Nick Weaver, formerly of Deep Sea Arcade and the Tambourine Girls, tragically passed away last April from a rare, metastatic bowel cancer at just 37. His family and close friends rallied together, vowing to complete Nick’s solo album. The release of the double A-side single “Cold Chills/Won’t Let Go” gives us our first listen. The upbeat indie pop “Cold Chills” is a great contrast to the more sombre, introspective “Won’t Let Go.” I love that in these final recordings, we’re hearing so much of what Nick could do.
“Nick’s creativity never ceased to astonish me,” said his mother, Helen Wellings. “This solo album is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, songs that stay fixed in your head. It’s as if Nick’s soul has come to the surface in these compositions about true love, sincerity, beauty, loss, deception and narcissism, revealing his breadth and brilliance. Nick has left us, but his music will live on in our hearts.”
Nick’s posthumously released solo album Won’t Let Go drops on October 20.
Hamish Patrick is used to being a session muso, playing with the likes of Japanese Wallpaper, Gretta Ray, Yorke, and Allday. Now he’s making his own voice heard with his solo project Higher Places. He’s just dropped a new single “Still Half in Love” and I’m pretty smitten.
There’s a beautiful nostalgia about this track and its blend of electronic, pop, and rock influences. It perfectly captures the love that often lingers between two people in the aftermath of a relationship breakdown.
“During the early stages of COVID lockdowns, my long-term ex-partner and I separated on good terms. I found the period immediately afterwards really hard – we talked every day and were as close as ever, but our relationship had obviously fundamentally changed,” Hamish recalled. “I wrote this when trying to process all of this – it’s about knowing that some of your feelings are still there, but that it can’t be the way it was, as much as part of you might still want that.”
After discovering this song, I can’t wait to hear more from Higher Places.
I was already pretty psyched about the release of Press Club’s new album in a couple of weeks, but the release of the band’s latest single “I Can Change” has me even more pumped.
“‘I Can Change’ is about constantly being on the road, and needing to slow down/stay still because of the challenges it brings, emotionally and physically – fighting that feeling and wishing you could change cause it all you ever dreamt about. Then BAM, Covid comes along, smacks you in the face and takes it all away from you! And obviously you’ll never take it for granted again, if you ever get it back cause it’s everything you ever wanted,” explained lead singer Nat.
“I Can Change” is the latest track lifted from Press Club’s new album Endless Motion, which drops on October 14. The album came about through the downtime forced on them during the pandemic, but they’re making up for lost time. Press Club will tour this album around the country before heading to the UK and Europe. Here are all the dates you need!
13 October 2022 – The Cambridge, Awabakal Land/Newcastle
14 October 2022 – UOW, Dharawal Land/Wollongong
15 October 2022 – Crowbar, Gadigal Land/Sydney
16 October 2022 – The Zoo, Turrbal Land/Brisbane
17 October 2022 – Brunswick Ballroom, Wurundjeri Land/Melbourne
18 October 2022 – Singing Bird, Bunurong Land/Frankston (All Ages)
28 October 2022 – Kasbah Club, Limerick
29 October 2022 – Whelans Upstairs, Dublin
31 October 2022 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
1 November 2022 – Stereo, Glasgow
3 November 2022 – The Flapper, Birmingham
4 November 2022 – Deaf Institute, Manchester
5 November 2022 – OSLO, London
6 November 2022 – The Exchange, Bristol
8 November 2022 – 1999, Paris
9 November 2022 – Trix, Antwerp
10 November 2022 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
11 November 2022 – Vera, Groningen
14 November 2022 – Cassiopeia, Berlin
15 November 2022 – Chapeau Rouge, Prague
16 November 2022 – Chelsea, Vienna
18 November 2022 – Bogen F, Zurich
19 November 2022 – Strom, Munich
20 November 2022 – MTC, Cologne
Image used with permission from Little Gian Agency; credit: Nick Manuell
Vera Blue never seems to put a foot wrong, and her latest single “Mermaid Avenue” is no exception. With relatable bittersweet lyrics and the perfect blend of ethereal vocals and electronic sounds, it’s enough to get me pretty excited about her forthcoming album.
“Mermaid Avenue is a song about a love that didn’t work out. The bitter-sweet emotions that come with all the fond memories of the relationship but the heartbreak of a dream that will never happen,” she recalled. “Mermaid Avenue is a beautiful street in South Coogee in Sydney with enormous beach houses overlooking the ocean. I find myself there on walks at sunset admiring the architecture and views. I feel that Mermaid Avenue can also be a metaphor for a place where everything is perfect, full of adventure and love. Or a dream you create of the future, a beautiful life with someone.”
“Mermaid Avenue” is the latest cut lifted from Vera’s sophomore album Mercurial, slated for release on October 28. She’ll tour the country in November to support its release and play a few festivals in the coming months. Here are all the dates you need:
1 October 2022 – Unwind The Vines Festival, Wodi Wodi Country/Gerringong
15 October 2022 – Stonefest 2022, Ngunnawal Country/Canberra
3 November 2022 – Miami Marketta, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast
4 November 2022 – Fortitude Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane
5 November 2022 – Civic Theatre, Mulubinba/Newcastle
11 November 2022 – Costa Hall, Djilang/Geelong
12 November 2022 – Forum Theatre, Naarm/Melbourne
30 November 2022 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Tarntanya/Adelaide (supporting Flume)
2 December 2022 – Regatta Grounds, Nipaluna/Hobart (supporting Flume)
8 December 2022 – Ice Cream Factory, Boorloo/Perth
17 December 2022 – Enmore Theatre, Eora/Newtown
28 December 2022 – 1 January 2023 – Beyond The Valley Festival, Djab wurrung Country/Barunah Plains
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia
If the pandemic’s taught us nothing else, it’s that a lot can happen in three years. That’s how long Meeanjin/Brisbane-based artist Tyler Jones spent locked outside Australia. With pandemic borders in place and strict measures in his homeland of Mexico, Tyler set off with nothing but a beaten laptop, a cheap microphone, and his guitar. The songs he wrote and recorded while travelling where he could became his new bilingual solo project TANGELO. If you love grungy, angsty ‘90s indie rock, TANGELO’s new single “You still live in Turin” will be right up your alley.
“You still live in Turin” comes from TANGELO’s forthcoming EP Postales, named after the Spanish word for postcards. Every song was written in a different country and acts as a bit of a postcard back to TANGELO’s adopted home in Australia. “You still live in Turin” was written on an acoustic guitar in an ex-girlfriend’s house in Turin, Italy, recorded in Leon, Mexico, and released from Meeanjin/Brisbane. Talk about a global sound. I don’t know about you, but I’m keen to hear more.
If you needed further proof that Kav Temperley is one of the best songwriters this country has ever produced, wrap your ears around “Last of the Wine”. This is a straight-up pop-rock banger, the sort of song that deserves to be all over radio. While the catchy melody hooks you in instantly, it’s the lyrics that will stay with me. Tap into them and you’ll discover this song’s true power.
“’Last Of The Wine’ is about drinking and domestic violence and how the two often meet in the middle,” Kav explained. “I imagined a love story where someone is locked in a room dreaming about someone somewhere else while dealing with a complex love-hate relationship that they can’t escape from, jumping at shadows and flinching every time they lean in for a kiss. At night they stare out at the moon with a glass of wine in their hand and imagine the same moon shining its light down on the one they love and just for a moment they feel alright.”
“Last of the Wine” is the latest track lifted from Kav’s forthcoming solo album Machines of Love and Grace. He set the bar so high with his first solo effort All Your Devotion, so I’m pretty psyched to hear this one when it drops on October 19. If you missed him on his recent regional tour or want another serve, it won’t be too long before Kav’s back on the road. Expect to hear about capital city and regional shows slated for early next year really soon.
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Jarrad Levy
Has it really been three years since LA-based Aussie DJ and producer GEM brought us The 2070s? That album showcased what she could do with classic pop songs, but with her latest single “RUINS” she’s revealing a little more of herself. It’s a beautiful slow-burn ballad with GEM’s ethereal voice front and centre. If you love what you hear, you won’t need to wait too much longer for more. GEM’s new EP Healing Feelings drops tomorrow.
“I wanted the EP to reintroduce myself, starting with the parts that I hide the most. The story begins with ‘Ruins’,” GEM explained. “I was holding on so tightly to an idea that didn’t exist anymore – once I let that relationship shatter, the breakthrough begun and the healing started. I wanted the EP to start in mess, tangled, unsure, inching your way into the day as we all sometimes do and slowly, step by step, track by track find that voice, that inner knowing that sets you right again. I made a very deliberate decision to connect all the pieces of myself and make whole, regardless how popular that may or may not be”.
If you’re new to GEM’s music or like me you’re ready to get reacquainted, make sure you listen out for Healing Feelings tomorrow.
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Jordan Knight
You know how I’ve been posting a lot of country music lately? Well here’s another one. As you press play though, you’ll soon realise “Blow Our Cover,” Josh Setterfield’s latest single, is no ordinary country tune. This one definitely pushes genre boundaries, with cool electronic, pop, and rock influences giving it mass appeal. If you don’t think you’re a country music fan, make sure you give this song a listen.
One of the hardest working artists in the country at the moment, Josh has plenty of shows to entertain you in the coming months. See him at one of his headlining shows, a festival, or supporting some of country’s biggest names:
30 September 2022 – Ballina RSL, Bundjalung Country/Ballina (with The Wolfe Brothers)
1 October 2022 – Lights on the Hill, Ugarapul and Kitabul Country/Gatton (with The Wolfe Brothers)
7 October 2022 – The Yot Club, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast (with Matt Cornell and Brooke Supple)
15 October 2022 – Mallee Root Roundup, Wirrumbirchip/Birchip
21 October 2022 – Mezz Bar, Barrahinebin/Wallsend (with Viper Creek Band)
22 October 2022 – Narrabri RSL, Kamilaroi Country/Narrabri (with Viper Creek Band)
29 October 2022 – Warwick Rodeo, Waringh/Warwick (with Viper Creek Band)
5 November 2022 – King Street Wharf, Eora/Sydney (with Viper Creek Band)
12 November 2022 – Texas Country Music Festival, Bigambul Country/Texas
26 November 2022 – Mathinna Country Club, Kunnarra Kuna Country/Mathinna (with Catherine Britt, Viper Creek Band, and Andrew Swift)
20 January 2023 – Longyard Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (with The Bushwackers and The Wolfe Brothers)
I’ve been writing about a lot of country music lately, but I can’t help it if our local country artists are releasing some incredible music! So you’re going to get another one, because Billie-Jo Porter’s latest track “Let It All Roll Out” is just magic. It’s a gentle ballad that feels like the musical equivalent of a big warm hug. You know you need that on your Hump Day!
“This song is a reminder to live in the moment, be right here and let it all roll out,” Billie-Jo explained. “It takes us back to a moment in time, where we didn’t really know what the future held, what our next move was, or where the next paycheque was coming from. One thing we did know was we were having the time of our lives.”
Billie-Jo was inspired to write the song with longtime collaborator Rachael Kennedy during the Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF).
“After watching a KB and The Flood show at TCMF we were hanging out on the front verandah at Rach’s parents place with her mum. I suggested we write a song,” she recalled. “For me it is one of the most meaningful songs I have recorded so far because of the history I have with TCMF and the journey of my friendship with Rach who co-wrote the song. Rach inspired me to get a guitar, learn to play and reminded me of the joy than can be found singing and performing.”
Billie-Jo has plenty of shows coming up, so make sure you catch her at a venue near you:
29 September 2022 – Hoey Moey, Gumbaynggirr Country/Coffs Harbour (with Brittany Elise)
7 October 2022 – Heart & Soul Wholefood Café, Bundjalung Country/Grafton
9 October 2022 – Coramba Hotel, Gumbaynggirr Country/Coramba
16 October 2022 – Seaview Tavern, Wiigulga/Woolgoolga
21 October 2022 – Twilight Food Market, Gumbaynggirr Country/Coffs Harbour
28 October 2022 – Sarah Leete ‘Girl Next Door’ Single Launch @ Gumbaynggirr Country/Coramba (with Sarah Leete)
13 November 2022 – Moonee Beach Hotel, Wurundjeri Country/Moonee
26 November 2022 – Scotts Hub, Gumbaynggirr Country/Scotts Head
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
If you love your country with some grit, check out Gareth Leach’s new track “Habitual Line Stepper.” We’re all familiar with heavy rock and heavy metal; this single introduces you to a new genre: heavy country. It’s a hard-hitting song about toxic relationships that puts its foot on the throttle and stays the course.
The music video gives you an insight into what it’s like seeing Gareth live. It also features great rodeo footage captured when Glen and his band played the Bendigo M5 Pro Rodeo.
“Habitual Line Stepper” is the third track lifted from Gareth Leach and the Narratives of Hope’s third album, scheduled for released next year. In the lead-up, Gareth has booked plenty of festival performances. Catch him at the following events:
18 & 19 November 2022 – Sale Country Music Festival @ Sale Racecourse, Wayput/Sale
4 & 5 March 2023 – Country by the Bay @ Frankston Foreshore, Bunurong Country/Frankston
1 & 2 April 2023 – Goulburn Country Music Festival, Kanny-goopna/Shepparton
