Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Laurie Cave Releases Heartfelt New Single, “Perfect Lover”

British-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Laurie Cave has wowed me with his latest single “Perfect Lover.” Written shortly after his relationship with his fiancé ended, this is a powerful snapshot of the grief so many of us feel when we’ve lost someone who has a massive piece of our hearts.

“This song was incredibly hard to write … I wrote it shortly after my relationship with my fiancé ended which was the hardest thing I have ever done as she is the most beautiful and wonderful woman I have ever met,” Laurie shared. “I wrote this song on an acoustic guitar in my bathroom, where the acoustics amplify and reverberate my voice and guitar, and I felt safe to bare my soul.”

From these humble beginnings, Laurie worked with producer James Seymour to transform the song into the indie rock-folk powerhouse it is today.

“James helped me to realise this song exactly as I imagined, from the slow and tender start building to the climatic and epic release of raw energy that are the constant waves of realisation of a beautiful partnership now ended,” Laurie explained. “There is a sound reminiscent of a hospital life support machine that was inspired by Bon Iver’s ‘Hey Ma’ which is symbolic of the incredibly painful decision to turn off the machine. Bon Iver’s influence is also omnipresent in the song, they were a seminal band for me and continue to be to this day.”

With the release of “Perfect Lover,” Laurie is now focused on bringing his live music to stages around the country. Follow his socials for news of his upcoming gigs as they’re announced.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.; credit: Rick Clifford

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

DULCIE Drops Fabulous New Single, “Off By Heart”

DULCIE are back with another irresistible indie-pop banger, “Off By Heart.” It’s incredibly catchy, with sweet harmonies and empowering lyrics about moving on from the wrong relationship.

“There’s a fine line between giving someone another chance and finally calling it quits. ‘Off By Heart’ is about learning to stop ignoring the red flags and to put yourself first above all the excuses and false promises.” DULCIE said. “Ash (Carr-White) wrote the song around the phrase ‘Off By Heart’ with the intention of creating something emotive and relatable. It started out as a soft, slow piano ballad that eventually evolved into much more of a pop anthem! We tried recording it a few different ways but could never get it quite right; it wasn’t until our producer Konstantin Kersting messaged us, ‘I had a dream last night – and we need to completely redo the drum timing and tempo’ that we found the synth-infused, beat-driven direction we wanted to take. The contrast between the lyrics and production gives the song a feeling of empowerment and strength.”

DULCIE haven’t long wrapped up an East Coast tour, but they’re itching to get back on the road again with some choice supporting slots and festival gigs. Here are all the places you can see them play in the coming months.

4 October 2023 – Albany Entertainment Centre, Kinjarling/Albany (supporting Boy and Bear)
5 October 2023 – The River, Wooditup/Margaret River (supporting Boy and Bear)
6 October 2023 – The River, Wooditup/Margaret River (supporting Boy and Bear)
8 October 2023 – Out of the Woods Festival @ Esplanade Park, Walyalup/Fremantle
21 October 2023 – Red Hill Auditorium, Whadjuk Noongar Country/Red Hill (supporting Ocean Alley)
25 November 2023 – Spilt Milk @ Exhibition Park, Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country/Canberra
26 November 2023 – Spilt Milk @ Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast
2 December 2023 – Spilt Milk @ Victoria Park, Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Ballarat
3 December 2023 – Spilt Milk @ Claremont Showgrounds, Boorloo/Perth

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Stephanie Senior

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Molly Millington Releases Feelgood Indie Pop Track, “Foreign Accent”

I never dreamed of the white wedding like so many other girls. I didn’t think I was the marrying kind. Instead, I imagined I’d embark on a series of torrid affairs. But then I met a charming American who turned my world upside down, and here we are. So I definitely relate to Molly Millington’s latest indie-pop single, “Foreign Accent.”

“’Foreign Accent’ is about doing things you usually wouldn’t purely because the ways it’s presented is not what you’re used to,” she explained. “For example, saying yes to a marriage proposal because you’re in another country and everything seems more exciting and romantic but then remembering when you get home that you actually don’t believe in marriage and possibly might not even be into men.”

Expect more songs inspired by Molly’s overseas travels and the lessons she learned abroad when her next EP drops later this year.

Image used with permission from Nettwerk Music Group; credit: Olivia Repaci

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hit the Volume on lovemedo’s “Dancing on the LINE!”

I’ve just heard lovemedo’s latest single “Dancing on the LINE!” and I can’t stop smiling. The Eora/Sydney artist calls the song a “sonic tantrum,” but listening is much more fun than hearing the histrionics of any petulant child.

“It embodies that nauseating feeling of falling yet feels uplifting too,” lovemedo admitted. “The imagery of ‘the line’ being reality and the idea of me dancing on it was amusing to me. At the time I was hurt, confused and embarrassed about a particular situation so this song became a way of shrugging my shoulders, throwing my hands in the air and asking some loaded rhetorical questions, not because I wanted the answers but to make fun of what they may be.”

This is just the start of the lovemedo story. This is the first lovemedo single released through Sony Music Australia, and the musical project made its live debut just a few weeks ago. But already it shows such promise. You can bet I’ll be listening out for more material.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Sunday Estate Release Epic Rock Single, “What’s the Rush”

If you find yourself wishing the working week away as you anticipate the weekend, take a listen to “What’s the Rush.” The latest single from Eora/Sydney indie-rock act The Sunday Estate, it’s a heartfelt reminder to live in the moment.

“’What’s The Rush’ is about slowing down and savouring life. Learning to love the mundane, the amazing, the depressing, the good, and the bad,” explained frontman Conor O’Reilly. “The song was written in response to some personal challenges I experienced and served as the only way I could articulate how I was truly feeling at the time. Life’s too short to be wasted, spend it with the people you love, those are the moments that stick with us forever.”

Savour listening to this one, but by all means add some of their upcoming dates to your calendar. Just don’t spend your time counting down the days, because they’ll be here soon enough!

1 September 2023 – The Lady Hampshire, Eora/Camperdown (FREE)
18 September 2023 – Social Sanctuary @ Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
8 October 2023 – Yours & Owls Sundays @ North Gong Hotel, Woolyungah/Wollongong (FREE)
31 January 2024 – Crown & Anchor, Tarntanya/Adelaide
2 February 2024 – Tomcat, Meeanjin/Brisbane
10 February 2024 – The Gasometer, Naarm/Melbourne

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co; credit: Jess Gleeson

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Set for Wanderer Festival

This unseasonably warm weather must mean that festival season is nearly upon us. Our calendars always get crowded over summer, so why not ease your way into the season and head to Wanderer Festival next month? Held at Pambula Beach on Yuin Country/Sapphire Coast from September 29 to October 1, it’ll be an incredible weekend of fantastic art and good vibes.

International acts Sampa the Great and Lonnie Holley were just announced along with local talents Ben Lee, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Little Quirks, Tijuana Cartel and heaps more. They join the already stacked bill which includes Kevin Morby, Django Django, Ben Ottwell and Ian Ball from Gomez, Thelma Plum, Montaigne, and Melbourne Ska Orchestra. And if that wasn’t already enough to convince you to get along, there’ll also be comedians, dancers, and circus acts to entertain you.

Wanderer Festival returns to Pambula Beach, NSW this 29 Sept – 1 Oct, 2023. One-day, two-day, and three-day festival tickets along with camping and glamping options are all available through Moshtix. Tickets start from just $50 and Moshtix offers Pay in 4 payment plans to help you budget for this amazing weekend.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: David Rogers Photography

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Fortress” – KEZRA

People speak a lot of teen angst, but I think for many people their 20s are more tumultuous. It’s a time when you’re expected to be an adult, but you’re still trying to figure so much out. You have more freedom than you did in your teen years, but that gives you so much more space to make mistakes. You might grow from those mistakes, but they can also sting. Music can be a salvation during those challenging years, both for artists and their listeners. That time might be far behind me, but I can’t resist music that explores an artist’s coming of age. KEZRA’s new EP Fortress is a beautiful collection of songs that charts her personal journey of self-discovery.

“The EP is all about navigating through my crazy twenties, in failures, loss, heartache, hope, new love, and finding my strength between all of that,” she said. “Working with my producer, Mark (Zito), helped all the songs tie together with this theme of nostalgia in reflection of my early 20s, with the old tape-recording sounds and distorted electric guitars. I feel this EP represents myself as the artist I am today, just a girl who loves to write poppy chorus hooks and heart-breaking melodies with a guitar in hand.”

The songs unfold like the pages of a diary, with KEZRA’s confessional lyrics and emotional vocals sharing snapshots of her recent experiences. We open on the title track, a song of strength and vulnerability that introduces the EP so beautifully. The singles “Back Home” and “Insane” come next, one quiet and reflective, the other a breezy indie pop bop about a perfectly imperfect relationship. The EP takes another left turn with “Morning.” Like “Back Home” it draws you in with its gentle opening and poignant lyrics, then builds to a sonic and emotional crescendo that makes it one of the most memorable songs on Fortress. “With You,” a gorgeous acoustic love song with some of the most poetic lyrics on the EP is a beautiful closer. It’s the kind of song that leaves you still, processing for a few moments before you feel ready to rejoin the world.

Fortress is such a wonderful EP. If you’re navigating your 20s, I know KEZRA’s songs will strike a chord with you. And if like me they’re behind you, they’ll make you a little nostalgic for a time gone by. If you love what you hear, make sure to see KEZRA at Bar Open in Naarm/Melbourne on September 22.

Images used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nick Carver & The Mean Street Butchers Release Cool Single “I Need to Feel”

If you love your rock music with some grit, you’re going to be stomping your foot along with “I Need to Feel,” the latest single from regional Victorian outfit Nick Carver & The Mean Street Butchers. It’s such a soulful swamp-rock track, with a little hint of psychedelia. It already sounds like a classic.

“As far as sound goes, it’s a rock song. There’s very little of the alt-country/bluesy sound that’s on the previous releases. That’s not to say that stuff is over, but I’ve been working towards writing some real straight-up rock stuff that people can be expecting to hear with the next few releases,” Nick said. “I’ve always loved some cool weird rock, like Funkadelic, Ween, Melvins, Brant Bjork, and early Queens of the Stone Age. I think all of those bands just played out some songs that were really simple to them and kept all the little nuances and oddities that we sometimes try to improve on and end up losing the really cool essence of the track.”

The film clip, created by Pete McKew using AI animation technology is also brilliant. Drawing inspiration from Wake in Fright, it explores the violent and alcoholic history of the Aussie Outback, with a little alien abduction thrown in.

With their sound evolving, I’m keen to hear what comes next from Nick Carver & The Mean Street Butchers.

Image used with permission from Kick Push PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Cherubs Release Sick Song, “Nausea”

If Joy Division and The Strokes had a baby, it might sound something like The Cherubs. I’m really digging the new wave meets modern rock sound of their new single “Nausea”. The biting lyrics are also delicious. Trust me, you’ll want to crank this one up.

“This song came together on the final days of us writing the EP,” The Cherubs said in a statement. “In fact, Dylan (Clark) wrote the guitar and lyrics overnight while babysitting two cats and the next day we jammed it out as a band. It was a very quick song to write, what with not overthinking the arrangement, rather letting the guitars call-and-response be the hook and allow the lyrics to tell somewhat of a statement against it all.”

The Cherubs collaborated with director/editor Liam Clark, cinematographer Ian Tyler, and students from the SAE Institute for the music video.

“The music video was shot in half a day at Good Egg Studios in Riverstone,” The Cherubs added. “It’s worth noting Tim Berner on bass was attacked by a cactus the day of shooting and as a result had to be replaced by a dear friend and guitarist José Herández.”

If you like this, make sure you follow their socials to hear about their shows and that upcoming EP release.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: James Winthrop, Dylan Clark

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

James Johnston and Zac & George Team Up For “Some Things Never Change”

James Johnston has just dropped his latest country charmer, and he’s got some friends along for the ride. “Some Things Never Change” features Zac & George, a country duo from Eora/Sydney who now split their time between Australia and Nashville. James teamed up with Zac & George in the final hours of a songwriting pilgrimage to America’s country capital, and the rest is history.

“Listening back to the demo on the plane ride home, I knew we had captured something special,” James said. “I wanted to record and release it in a way I had never seen anyone do before.”

So he produced the song in secret with just one thing missing: Zac & George’s vocals, which they recorded during their next visit home. The day after laying down the tracks, they were heading to James’ hometown of Dharawal Country/Wingham to shoot the music video.

“The video was truly special, to be back in my hometown with the boys at the local pub I used to go to every Friday night, it just felt right that the video for ‘Some Things Never Change’ was captured there,” James said. The people you see in the video are also James’ fans, who descended on the pub to create the right party atmosphere after he put the call out on social media.

Riding high on the release of “Some Things Never Change,” James will start touring with another friend, Morgan Evans. He’ll also appear at some choice festivals in the coming months. Catch him anywhere you can!

31 August 2023 – Fortitude Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (with Morgan Evans)
2 September 2023 – Canberra Theatre, Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country/Canberra (with Morgan Evans) (SOLD OUT)
4 September 2023 – Civic Theatre, Mulubinba/Newcastle (with Morgan Evans)
5 September 2023 – Civic Theatre, Mulubinba/Newcastle (with Morgan Evans)
7 September 2023 – The Powerstation, Auckland (with Morgan Evans)
9 September 2023 – Civic Theatre, Mulubinba/Newcastle (with Morgan Evans) (SOLD OUT)
11 September 2023 – Fortitude Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (with Morgan Evans) (SOLD OUT)
14 September 2023 – Palais Theatre, Naarm/Melbourne (with Morgan Evans)
15 September 2023 – Palais Theatre, Naarm/Melbourne (with Morgan Evans) (SOLD OUT)
17 September 2023 – Hindley Street Music Hall, Tartanya/Adelaide (with Morgan Evans)
19 September 2023 – Astor Theatre, Boorloo/Perth (with Morgan Evans) (SOLD OUT)
20 September 2023 – Astor Theatre, Boorloo/Perth (with Morgan Evans)
30 September 2023 – Deni Ute Muster, Barababaraba Country/Deniliquin
6 October 2023 – Savannah in the Round, Muluridji Country/Mareeba
1–8 December 2023 – Cruisin’ Country

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity