Eora/Sydney-based indie act The Sunday Estate have just dropped their latest single “London in October,” and it’s exactly the pick-me-up your midweek needs. It’s got a really upbeat vibe, but tap into those lyrics and you’ll hear the fun sound masks some pretty deep heartache.
“This tries to capture the chaotic and turbulent spirit of a long-term relationship breakup – all the tiny ways your life would change, and how dichotic the decision can feel,” explained lead vocalist Conor O’Reilly. “Do you delete photos you had of them online? Do you get to keep shared friends? Whose narrative will everyone believe? Did you make the right call? Was it all a waste of time?”
The Sunday Estate had a massive 2023, playing 18 dates with The Rions and gigs with Yard Act and British India. They’re currently on the road again supporting the release of “London in October.” Catch them headlining one of the following shows:
Attending a Club Broadway event has been on my bucket list for a while. As an unashamed theatre nerd, the thought of coming together with other theatre nerds, singing along to showtunes while I danced like nobody’s watching always seemed like some kind of heaven. But as someone who remains a little COVID-cautious, I couldn’t quite bring myself to attend one of the indoor club events. I couldn’t believe it when they announced a free outdoor event for Vivid, which unfortunately clashed with last week’s Jason Singh show. But then the rains came down, the event was washed out, and the stars aligned with a rescheduled show. Last night I was off to my first ever Club Broadway event!
It was every bit as glorious as I hoped for. The generous space in Tumbalong Park meant that my husband and I could find a little bit of room away from the throng, while others could make connections with like-minded folk near the stage. An overture of musical hits psyched up the crowd before the appearance of Carmen Geddit doing her best Tracy Turnblad to “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray. DJ Dan Murphy was a generous host, warm and welcoming to the Club Broadway veterans and newcomers alike. We were encouraged to sing and dance, to Shazam songs we weren’t familiar with and relish the ones we were. The set was a celebration of Broadway, from classic musicals to newer smashes like Hamilton and Wicked. Every 15 minutes or so, guest performers would treat us to a “show”. I relished every moment of Coco Jumbo’s “Circle of Life,” Minnie Cooper’s, “Singing in the Rain”, and Erin Clare’s “Part of Your World.” The mix of local drag queens and theatre royalty was perfect.
I must say, at my age I doubted whether I could last the three hours on my feet. However, even though there were seats available not far from us, my husband and I were never even tempted to sit down. We were having far too much singing and dancing. I’ll forever remember him playing Alexander Hamilton to my Angelica in “Satisfied,” belting like Idina to “Defying Gravity,” and shaking and shimmying until our vocals were severely compromised during “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” I loved DJ Dan’s costume changes and props. His enormous flag brought the right amount of gravitas to “Do You Hear the People Sing,” while his sequined nun’s outfit worked double-duty for “Do-Re-Mi” and “I Will Follow Him.”
While I’m not sure when I’ll get to another Club Broadway event, I know it won’t be my last. I can only hope it won’t be too long before they take the show outdoors again! Until then, you can enjoy the Club Broadway experience at one of the following shows:
Ama’s giving me all the feels with her latest alt-pop track, “How to Fall in Love.” It’s such a relatable love song that perfectly expresses those heady early days of infatuation.
The lyrics are so spot on that I was impressed to read on Ama’s Instagram that it’s the first love song she ever wrote. The track also speaks to the intimacy people can develop online, because it was inspired by a girl that Ama hadn’t met in person. I’m not sure whether it worked out or not, but she got an amazing song from the experience!
If you’ve ever lost a loved one to dementia, you might need the tissues for Alana Wilkinson’s latest single “Shine Through”. It’s a beautiful snapshot of moments she spent with her grandmother through the years, the lessons she learned along the way, and the ties that bound them together.
“My grandmother was a complete legend and we shared a really special connection,” Alana said. “No matter how old I got, we played piano together, baked, danced, made puppets and painted pictures.”
Alana’s preparing to release an album and tour the country to support it. Until then, I’ll have this song on repeat. It’s gorgeous.
You’d be forgiven for mistaking “2010”, the latest single from Naarm/Melbourne-based band RADIO FREE ALICE, for a long-lost recording from The Cure or New Order. It’s got such a cool retro vibe that will transport you right back to those angsty new wave bands of decades past. Rather than shying away from their influences, the band are proud to pay tribute to the acts that have made a mark on the song’s sound.
“We’ve been playing the song live for almost a year now. Musically we were influenced by early The Cure and The Smiths.,” they said. “The song focuses on the instrumentation rather than the vocals more than any other track on the EP. It’s the first and only song we have with a pretty much totally instrumental chorus.”
RADIO FREE ALICE are currently making waves in the United Kingdom and Europe. If you’re living abroad, you can catch them at one of the following shows.
I know I’m a bit late to the party, but have we all listened to Fanning Dempsey National Park’s debut single “Disconnect” yet? The brainchild of Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey, I thought this new act was likely to be good, but I didn’t quite prepare myself for how good. Clearly, because otherwise I absolutely would have listened sooner! I’m going to be bold and say it might just be better than anything either of them have released before.
“We agreed straight away there’s no point doing something together if it’s going to be what people think it’s going to be,” Paul explained. “It’s not the two of us with acoustic guitars singing campfire songs.”
Bernard says “Disconnect” is about “The idea of having to walk away from something that you love because it’s become unmanageable. ‘Disconnect’ always had a lot of ‘serious moonlight’ energy, right from its beginnings. The swapping lead vocal plays with the idea of connecting and disconnecting by juxtaposing the confidence/ indecision with each consecutive line. We originally wanted to use sax on everything. After we roughly finished a demo we’d say, ‘What else does it need?’ The answer was inevitably more sax.”
That fantastic saxophone comes courtesy of Ron Dziubla, one of the world’s best session musicians. If that name doesn’t mean anything to you, just take a look at some of the music he’s played on. Tracks from Chris Isaak, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, George Benson, The Crystal Method, and heaps more.
This is just a taster of all the exciting stuff in store for Fanning Dempsey National Park. They’ll release an album, The Deluge, on August 2, which I can’t wait to hear after playing this single obsessively (seriously, I’ve played nothing else since I started writing this article). They’re also heading around the country playing capital city shows in intimate theatres. Tickets are on sale now and probably won’t last long once everyone hears this track!
I’m rocking out this morning to “And the Fleas,” the angsty new single from Meeanjin/Brisbane act Bad Neighbour. It’s got a rebellious punk rock feel that reminds me of American act Hot Mulligan, who they toured with earlier this year.
Bad Neighbour will celebrate the release of “And the Fleas” with a big hometown show at The Outpost tomorrow night, June 7. With support from local legends Talk Heavy and Verum, it’s sure to be a great night of music.
Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Parmy Dhillon celebrates his late father’s legacy with his joyous new single “India.” I guarantee this one will at least put a smile on your face, if it doesn’t have you up and dancing.
“The song was written as a tribute and reminder to myself after my father passed away, to always remember my culture and who I am,” Parmy explained.
“India” is Parmy’s first release of 2024, and I think it might just be his best work. I’m looking forward to hearing what else the year has in store for him.
When I heard The Buoys had co-written a song with Alex Lahey, I knew it was going to be good. The band’s latest single “Check Mate” doesn’t disappoint. Take a listen to this awesome track which shows The Buoys in top form.
Tas Wilson directed the music video, which captures the energy of a road trip with friends, mirroring the longing for connection that you hear through the song.
“Check Mate” gives us our first taste of The Buoys debut album Lustre, which will be released on July 12. You can pre-order a vinyl copy online. It was all recorded live, so I imagine it’s going to deliver everything we love about The Buoys. Before it drops, you can see The Buoys supporting Luke Hemmings at the following shows
If Reckless Coast felt any nerves recording their debut EP, they don’t show. Naked & Famous is a confident rock release that declares this band from Meeanjin/Brisbane have arrived.
Many acts ease listeners into their EPs by putting familiar songs up first, but not Reckless Coast. The opening track “Runnin’” is brand new, and utterly irresistible. From the vocal intro, I was in. Inspired by a Matthew McConaughey speech, it’s got a Foo Fighters energy that makes it feel accessible from the first listen.
The track provides a natural segue to “Bad Habits,” the first single I heard from this EP. It’s a natural fit for this release, bold and dripping in swagger. “Dying Town” shows Reckless Coast at their most angsty and most poetic. “Burn Street” is another familiar single that still sounds so fresh. I’d forgotten how much I loved this nostalgic tribute to sharehouse living. “Burn Street” is an affectionate number, but a rock act can’t stay in that space for too long. So it’s only fitting that they put the finger up with this EP’s final track, “People Piss Me Off.” As we all slog through the working week, I’ll bet I’m not the only one this track resonates with!
“Naked & Famous is the perfect representation of what we are as a band,” Reckless Coast said in a statement. “It’s an authentic and unapologetic take on rock that unites both retro and indie-rock lovers. Each track has a personality of its own to create a diverse, yet sonically cohesive work. For so long now the rock genre has been diluted with worn-out clichéd approaches both sonically and visually. Naked & Famous proves that it can be done differently.”
After recently wrapping up an East Coast tour, Reckless Coast will continue celebrating the release of Naked & Famous with a show at Hunting Ground Studios in Jagera Country/Moorooka, where they recorded this EP, this Friday, June 7. Pay what you can afford tickets are on sale now from Eventbrite.
