Boo Seeka has teamed up with Golding for “Don’t Waste Your Love,” a guaranteed floor-filler that’ll get you geared up for the weekend ahead. These two Aussie acts are both at the top of their game and it shows in this killer collaboration. It’s got such an infectious upbeat vibe, but don’t miss the lyrics which deal with some pretty heavy stuff.
“’Don’t Waste Your Love’ came about when I was going through a tough time. I was experiencing this uncomfortable anxiety that made me feel detached from both my surroundings and my emotions,” explained Jay from Golding. “Not being able to feel the love of my family around me created a shocking, yet somehow empty feeling, to the point where it was almost a physical numbness.”
The lyrics pack a real emotional punch, but the catchy melody ensures it doesn’t weigh you down. This is dance music with heart, and I am here for it.
We’re going to hear plenty more from these guys this year, with Boo Seeka working on a new album and an EP on the way for Golding. When asked whether we might see them sharing a stage, Golding said “There could be a few appearances during some Boo Seeka sets … maybe.” It sounds like whatever happens, there are exciting times ahead!
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: i.am.fraser.
Melbourne-based queer pop act JXCKY is showing off his darker side with his latest single “System.” It’s moody and brooding, with a hypnotic bassline that feels so fresh. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the wrong relationship, the lyrics of “System” should really hit home.
“System marks the first time I’m dipping into that sinister, darker side of pop-rock,” JXCKY said. “The track accentuates a growing desperation for closure and the need to cleanse one’s body free from that tight, lethal grip.”
If you love what you hear, there’s more where that came from. After being stuck in lockdown in 2020, JXCKY is ready to drop plenty of new music this year.
Summer might be a distant memory, but Brisbane alt-pop/hip-hop outfit Cinnamon Sun are bringing back its cruisy vibes with their latest single “Goosebumps.” This track goes down as easily as your third cocktail by the pool at your favourite holiday resort. The laidback rhymes are the ideal foil for the jazzy synths. Pour yourself a drink (it’s Friday after all) and let this one wrap around you.
“Goosebumps” is the second track lifted from Cinnamon Sun’s upcoming album. Enjoy a sneak peek at some of its other material at the single’s launch party tomorrow night, May 1, at Can You Keep a Secret in Woolloongabba.
With her new album dropping next month, I didn’t think we’d see Delta Goodrem release another single before its release. But she’s offering us another sneaky listen with the release of “All of My Friends,” the fifth offering from that album, Bridge Over Troubled Dreams.
I’ve been so struck by the intimacy of many Delta’s latest songs, but “All of My Friends” might be her most personal release to date. The simple piano and subtle strings arrangement draw us in, making us feel like we’re listening to something Delta might have laid down at home. The lyrics, which explore the idea of being separated from loved ones and their experiences, are also sure to hit as the pandemic still rages around the world.
“‘All of My Friends’ was inspired by a raw and vulnerable moment of contemplation when you wonder if your decisions and sacrifices in life are worth it and how you strike a balance with all that is most important to you,” Delta explained.
Bridge Over Troubled Dreams is available for pre-order now ahead of its May 14 release. It also coincides with the release of the book of the same name which explores the stories behind the album’s songs.
Delta will tour the country and New Zealand throughout September and October. Tickets purchased for the original dates in April and May are still valid. Limited tickets remain for all shows.
24 September 2021 – Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
25 September 2021 – Royal Theatre, Canberra
30 September 2021 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
2 October 2021 – Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach
6 October 2021 – Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre, Townsville
8 October 2021 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
9 October 2021 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
13 October 2021 – RAC Arena, Perth
15 October 2021 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
16 October 2021 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
21 October 2021 – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland
22 October 2021 – Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
23 October 2021 – Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia
I don’t know about your social calendar, but looking at mine it seems like our arts scene is on its way to recovery. Suddenly I have tickets for gigs in the near future, with other gigs not too far behind them. If you needed further proof, then check out what’s planned for the 10th annual Anywhere Festival in Queensland. While other festivals have been scaled back affairs, this event promises more than 800 performances across the regions of Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and Noosa.
Anywhere Festival is proudly like no other festival in this country. The shows happen literally anywhere, including gyms, ferry stops, backyards, plant nurseries, warehouses, heritage homes, parks, and online. The shows are every bit as eclectic as the venues, with music, cabaret, poetry, dance, comedy, circus acts, and more on the agenda.
“I believe that performance and the arts should be a part of our lives and not just something we go to a theatre for. Anywhere Festival takes temporary possession of everyday and extraordinary places in order to make things happen in situations that wouldn’t normally, namely – the nooks and crannies of YOUR local area,” explained the festival’s founder Paul Osuch.
Anywhere Festival runs from May 6 to 23. Check out the website for the full program to see what’s happening near you.
The VANNS have reminded me just how much I love their music with the release of their latest single “Red Light.” Their debut album Through the Walls was my favourite release of 2019, and if this new track is any indication, I’m going to lap up the next one. But I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, hit play and let this killer rock track wash over you.
The South Coast band recorded “Red Light” in Byron Bay, and I can definitely hear the influence of that town in this track. There’s a relaxed cool to the vocals and guitars, although it never threatens the song’s intensity.
“We recorded ‘Red Light’ in an insanely nice studio just outside of Byron Bay called The Music Farm. We did a few days there and recorded a couple of tunes with producer/all-round legend Chris Collins (Gang of Youths, Ruby Fields). The process was pretty stress-free, and we recorded live with all of us in the same room which I’d like to think translates on the recording,” explained lead guitarist Cameron Little.
“I view ‘Red Light’ as a story of a “lack of control” state of being. Not everything is as it may seem, jumping to reactions may cause more harm than good,” added the band’s drummer, Andrew Banovich. “For myself, this single was the first of many written with myself involved and shows a move towards a sound that is influenced a lot more on groove and feel.”
The clip saw the band travel to Broken Hill. The outback city provided a stunning backdrop, but it wasn’t without its challenges.
“It was hot, we were severely dehydrated and we are running in RM William boots, not the best combo but damn we had a ball,” admitted frontman Jimmy Vann. “We headed out to Broken Hill with our best mate and videographer Todd Hardingham (Senor Friday) to shoot a clip and try to capture as much red outback dirt as possible. We had no real plan, we were more in it for the journey and just being a bunch of young lads keen for a road trip but I’m stoked with how it turned out!”
With live music back on the agenda, The VANNS are hitting the road this winter. Catch them at the following venues around the country.
10 June 2021 – Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast
11 June 2021 – Felons Barrell Hall, Brisbane
12 June 2021 – Felons Barrell Hall, Brisbane
17 June 2021 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide (Early Show – SOLD OUT)
17 June 2021 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide (Late Show)
18 June 2021 – Indian Ocean Hotel, Perth (SOLD OUT)
19 June 2021 – Indian Ocean Hotel, Perth
25 June 2021 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (SOLD OUT)
26 June 2021 – The Factory Theatre, Sydney
2 July 2021 – Uni Bar, Wollongong
3 July 2021 – Altar, Hobart
4 July 2021 – Forth Pub, Forth
16 July 2021 – The Forum, Melbourne
Sydney indie-pop act Loretta is here to brighten your Monday, and perhaps remind you of the weekend that was, with their new single “Late Night.” This is such a solid bop with a clap-along chorus and synthy chords.
“‘Late Night’ recalls the events of the first 24 hours after you meet someone you’re completely infatuated with, a day in the life of any 20-something,” the band explained. “Ellis [Hall, lead singer] brought in the initial idea and after being inspired by a conversation he’d had with a friend. Once he got started the song pretty much wrote itself. The rest of us fleshed out the arrangement a few different ways until we landed on something we were happy with. Following that some of our very talented friends had some fantastic ideas that really brought it all to life.”
If you’re itching for one of those wild nights yourself, get tickets to the “Late Night” single launch. Loretta will celebrate their latest release with a show at Narrabeen RSL on May 8.
Most of us know the feeling of waiting by the phone, hoping the object of our affection will get in touch. It can be crushing and soul-destroying, but COTTA flips the script with her latest single. “Didn’t Call” is an empowering indie-pop ditty about finding your own strength rather than looking for outside validation.
“I’m in a long-distance relationship with my very wonderful, very supportive boyfriend who lives back on the Gold Coast. Naturally, and particularly in a post-‘Rona world, time between visits can be tough! We try to FaceTime as much as possible to stay connected but he missed my call one night (through no fault of his, or his very old iPhone’s, own) and I started humming this melody,” the Melbourne-based artist admitted. “This is no diss track, by any means – I’m very much in love – but I thought it was a cute take on what can happen if your call goes unanswered.”
“Didn’t Call” is COTTA’s follow-up to “Better.” Both tracks show COTTA has the talent to shake up the Aussie pop landscape.
Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.; credit: Chris Nicolaou
Luca Brasi has teamed up with SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY to encourage people to get talking about mental health and suicide prevention. To celebrate the collaboration, the Tassie punk act has released a new lyric video for their poignant track “The Truth.” Frontman Tyler Richardson has also shared his personal battle with mental health issues in a new video for the charity’s Stories Worth Sharing series.
“I’ve spent a lot of my adult years in and out of cycles of loss and of grief,” he explained. “I’m even writing these words on the anniversary of a dear friend’s loss; unfortunately I often feel numb on days like these—I’ve had a lot of them. What I don’t want is any more of them, any more days where I have to go and face the family and friends of another lost friend. Any more days of families losing loved ones, of partners losing partners, of parents losing children. We’ve been lucky enough to make connections through this band that I could never have foreseen, this is what I’ll take away from Luca Brasi overall; that I got to somehow touch the lives of others through music in a positive way.”
“‘The Truth’ is about how hopeless I feel during all this loss,” he added. “It’s a hope that this song helps those listening feel less like an island, and that others feel what you have felt/are feeling. You are not alone, I can promise you that.”
You can support the vital work SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY does by buying a new limited edition Luca Brasi T-shirt from the band’s online merch store. All the profits from sales of the charity shirt will benefit the charity directly, so get on it!
Image used with permission from Deathproof PR; credit: Nick Green
Mardi Wilson reminds us of the beauty of simplicity with the release of her latest single “Salty.” It’s a stripped-back folky affair, with the gentle melody of an acoustic guitar accompanying Mardi’s distinct vocals. The back-to-basics approach ensures we can zero in on those lyrics, which are sure to connect with anyone who’s felt they had to fight for acceptance.
“I know that not everyone enjoys camping and peeing in the bushes and doing yoga, but that’s my happy place. So I guess when people question the way that I live and the things that bring me joy, I just don’t understand. It confuses me because I don’t mind at all what people do, as long as they’re not directly hurting me I don’t feel like one way of living is less valid than another … So I wrote ‘Salty’ about this thought process,” Mardi explained.
“Salty” comes from Mardi’s debut album, which drops on May 3. I love this song, so I can’t wait to hear what else she has in store for us. Catch Mardi tomorrow night, April 24, at Casuarina’s Crafty Cow Bar & Smokehouse and at the Cabarita Beach Surf Life Saving Club on April 25.
