GUY SEBASTIAN
Guy Sebastian dropped his ninth studio album, T.R.U.T.H. Written across two and a half years in various locations, the album includes Sebastian’s hit single Choir which took home the ARIA Awards for Song of the Year at last years ceremony. With his soulful vocals expertly on display, the personal and powerful record demonstrates why Sebastian is one of Australia’s leading artists.
EAGLES
Legendary rock band Eagles have released a new live album and film, recorded at the Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 14 and 15, 2018. Including performances of “Hotel California, Lyin’ Eyes and Take It To The Limit and more, the release documents the bands sold-out shows at the iconic venue in Los Angeles. Directed by Nick Wickham, and filmed on 14 4K cameras, the GRAMMY® Award winners are treating fans whilst touring had come to a halt worldwide.
PHI11A
Sydney rapper Phi11a has teamed up with hit making producer Scott Storch on his new track, Dirty Dancer. The song marks Storch’s first collaboration with an Australian artist. On Dirty Dancer, Phi11a continues his powerful, dirty and thought-provoking lyricism over captivating beats and sonic sounds. Phi11a burst onto the scene last year with his debut single, Overdose, and has since signed to the Australian branch of rap imprint, Def Jam Recordings.
RENFORSHORT
Canadian singer-songwriter renforshort is gracing fans with a new track. afterthoughts is set to appear on the soundtrack for the Disney+ original film Clouds. Renforshort says of the track: "afterthoughts is a really different song for me, it follows a way different narrative than most of my other songs and allowed me to be more vulnerable than I have been in the past while making music. Immediately after I watched Clouds for the first time I was filled with emotion and all these thoughts were going through my head. It’s a very emotional movie, it touches on love romantically and familial, health, and fulfilling your life and achieving your dreams. These are all things that I believe the average person thinks or has at least thought about before, I think of these things all the time and expressing them is hard, that’s a big reason why I was so stoked to be a part of this, I feel like it gave me many opportunities to explore other topics that I haven’t before. This song is basically a stream of consciousness and the things that keep me up at night, they're the things that worry me and make me happy. Overall, writing this song was so different than anything I’ve done before, especially after learning Zach Sobiech’s story and learning about his life, it really influenced this song and the content of it."
EX-OLYMPIAN
Melbourne musician Ex-Olympian, aka Liam McGorry, has released his debut album, Afterlife. The record thematically explores growing as an individual, moving on from the past and learning from your mistakes. The record came to life over a three year period, with the musician taking on a heavy role within ints creation. On the tracks, McGorry invites this close to him to play on tracks, with friend and producer John Castle working on the entirety of the record. The soulful record infuses Dream Funk sounds within a sonic soundscape that highlights the musicians range and versatility as a vocalist.
PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS
TALLY-HO is the new song from Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, who have also announced the release of their upcoming new record, SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound. The engaging track is a treat for your ears, with the band revelling in creative hedonism. Frontman and songwriter Jack McEwan explained “TALLY-HO reenacts the classic fable of late night gonzo talks on copious amounts of chemical enthusiasm. I wanted the lyrics to feel sporadic and impulsive, kinda like the conversation you’d have with a mate after a night out; where you just want to debate something, but most of your synapses are already fried, so you’re both blurting out gibberish, but really giving it a good go at sounding formal. A sober third party might assume you’re both morons but between the constant waves of inebriated dialogue you feel like you’ve activated God mode and are only a few online classes away from becoming a favoured politician that will solve all the world’s problems.”
CLAUD
LA-based artist Claud has revealed their brand new single Gold. Directed by Christina Xing, The release is accompanied by a beguiling visual. Of the release, Claud shared “‘Gold’ is about contradictions; an instructor attempting to teach a class of monsters proper manners so they can assimilate; a relationship getting so tired and so old that even gold starts to rust (which isn’t scientifically possible).” Claud is the first signing to Phoebe Bridgers record label Saddest Factory.
LONTALIUS
New Zealand-born producer and songwriter Lontalius shared his latest single Faint. The second offering from his upcoming record Someone Will Be There For You, the tender and yearning track incorporates acoustic instrumentation with warm synth flourishes. Complete with intimate lyricism, the musician also weaves sparse folk sounds throughout the sonic soundscape. Lontalius explains, “Faint was one of the first songs I wrote for this project. Coming out of an electronic-based project with Singular Balance, and coming home from the world of big studios and producers in LA. I hadn’t touched an acoustic guitar in a long time until I came home to NZ and it was all I had to write with. Back to basics. Lyrically the song touches on a common thread through all my music. A feeling of coming of age, trying to understand the different ways love can reach you. When you’re 17 love is bold and exciting, but as you grow older it can be faint, it can creep up on you. Music has always been the thing that gets me through life experiences, and helps me understand them. 'I’ll find a record now, to make sense of it all somehow”.
ELIZABETH FADER
Lost In The Middle is the new single from Elizabeth Fader. The song is a continued exploration of indie electro-pop sounds, with the singers introspective songwriting taking centre stage. "'Lost In The Middle' is about being in limbo and relinquishing control.” Fader explains, “It's about that feeling you get at a party when you realise it's late and tomorrow is just going to be a write off so you may as well just let go and enjoy the ride. And sometimes that takes you to this place where everything just works out. There's a feeling of moving towards something new, a kind of rebirth. It's hopeful, glittery and nostalgic."
WOLF AND CUB
Wolf & Cub dropped their new single, Close to the Edge. The track is set to feature on their upcoming record, due out next month. The track continues the bands exploration of revelatory heaviness over a psych-rock soundscape. With gritty guitars, pounding drums and an outstanding vocal performance, the track is accompanied by a gripping visual, directed by David Robinson-Smith. Of the track, band member Joel Byrne shared: “Close to the Edge is a commentary on a communication breakdown, it’s essentially the soundtrack to a really bad argument, in particular the kind that tend to be carried out over social media. The main riff (and overall track) is intentionally a bit nasty and vulgar because it represents the uglier side of people’s personalities that tend to come out in the heat of the moment, particularly when their opinion or ego is challenged.”
EJ X
ICARUS is the debut release from Australian musician Ej x. The musical project of Elijah Edwards, the track opens with blaring, fuzzy feedback sounds, perform launching into a psych led, rock soundscape. Shifting between registers, Edwards gives a strong performance, with his vocals complimenting the atmospheric, psychedelic instrumentation present the track. Building up into a commanding chorus, the release is a promising debut from the musician.
DOWN FOR TOMORROW
Sydney-based indie-punk quartet Down For Tomorrow make their return with Survive. Driven by angsty guitars, the dynamic track exhibits fleeting melancholic vocals from frontman Cody Stebbings whilst the track navigates feelings of hope within times that appear bleak. Complete with thudding drums and a stellar bassline, Stebbings spoke of the meaning of the track: “I wrote the song within the first month of the lockdown restrictions being introduced in New South Wales, and at that time, I had momentarily lost my job. All my classes had moved online, and I was just trying desperately to fill in all this free time I had with things that made me feel like I had done something productive - books, songwriting, journaling, exercising. Routine was simultaneous, my best friend and worst enemy. Besides, we never really know when this will end, or if this is the new normal. So, this song is about the anxieties of uncertainty, and having to remind yourself constantly that if all you did was make it through today alive, that’s enough.”
NIGHTLY
Nightly, formed by cousins Jonathan Capeci and Joey Beretta, and drummer Nick Sainato, have dropped their debut album, night, love you. Featuring the previously released the car, you should probably just hang up and the movies, the personal album was recorded in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Covering relatable topics, the record is complete with 14 tracks. "From the beginning we've wanted to be an album band. 'night, love you.' was the sentiment behind the band name, so in a way this is our semi-self titled debut. It's deeply personal, and we couldn't be more proud of this record. All of it was created in Joey's basement which feels full circle from where we started, making songs in a tiny apartment. All of the songs were written this year with the exception of the closing track which is one of the first songs we ever wrote. We always knew that we wanted to save it for our debut record, now it's finally yours." shared Jonathan Capeci
TRACE DECAY
Melbourne-based indie-pop duo Trace Decay’s endearing new single Empty Handed is out now. Produced by Edvard Hakansson, the release is driven by dreamy guitars and crisp percussion, the track swells to crescendos with a commanding vocal performance from lead singer Jordan De Pas. “I wrote ‘Empty Handed’ when I was going through a period of transition and was uncertain if I was on the right path to improving my own mental health or making it worse. I was holding myself to double standards and constantly second guessing everything. It got to the point where I almost felt paralysed when I had to make a choice about anything as the fear of getting it wrong would haunt me. The verses are about me struggling with being in that unshakable mindset, trying to find answers anywhere. The chorus of this song was the last thing that was written as I was so stuck with where it should go.” De Pas shared of the writing process.
JUNE JONES
The first new material since her debut solo album Diana, June Jones has shared her new single Jenny (Breathe). "I wrote 'Jenny (Breathe)' in December 2018 while I was catsitting for my manager, Tom.” Jones shared. “It was really hot in the apartment and I was spending a lot of time in the bath listening to Ursula Le Guin audiobooks. The song is in part an ode to my lifelong love of science fiction, and it's a song in which I am singing to myself as well as anyone who is hurting and needs a place to rest, recalibrate, and breathe. It's a song about surviving inner trauma and outer dystopia, though I don't think it's easy to separate the two. 'Jenny' is my first self-produced release, with the bulk of its production taking place in the early stages of teaching myself to use Ableton. I recorded the vocals and bass guitar with Geoffrey O'Connor and did everything else on a tiny Lenovo ThinkPad. I wanted the song to combine elements of traditional, contemporary, and futuristic, while retaining a strong sense of human emotion, as most of my favourite sci-fi writing does."
JACK DAVIES & THE BUSH CHOOKS
Perth’s Jack Davies returns with his band, The Bush Chooks, for their new track Loving You’s Like A Mouldy Cup Of Tea. Set to appear on their forthcoming EP Songs For A Long Walk, the song is a harmonious blend of Davies’ masterful lyricism and shimmering melodies crafted by the musicians. “For me, the song really grounds the rest of the EP. It feels true to how the songs have been written, sitting out the front of my house, singing it for the first time with George and Elise jamming along. Hector playing a little toy accordion, half the notes bust...it’s just a very homely song. A different perspective on the rest of the EP.” Davies shared.
ECOSYSTEM
There and Back Again is the debut release from Victorian band Ecosystem. The record is an exploration of life and its complexities, swaying away from the mundane everyday and instead highlighting the connection between living creatures and eco-systems. “There is a deep interconnectedness of all life on earth, from the tiniest organisms, to the largest ecosystems, and absolutely between each person.” shares Bryant McGill. Over eight tracks, the band create a 90s alternative rock soundscape, with a captivating vocals.
T$OKO
Not only had Western Australian hip-hop artist T$oko released a Double A-side, 'Level Up'/'6k', he has also shared a series of lost files titled OverKiLL. Produced by JuiceBangers the song is an ode to the singers home town of Perth. Of the larger body of work, T$oko shared “OverKiLL is a mini compilation/collection of material which I recorded which didn't make the my upcoming project. Over the years, I have been recording tons of music as well as collaborating with some amazing producers and have heaps more to share in the next year or two”.
SPORTS
US duo Sports have dropped their dreamy new track, Baby Baby. The dreamy chillwave-flecked R&B release is the pairs first new music since May and continues their sonic experimentation of psych influences paired with R&B and dream-pop sounds threaded throughout. “Baby Baby is about codependency. My emotions being dependent on someone else’s emotions. It’s about a vicious cycle of not being able to comfort someone who is crying, and their crying ending up making me more upset than they are.” band member Cale Chronister shared.
JEREMY STINSON
Nashville indie pop artist Jeremy Stinson has shared his new single Runnin. The track navigates feelings of unrequited love and was recorded in Stinson’s home state of South Carolina. With a relatable performance, the singer communicates feelings of inevitable heartbreak, set atop a shimmering soundscape.
CD
Melbourne artist CD has emerged as a refreshing new artist within the Melbourne music scene with her new track, Mr M.I.A. The soulful track is accompanied by a self filmed and edited music video.
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