TRACK-BY-TRACK: FANGZ TAKE US THROUGH 'SHUI'

Shui is out now!

Image: James Latter.

Eora/Sydney punk misfits FANGZ have dropped their debut album, Shui. On Friday, the album debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album Chart. To celebrate, the band are taking us through the collection of songs track-by-track.

"A debut album's always a bit unhinged and slightly rough — bands figuring themselves out in real time," says frontman Josh Cottreau. "FANGZ Shui has that energy. We locked ourselves in a Melbourne studio, away from all distractions and comforts, and made something that sounds like what it felt like: loud, dangerous, evolutionary, drunk — and ultimately, ours. In real life, I'm thankful to my bandmates for going on this thankless ride with me."

The band are currently in the midst of a national tour, having already performed in Canberra, Melbourne, Wollongong, Newcastle and Sydney. The run of shows will continue on to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Caloundra, Perth and Tarndanya. Tickets are on sale now!

WIDE AWAKE

This one came out of a heavy rotation of The Hives, The Vines, and loads of early garage rock. Fun fact - it was actually the first song we thought we’d finished… until we rewrote the chorus five times. Poor Josh had to sing harmonies for every version. Absolute trooper.

Lyrically, it’s about how lies can pile up until they start sounding like the truth, even to yourself. That dizzying feeling where your trust is shattered and nothing feels real. You’re wide awake… but more lost than ever.

The final chorus only clicked when I randomly picked up a guitar and started messing around with Hellacopters-style chords. Sam and Tim (our producer) immediately went, “Something like that.” Josh started singing over the top, and we just knew. The answer was simple—the chords needed to change.

GONE

Gone has a pretty weird origin. It was an old acoustic demo that Josh accidentally saved into the band Dropbox. Sam and I found it, and we pretty much said, “Well, this is ours now.”

It became a much-needed shift in sound for the album—something a bit more emotional and raw. There’s almost a country feel to it, and that felt important. I’ve always admired how, when Keith Richards sings country, it feels more sincere than when Mick does. There’s a similar charm in Josh’s solo stuff—this conviction that can’t be faked.

It’s a reminder not to take the small things for granted—the quiet moments that often mean the most once they’re gone.

ANNE MARIE

This song wouldn’t exist without Turnstile. Sam and I went to their show at the Enmore, and I came home absolutely buzzing. Grabbed my guitar, tried to write something fun, and of course, Sam came in later and made it make sense.

It’s about that person who sticks by you when you’re a mess—the ones who don’t flinch when you self-destruct. Anne Marie is that anchor in the chaos, the reason you don’t entirely fall apart.

It’s actually about Josh’s sister, Leanne Marie. But “Anne Marie” just flowed better syllabically.

ANIMALS

The riff for Animals has been kicking around since day one. Sam wrote it right when we started the band, but we could never get it to work. We kept trying to force it into skate punk, but it never landed. Turns out the answer was simple: listen to more Every Time I Die.

It’s about how we’ve never been more connected, but never felt more alone. Everyone is glued to screens, chasing validation instead of actual connection.

Funny thing—we didn’t even realise Sam had slipped the original riff back in until we were already recording - same riff, just with a different feel. Sometimes songs figure themselves out when you stop forcing them.

WASTING TIME

There’s always gotta be a Grinspoon moment on a FANGZ record, and this is it. Playing it live is, hands down, the highlight of every tour. It’s chaotic, loud, and always feels like it’s seconds from falling apart—in the best possible way.

Lyrically, it lives somewhere between a bad headspace and a bad trip, where nothing feels real and everything’s just… off.

This one was definitely written with live shows in mind. We literally figured out the tempo by head-banging to the halftime section until we hit the sweet spot.

BAD NEWS

This might be my favourite Josh vocal on the record. I never even had to ask what it was about—you can just hear it.

It’s about those moments when life backs you into a corner. No exit, no map—just that sinking feeling in your gut that turns into frustration, then anger, then the fight to claw your way out. 

I love it when people interpret songs in their own way. If someone finds their own meaning in it and creates their own narrative, it means it’s connected. That’s way more important than explaining it line by line.

SAME OL' STORY

One of the last songs we wrote before heading into the studio. It’s short, punchy, loose, and has that classic Aussie punk energy. Josh and I bonded over this one while talking about the endless mistakes you make stumbling through adulthood—and fatherhood.

It’s not about regret. It’s about recognising when you’ve strayed too far from who you want to be—and doing something about it. Sometimes the only way forward is to burn it all down and start again.

Becoming a dad absolutely changes the way you write, see the world, and see yourself. We’re both girl dads, and honestly… we both get a lot more emotional on tour these days.

SOMETHING REAL

This one hits different. Easily the darkest track we’ve written. It leans into heavier territory - black metal chords, high screamed harmonies, and honestly, some of the best drumming Woodie’s ever done. It was wild watching it come together. 

There are moments of air and clarity in the song, but they’re fleeting - before the assault continues. That heaviness mostly comes from Sam’s voicing on the guitar paired with Woodie’s brutality behind the kit. Bonus points if you catch the Gran Torino Clint Eastwood sample.

It’s about feeling totally adrift in all the noise of modern life and desperately searching for something—anything—that feels real.

NOTHING TO LOSE

Look… we like The Bronx. A lot. This is us being The Bronx for three minutes—but filtered through a perfectly imperfect love story. 

It’s about that moment when you just say, “Screw it, I’m all in.” When you’ve got nothing left to lose, you realise how freeing that feels.

This one came together exactly how you hope songs do. Get in a room, jam it, and it’s done. Honestly, I still don’t even fully understand half the words Josh is screaming in the pre-chorus… but that’s part of the magic. It’s all about the vibe.

EXPIRED

Another one stolen from Josh’s solo Dropbox. It began as an acoustic track and evolved into a sprawling, intense, ever-building piece. It’s the perfect way to close the record, leaving you going “Wait… what the hell just happened?” before immediately hitting play again.

It’s about chasing something that feels just out of reach—even when the world’s telling you it’s too late. The dream might be expired… but you’re not ready to let it go.

It always felt like the album's closer. No other track could end it the same way. 

Shui is out now!