Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Grace Woodroofe Stuns With Long-Awaited Single “Beginning”

If you caught one of Grace Woodroofe’s recent sets supporting Ben Harper, you probably want to know more about her. And if you didn’t, you’re going to wish you had after hearing her new single “Beginning.”

While its title suggests this is the start of Grace’s career, it’s more of a rebirth. This is her first single in eight years, a welcome return to the music scene. With stunning simplicity it explores the beginning of the end of an abusive relationship, those moments when the love is still so powerful and palpable that it helps you overlook the deep flaws.

“I had written many resentment songs when I first began the process of writing this album. They were the easiest to write about and sit with. When I sat down to write ‘Beginning’, I knew it was time to depict the stages that came before the anger,” Grace explained. “The bargaining, denial and desperation I had to keep things going was an important phase in the story, and a key part in grief. Holding onto key memories, moments and feelings, in order to divert the pain.”

With a new album in the works, we should hear a lot more from Grace in 2023.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Jody Pachniuk

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Siobhan Cotchin Drops Beautiful New Single, “When the Curtains Close”

Siobhan Cotchin has impressed me with every release, so I knew I was going to enjoy her latest single “When the Curtains Close” before I even hit play. I wasn’t quite prepared for this song’s beautiful vulnerability though. It shows a much gentler side, drawing the listener in to the simple guitar, vocals, and powerful lyrics.

“’When The Curtains Close’ is about not being able to recognise someone you love after their actions show their true colors. It’s about feeling betrayed, thinking you should’ve seen the signs earlier but loving someone so much that you don’t want anything to jeopardise it,” Siobhan explained. “This song was one that basically wrote itself. I was going through a lot at the time, dealing with realisations about someone I was close with. In order to write the song, I just remembered how it felt to be in the presence of this person and the effect it had on me and others around me. It’s a very visceral song and I get transported back to the time I wrote it every time I sing it.”

Siobhan will play the stacked Bluesfest Boorloo/Perth show on April 1.

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Jarrad Levy

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Deuce Evolve Their Sound With “Breathe”

I hope like me you’re taking some time this weekend to recharge your batteries and unwind from the nine-to-five grind. In the spirit of rejuvenation, I figured it was the perfect time to put “Breathe,” the dreamy new single from Naarm/Melbourne duo Deuce, on your radar.

Deuce is the musical project of real-life lovebirds Kayleigh Heydon and Curtis Wakeling, and I think you can hear their connection in the music they make. “Breathe” comes from their sophomore album Wild Type, which is a start of a new, more evolved chapter for the band.

“When we started Deuce, I couldn’t play an instrument,” Curtis admitted. “Writing and recording the album relied on a lot of communication, allowing us to develop sound through description; not jargon or technical music terminology.”

Expect to hear more confidence from Deuce when their new album Wild Type drops on April 28.

Image used with permission from Dinosaur City Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Em George Wows Me With “Home”

Exploring music from talents like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen clearly hasn’t hurt Eora/Sydney artist Em George. Her new single “Home” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in some time.

This is one of those songs that stands tall on its own. It’s so well written that it doesn’t need big production. The creative process started in Em’s “tiny” studio apartment before she brought it to Golden Retriever Studios and Hercules Street Studios for the finishing touches.

“My favourite thing about music is it connects you to a feeling or experience. I hope people listen to this song and relate to what I’m writing about and feel connected to those around them,” Em said. “I had been feeling really down, hurt by a lot of people and was wondering why. I was also working and creating at full speed without any down time for myself and was exhausted. I realised I’d been letting people in who I shouldn’t and overextending myself to please others. The song is about creating boundaries for yourself, to not exhaust yourself for others and protect a space within yourself to create, grow and be at peace. But it’s also about being accountable, and realising that you attract what you seek”.

Excuse me while I press play for the umpteenth time.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music; credit: Philip Le Masurier

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chelsea Berman Releases Hot New Pop-Country Track, “Going There”

Darkinjung Country/Central Coast talent Chelsea Berman adds some modern production to her usual country sound with her latest single “Going There.” Pop-country crossovers aren’t exactly new, but I’ve never heard one sounding quite so fresh.

This song sounds great, but it’s also incredibly relatable. After going back to the wrong person too many times, Chelsea channelled her frustrations into this fantastic track. Canadian songwriters Lydia Sutherland and Aaron Pollock helped her with the lyrics before Mulubinba/Newcastle producer Rhys Zacher added his magic.

Image used with permission from Rock This Country

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Reckless Coast Rock Out With “Gossip”

Given their name, you might expect Meeanjin/Brisbane band Reckless Coast to create laidback acoustic tunes to soundtrack your beach tunes. Press play on their latest track “Gossip” and in just a few seconds you’ll realise they’re not that band. Not even close. Reckless Coast can rock with the best of them, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

“Gossip was written to cause pure chaos live,” said songwriter and frontman Jaeden Ogston. “I wanted an anarchic energy to the song, and I think we definitely delivered on that!”

“I can’t get enough of playing this song live,” added bassist India Raine. “Our energy goes full throttle and I love seeing the crowd’s uncontained response.”

Are you getting the idea that this band loves being on stage? Fresh from supporting Aussie rock icons The Poor, Reckless Coast will play shows along the East Coast next month. Here are all the dates you need:

3 March 2023 – The Espy, Euro Yuroke/St. Kilda (FREE)
4 March 2023 – Bad Decisions, Ngár-go/Fitzroy
16 March 2023 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Mulubinba/Newcastle (FREE)
17 March 2023 – Burdekin Hotel, Eora/Sydney
19 March 2023 – Last Rites, Yaegl/Yamba
31 March 2023 – Tomcat, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Image used with permission from Reyco Records; credit: Will Johnstone

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

A Swift Farewell Release Stellar New Single, “Sorry”

Start your day right with Eora/Sydney pop-punk act A Swift Farewell’s bold new single “Sorry”. If the effects of your coffee are starting to wane, this track should give you the adrenalin rush you need to get to lunchtime.

“‘Sorry’ explores a time where I felt like every negative situation I was in was caused by me,” vocalist Ryo Sprott explained. “Relationships falling apart, band members leaving, etc., I felt like I was responsible for other people’s feelings and for making them leave me. The line ‘Held you too close / I squeezed your life away’ was written about an ex who broke up with me. At the time, I thought that it was my fault because I had cared too much, tried too hard and had suffocated them instead of giving them space. I found out later it wasn’t the reason they had left.”

The track comes with a fantastic music video filmed, directed, and edited by Dunelabs’ Oliver Clarke.

“The storyline of this video follows the song’s theme: feeling like your words and action are hurting someone else,” added A Swift Farewell’s guitarist and songwriter Sarah Bonnet. “The first actor is spitting black paint, which represents the words coming out of his mouth, as well as his actions. The second actor is crying black paint, which represents the hurt that these words and actions caused. The first is trying to say he’s sorry, but it’s too late and he can’t fix the damage that’s already done.”

A Swift Farewell will celebrate the release of “Sorry” with a trip to Naarm/Melbourne for Perish Fest on March 18.

Image used with permission from Good Intent; credit: Jack Fontes

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Budjerah Drops New Single Ahead of Ed Sheeran Shows

Budjerah is already one of the hottest emerging artists in the country, and he’s set to get a whole lot bigger in the coming months. He’ll play massive stadiums around the country supporting Ed Sheeran and slots at For The Love Festival. He’s also just dropped a fabulous new single, “Therapy,” penned by superstar songwriters Sarah Aarons (John Legend, Demi Lovato) and Stint (Kesha, Panic! At the Disco).

“When I first heard the demo for ‘Therapy’, it hit me at the perfect time. I was going through a few things and the song really nailed how I was feeling at the time,” Budjerah admitted. “Therapy is about frustration in a relationship. It’s the thoughts and feelings that can erupt when you don’t understand each other and that can be tough to deal with. Therapy can come in many forms, but taking a step back and getting an outside perspective is something that has helped me.”

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Budjerah this year, starting with all these dates:

17 February 2023 – Suncorp Stadium, Meeanjin/Brisbane (supporting Ed Sheeran)
18 February 2023 – Suncorp Stadium, Meeanjin/Brisbane (supporting Ed Sheeran)
19 February 2023 – Suncorp Stadium, Meeanjin/Brisbane (supporting Ed Sheeran)
24 February 2023 – Accor Stadium, Eora/Sydney (supporting Ed Sheeran)
25 February 2023 – Accor Stadium, Eora/Sydney (supporting Ed Sheeran)
26 February – For the Love Festival @ Thomas Dalton Park, Woolyungah/Wollongong
2 March 2023 – MCG, Naarm/Melbourne (supporting Ed Sheeran)
3 March 2023 – MCG, Naarm/ Melbourne (supporting Ed Sheeran)
4 March 2023 – For the Love Festival @ Catani Gardens, Naarm/Melbourne
5 March 2023 – For the Love Festival @ Taylor Reserve, Boorloo/Perth
7 March 2023 – Adelaide Oval, Tarntanya/Adelaide (supporting Ed Sheeran)
12 March 2023 – Optus Stadium, Boorloo/Perth (supporting Ed Sheeran)

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia; credit: Max Doyle

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Pilot Crisis Drop Strong Debut Single “Misguided”

Meeanjin/Brisbane punk band Pilot Crisis have burst onto the scene with their debut single “Misguided.” The track was penned by their kickass frontwoman Evie Cowen after her own experiences with the country’s broken social service system.

“At the time that I wrote ‘Misguided’, I was in a position where I could no longer work and had to quit my job. My situation had made me rely heavily on the system and that’s where I noticed an insane imbalance in true support for people who actually need help”, she explained. “The world was being misguided by the pain we were all experiencing. We were trying to fight it, but all in vain as we continued to get hit while we were down—that’s at least how I felt.”

Pilot Crisis are already planning an EP, so we’ll hopefully hear a lot more from them this year.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co; credit: Will Johnstone

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Two Times Shy Drop Pop-Punk Banger, “Tearing Up Inside”

If the pop-punk stylings of Meeajin/Brisbane band Two Times Shy don’t give you the energy you need to make it to quitting time, then nothing will. Their latest single “Tearing Up Inside” features the bold guitars, pounding drums, and emotional vocals you want in a pop-punk song.

“Tearing Up Inside is written about a relationship breakdown and how it feels to go through something so tormenting and heartbreaking,” the band explained. “Watching the one you love slip away, fall into the arms of someone else when there is nothing you can do about it; and although it tears you apart, you still love them and want to/will do everything you can to fix it. No matter how hard you try, the relationship meets its inevitable doom.”

There’s more to come from Two Times Shy, who will release their debut EP, It Looks Better Than it Sounds, on March 10.

Image used with permission from Ruckus PR; credit: Gabi Rankine Creative