GuriNgai and Darug Country/North-West Sydney-based indie-rock outfit In Good Hands have just dropped their debut EP, Daylight. The title reflects the feel-good tunes the band showcases on this six-track release.
You might not expect a band like In Good Hands to release such upbeat music. They hit the scene in 2020, a less-than-ideal time for any musicians, especially those trying to establish their reputation. They felt the impact of the COVID lockdowns as their debut shows were cancelled and their creative process was pushed online. However, you know what they say about the things that don’t kill you making you stronger.
Rather than letting the setbacks defeat them, In Good Hands used the time to hone their craft. Their efforts developing their sound and songwriting skills haven’t gone unnoticed. Tracks like “Lately” and “How ‘Bout Time?” lyrically encapsulate the frustrations of feeling like you’re wasting your youth while the world presses pause. It’s heavy subject matter, but it’s lifted by the connection you hear between these musicians who clearly relish coming together. The optimism they feel as they forge forward is evident in “Fly Away.” As the opening track, it sends a strong message that no matter what the band or their listeners have been through, everything’s going to be okay.
With the release of Daylight, In Good Hands showcase their resilience, tenacity, and above all, talent. The future looks bright for this local band. They’ll officially launch the EP for hometown fans at Oxford Art Factory in Eora/Darlinghurst on May 31.
Don’t you just love those songs that sound like classics from the first listen? Heath Burdell’s latest single “No Promised Land” is one of those special songs. It’s radio-friendly rock that simply makes you feel good.
Heath’s based in Eora/Sydney now, but grew up around the sugar cane fields of Northern Queensland. I can definitely hear a lot more of that influence in Heath’s music. Could he be Australia’s answer to John Mellencamp? We’ll just have to wait and see.
AYLA is one of those fabulous artists that always keeps you guessing. Her music is always quality, but you can never put her into a box. Her latest offering is “I Liked You Better When You Were On My Side,” a cool, brooding pop track that you’ll be humming long after the music stops.
She co-wrote this song with Ed Quinn of Telenova, who also produced it. “’I Liked You Better When You Were on My Side’ started as a topline on a production track, and with Ed’s help, we refined the structure and added new elements to take the song to the next level,” AYLA shared. “It was a collaborative effort that brought a real effortless groove to the production.”
“I Liked You Better When You Were On My Side” comes from AYLA’s long-awaited debut album DOPAMINE, which drops on July 12. AYLA will give fans a preview of her new material when she plays Solbar Playhouse in Maroochydore on July 7.
Australian powerhouse Greg Gould is bravely sharing his experiences with sexual assault with his incredible new single “Who Gave You Permission?” A potent mix of pop and soul, the anthemic song calls out his abusers and reveals his own strength. He hopes the track might empower other survivors on their own journey through the trauma.
“To be honest I’m only just starting to feel comfortable to talk about this,” he shared. “The first time I performed the song live I burst into tears. I have been a victim of sexual abuse on four separate occasions in all very different circumstances from when I was 10 years old, right up until I was 30. Each time left me feeling so violated, so powerless, paralysed. Nobody has the right to touch you without permission. No means no. It was a very emotional, heart-wrenching, and confronting experience to write this song to be honest as I’d pushed a lot of those feelings and experiences down and hadn’t dealt with them – it took a while for me to be OK to admit it. There is a stigma around sexual abuse in general, and I do think it can be really difficult for men who are the victim – whether it be at the hands of another man or a woman. In my case, it was both on separate occasions. I want other men to feel comfortable to talk about this and speak up too.”
Greg has a string of shows happening over the next few months, including several where he’ll play this stirring single.
“Whether the subject matter is darker or lighter, guests at my shows can expect big vocals, big moments and a lot of fun,” he enthused. “I love to perform and I’m excited for the next 12 months! I’ve got big plans and even bigger dreams. I am so proud that ‘Who Gave You Permission?’ is out now and I’m moving forward both personally and professionally! I would love if even one survivor of abuse feels stronger as a result of hearing this song. I want people to know they are seen, they are heard and they are believed. We won’t be broken.
Weekends call for feelgood music, right? I’ve got you covered with “Where did you go?”, the latest track from Naarm/Melbourne outfit Psychic Social Club. It’s got such a fantastically fun pop-rock sound, you might not clock that it’s a breakup tune.
“This song delves into the aftermath of a hazy breakup from a long-term relationship, the kind where you’re not quite sure if there’s anything left to be salvaged,” explained the band’s frontman Jared Roscioli. “Sometimes you’re so sure that two people will find their way back together, but then they don’t, and life pushes on.”
The hilarious music video is a fantastic foil for this upbeat track. Produced and directed by Aidan Rice, it follows a quirky director, played by Jack Walker, doing his best to create a music video. It’s such good stuff, just what your Sunday calls for!
Grace Cummings is an artist like no other. No one sounds like her, no one is making music like her; she’s simply in her own lane. Listening to her third album Ramona gives you a deep appreciation for that.
Grace’s voice is the first thing you notice. It’s richly textured, wise beyond her years, deep and full, passionate, uniquely beautiful. Her hushed tones remind me of Dusty Springfield, but then there’s the raw, earthy side that’s a little like Janis Joplin. Honestly, it’d be enough to keep me interested. But then there are the songs. Each one incredible, with a classic sound you can’t quite put your finger on. There are elements of soul, gospel, blues, but you can’t put them neatly into any box. They simmer with emotions that threaten to bubble over, casting a spell each and every time.
One of the things I love most about Ramona is its vintage sound. It’s pure, free from the interference of modern technology. I can imagine Grace and her bandmates playing these songs at producer Jonathan Wilson’s Topanga Canyon studio just as you hear them, in one take. The beautiful thing about music like this is that it’s likely to be just as good, if not better, when you witness it live. Thankfully for us, she’s got plenty of shows scheduled all around the world at beautiful intimate venues. Tickets are on sale now and aren’t likely to last long:
“WORTH”, an exciting new collaboration from African-Australian hip hop artist Ruu. and R&B act Chelle Tamika, is this year’s first release from Campbelltown Art Centre’s Conscious program. This professional development program first came to my attention when P.Smid released “WESSIDE” in 2022. It’s fabulous to hear it’s still supporting and elevating local artists.
“This song is about my experience growing up Black in South-West Sydney, being (and feeling like) the only Black person in my area and experiences on Black culture and how it has been perceived and taken advantage of as I continue to live life,” Ruu. explained. “I hope the song allows the African-Australian community to embrace their culture stronger, and brings more internal discussion and support for each other, as it is needed as the music scene in Australia continues to grow.”
If you like what he does, make sure you catch Ruu. at one of his gigs this month:
Meeanjin/Brisbane dream rock act Mt. Nadir have gotten under my skin with their latest single “Knife’s Edge”. It took me a few listens to fully appreciate it, but once it clicked for me I was all in. This track has been a staple in Mt. Nadir setlists for some time now, and I can see why.
“For my whole life, I’ve been someone that falls in love hard and fast, and once I’m with someone, I never want to leave. ‘Knife’s Edge’ is about the year I was 24, when this changed,” admitted the band’s frontperson, Frankie Rosbrook. “I would fall for people hard and fast, but lose interest within weeks, and my mind would inevitably wander back to my first love. I upset a few really lovely people and it made me feel really awful. It was a stressful, confusing, sometimes fun time of my life. I was living on a knife’s edge.”
After recently launching the single for hometown fans, Mt. Nadir will support The Vaccines before heading south for a string of New South Wales shows in a couple of weeks. Here are all the places you can catch them on their A Slightly Smaller Tour.
With the rain well and truly setting in this week, it’s hard to believe that just a few days ago I was kicking back at James Taylor’s Bimbadgen Estate show. The last time I attended a Day on the Green show we were evacuated, so I felt blessed that Saturday’s conditions were perfect. The cool but not cold weather was such a welcome change from the 40-degree day I experienced last time. Maybe we need more Day on the Green seasons stretching into autumn. At any rate, I couldn’t have asked for better weather for an outdoor show.
I had just enough time to grab a couple of bottles of bubbles before settling in for Ella Hooper’s set. The frontwoman of an early naughties rock act might seem a little out of place on this bill, but like so many of us Ella’s mellowed over the years. The folky tracks from her latest album Small Town Temple were the perfect soundtrack for a cruisy Saturday afternoon. The stories she shared encouraged us to tap into the lyrics. After a friend told me Killing Heidi tracks didn’t make the cut at her recent Darkinjung Country/Avoca Beach, I was pretty excited to hear a stripped-back take on “Weir.” Believe it or not, adding a fiddle works!
It’s also a pleasure watching Josh Pyke perform. He’s been a force in the Australian music scene for so long that every song feels familiar, at least for me. My mum leaned over and told me she thought he was very good … it was then that I realised that while I know Josh’s music well, this was her introduction. In fact, looking around I’d wager that many of the James Taylor lovers in the audience were hearing Josh for the first time. His gentle folk and poetic lyrics aren’t a world away from the music James makes though, so like Mum I’m sure plenty left impressed. Even if he didn’t end getting as many new Instagram followers as he aimed for. My Mum, bless her, was keen to help Josh beat Phil Jamieson’s tally, but alas she discovered she doesn’t have Instagram. Perhaps sensing that his music was new to so many in the audience, Josh also treated us to a few choice covers. His take on “New Slang” was spectacular, even if it wasn’t quite as crowd-pleasing as his version of “Blackbird.”
James Taylor is a music legend, but he doesn’t make a lot of fuss about it. Most bands take the stage first, encouraging the crowd to get hyped up before the artist graces us with their presence. Not James. He just strolls out, waves shyly to the crowd, and gets on with it. And get on with it he did, serving up a beautiful version of my favourite James Taylor song “Something in the Way She Moves” straight out of the gate. Where do you go from there? Of course, there are plenty more incredible songs where that came from.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that James’ voice is showing signs of age. It’s a little shaky, without the ease heard on previous tours. The stripped-back acoustic songs that made James a household name leave nowhere to hide. But I’ll take a performance with heart over one with perfect vocals any day. I’ve seen shows where I felt like older performers were phoning it in, clearly tired of the material they’d performed for decades. Not James. He seemed so connected, so present, so happy to bring us this music. He praised the beautiful venue, gushed about the moon, and let us know he was so happy to play for us all. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen a veteran performer so in the moment.
He wasn’t alone though. The marketing promised an all-star band and boy did it deliver. Backing vocalists who’ve sung with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel, k.d lang, Warren Zevon. A drummer who’s played with Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Chick Corea, and Eric Clapton. A guitarist who also played with Steely Dan, along with Bread, David Crosby, and Graham Nash. Reading the resumes of these top-tier session musicians is mindblowing.
The set was incredible. When artists have such a rich back catalogue, you usually leave wishing they’d played something or other, but there was nothing I was left wanting for. I loved seeing my Dad’s face light up as he sang along to songs we didn’t expect like “Yellow and Rose” and “Steamroller Blues.” In fact, James’ catalogue is so vast that he faked us out a few times. He introduced a song about his home in Carolina, and upon hearing our applause he told us it wasn’t the one we were thinking about. Oh not “Carolina on Mind”, or at least not yet … “Copperline.” And the song his dear friend Carole wrote … well that wasn’t “You’ve Got a Friend,” or again not yet, but “Up On the Roof.
James’ music has been the soundtrack to many road trips, board game nights, and lazy days at home for my family. Just as I’m conscious of James’ advancing years, I know my parents aren’t getting any younger. I relished the opportunity to see James performing these songs for us all, one last time. I linked arms with my mum as we sang “Shower the People” at top note. She put her hand reassuringly on my knee as I wiped away tears during “You’ve Got a Friend.” You rarely know when you’ll see a performer for the last time, and thinking about that brought me undone. Thankfully James was there to pick me right back up and encourage me to get on my feet with “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” He might be getting older, but James has still got some moves! It seemed like a fitting finale, but none of us were quite ready for that, so he asked whether he could play one more. Of course. The most exquisite version of “You Can Close Your Eyes.”
It’s bittersweet watching a performer, knowing it’ll be the last time. He could have called it a day without taking this final lap of the country, but I’m so thrilled he gave us a chance to say goodbye. I did my best to take in every moment, to soak it all in knowing I won’t be able to share his live music with the special people who introduced it to me again. Thank you James, for returning to our shores one last time and leaving us all with such special memories.
Tom Neilson strips things right back for his breathtaking new single “Minefield.” Inspired by the music of Regina Spektor, it shows us that a great song needs little more than top-notch lyrics, vocals, and melody.
This is a bit of a left-turn from Tom’s previous works, but I’m here for it. He described the songwriting process as “a transformative creative journey” akin to “falling deeper into wonderland.”
I want to sit with this gorgeous song just a little bit, but Tom is already looking forward to his next project: the release of his debut EP on May 3.
