Australia’s proving to be a rich breeding ground for powerful female hip hop artists. Following in the steps of Barkaa and Sampa the Great comes Chani, who has just released her fantastic new single “Inside.” It’s another smart track from this Western Australian artist who combines her raw, resonant lyrics with soulful sounds.
“Inside” was produced by DJ BearHands and mastered by Rob Shaker. It’s the latest cut from Chani’s EP Spice, which drops next year.
Photo credit: Rob Simeon
Fiasco are serving up the feel-good vibes you need heading into the weekend with their latest single “Tonight Come Home.” It’s an upbeat indie folk-pop ditty with lyrics drenched in nostalgia and yearning.
“Tonight Come Home” gives us a taste of Fiasco’s debut EP which they’ll release next year. If you’re in their hometown of Naarm/Melbourne, you can catch them playing tonight at The Gem Bar. Tickets are still on sale through Oztix.
Image used with permission from Fiasco
Crank up the volume, press play, and give yourself a couple of minutes to appreciate “No Vacancy,” the latest single from Meeanjin/Brisbane-based rock outfit Pilot Crisis. With Evie Cowen out front, this is an absolute belter.
Guitarist and core songwriter Mitch Chen said he wrote “No Vacancy” during an introspective moment of procrastination.
“I was sitting on the couch watching King of the Hill, noodling on the guitar and thinking about how I’d spend long stretches of time just wasting away,” he reflected. “Hours would slip by while I kept dreaming of doing something better, but never putting the energy into actually doing it.”
The release of “No Vacancy” caps off a big few months for Pilot Crisis, who toured with Vipersnatch, supported Beddy Rays, and laid down a bunch of new music which we’ll hear in the coming months.
Photo credit: Annabelle Cowen
Sarah McLeod and Dallas Frasca are two of the country’s best female rock talents. So you know that their upcoming Green Electric tour is bound to be an incredible time.
The tour’s name doesn’t just play lip service to sustainable trends. Sarah and Dallas have teamed up with Green Music Australia to use inset emissions strategies which will reduce and offset the environmental impact of these shows and time on the road. Think merchandise made from recycled materials, sustainable travel routes, eco-certified accommodation, and meat-free catering. This tour also supports Seed Mob, Australia’s first Indigenous youth-led climate justice organisation.
“We wanted to do something that wasn’t just loud — but meaningful,” Sarah said. “If rock and roll can’t lead the charge for change, what can?”
While the message matters, it won’t compromise the rock. You can expect plenty of Sarah and Dallas’ original hits and brand new collaborations when this talented twosome hits the stage. Tickets are on sale now:
19 February 2026 – Bended Elbow, Bungambrawatha/Albury
20 February 2026 – Moyhu Hotel, Pangerang and Ya-itma-thang Country/Moyhu
21 February 2026 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
22 February 2026 – Pelly Bar, Monmar/Frankston
27 February 2026 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast
28 February 2026 – The Royal Quarters, Turrbal Country/Nundah
1 March 2026 – Imperial Hotel, Kabi Kabi Country/Eumundi
5 March 2026 – Big Easy Radio, Ngaltingga/Aldinga
6 March 2026 – Lion Arts Factory, Tarntanya/Adelaide
7 March 2026 – Mojo’s Bar, Walyalup/Fremantle
8 March 2026 – Indi Bar, Mooro Country/Scarborough
11 March 2026 – La La La’s, Dharawal Country/Wollongong
12 March 2026 – The Baso, Ngambri/Canberra
13 March 2026 – The Bridge Hotel, Wangal Country/Rozelle
14 March 2026 – Stag & Hunter, Mulubinba/Newcastle
Image used with permission from beehive
I love it when acts break the mould and push the boundaries of different genres to create something that’s truly fresh and new. That kind of artistry rarely comes early in someone’s career, so it’s exciting to hear it from isha, a Zimbabwe-born, Aussie-raised singer-songwriter with Indian heritage. A melting pot of influences, which include the sounds of Bollywood and modern pop and R&B, has helped her bring her exciting new single “Beautiful Mess” to life.
“I wrote Beautiful Mess sitting on my couch one night after hearing this random flute sound that sparked something in me. The song just flowed out in one sitting,” isha said. “It’s about that kind of Romeo and Juliet love… a little forbidden, a little messy, but so powerful you can’t help but fall into it.”
isha assures me she has big plans for releasing plenty of new music next year, so make sure you’re following her on her socials to learn all about it first.
Image used with permission from isha
Chloe Styler is best known for her lighthearted pop-country tracks, but she’s showing a more vulnerable side on her latest single, “Placeholder.” Chloe’s never sounded better as she recalls a difficult relationship where she was treated as second-best.
“This song stirs up some messy, emotional feelings and still leaves an ache in my chest when I listen to it. But it’s honest, it’s raw, and it lives in that uncomfortable space between wanting to be loved and knowing you’re just being kept around as an option in someone’s life,” she said. “There’s no real resolution. It just sits in the sadness of that truth. It’s the heartbreak that comes when you finally see things for what they are, and you have to find your own closure because they’ll never actually give it to you. Here’s to never being the placeholder again though. That sucked.”
Chloe has a few more gigs before the year wraps up. See her at these free events in the coming weeks.
14 December 2025 – Christmas Movie in the Park @ Bim’bimba Park, Bundjalung Country/Pimpama (from 12:30 pm)
14 December 2025 – Cooly Carols @ Queen Elizabeth Park, Yugambeh Country/Coolangatta (from 5:30 pm)
21 December 2025 – Girlhood Summer Social @ New Farm Park, Binkinbah/New Farm (from 4 pm)
Photo credit: Phoebe Faye
After winning the 2025 Big Break title, Liam Maihi is being touted as the next big thing in country music. It’s easy to see why when you listen to his latest single “Bound to Yours.” Liam’s voice is gritty and honest, fuelled by emotion as he sings out the lyrics he penned during a run of shows in Ngambri/Canberra.
“I had just got off a FaceTime with my partner and kids and was feeling a little homesick. It came flooding out,” he said. The song was originally conceived as a ballad, but Liam made a few tweaks and developed it into a certified country-rock banger.
“I wanted it to have that drive in the music. Something that you listen to while ‘on the road’. I realised that I’m not the only one alone in this situation of working away to support my family and that many of the people who love country also work on the road,” he said.
Liam will have a little downtime over Christmas, but he’ll be back on stages soon enough. Catch him at the following country music events in the New Year.
16-25 January 2026 – Tamworth Country Music Festival, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth
14 March 2026 – A Night in Nashville @ Orange Showground, Wiradjuri Country/Orange
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
‘90s romantic-comedy Sliding Doors is one of those movies that lives in my mind rent-free. The premise of a single decision completely changing the trajectory of your life is fascinating. It seems local singer-songwriter Sidney agrees, as the flick inspired her fantastic new indie-pop single, also called “sliding doors.”
“I was still holding onto the belief that if I just pushed hard enough, maybe it could still work. But sometimes, choosing one path is what shows you the truth about what you actually wanted,” Sidney explained. “With its light/dark contrast and undercurrent of emotional unrest, ‘sliding doors’ sonically captures the emotional tug-of-war at the heart of the EP, sitting right at the tipping point between fantasy and clarity.”
Sidney will release that EP on February 27. You can hear a couple more songs from that release, including previous singles “golden boy” and “what if it ends?” on your favourite streaming services.
Photo credit: Claire Warren
If you’re feeling that midweek slump, take a moment to press play on “Running,” the latest track from Meeanjin/Brisbane-based rockers Lucid Safari. It’s such a fabulous feel-good track from a band that seem destined for big things.
“‘Running’ is about that ache you feel for someone you never really got the chance to know. It’s that unspoken connection that lingers, the one that got away before anything real could even start,” explained Lucid Safari’s lead singer, Daniel Lewis. “You’re replaying moments, chasing fragments and memories that never quite left you. Underneath the energy of the song, there’s a quiet kind of longing about how time moves on, people change, but some feelings just stay with you.”
Discovering “Running” has sent me down a little rabbit hole listening to all of the most recent Lucid Safari’s releases, and I am so impressed. Hopefully we hear plenty more these guys in 2026.
Image used with permission from Good Intent
As someone who struggles to switch my brain off and stop living outside my head, I’m hard relating to “Overthink,” the folky new single from Boorloo/Perth-based singer-songwriter Bella Dyer. Bella’s honest vocals and simple acoustic guitar melody help bring her introspective lyrics to life.
“’Overthink’ was written after I emerged from a long and difficult period in my life,” Bella admitted. “Finally stepping out of that space gave me a chance to reflect deeply on who I am and the person I want to become, someone free from the weight of my past identity. The song captures that process of self-realisation and expressing my emotions both inside and out.”
Bella credits her band and Chris Benato of Lloyd and the Leftovers, who recorded, produced, and mixed the track, for bringing her vision to life. The year’s almost done, but hometown fans have one more opportunity to see her life when she plays Mojo’s NYE Party on December 31.
Image used with permission from Bella Dyer