Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Full Steam Ahead for Pierce Brothers With New Single, Album & Tour

So many of us approached 2021 with a sense of optimism. The year might be looking like the same old shit, but I’m not ready to surrender just yet. So I’m seeking out music that puts a smile on my face, even as the world goes to hell in a handbasket. The latest track to get my toes tapping is “It’s Alright” from Pierce Brothers.

If any band will convince you it’s all going to be OK, it’s these guys. The song’s inception reminds us of the kind of world we’ll get back to. Jack Pierce penned the chorus in 2018, while he was trekking through the mountains of Switzerland. It sat in a drawer until brother Pat took it out recently, laid down the verses, and gave it a new bluesy feel. It’s got that upbeat, energetic folk feel that sweeps you along for the ride. If you’re into Nathaniel Rateliff or Mumford and Sons, you’ll love this.

Pierce Brothers are forging ahead and doing all the things the pandemic has made so difficult. “It’s Alright” comes from the band’s sophomore album Into the Great Unknown, which will drop on March 5. They recently cancelled NSW shows, but not to be deterred they’re forging ahead with the following dates, including a few new gigs in regional Victoria. All shows have limited COVID-safe capacity, so grab those tickets before they sell out!

16 January 2021 – Moonah Arts Collective, Rye
22 & 23 January 2021 – Volta Arts & Culture, Ballarat
30 January 2021 – The Wedge, Sale
13 February 2021 – Marlo Pub, Marlo
20 March 2021 – The Sheds, Wonthaggi
2 April 2021 – Bluesfest, Byron Bay

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

COTERIE’s Single “In the Fire” is Scorching

“In the Fire,” the latest single from Perth band of brothers COTERIE, is my latest song obsession. It’s such an earnest and emotional number, which builds to a fabulous rock crescendo. It also goes to show just what you can do away from a big studio.

“We’ve been recording at home in our garage for years, but this is the first time we’re releasing a home job!” admitted frontman Tyler Fisher. “We had written what I think was a great rock song, driving and swirling guitars and a lyric that put you in a different time and all that, but something just wasn’t sitting right. So we wrote another version … and another version …. and another … until all we had left of the original, was the chorus. At this point we called in one of our good buddies, Oscar from Holy Holy … With his production magic and all-round experience, we birthed something we’re all pretty proud of.”

I’m personally thrilled they kept the garage rock version. This song is so emotive, I think it might lose something if you smoothed its edges. This raw, powerful track also suggests just how good COTERIE are live. If you’re in Western Australia, catch them at the following shows.

15 January 2021 – Cool Perth Nights Rosemount Hotel, Fremantle
22 January 2021 – Bunbury Fringe Festival, Bunbury
6 February 2021 – Cockburn ARC, Cockburn Central
26-28 February 2021 – Nannup Music Festival, Nannup
6 March 2021 – Music in the Park, Kinross
27 March 2021 – By the C Festival, City Beach, Perth

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Click the Play Button on RAAVE TAPES’ “Habitual”

If you’ve ever fallen too hard and fast for the wrong person, you’ll love “Habitual,” the latest track from Newcastle duo RAAVE TAPES. This track has a vulnerable emotional core wrapped in a dancefloor filler. It’s the perfect mix, because once you’ve wiped away your tears, dancing truly is the best therapy. If Lady Gaga and Nine Inch Nails had a baby, it might sound a little something like this. The cutting line “You put the dick in predictable” is hand’s down one of the best lyrics I’ve heard in ages.

“‘Habitual is a trick of the light, taking pop hooks and running an undercurrent of desperation beneath the surface,” explained Lindsay O’Connell, who takes lead vocals on the track. “It’s a self-reflection on the errors and faults we find in our behaviours, cutting the moody tones with a distinct pop edge and plays on words. We’ve blended our new production style with the original RAAVE TAPES ethos: not taking ourselves too seriously whilst discussing serious themes.”

“Throughout the recording process, we found moments where we asked ourselves ‘Can we get away with this? Are we allowed to do it?’ Then we remembered that the points are made-up and nothing actually matters,” added her partner-in-crime, Joab Eastley. “We stood by our game-plan of unapologetically committing to guilty pleasures. Live it up baby.”

Live it up indeed!

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.; credit: Liv Jansons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Step Back in Time With Bob Evans’ “Born Yesterday”

Bob Evans has me feeling nostalgic with his latest single “Born Yesterday.” If the lyrics don’t make you want to search for your high school yearbook, that killer sax line certainly will. At a time when so many of us are feeling frustrated by the world around us, this little trip down memory lane is the perfect sonic solution.

“I was backstage at a Jebediah gig when an old housemate from Perth messaged me with a link to our old sharehouse we lived in that was for sale. We couldn’t believe it when looking through the photos of the house that it hadn’t changed at all since we lived there in the late 90s. What followed was a slew of messaging between us, as well as the other two friends I used to live with in that house. It was my first sharehouse after leaving home and the whole exchange between us and seeing the house again just brought back a lot of great memories from that time and age, my late teens and early twenties,” he explained about the song’s inspiration. “I already had the music for the song pretty much written at that stage so all I needed was the lyric to go with it. It’s a deeply nostalgic song for me, looking back at a stage of my life that feels so long ago now, but at the time it felt like it would last forever.”

The video’s Super 8 footage amps up the nostalgia. It captures life in the studio and on the road in such a candid way that you feel like you were part of the action.

Bob Evans will play a couple of shows in May. Catch him at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on the 19th and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on the 20th.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Crank Up Bugs’ Newest Banger, “Old Youth Feeling”

If you’re stuck in the Greater Brisbane lockdown, or you’re just enjoying a quiet weekend in, hometown heroes Bugs has just the tune you need. “Old Youth Feeling” is an upbeat slice of indie rock, perfect for those impromptu at-home dance breaks. Just try to sit still, or keep it at a reasonable volume, once you hit play.

“I think at some point in time everyone wants to find a more energetic, charismatic, hopeful version of themselves from a time gone by – so we reminisce on our youth quite idealistically. We generally gloss over the cracks and exaggerate the highs,” explained the band’s vocalist and guitarist Connor Brooker. “As the pressure and reality of adulthood constrict our imagination, we socially regress by watching Disney films, crying to our parents, buying dumb ‘immature’ outfits, meeting up with an old friend from school – the list of behaviour goes on. We generally try to recapture that spark for life when things were more comfortable and simple. It can be a healthy coping mechanism, it can be a midlife crisis, it can be a mental breakdown, it can be a bad habit. Truth is we all experience it to varying degrees, nostalgia is a visceral & powerful emotion. Seeing an old family photo, driving past your childhood school, finding a box of toys and outdated pop culture artefacts. Our memories are so intrinsically tied to who we are, it’s not often you have those moments but when you do they are quite profound.”

Bugs were one of the first bands to get back out there when venues opened up, playing four sold out shows at The Zoo in July along with Airwaves Festival and In Bloom. Connor is scheduled to play Rock Salt at Phoenix Launceston on January 29, but with the current COVID flare and its border closures, who knows whether that show will go ahead. Don’t get too despondent though. At the very least the band will drop their third studio album this year, giving us all something to look forward to.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.; credit: Jaden Marc

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fall in Love With Little Quirks’ “Someone to Hold”

Central Coast trio Little Quirks continue their winning streak with their gorgeous new single “Someone to Hold.” It sucks you in with its intimate sound early, ensuring you’re firmly on board once those sublime harmonies kick in. These women are the real deal.

Lead vocalist Jaymi Toole explained the song “was loosely written as a love story between a lonely person and their shadow. The idea slowly merged with the concept of self-acceptance and being comfortable enough within yourself to embrace who you really are as opposed to what people perceive you as. This song is also a little different to our usual sound. We’ve gone for a 50’s inspired style for this track to capture a sense of nostalgia, like an old-fashioned love story. However, in the end, sometimes all we need is a connection with ourselves.”

“Someone to Hold” gives us a taste of what’s in store from Little Quirks’ fourth EP. If it all sounds this good, we’re in for a real treat.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sunflower Drops Sublime Indie-Pop Anthem, “Thin Skin”

Brisbane band Sunflower are spreading the good vibes with their latest single “Thin Skin.” This dreamy slice of indie-pop is the perfect pep-talk for the pandemic.

“Thin Skin” is about accepting that life is going to deal you difficult cards sometimes, and letting go of anything that doesn’t add value to your life is one way you can beat the darkness,” explained co-vocalist and co-songwriter Kahlia Ferguson. “You can be your own worst enemy if you let the difficulties of life tear away at you. We only get one life, might as well learn to love it.”

Amen to that! If you need more of Sunflower’s positivity in your life, catch them at the following shows:

6 February 2021 – Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, Brisbane
27 February 2021 – Solbar, Sunshine Coast (supporting Caravana Sun)
28 February 2021 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane (supporting Caravana Sun)
16 April 2021 – Stay Gold, Melbourne
17 April 2021 – Wrangler Studios, Melbourne (Under 18s)
23 April 2021 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
24 April 2021 – The Brightside, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“If I Leave You In the Fire” – Saint Lane

New Zealand-born, Gold Coast-based rapper Saint Lane shines brightly on his debut EP, If I Leave You In the Fire. This is an explosive debut, a collection of songs that proudly push genre boundaries and leave a strong impression on the listener.

If I Leave You In the Fire was written in the aftermath of the unexpected death of Saint Lane’s father. He describes this collection of songs as “a story of loss, grief and moving forward.”

“In 2019, my father died completely unexpectedly from acute pancreatitis with no previous health issues. I had less than an hour to make a decision for my dad to have a surgery to save his life, however he died during the surgery and I immediately felt a feeling beyond guilt,” he explained. “I felt solely responsible for the death of my dad and watching my family mourn. I believed I was to blame for our loss. The EP covers the stories and emotions of the most difficult time of my life.”

Grief is a personal and often private experience, but Saint Lane invites listeners in, encouraging them to process their own setbacks and pain along with him. The EP opener “The Fire” is a solid introduction, but the music hit the next level for me once the gospel choir kicked in, introducing the companion piece, “The Water.” This track is the EP standout for me, an uplifting work that explores the idea of rising up and moving forward with optimism.

I’ve raved about Queensland singer-songwriter Robbie Miller before, so I was thrilled to hear him collaborating on “When Did We Grow Up?” It’s got such a cool summery feel, which gives way to something darker as the tune fades out. The tonal shift seems a little jarring, but it reminds us that grief comes unexpectedly in waves. It also helps us easily move into the poignantly haunting fourth track, “The Family.” “Altar of the Heartless” is another sombre number, touching on addiction and depression. The weight is lifted with “Hickeys,” the optimistic closer which suggests better days ahead.

I love the way Saint Lane combines his rap with other influences. Adding the gospel choir, jazzy piano licks and horns, the breezy, folky strum of an acoustic guitar brings a new flavour to his sound. They make his rhymes so approachable from the first listen. I also appreciate his willingness to take risks. If I Leave You In the Fire is a ballsy debut, but that’s exactly what makes it so good.

Saint Lane is about to tour the country with Bootleg Rascal. Check him out at the following shows:

16 January 2021 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
27 January 2021 – La La La’s, Wollongong
28 January 2021 – Kambri @ ANU, Canberra
29 January 2021 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
30 January 2021 – Rhythm Hut, Gosford
4 February 2021 – Pelly Bar, Frankston
5 February 2021 – Howler, Melbourne
6 February 2021 – Barwon Club, Geelong
7 February 2021 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
13 February 2021 – The Northern, Byron Bay
5 March 2021 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast

Image used with permission from TMRW Music Group

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ali Barter Drops “Twisted Up” Single Ahead of Victorian Shows

Ali Barter wrote her latest single “Twisted Up” in a simpler time. It was February 2020, and she was in Los Angeles for her first American tour, “before the world fell down,” as she put it.

“I was feeling really weird, like I wanted to run away or blow something up and this song is about that feeling,” she explained. “It’s crazy to think what happened since this song was written and how timely it was.”

American producer Harlan Silverman (duckwrth) worked with Ali on the track before the pandemic forced her to head back to Melbourne. It’s got the local touch with a video created by Melbourne production team We Made That.

“We wanted to keep the video for ‘Twisted Up’ light, fun, and energetic” explained director Bryce Padovan. “The video explores the idea of waking up after a big night and then wandering around a beach town, dazed and confused. We wanted to steer clear of conventional “big night” tropes, so instead of the usual vices, Ali wakes up in a pile of hot chips and tries to retrace her steps.”

Ali has been busy during the pandemic, releasing the lockdown anthem “4 Days” with her main squeeze Oscar Dawson and playing a 10-date Live From Inside tour of her house. She also hosted a 14-week series of open mic nights on her Instagram page and began recording new material, like this song. In the last couple of months, she’s been able to get back in front of live audiences though. People of Victoria, at this point you can catch her at the following upcoming shows. Keep an eye on the venue pages though for the latest COVID measures.

8 January 2020 – Volta Arts & Culture, Ballarat
9 January 2021 – Pelican Bar, Queenscliff
15 January 2021 – Tanswells, Beechworth
16 January 2021 – Northern Republic, Euroa
20 January 2021 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
14 February 2021 – The Dart & Marlin Bar, Warrnambool

Image used with permission from Inertia Music; credit: Kane Hibberd

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Supergroup Harves Drops Superb Sophomore Single, “The River”

When talents like Matthew Wright (The Getaway Plan frontman) and Samuel K Sproull (Japanese Wallpaper and Montgomery engineer) make music together, you know magic will happen. As duo Harves, their debut single “Do Your Worst” passed me by, but I’m firmly on board their bandwagon now I’ve heard their latest effort “The River.”

This track gave me chills. The layered vocals are so haunting and the groove is just mesmerising. It’s so incredibly cool, with some of the most poetic lyrics I’ve heard in some time.

“It’s a bit of a metaphor about being creatures of habit, good and bad. About not making changes even though you know what you need to do and hoping that one day the answer will present itself,” the duo explained in their press release. “In our case specifically, I guess that answer was to start releasing some songs and let that dictate change.”

If “The River” has hooked you too, rest assured that there’s more where that came from. The lads from Harves have been working on putting the finishing touches on more new material which we can expect to hear later this year.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR