For years we’ve known Tom Busby as one half of local indie-folk duo Busby Marou, but now he’s going solo. Sort of. Ahead of the release of his first solo album, Tom has dropped a fantastic new single “Waiting for Tomorrow,” which he recorded with Ben Kweller. If you know anything about Ben’s music, this song is everything you’re hoping for. I was a big Busby Marou fan, but I think this might just be the best thing Tom’s released.
“Waiting for Tomorrow” comes from Tom Busby’s new solo album Rockhampton Hangover, which we’ll hear in the middle of the year.
“This record is me at my most honest – no filter, no hiding, and ‘Waiting for Tomorrow’ sets the tone for that,” Tom said. “It’s about regret and restlessness but also about dusting yourself off and charging forward. Recording it with Ben Kweller in Texas, with my family there, made it even more real. It’s a new chapter, and I’m all in.”
Something tells me we’ll hear a lot more from Tom Busby this year as he enters this new musical chapter.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Naarm/Melbourne trio BB Sabina have blown me away with their latest single “Multititude.” This song defies categorisation, instead drawing elements of post-rock, electronica, trip hop and synthwave together to create something that’s so original and exciting. It’s only fitting that it doesn’t fit into a neat box though, as frontwoman Beth Uhe wrote the song as a protest against being classified or categorised by others.
“The song explores what it means to contain many facets and contradictions and to be in a constant state of flux – the beauty and magic of this,” she explained. “It’s a reflection on queerness, gender, and beyond. The song feels like a strong statement about who I am. How I don’t easily fit into a box, and feeling uncomfortable when someone tries to put me in a box, how this can feel so limiting.”
This is the second incarnation of BB Sabina. Beth formed the band in the Northern Territory and released a debut EP in 2019. However, in 2020 she moved back to her hometown of Naarm/Melbourne and began experimenting with new sounds and textures. She found bass guitarist and synth player Warrick Newman through an advertisement and soon recruited Warrick’s jamming buddy, drummer Travis Germaine.
Discover this exciting new lineup when BB Sabina launches “the single”Multitude” for hometown fans at The Gem on April 12. The show kicks off at 4 pm and entry is free.
Up-and-coming Meeanjin/Brisbane indie-rock act Tomorrow’s Forecast have really impressed me with their latest single “Ribbons.” Frontwoman Bonnie Kruger’s emotionally charged vocals and bittersweet lyrics really resonate.
“Ribbons is a track I wrote about longing for an ex-boyfriend to come back into my life after breaking my heart,” she explained. “I found myself constantly waiting for, or maybe even expecting, him to lay his cards down and finally say everything I wanted to hear. The metaphor of ‘ribbons’ ultimately signifies commitment and that although you can attempt to mend a broken bond, the ‘ribbons’ tying you together will eventually unravel.”
The recording of “Ribbons” saw the band reuniting with Emily Hopley at Hunting Ground Studios.
“We had worked with Emily on ‘Pathetic’ so it was a really comfortable experience. It is a super refreshing – and unfortunately uncommon – to work with an AFAB producer and it felt like there was an immediate connection and mutual understanding of each other’s work,” Bonnie said. “Emily really helped me push my vocals in a way I hadn’t pushed them before, focusing on the grit and emotion of my voice, rather than the vocal quality itself.”
Tomorrow’s Forecast will launch “Ribbons” with two shows in their home state. Tickets are on sale for both gigs via OzTix.
American emo rockers Free Throw and Microwave are teaming up for a big Aussie tour to warm up your winter. Both bands will alternate headlining duties as they travel around the country this July and August.
It’s the second time in the country for both bands and their first as headliners. Free Throw were last on our shores supporting Hot Mulligan in 2024. It’s been a little longer since we’ve seen Microwave. They were out here in 2023 playing gigs with Mom Jeans.
The term legend is bandied about a little freely for my tastes, but George Clinton is someone absolutely deserving of the honour. With his bands Parliament and Funkadelic he created the P-Funk movement and influenced generations of musicians. And he’s bringing his music to intimate venues across the East Coast this September.
By the end of the 70s, Parliament and Funkadelic had 39 charting singles including “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under Groove.” In the 1980s, George Clinton went solo and innovated in the fledgling hip hop scene. Today we can hear his distinct sound on the records of heavy hitters like Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Snoop Dogg. In other words, he’s a big deal.
“We have a blast every time we come to Australia,” George enthused. “Aussie’s know what it means to have a good time: the national motto should be free your mind and your ass will follow. My band has been funkin’ real hard lately … you don’t wanna miss what we be throwin down. Come on out and get funked up!”
Head to Destroy All Lines to sign up for the April 1 presale ahead of the general sale on April 3.
If you thought you knew had Charlie Bedford’s sound pegged after hearing his recent single “(The Out of Town) Laundromat Blues,” his latest release will prove you wrong. “Violet Street” is a much more soulful endeavour fused with elements of pop-rock. This genre blend goes down easy. It’s just the thing I can imagine being a big hit on radio if the stations ever played new Aussie music!
Charlie recorded this one at Guffland Studios in Naarm/Melbourne with Mark Lowrie on producing and engineering duties. It comes from his soon-to-be released album Daydream, which based on his recent singles is sure to keep us guessing. Expect to hear “Violet Street” and more new tunes when Charlie plays the following shows:
Few things excite me more musically than a really good duet. A song that comes from the heart with two voices that seem to join together effortlessly. The chemistry between two talented artists who’ve created something beautiful together is palpable as you listen to the song unfold. Now those top tier duets are rare, but “No Cure For Love,” the latest track from Rowena Wise and Didirri, is definitely one of them. We shouldn’t be surprised these talents have chemistry though, because away from music they’re a real-life couple.
“‘No Cure for Love’ was written in the wake of realising our love can be a double-edged sword. We’ve been in a relationship for 8 years, and turbulence is inevitable with anything that lasts a long time,” they admitted. “During a phase of smoking weed and arguments, we could not see eye to eye. It was confusing when we’ve known each other so deeply and for so long, only to arrive at the feeling that we’re complete strangers. In those moments we considered whether the bond that tied us together was becoming too much to bear. The words ‘I’m too much for you’ and ‘you’re going to leave me one day’ were carelessly spoken, like a self-fulfilling prophecy waiting to happen. This song captures those moments where we have crumbled, said hurtful things, and had to look at our options. We came out of that chapter ready to face the challenge of our love, realising we can only love and respect each other if we do this for ourselves first. We can’t take each other (and ourselves) for granted if we want to be companions in this long journey together.”
The song comes with a beautiful video that Didirri directed and edited, which was mostly shot on 8mm black and white film. It uses Shibari knotwork as a metaphor for the simultaneous pleasure and restrictive discomfort that long-term relationships can bring.
“We were stripped bare and tied up for the final shot of the clip, embracing a new phase of creativity by exploring body positivity in both our artistic expressions. We were supported by an incredible crew which made the challenge fun to undertake,” they said.
Rowena and Didirri work so beautifully together, so I’m thrilled it doesn’t end here. They’re going to warm up your winter with 11 shows that will see them performing side by side around the country. Get onto it, because these gigs are bound are bound to be amazing.
Listening to Brad Cox’s latest single “I’m a Boxer,” I think he just might be Australia’s answer to Bruce Springsteen. I know that’s a massive call, but listening to the way his music has evolved and the ease with which he creates rock-infused anthems that speak for the common man definitely makes me think of The Boss.
And just like Bruce, world domination seems to be on the cards for Brad. He recently played some massive shows in the United Kingdom and Europe and signed deals with Ground Control Touring and ATC Live, some of the biggest booking agencies in North America and the UK/Europe respectively.
“I feel like I’ve finally solidified my place in the Australian music scene and just getting started at the same time,” Brad said. “UK and Europe are quickly becoming places I’m going to invest a lot of time into. We loved that tour.”
There’s more than a little touch of old school Taylor Swift in “We’re Not Friends,” the latest single from Shanleigh Rose. But we all miss old school Taylor music, right? That sweet country delivery mixed with all the sass of a woman scorned never gets old.
“Often, people think they can treat you carelessly and have the audacity to try and call you a friend afterwards. In my case, this someone was an ex,’ Shanleigh said. “I’ve learnt that self-respect and knowing what’s best for you are so much more important than letting your emotions allow the wrong kind of people to stay in your life.”
Amen! Shanleigh said she hopes the song will empower others to recognise their self-worth and move on from the wrong people.
It sounds like she’s definitely moving on to bigger and better things as she’ll play a couple of cool country festivals in the coming months. If you’re heading to these events, make sure you show Shanleigh some support.
Walyalup/Fremantle-based indie electronic producer FLORUL has teamed up with Boorloo/Perth based vocalist Mona Kaia for a fresh new single, “LEAVE”. I love the way that Mona’s distinct, soulful vocals cut through FLORUL’s epic electro soundscape. Their combination is undeniable and the chemistry between them really elevates this track.
“I wanted ‘LEAVE’ to feel massive and cinematic while keeping that raw energy that makes you want to move,” FLORUL explained. “It’s the perfect introduction to what’s coming next.”
What’s coming next is FLORUL’s sophomore EP, featuring “LEAVE” which we’ll hear later this year.
