Jem Cassar-Daley has released a fresh new single “Oh No” ahead of the release of her debut EP. It’s got such a great pop vibe and an addictive melody that I can’t get out of my head. Jem’s vocals are also superb on this one.
“I wrote ‘Oh No’ at my first ever APRA SONGHUBS on the Gold Coast last year, where I met Ali Barter and Tom Eggert,” Jem explained. “We had a session together and started jamming on the guitar and the song took its form from there. The vocals in the final track are actually the original demo vocals recorded in Bignote Studios! We felt that the energy from that day was hard to recapture so we kept them.”
Jem continued collaborating with Tom, recording the song in his study in the valley earlier this year.
Jem’s debut EP I Don’t Know Who to Call drops next Friday. In addition to its launch event, Jem has plenty of gigs booked for the next couple of months. Here are all the dates you need:
29 May 2022 – Reconciliation Day Even Concert @ Canberra Theatre, Canberra
9 June 2022 – The Outpost Bar, Brisbane
24 June 2022 – Coutts Crossing Coronation Hall, Coutts Crossing
30 July 2022 – Live! at the Baptist @ Studio 188, Ipswich
26-28 August 2022 – Gurindji Freedom Day Festival, Kalkarindji
Drew Wilson has earned some serious brownie points with the release of his new single “On and On”, a romantic ditty penned for his wife. It’s irresistibly catchy with a chorus you’ll be humming for days to come.
“The bulk of ‘On and On’ was written in five minutes after a phone call from my wife telling me that she was on her way home from work. The words just appeared and the story took over from there. It is about our first date and first big adventure packing our things and heading overseas,” he reminisced. “This is more mature and thoughtful songwriting – this song pens as an open love letter to my wife and I hope it encourages the audience to reflect on the connections they have with some of the special people they have within their life.”
Drew will launch his new single with a free show at The Solbar in Maroochydore on Sunday.
As a kid growing up in a time before the Wiggles and Hi-5, Don Spencer created some of the first music I got excited about. I watched him religiously on Play School and Feathers, Fur, or Fins was a permanent fixture in my tape player. So I got a little bit teary watching this video commemorating Don’s latest career milestones. He’s now clocked up 60 years in the music business. His charity, Australian Children’s Music Foundation, is also celebrating its 20th birthday.
I wasn’t really aware of all the great work Don’s doing bringing music to children in schools, juvenile justice centres, and hospitals all over the country but gee it’s inspiring. What a legend!
If like me, watching this video has made you nostalgic for the good old days, or you want to introduce your kids to his incredible body of work, it’s all now available digitally.
“We are so grateful to work with Don Spencer, a trailblazer in children’s music, who has done so much in this field. We are thrilled to have his catalogue available via digital partners – making it even more widely accessible than before!” confirmed Natalie Waller, the head of ABC Music & Events.
So fire up your favourite streaming service and give “Bob the Kelpie” or “Please Don’t Call Me a Koala Bear” another listen!
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
I’m in a pretty romantic mood coming off a long weekend away for my wedding anniversary. If you’re feeling loved up too or you just want to live vicariously through some music, you’re going to dig Rya Park’s smooth new single “Everything We Want.” Dedicated to her partner Nick Tam, the guitarist for punk act Kill Bell and a Melbourne music photographer, this track is so romantic and heartfelt. If you adore a love song grounded in reality rather than saccharine sentiments, this one’s for you.
“This song is about Nick and our little love story. We’ve done so much in the time that we’ve been together; travelled the world, had multiple coffee hang outs at the cafe near the psych hospital I was staying at, lived together, lived apart, but mostly have been each other’s biggest support and best friend throughout it all,” Rya gushed. “You change so much through your 20s and we both have grown so much since first meeting each other six years ago at Beyond the Valley music festival. Some of the stuff we’ve been through together has been challenging but has definitely united us and made us stronger.”
“Everything We Wanted” is the second single from Rya’s forthcoming debut EP Generational. With contributions from Alex Lahey, Gordi, and Edward Quinn (Sycco) it’s already sounding pretty fabulous. Generational drops on June 3, a week before the official launch at the LeadBeater in Richmond on June 10.
Lara Dee, the frontwoman of Brisbane band Cheap Date, has released a gorgeous new single “Dear Daughter.” This is a real departure for Lara, a song that sees her being truly vulnerable. It’s something that has taken her many years to do, but I’m so glad she did.
“‘Dear Daughter’ is a song that I wrote during a very tumultuous period of my teen years. Some six years later, I have finally worked up the courage to release the song and be a little bit vulnerable,” she admitted.
“I had to grow up very quickly, spending much of my adolescence in and out of hospital wards both for my own treatment and my brother’s. When I reflect on this song and my state of mind during the writing process, I have finally realised that ‘Dear Daughter’ saved me.
“Unlike many of the songs I write, ‘Dear Daughter’ was complete within 30 minutes, without any hesitation or reflection. I was 15 and buried deep in a vicious cycle of a relapsing eating disorder and self-harm. On this particular night I was pushed to my limits and needed to escape. Before the ritualistic process of self-harm could progress to something scarily worse, I remembered my mum was in the room next door.
“Music was something I had always been passionate about and used to express emotion. It was also one of the many things I had thrown to the wayside in the grips of my struggles. In this particular moment I thought about my mum and our relationship. She has always been my best friend and biggest support and our relationship is one that I am always grateful for. I thought about how she would feel and respond if she knew how I was feeling and how I was treating her ‘little girl’.
“This led to a bigger thought and emotion around how I would feel if I had to enforce my thinking and actions onto a younger version of myself. So I sat down and decided to write a note to a future child of mine and a past version of myself. ‘Dear Daughter’ is the product of that evening and I am very proud to have emerged on the other side.”
This might be a solo release, but it definitely doesn’t spell the end of Cheap Date. The band are supporting Suzi on her upcoming Aussie tour. Check out both great acts at the following venues:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
Dean Lewis is so prolific, it’s so easy to miss those new singles when they drop. So I’m thrilled he’s rereleased his latest track “Hurtless” in a new stripped-back format. What a beautiful piano ballad this is. Can this guy put a foot wrong? It doesn’t seem like it!
“’Hurtless’ has immediately become one of those special, connecting moments in the live shows,” Dean said. “If there’s one thing my career so far has shown me, it’s that the more painfully honest about my own life I am in my songs – the more they seem to resonate”.
Speaking of live shows, Dean has just kicked off his Sad Boi tour in North America and will travel to Europe next. If you’re abroad, here are all the dates you need!
14 May 2022 – The Underground, Charlotte
16 May 2022 – Union Transfer, Philadelphia
17 May 2022 – The Fillmore, Silver Spring
20 May 2022 – Webster Hall, New York City
21 May 2022 – Roadrunner, Boston
23 May 2022 – MTELUS, Montreal
24 May 2022 – HISTORY, Toronto
26 May 2022 – Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit
27 May 2022 – Riviera Theatre, Chicago
28 May 2022 – Fillmore Minneapolis, Minneapolis
30 May 2022 – Ogden Theatre, Denver
31 May 2022 – The Depot, Salt Lake City
2 June 2022 – Malkin Bowl, Vancouver
4 June 2022 – The Showbox, Seattle
5 June 2022 – Roseland Theater, Portland
7 June 2022 – The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco
8 June 2022 – Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles
11 June 2022 – The Observatory North Park, San Diego
12 June 2022 – Marquee Theatre, Tempe
15 June 2022 – Granada Theater, Dallas
16 June 2022 – Emos Austin, Austin
17 June 2022 – Warehouse Live, Houston
20 June 2022 – The Orange Peel, Asheville
21 June 2022 – The National, Richmond
23 June 2022 – Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park
24 June 2022 – Mr. Small’s Theatre, Pittsburgh
25 June 2022 – Deluxe At Old National Centre, Indianapolis
28 June 2022 – The Pageant, St. Louis
29 June 2022 – The Truman, Kansas City
2 July 2022 – Summerfest, Milwaukee
7 July 2022 – Ottawa Blues Festival, Ottawa
8 July 2022 – Quebec International Summer Festival, Quebec
10 July 2022 – Wonderstruck Festival, Cleveland
17 September 2022 – Filadelfiakyrkan, Stockholm
18 September 2022 – Sentrum Scene, Oslo
20 September 2022 – Skråen i Nordkraft, Aalborg
21 September 2022 – Posted, Odense
22 September 2022 – Train, Århus
24 September 2022 – Train, Århus (SOLD OUT)
25 September 2022 – Forum Black Box, Copenhagen (SOLD OUT)
27 September 2022 – Forum Black Box, Copenhagen, Denmark
28 September 2022 – Train, Århus (SOLD OUT)
29 September 2022 – Markthalle, Hamburg
1 October 2022 – Progresja, Warsaw
3 October 2022 – ROXY Prague, Prague
4 October 2022 – Huxley’s, Berlin
6 October 2022 – Live Music Hall, Cologne
7 October 2022 – X-tra, Zurich
9 October 2022 – Magazzini Generali, Milan
11 October 2022 – La Madeleine, Brussels
12 October 2022 – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
13 October 2022 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
15 October 2022 – Le Trianon, Paris
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Darren Craig
Melbourne artist Taylah Carroll has given me tingles with her new track “Have a Party on Me”. Her first release through [PIAS} Australia, it’s the perfect breakup song. If you love your music with a healthy dose of angst, this one’s for you. Taylah worked with director Nick Mckk on the accompanying video, which they filmed in a mid-century Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired holiday rental in regional Victoria.
“We really wanted this clip to feel more cinematic, and it takes itself more seriously than previous ones. In a nutshell – it explores the narrative of a woman who lives alone, and steals lamps in order to conduct a lonesome light show at night,”
Taylah will launch “Have a Party on Me” on me tonight at The Old Bar in Melbourne. Make sure you arrive early for supporting sets from Ruby Whiting and Dogs Don’t Kiss.
Image used with permission from [PIAS] Australia; credit Nick Mckk
Brisbane artist Kedus has just released his silky-smooth new single, “Ballroom Bop,” and it’s an absolute banger. Just see if you can resist grooving along when that beat drops.
“My bro Soulis cooked up the beat and sent it to me and as soon as I heard it I loved it,” enthused Kedus. “I then recorded a melody at my stu and wrote to it and then re-recorded the vocals, and this came out of it.”
Kedus’ “stu” is a home studio he built by the time he turned 15. Since then he’s self-engineered five mixtapes and recorded an EP. This is a guy that’s serious about his music.
This ultra-cool track comes perfectly packaged with a music video inspired by Old Hollywood. It’s an absolute stunner with a classic aesthetic and Kedus at his dapper best. Expect to see and hear a lot more from Kedus this year.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia; credit: OB Life
Lemaire really impressed me a few months ago with his relatable single “Ford Laser”. He’s dishing out more rhymes with an Aussie flavour in his new EP What Did You Expect?
In truth, if you’ve listened to “Ford Laser”, you know exactly what to expect from this EP. And it’s fabulous. The rap scene is full of posers, up-and-comers who believe in faking it until they make it and established artists keen to flaunt their wealth. But you’ll never catch Lemaire being anything other than authentic. He celebrates his “shitbox” Ford Laser. “Shiraz” tells us he’d rather sip on an Aussie red than Cristal. There’s no coincidence that “Be Myself”, a collaboration with BOY SODA, sits square in the middle of this EP, anchoring it with its theme of self-acceptance. Lemaire knows where he came from. Rather than avoiding Australianisms that might not translate to a global audience, he’s happy to namecheck everything from that iconic car to Queensland’s premier. These are songs written with tongue planted firmly in cheek. International music fans might not quite catch or understand the humour, but as an Aussie listener, I had a blast with these songs.
What Did You Expect? didn’t just meet my expectations, but exceeded them. This collection of songs is so much fun. Lemaire represents the new breed of Aussie rappers well. Like Illy and Baker Boy, he’s creating music that’s so positive and proudly rooted in our culture. With his first EP, Lemaire shows us who he is and that he’s got a bright future ahead.
There’s a perception that artists who came to our attention through reality TV shows never go on to have long-standing careers in the music industry. However, in reality, plenty of singer-songwriters have used these platforms to do amazing things. Take James Johnston, who first caught my attention on The X Factor way back in 2014. He’s just returned from performing alongside Lee Kernaghan at the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival and Golden Guitar Awards. He’s clocked up more than 14 million streams. His last single “Small Town” spent 10 weeks at the top of the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay charts. And he’s just released a new track, “Country Boys”, which deserves to be every bit as successful. The song sees James reminiscing about his childhood in Wingham, in regional New South Wales.
“’Country Boys’ is my childhood captured in a song,” he said. “From riding dirt bikes to losing summers swimming in the creek.”
As the weather cools, the country music scene is heating up. James is on board for a whole string of festivals in the coming months. Check him out at one of the following events:
20 May 2022 – Nebo Hotel Pre-Rodeo Street Party, Nebo
21 May 2022 – PBR Australia @ Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
27 May 2022 – Boots & Beach Festival, Port Macquarie
11 June 2022 – Buck Wild Country Barn Sessions, Townsville
30 July 2022 – Tara Festival of Culture & Camel Races, Tara
20 August 2022 – NQ’s Rock’n Country Music Festival, Mackay
26 August 2022 – Gympie Music Muster, Gympie
23-25 September 2022 – CMC Rocks, Willowbank
2 October 2022 – Savannah in the Round, Mareeba
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
