily. I was having a terrible night mentally, so the salty lyrics just poured out of me. I then programmed some synth and recorded my vocals from home. My brother (Token Friend) put down live bass and guitar; and did a lot of layering in parts to really build the tension. We both then went to Debaser Studios with Jasper Emmitt Miller who put down live drums. We were very grateful to then have Andy Lawson steer the track in the right direction with his production and mixing skills.”

There’s more new music from Skyuka on the way with her EP slated for release later this year.

Photo credit: Sarah Haleem

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Down and Out Team Up With Kellin Quinn For “Four Leaf Clover” Single

If you’re struggling to transition back to the grind after the long weekend, turn up “Four Leaf Clover”, the latest track by Tandanya/Adelaide-based pop-punk act Down and Out. Trust me, this energetic track, featuring Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens, will do more for you than any cup of coffee.

“The song is about getting into a relationship with someone that you know you shouldn’t; the sort of person that makes you think, ‘yeah, they’re gonna ruin my life’. Then guess what?! SURPRISE – they ruin your life!” the band said. “ I mean, you can kind of blame them, but you’ve also gotta blame yourself for walking into oncoming traffic despite all the very obvious red flags all over the road and the barricades that were attempting to stop you from making terrible decisions. So, yeah, the song is about a person that I knew was going to ruin my life, but I went ahead and let them, and now I’ve gotta take accountability for the choices that I made to get myself into that situation.”

Fresh from playing shows with Drastic Park, Down and Out have a few headlining gigs coming up. Catch them doing their thing at the following shows:

20 October 2023 – Pub Rock Diner, Palawa Country/Devonport
21 October 2023 – Altar, Nipaluna/Hobart
18 November 2023 – The Vanguard, Eora/Sydney

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Paulina Releases Heartbreaking Single, “Give It All”

Meeanjin/Brisbane artist Paulina proves she’s one of the best neo-soul talents in the country with the release of her stunning new single “Give It All.” Notice I didn’t just say she’s one of the best neo-soul voices we have. That’s a given of course. You know within the first few notes that her rich voice is exceptional. But it’s the way that Paulina backs up that voice with songs of real depth that impresses me. This song is an exploration of the grief that never quite leaves you when you lose someone significant. You don’t just hear that loss when you listen to this song. You feel it.

“The music video explores stages of grief – specifically an older girl grieving her childhood best friend who unfortunately passed away. This future and older version of me is seen walking through my own memories of my younger self and my childhood best friend, playing in the front yard, whilst I’m reminiscing on those days and reflecting on how things have since changed,” Paulina explained. “Certain clips within the video depict how those memories haunt me at times, which is further accentuated when the little kids run into the house, and I frantically look for them inside but they are nowhere to be found. When you’re grieving a huge loss, it can sometimes be hard to decipher past memories from your reality, and that’s what this music video is all about.”

Let this release serve as a reminder to check out Paulina’s gorgeous EP Just Know, It’ll Be Okay. It’s out now.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cookin’ on 3 Burners Feature Stella Angelico on Fire New Single, “I’m Comin’ Home to You”

I might be biased, but I think Australia has one of the best modern soul scenes on the planet. The United States might get all the accolades, but I think we definitely punch above our weight. Cookin’ On 3 Burners make some of the best local soul around. If you’re not already across their incredible music, their latest single “I’m Comin’ Home to You” tells you everything you need to know.

This track is a straight-up feel-good bop featuring Stella Angelico on vocals. Stella has been a constant presence at the group’s live shows, so you can pretty much call her the fourth member of the group. And with vocals like this, why wouldn’t you?

“As soon as I heard this one, I knew I wanted to write on it. It conjured images of water sparkling in the sun, bright blue skies, riding a bike on a warm night,” Stella said. “I was thinking of Sicily, I was thinking of Melbourne, where I’ve grown up and feel most at home – and where we chose to shoot the gorgeous, very domestic cover shots with Jo Duck. I was thinking of coming home to someone you love, coming home to yourself…”

As an added bonus, “I’m Comin’ Home to You” is bundled on the streaming services with “Whole Woman,” a beautiful ballad also featuring Stella’s serious vocal talents. It’s like two sides of a very soulful coin that I know you’ll really dig.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Jo Duck

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee @ Hayes Theatre, Eora/Sydney

For a long while a friend has told me I needed to go to more independent theatre productions. I’ve always been resistant. After seeing a few fairly amateur local community theatre shows, I decided it wasn’t for me. But then my husband got a job that saw him in Eora/Sydney a couple of days a week, and I started to realise that the only way we would be able to see the shows we’d heard about at the Tony Awards was to explore the independent theatres there. Needless to say, I’m hooked. Last month we caught the Australian debut of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 at the Darlinghurst Theatre. It was bold and dynamic, and I definitely would have written about it if we didn’t attend one of the last shows. Last night we headed to the Hayes Theatre to see the 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee, and since there’s a little more than a week left I wasn’t going to miss the chance to tell you all about it.

My husband and I have long had the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on our must-see musical theatre list. It won a couple of Tonys back in 2005 along with other honours like Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards and it often features on those musical theatre top 10s videos we love watching on YouTube. I knew it’d be a sweet show, but I didn’t quite prepare myself for how much I’d enjoy it. The premise is simple, as the best musical theatre shows often are. A group of six kids, played by adult actors, along with a few brave audience volunteers, come together for the titular spelling bee. Each has their own story, their reasons for wanting to compete, their strengths and insecurities that have led them to this moment. They’re overseen by a sweet moderator and former spelling bee champ Ms Peretti, the vice principal Douglas Panch, who returns to the bee after a five year absence following a mysterious “incident,” and Mitch Mahoney, an ex-con turned comfort counsellor. It’s a quirky collection of characters and one which delivers laughs and feels in equal measure. The base is solid, but a show is only ever as good as its performers.

This company knocked it out of the park. There wasn’t a weak link among the cast. Their voices, acting chops, and even dancing skills were on point. You have such a short time to establish a connection in a production like this, but I found myself so invested in every one of their stories. Even those brave volunteers I mentioned did a fabulous job. When everyone is so strong, it seems rude to single out anyone, but a special shout out has to go Cypriana Singh, who took on the role of Ms. Peretti at the eleventh hour. Big theatre groups have understudies who prepare for a select number of roles, but as the Hayes is small there are just two expected to be across everything. Honestly, if it wasn’t announced she was an understudy at the start of the show, I never would have known. Way to take your moment to shine!

But honestly, every member of this cast did. They were sweet and funny and fun and so incredibly talented. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of those special shows that simply leaves you feeling good. And don’t we all need more of that? If you’re in Eora/Sydney, do see it if you can. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee finishes at the Hayes Theatre on October 8.