Hit that volume and take a moment to rock out to “I Should,” the latest single from Darkinjung Country/Central Coast alternative-rock act Deadshowws. This is an anthemic single which takes its cues from 2000s emo music but reinterprets the sound for modern listeners. In short, it’s bloody good.
“It’s a song about battling yourself to get better,” the band explained. “It’s a short version, recounting my experience with the people I love begging me to seek help and my struggle in doing so while wallowing in a self-made pit of hopelessness.”
Deadshowws will launch the single with a string of shows around their home state this April. Here are all the dates you need music lovers:
I love discovering fabulous new music right in my own backyard. The latest Darkinjung Country/Central Coast act to make my ears prick up are The Ritzy Kids, who’ve knocked it out of the park with their latest single “Lately.” If you’re into ultra-catchy pop-punk tunes as much as me, this will be right up your alley. The track gives us a taste of The Ritzy Kids’ debut album High Side of Town, which drops on April 18.
“Our debut album really is a mixed bag,” singer Sean Frazer said. “There are songs about mates who’ve passed away, mental struggles, relationships, moving away, and getting older. I guess it’s a snapshot of the things we all face growing up—and a reflection of overcoming it all. This is our best music to date. It’s a true reflection of us as a band right now—it feels like the start of something really special.”
The Ritzy Kids recorded High Side of Town at Ignite Studios in Eora/Sydney and their own recording space on Darkinjung Country/Central Coast. They produced it themselves but enlisted the talents of Luca Incerti, of Italian pop-punk band WEL, for mixing and mastering duties.
High Side of Town will be all over the streaming services, but if you’re old school you can pre-order a vinyl copy here.
It feels like Harry Cleverdon’s album, Survival, has been a long time coming. He released an experimental psychedelic album under the moniker SonofHarry in 2023, but Survival is the first released under his own name. It’s also the first featuring the sweet country-folk-pop sound I’ve enjoyed from Harry since 2022. But you know what they say about good things coming to those who wait.
Now that it’s out in the world, I appreciate that Harry took his time. He’s still a young artist, but the experience and wisdom he’s gained through the last few years I’ve spent following his career shows. Songs like the incredibly catchy album opener “House of Cards” and the stirring title track, which you can listen to below, are among the best he’s released. I love the cheekiness of “Empty Bottles,” but I’m also glad Harry balances it with more vulnerable numbers like “Nothing For Myself” and “Superman (Late Night Trance).” He shows more of his heart with “The Best That I Can,” an earnest love song that’s sure to leave most listeners swooning.
There’s also an ease about Harry’s music that only comes with growing comfortable in your own skin. When so many new releases rely on heavy production, Survival comes as a breath of fresh air. Harry’s not afraid to buck the trends and get back to basics with his music. With acoustic, organic instrumentation in support, his sweet vocals are never overpowered. We can hear every lyric, which is such a blessing when the songs are so well-crafted. Listening to these tunes you get the sense that they’d sound the same live as they do on the recording. There’s no tricks or wizardry here, and the music is better for it.
Survival is the perfect showcase for Harry’s talents as a singer and songwriter. The songs are instantly accessible, but spend a little more time with them and know you’ll fall as deeply in love as I have. Stream it on your favourite platform now. You can also hear Harry and other fantastic Aussie country acts on my Spotify playlist, Sounds of Oz Loves Country.
Images used with permission from Lambing Flat Records
Mika James has stepped out from behind the drum kit of Naarm/Melbourne punk act The Vovos to launch her solo career. Her first single “Nonna’s Trolley” is a joyous folk song with a splash of punk sensibility. Just see if you can resist singing along to those “la la las”!
“’Nonna’s Trolley’ is a song that was written out of the feeling you get when you overestimate how many things you can carry when you’re walking down the street – when you have to get from A to B but everything you’re carrying is impossibly balanced across bags strung on both shoulders, jean back-pockets and two waiter-style-full hands,” Mika admitted. “You’re in a target stare of the destination but you can feel something slipping – it’s a panic laugh in a La la la. I wrote it in a time of my life where everything was a bit off-kilter and retrospectively wild, but when I looked down at all the things I was carrying, and the people who were at the A and B – I think of it as a highly special time in my life. ‘Nonna’s Trolley’ is for the people who run into door frames and make Bolognese for their friends who come over and eat it in their bath, for champagne in the shower – It’s for the laugh when everything falls out of your arms after you try to pick up what fell out of the bag over your left shoulder.”
I’m obsessed with this song and the sentiment behind it and I can’t wait to hear more from Mika.
Image used with permission from Riot House Publicity
I’ve been thoroughly charmed by “Ardmona Rd,” the latest release from local independent folk-pop act Tom Nethersole. An exploration of young queer love, it’s brimming with optimism and nostalgia. Take a listen and I know you’ll be smiling by the time the chorus kicks in.
“It’s deeply personal but also relatable, especially for queer listeners who are searching for that fairytale moment we don’t always see reflected in music,” Tom said.
Tom is definitely an artist on the rise. He’s graced the stages of Midsumma Pride Street Party, Always Live, and the Rockhampton River Festival and amassed more than 180k streams. No wonder major media outlets like Rolling Stone, JOY FM, FBi Radio, and this blog are starting to take notice.
‘80s music fans have been well and truly spoiled by recent tours from the likes of OMD, Human League, and Wang Chung. The goodies keep on coming with the recent announcement that Midge Ure will be heading our way later this year.
These shows will celebrate Midge’s illustrious career including his solo material and work with Ultravox, The Rich Kids, and Silk.
“I performed live long before I was ever allowed anywhere near a recording studio and as much as I love spending time writing and recording, live music remains my first love,” Midge said. “ This Catalogue tour will allow me to not only play a wide selection of hits from my past but perform some of the most requested favourites. Revisiting these moments from my musical life is something I am really looking forward to sharing.”
Tickets are on sale now for all the following shows:
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.
