Florida five-piece CAPSTAN — Anthony DeMario (vocals), Joe Mabry (guitar), Harrison Bormann(guitar), Andrew “Boz” Bozymowski (bass, vocals), and Scott Fisher (drums) — have shared another new single.
Bloom demonstrates the softer side of Capstan. Driven by a lilting piano melody, gorgeous vocals, and layered harmonies, it’s an emotional journey that packs a sonic lifetime into the space of four minutes. Stick around for the epic ending. It’s quite the payoff.
“Every one of us will experience tremendous shifts throughout our lives,” the band says, offering a closer look into the song. “We all change drastically as we age, especially as we attempt to overcome our past traumas. ‘Bloom’ speaks to the journey of learning to focus on the future, instead of the tragedies of the past. A song about growth, and the transition from cyclical self-destructive behavior into hopeful intention for what is to come. It’s about the desire to impact the world in a positive, meaningful way, from the perspective of a person who was previously only able to view life through the lens of their trauma. The desire to be the love, be the change. We never stop growing. We never stop blooming.”
Bloom follows the previously issued double singles Bête Noire + Heart to Heart. Capstan released their second album SEPARATE in 2021 via Fearless Records.
Capstan are touring next year with Holding Absence in North America.
One of the East Coast’s most engaging performers, Donna Amini returns in a big way, announcing the release of her newest music since 2019 – her second studio album, Other People. Amini has just released ‘Pilots’, the newest single off her upcoming album.
‘Pilots’ possesses a strong sense of self, serving up a great blend of arrangement and production execution. Consistent with the charm and creativity of its lead single, Other People will demonstrate a beautiful evolution of Amini’s style as a songwriter. As she charts course for the embrace of a new era, this is the type of album to reposition her clear and proven songwriting skills in front of audiences new and long-standing alike.
Entirely self-produced, Other People sees Amini flex as a musician and as a creative visionary. Set to feature previously released tracks like ‘Suburban Surf’ and ‘Big Machine’, the two tracks Amini developed and released prior to 2020, Other People represents a sonic and artistic peak for the Sydney songwriter and performer.
“The title ‘Other People’ relates to the false idea that we are somehow separate from others. And how questioning other peoples’ behaviour, is really holding up a mirror to our own. The entire album is an abstract presentation of how we look at the world through the lens of our own personal culture and traumas. But as a body of work, I’d say it’s a collection of songs that are cutting, full and direct.” DONNA AMINI
In addition to the release of ‘Pilots’ with the announcement of the Other People album, Amini has released a music video for the track, directed by Shahane Bekarian. Filmed in Sydney, at Good Loco in Marrickville.
“Shahane Bekarian directed a music video for a friend’s band, which I really liked. So I contacted him, and we got to work with a concept. Mostly it was going to be me dancing. Very choppy editing and black on white contrast between costume and background. He did a great job, and it suits the song. “ DONNA AMINI
Along with Amini’s own stand out musicianship, the album will feature instrumentation from Nick Collerson (drums), Jon Zion (bass), Tobias Priddle (bass – ‘Love Me’, ‘Ghost’), Scott Leishman (bass, ‘Hell’) and Wade Keighran (bass, ‘Big Machine’).
“The process was a long one. I first recorded the album live with a full band in 2017, but didn’t feel that the result was close to what I had envisaged the work to sound like. So I started again, recording all the guitar and drum parts at home and replacing them later at a studio.
“After that it was a matter of filling the songs out with synths, effects, solos and bass parts. And of course the vocals all had to be recorded in a clean studio environment. The process of recording this album was similar to my first album. The songs were built up and moulded over time. It took a long while, but I didn’t stop working on them till they sounded exactly how I imagined them to.” DONNA AMINI
PRAISE FOR DONNA AMINI
“Tune and a half. It bristles with an energy akin to many moody ‘90s alt rock heroes.”
Dave Ruby Howe, triple j Unearthed (‘Suburban Surf’)
“I feel like it’s the kind of song where you might be out at a bar and you hear this voice in the corner singing. And suddenly whoever you’re with, it just goes silent, you just tune your ears straight to that corner. It’s really moody and cool… I heard it the other day on triple j Unearthed radio and it just caught me hook line and sinker.”
Declan Byrne, triple j (‘Big Machine’)
“There’s this smouldering rumble that rests just beneath. This is very compelling – you’re bound to stick around.”
Set to make a triumphant homecoming this Spring/Summer after what has already turned out to be a successful return to the European live circuit, beloved Melbourne four-piece KINGSWOOD announce that 2023 will not wrap up with a brand new collection of music, set to drop this November 3!
The cogs of inspiration and musical spirit have continued to turn and flourish in the year that followed the release of KINGSWOOD’s impassioned fifth studio album HOME – instead of letting that momentum rest, the band have instead poured that energy back into studio sessions, creating a fitting follow up record, THE TALE OF G.C. TOWNES.
The record leans further into KINGSWOOD’s love for rich and in depth songwriting and storytelling style; expressed initially with their recent releases, ‘How Many Times’, ‘God Already Knows’ and ‘Glass Half Full’; and today, with the album’s lead single, ‘Little Red Jumpsuit’.
The honeyed vocals of Alexander Laska, buoyed by the harmonies of Fergus Linacre and musicality of band members Josh Koop and Jack Davies, makes a song like ‘Little Red Jumpsuit’ one that comes wrapped in warmth. The country lilts and arrangements lend themselves to nostalgic emotions, even if no direct memories are attached by the listener – it’s music that is easy to immerse oneself in and for a moment, escape in the romanticism that Laska establishes on the record.
Engineered by Laska and longtime collaborators Guus Hoevenaars and Edward Spear, ‘Little Red Jumpsuit’ falls in line as a classic KINGSWOOD cut in the making, and a perfect new taste of The Tale of G.C. Townes still to come.
“Little Red Jumpsuit encapsulates the spirit of G.C.Townes, representative of the spirit of the album in one song. Written on a warm summer evening in east Nashville, Little Red paints the picture of loss and yearning, young love burdened with the knowledge that life has other plans; the melancholy known to both parties without either relenting on the investigation of what might be” Alexander Laska, Kingswood
“The Tale of G.C.Townes” – a sojourn into the old west embodying a collective alter ego born in time of complete isolation – G.C.Townes delves into the deeper and more eclectic influences behind the eclectic Kingswood sound ranging from Tony Rice, Tom T. Hall, Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins to name a few, in creating a parallel universe embodying boyhood old western fascinations and dreams. This is an alt-country roots record adopting acoustic instruments in a modern environment.
G.C.Townes was written and record alongside “Home” in the mountains of Queensland Australia’s hinterlands on a ranch, with the finishing touches placed both on the road amongst the record breaking 110 date Australian tour and in Kingswood’s spiritual home in Nashville, TN.”Alexander Laska, Kingswood
The release of ‘Little Red Jumpsuit’ and the news of this imminent new KINGSWOOD record comes as the band prepares to hit the road in Australia for another extensive run of shows that will take them directly into Summer 2024. The band is well-versed in traversing Australia of course, having completed their record-breaking ‘Hometowns Tour’ throughout this year, criss-crossing the breadth of the country in their purpose built bus, taking in 100+ shows.
This new run of shows will see KINGSWOOD kick things off in regional NSW this October, with a show at Everglades in Woy Woy, before continuing right around the country as headliners, as well as some select festival appearances in Adelaide (Cry Baby Fest) and Heybridge, Tasmania (Good Gumnuts Festival).
Along with these tour dates, KINGSWOOD will be launching their very own beer, KINGSWOOD LAGER. As part of the tour, fans will be able to taste this new beer and celebrate with the band. In Melbourne, there will be a special VIP launch at the Prince Of Wales in St, Kilda on November 17.
“Beer has been the fuel of the Kingswood machine since the beginning, the beautiful lubrication accompanying the highs and the lows, the perfect punctuation at the end of a working day. Building a sense of community through relentless touring of this wonderful country of ours very quickly highlighted one obvious thing. Australian beer is the best beer, and we love it.
To love something means you want it to be a part of your life, and quite clearly, we’re not a band that sits on the sidelines when it comes to everything we do, so naturally, we proudly present – KINGSWOOD LAGER.
The gold standard in Australian beer.
This is a no frills, good times lager by the people, for the people.
Refreshing and crisp with a recipe perfected through 15 years of good times country rock and roll.”
Friday 9 February All Seasons Hotel Bendigo Tickets
Saturday 10 February Wool Exchange Geelong Tickets
PRAISE FOR KINGSWOOD
“Try and find me a harder working band than Australia’s own Kingswood. They are in the midst of a run of 120+ shows across Australia giving fans the opportunity to listen to the tunes off Home. Home features rich storytelling, some sweet guitars and beautiful harmonies. From the hopefull sorrow of “One Too Many Times” the celebration of acceptance and contentment in “Burning Holes” and the shredding guitars in “Last One’s Kicking In”, Home is their strongest work to date.”
The AU Review
“A lot of bands would like to say they’re the hardest working in Australia, but Kingswood have a stronger claim than most.”
Tone Deaf
“this song feels classic even though it’s brand new. A celebration of hopeful sorrow, a staple in the emotional catalogue of the Kingswood repertoire and something synonymous with country and rock’n’roll classics for that matter”
Sounds of Oz
“Kingswood strolls deep into blues-rock territory and invites us to come along. Home is anchored by the opener, its blues-rock title track. What follows are caked in bitumen, (“Mercy Ref”), and drenched in whisky (“Burning Holes”), and warmth from top to toe.”
Rolling Stone Australia
“‘Burning Holes’ sees Kingswood sound more sonically and emotionally aligned than ever due to the competence of rich acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies between Alexander Laska and Fergus Linacre.”
Beat Magazine
“Channelling themes of solace, resolve and independence, the nostalgic clip for Burning Holes features guitarist Alexander Laska in fine cowboy form.”
Coming straight outta the Bayou, New Orleans-based quintet HourHouse are proudly rap metal. But don’t get it twisted — we ain’t talking about no mall-variety jock-pop; HourHouse have concocted a fully loaded riff ‘n’ rhyme proposition, splitting at the seams with dirty grooves and heavy riffage, thumping beats and fierce spittin’.
With their debut studio album GOLD TOOTH GURU out now via UNFD, the compelling release features Shaolin G and Taylor Barber of Left To Suffer alongside some unforgettable genre-defying moments from the New Orleans group.
Leading the charge alongside the release of GOLD TOOTH GURU is a new single, the turbo banger 6FLOW which acutely showcases the band’s high ceiling, combining authentic hip hop, thick guitars and earworm hooks into a sleek, pop package without sacrificing an ounce of edge. 6FLOW also arrives with a brand new accompanying music video.
Speaking about the album, vocalist Milly says, “Louisiana plays a heavy role into our sound and direction of the album — it’s like a huge melting pot down here, different music everywhere you turn. Rap and metal are big here especially. We never wanted to box ourselves in with trying to be a certain type of band and only make one type of music.
Our surroundings play a big part in the content. It may be out of the ordinary compared to most bands, but it’s all we’ve known. It’s everything we’ve been brought up seeing and living through — it’s not just Mardi Gras and voodoo down here, it can be a real warzone. The main themes are unity, determination, and staying true to yourself no matter what you go through. Hard times make strong people but sometimes those hard times feel like it’s all you can see in front of you. Life for young people like us is constant highs and lows, and this album is sort of our way of navigating through it all.”
HourHouse’s music oozes confidence and swagger — with influences varied and diverse, from $uicideboi$ to Meshuggah, Kendrick to Korn. So expect the unorthodox from this forward-thinking crew. Fusing tectonic plate-shifting riffs with woozy beats, thunderclap grooves, and ferocious screams that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end, HourHouse are setting a new bar for where rap metal is headed.
GOLD TOOTH GURU TRACK LISTING: 01. THE SIT DOWN 02. GOLD TOOTH GURU 03. BODY BAG MUSIK 04. LSD 05. INSTINCTS 06. 6FLOW 07. DO IT LIKE 08. 985CUTTHROAT 09. PARASYTE 10. SWARM 11. CLUB 12. RIDE 13. CONSTRICTING THE ANIMAL
Hailed by Pitchfork as one of the “most exciting and skillful storytellers” working today, Jaime Wyatt is the kind of generational talent whose raw, honest lyricism is matched only by the power of her huge, unmistakable voice. With the announcement of her third and most ambitious album yet – Feel Good, out November 3rd 2023 on New West Records – along with the release of lead single ‘World Worth Keeping‘ and ‘Love Is A Place‘ – where she expresses her experience learning to love another woman, Wyatt takes a firm step into the future, pushing her sound to new sonic and emotional heights, while blurring the lines between classic roots, southern soul, and vintage R&B.
Recorded with Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, Feel Good is bold and ecstatic, built on tight, intoxicating grooves that belie the songs’ substantial emotional stakes, showcasing Wyatt’s unparalleled artistry and musical prowess. Wyatt’s writing is unguarded and intuitive here, tapping into the deep recesses of her subconscious as she reckons with grief and growth, and her delivery is visceral to match, cutting straight to the bone with equal parts sensitivity and swagger. Taken as a whole, the collection stands as a radical act of creative liberation from an artist already known for pushing limits, a genre-defying work of healing, queer joy and self-love that tips its cap to everything from Al Green and Otis Redding to Waylon Jennings and Bobbie Gentry in its relentless pursuit of peace and pleasure.
“A lot of us grow up feeling like we have to hide who we are just to be accepted, but that comes from a place of fear and judgment,” Wyatt explains. “I wrote these songs as a way of letting go of all that, as permission to feel good.”
Eschewing the traditionally solitary process that begot her early work, Wyatt penned Feel Good in a series of collaborative, freewheeling writing sessions built around infectious drum and bass grooves. Working with different rhythm sections in LA (her former hometown) and Nashville (her current hometown), Wyatt began experimenting with stream-of-consciousness and improvisation in the rehearsal studio, allowing herself to trust her instincts (as well as those of close collaborator Joshy Soul) as she pulled lyrics and melodies from the ether.
Wyatt carried that same energy into Electric Deluxe Recorders in Austin, where she and the band cut much of the basic tracks and vocals live to tape before fleshing them out with lush horns, strings, and harmonies.A West Coast native, Wyatt first began turning heads with her breakout 2017 debut, Felony Blues, which chronicled her now much-publicised battle with addiction and transformative journey through the criminal justice system. Her 2020 follow-up and New West debut, Neon Cross, tackled even more profoundly personal revelations and arrived to tremendous acclaim everywhere from Pitchfork to NME, with NPR praising Wyatt’s “remarkable voice” and Rolling Stone lauding her “lush, layered, and complex” performances.
Alternative metal trio PROFILER have revealed the details of their debut album, A Digital Nowhere, that will be released on February 16 through SharpTone Records. To coincide with the announcement, the band have also released a video for the album’s first single, All In Forever.
Vocalist and guitarist Mike Evans comments “I had a lot of fun writing this track. It’s actually the first track of the debut writing process. I think it creates a great follow up from our previous EP and continues our old sound, along with hinting what the debut encapsulates. I think it’s the perfect way to kick off A Digital Nowhere. I love the groove and bouncy riffs and I hope our fans enjoy the evolution of our sound.”
On the process of crafting their debut album, Mike Evans says “I had an amazing time writing our album A Digital Nowhere. Myself and Joe collaborated on this record more than the EP. This was a great opportunity to bounce ideas off of each other. I wrote the majority of the record isolated in my flat during the Covid 19 lockdowns. Although this time was stressful and alien it was a perfect opportunity to create. I think the record is a great evolution of our sound. We are really excited to show people a more varied and mature Profiler. We love the consistent punch of the production and crisp & clear mix that gives our songwriting the credit it deserves. We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved. This album is diverse, original and authentic to us and we feel we’ve created a body of music we will be proud of our whole career.”
01. All In Forever 02. Artifice 03. Delay 04. Animo 05. To Utopia 06. Zero 07. Operator 08. Consumed 09. The Living Receiver 10. Sequence
About Profiler: Profiler is a Nu-Metal reawakening from the mind of vocalist and guitarist Mike Evans.
This band is inspired by those who have incited change in genres, arts, and theories. It’s a weight of legacy that Profiler is comfortable shouldering, backed by SharpTone Records, its home since 2020.
After starting as a solo project in Bristol, UK, Mike stepped out from the studio and onto the stage, enlisting bassist/vocalist Joe Johnson and drummer Oscar Hocking. In early 2023, Oscar departed to be replaced by Brad Ratcliffe, cementing the line-up that would forge 2024’s debut album, A Digital Nowhere.
Profiler’s nu-metal-grunge-alt-rock, call it what you want, is an abrasive distorted soundscape that reverently glances back to those genres’ heydays. Profiler is for anyone who misses or missed the contagious nineties Seattle grunge movement or the explosion of nu-metal that dominated the 00s and the genre-bending bands they made a path for.
Following their appearance at the inaugural SXSW Sydney Festival just less than a week ago, Canadian quartet Hotel Mira return with their new album ‘I Am Not Myself’. Their hip-swerving, passionately pop-contorting contemplation of identity sees release through long-time label Light Organ Records.
A lot has changed since the early 2020 release of Hotel Mira’s breakthrough release, Perfectionism. That album’s finely honed and honest take on mental health and personal struggles took the band on their biggest tours yet, building a passionate fandom across North America.
As Hotel Mira’s profile grew, vocalist Charlie Kerr was undergoing a time of transformation himself. Kerr found himself writing the bulk of I Am Not Myself while travelling between Vancouver and his now adopted home of Los Angeles, while the band recorded the album in various studios across British Columbia in Canada alongside producers Adam Kasper (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Ryan Worsley (Fake Shark), Steve Bays (Fur Trade, Hot Hot Heat), Parker Bossley (Fur Trade), Louise Burns, James Younger and more.
While Kerr admits his anxieties over the move bled into his lyrics, he soon realised I Am Not Myself’s mix of autobiography and tragi-comic character portraits likewise reflected a profound loss of self, with the concept of ‘identity’ becoming the connective thread between the album’s 12 tracks.
“I think that there is value to expressing unsavoury things about oneself, and peeling away shame. If this music has a purpose, I think it’s to show people how engulfed by shame we are, and how universal that is to the human experience. By pinpointing my own, hopefully people are more forgiving of theirs.” – CHARLIE KERR, HOTEL MIRA
It’s suggested that I Am Not Myself — its title a key line from lead single ‘Dancing With the Moonlight’ — takes place within various points of an identity crisis. Sometimes, that means breaking free from the social constructs others impose on you (‘Eventually’); other times it means gleefully — perhaps even chaotically — lobotomising yourself while in the throes of young love (‘Fever Pitch’, ‘King of the World’); other times, it means digging for truths through the blurriness of all-night party (‘Dancing With the Moonlight’).
“We set out with the idea of making anthems for aliens — really, really catchy pop songs for outcasted people.” – CHARLIE KERR, HOTEL MIRA
As a special nod to their fans down under, Hotel Mira also share an Australian-exclusive bonus track, ‘Waste Away’. A poignant tribute to those who have experienced domestic abuse, the track explores a topic that hits close to home for far too many people, including members of the band.
“‘Waste Away’ tells the story of Domestic abuse. The tendency to Blame oneself. The confusion and backwards way we justify abusive behaviour. The way things can escalate slowly over time in a way that we don’t recognize until it’s too late. And of course trying to gather the courage to leave a partner and the very real threat of violence if you do. It is a love letter to the courage and resilience of survivors. Myself and close friends included.” – HOTEL MIRA
This album has been highly anticipated by fans across the globe, with Hotel Mira being on an impressive upwards trajectory since their outset. Their hugely successful recent US/Canadian tour included 27 headline dates, with the band previously sharing stages with the likes of Billy Talent, Foals, USS, The Beaches, and July Talk – as well as the legendary Frank Iero (from My Chemical Romance). Having been invited to perform at festivals around the world including Westward Music Festival, SKOOKUM, Pemberton, Reeperbhan and The Great Escape, Hotel Mira have just ticked SXSW Sydney off their list with their captivating showcase over the weekend.
With over 20M+ streams on Spotify and 1M+ views on Youtube, they’ve seen huge support from alternative radio stations across North America, and have been featured in top-tier editorial publications such as Earmilk, CLASH, NME, and Exclaim. Hotel Mira are ready to embark on this new chapter of vulnerability and growth with I Am Not Myself, with a palpable authenticity that continues to draw the praise of media and fans alike.
PRAISE FOR HOTEL MIRA
“Hotel Mira is quickly becoming one of the hottest new acts to watch. The band has an electrifying energy that radiates through their music” – Earmilk
“Frontman Kerr is a bombastic, dynamic performer clearly made for the stage, and you can’t take your eyes off him” – The Indy Review
“Backed by rippling ‘80s guitars, pounding drumming, and a howling vocal performance, the track sees the band tearing into a groovy arena-ready anthem, hitting on a similar vibe as indie pop touchstones like The 1975” – Under the Radar
“For an album that has a lot of uptempo moments in optimistic-sounding major keys, it’s not afraid to embrace important, darker topics” – Exclaim [Perfectionism – 2020]
Australian group Girl and Girl’s Fight Night EP, a 5-song effort featuring new interpretations of songs from the group’s 2023 EP, Divorce +. This collection of songs was filmed and recorded at Fight Night Studios in Melbourne, Australia.
Fight Night Records is a recording studio perched above Dutch Vinyl record store in Melbourne, established in 2015 by identical twins Harley and Delaney Stewart. Their live studio sessions have captured performances by some of Australia’s most incredible underground talent, including Grace Cummings, Folk Bitch Trio, Felix Riebl, Gabriella Cohen, Jazz Party, Bones & Jones, and Sweet Talk.
Girl and Girl – Divorce 2 (Fight Night)
Girl and Girl are working on new music for their full-length Sub Pop debut and have announced AU and EU shows, including a festival play on November 11th at Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris.
Fri 3 Nov – Sebright Arms, London, UK (2 shows) Sat 4 Nov – Whereelse? w Flamingods, Margate, UK Sun 5 Nov – Brighton, UK – Mutations Festival 2023 Mon 6 Nov – Heartbreakers, Southampton, UK Wed 8 Nov – L’Astrolabe, Orleans, FR Thu 9 Nov – Stereolux, Nantes, FR Fri 10 Nov – Rolling Stone Beach, Weissenhäuser Strand, GER Sat 11 Nov – Pitchfork Avant Garde, Paris, FR Thu 30 Nov – Whammy (The Others Way Pre-Party), Auckland, NZ Fri 1 Dec – The Others Way Festival, Auckland, NZ Wed 6 Dec – Spaced Out Festival, Melbourne, AU
As King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s 25th album hovers into view, where next for the world’s most restless, most inventive, most gleefully insatiable group? The answer is suggested by the sleeve of The Silver Cord, which depicts the six members of King Gizz surrounded by synthesisers of all shapes and eras. This is the album where perhaps the most thrilling rock group on the planet turn their hand to Electronic Music.
Earlier this month the band shared ‘Theia / The Silver Cord / Set‘ that introduced this captivating turn, and offered a glimpse at what was to come. The Silver Cord does something no King Gizzard album has ever attempted before — becoming an album with a split personality and of divergent possibilities. For The Silver Cord will be available in two incarnations, the first paring its seven tracks back to their hooks, their choruses, their innate pop essence, and respecting the furniture of traditional song form. The second version of the album, however, bulldozes the rules of the three-minute pop hit and lets these robotic tunes run free. The Silver Cord – Extended Mix stretches the connecting tissue between each track as far as it can, with Gizz operating as their own disco remixers and exploring the infinite possibilities contained within these extended futurist anthems, building them into astonishing epics unlike anything else in the group’s voluminous catalogue.
“The first version’s really condensed, trimming all the fat,” explains Mackenzie.
“And on the second version, that first song, ‘Theia’, is 20 minutes long. It’s the ‘everything’ version – those seven songs you’ve already heard on the first version, but with a whole lot of other shit we record while making it. It’s for the Gizz-heads. I love Donna Summer’s records with Giorgio Moroder, and I’d never listen to the short versions now – I’m one of those people who wants to hear the whole thing. We’re testing the boundaries of people’s attention spans when it comes to listening to music, perhaps – but I’m heavily interested in destroying such concepts.”
For King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, there is no final frontier. Over a decade into their quixotic musical journey, this twelve-legged Antipodean noise machine has taken genres as diverse as Turkish psychedelia, motorik prog, conceptual thrash-metal, bucolic folk-rock, liminal funk, haywire garage-noise and even gonzoid hip-hop and bent each one to their will. Longtime Gizz-aficionados will know that The Silver Cord is not the group’s first excursion into the world of wires and oscillators and gadgetry – their 2021 album Butterfly 3000 (their 18th, for all the numerologists in the room) was centred around vintage modular synthesisers and arpeggiators they’d liberated from the world’s junk shops along their travels. But that album’s bugged-out progressive pop suite was an offshoot of necessity, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard using this tech as a means to create an album while they were isolated from each other during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Silver Cord, by contrast, is a full-hearted and purposeful embrace of electronic equipment and, indeed, electronic music in its own right. It all began with an ancient electronic drum kit, purchased on impulse by Gizz’s hirsute rhythm master, Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh. The Simmons drum set is an iconic relic of 1980s futurism, its octagonal drum-pads instantly recognisable from music videos of that era.
“The Simmons kit is really sick, actually,” grins Stu Mackenzie, Gizzard’s singer/guitarist.
“It has this little ‘electronic’ brain all the drum-pads plug into, and while the sounds it can make are pretty rudimentary, we soon decided we wanted to commit to it as the drum sound for this next record. We set Cavs’ Simmons kit up in the centre of the room, and then dragged every synth we had in the practice space or lying about our houses into the studio, and plugged everything in. It was chaotic. It was probably the coolest our studio has ever looked, to be honest.”
“The Silver Cord has been billed as a more electronic-leaning project to come from King Gizzard, whose members cited artists like Kraftwerk and Donna Summer as inspiration. You can definitely hear those influences on ‘Theia,’ ‘The Silver Cord,’ and ‘Set'” — Consequence
“The Aussie Maestros deliver seven concise tracks of electronica..”— UNCUT
“Is there no stopping King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard?”— Prog
“The Silver Cord revels in the sheer euphoria of unashamed hedonism. Rave on!” — Classic Rock
“…with nods to techno forefathers such as Kraftwerk and Underworld powering this surprising change of pace.” — SPIN
The group approached the songwriting for The Silver Cord with the same improv impulse that guided its sister album, the thrash epic PetroDragonic Apocalypse, and the preceding Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava. Each day, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard entered the studio and improvised these songs into existence from the ground up, shaping them from their moments of collaborative, on-the-fly inspiration. The difference from those earlier albums, of course, was the equipment they were using, and the influences they were honouring.
“We come at electronic music from an amateur angle,” acknowledges Mackenzie.
“I play the Juno synthesiser like a guitar, I don’t really know how to play it. But I wanted to be at peace with being the rock band pretending to know how to use modular synthesisers. We’re in uncharted waters, we’re further out to sea, but leaning into it, and we got to a spot where we were really happy with what came out.”
“I play the Juno synthesiser like a guitar, I don’t really know how to play it. But I wanted to be at peace with being the rock band pretending to know how to use modular synthesisers. We’re in uncharted waters, we’re further out to sea, but leaning into it, and we got to a spot where we were really happy with what came out.”
The fusion of such weighty themes (with music that sees King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard boldly go where they’ve never gone before) is exactly the kind of risky business that is the group’s métier. Their cavalier disregard for safety nets and comfort zones is a defining characteristic and one that is yielding the best music of their career. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s liberating to terrify yourself,” Mackenzie grins. “I really believe in that as a philosophy. It’s always been part of our DNA. It’s something we’ve always done, putting ourselves in a position where the cortisol kicks in, pushing ourselves off the bridge and forcing ourselves to swim. Maybe we’ve got the thrill-seeker gene in us or something. It’s definitely my idea of fun.”
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD NOMINATED FOR 4 X ARIA AWARDS 2023:
Best Group King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
Best Rock Album King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushroom and Lava
Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
Best Video presented by YouTube Gila Monster – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard [VOTE HERE]
The Silver Cord tracklisting…
1 LP VERSION 1. Theia 2. The Silver Cord 3. Set 4. Chang’e 5. Gilgamesh 6. Swan Song 7. Extinction
Come and lose yourself in the breathless new chapter of Boo Seeka, aka the hypnotic project driven by Australian singer-songwriter Ben “Boo” Gumbleton, with the talented artist today announcing a brand new album, MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT, set for release on Friday 19 January; and an extensive tour to follow in February and March next year.
Heralding a brand new album chapter last week with a fresh new single Come With Me, Boo Seeka served up a lustrous twinkle of smooth beats, summery electronics and compelling vocals. Also adding a calm yet powerful addition to the burgeoning Boo Seeka legacy, Come With Me effortlessly ignites an exciting sonic rebirth for Boo Seeka following the release of his sophomore album Between The Head & The Heart in 2022, with album #3, MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT, set to open the floodgates into the essence of the Boo Seeka creative psyche in 2024 – and the album’s accompanying tour is also set to offer equal moments of immersion, escapism and otherworldly bliss in a way only Boo Seeka can facilitate. Starting out on Friday 16 February in Maroochydore in Queensland, the MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT album tour will make its way to Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Rye, Belgrave, Adelaide, Hobart, Margaret River, Bunbury, Fremantle, Mackay and Townsville, before concluding on Saturday 23 March at Gilligans in Cairns.
An artist presale is now live using the code MIDNIGHT and general public tickets go on sale at 9am AEDT on Tuesday 31 October from https://www.booseeka.com/
Spurred by his pursuit to find and provoke clarity and happiness via music, Boo Seeka consistently builds his immersive sonic worlds around eclectic and invigorating foundations, with his freshly announced upcoming album set to expand further into unbridled territory, as Gumbleton explains, “MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHTmeans a new chapter has been written for me personally, and I can’t wait to go share it with people who want to be part of it. I’m not saying we are reinventing the wheel here, but I don’t think anyone can say we sound exactly like any other artist, which is what I think any creative person should strive for. Each album (and each track to be honest) will change, and we are not going to put ourselves in a box for the years to come. What sounds good to us in that moment is what we write and record!”
Set to christen MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT across the country in 2024, fans can also expect moments of pure, exhilarating Boo Seeka magic next February and March, with the seasoned performer ready to return to the space that has simultaneously anchored and grown the Boo Seeka journey to date: performing live on stage alongside bandmate Jay Bainbridge. “Touring and playing live, I think, has always, and will always be, the biggest part and growth for Boo,” shares Gumbleton, “for two reasons: some people meditate, do yoga, surf etc. to feel grounded and reset. For us, it’s playing live. When we are off the road, we both get quite anxious and some anxiety, to be honest. So the more touring, the better. We always want to get better at our craft every time we go out on the road so that hopefully people can expect a better show than the last. It always makes us happy when we hear people tell us that this is their 10th, 15th etc. time seeing us, as it makes us feel like we always put on a good show. If someone comes for the first time, we just hope they become one of those people.”
Unforgettably emerging onto the Australian music landscape via the astral debut single Kingdom Leader back in 2015 and a debut album Never Too Soon in 2017, Boo Seeka continues to create and cultivate triumphs, witnessed most recently via the hotly-anticipated second full-length album Between The Head & The Heart in 2022, and a collab with acclaimed Aussie artist Hayden James on the track Free, also culminating in Boo Seeka appearing with James onstage at the iconic Coachella Festival in California last year. With millions of streams across his catalogue, Never Too Soon peaking at #8 on the ARIA Charts, three certified gold tracks and countless live performances under the Boo Seeka belt, including appearances at Splendour In The Grass and Beyond The Valley, three sold out headline runs and supporting the likes of Hayden James, MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT is set to add yet another dazzling high point in the Boo Seeka journey; and it will be truly something to savour for both Boo Seeka and fans across Australia, as he concludes, “Every show brings a new experience, and that is another reason we love being on the road. As an artist, I hate normality because it’s not inspiring to us. Because of this, we seriously look forward to each show ahead and look forward to what it will bring.”
MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT is set for release Friday 19 January.
Tickets to the MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT album tour go on sale at 9am AEDT on Tuesday 31 October from https://www.booseeka.com/
MIDNIGHT HIGHLIGHT ALBUM TOUR
FRI 16 FEB 24 | SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 17 FEB 24 | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 23 FEB 24 | METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.ticketek.com.au | 1300 364 001 | All Ticketek Outlets
SAT 24 FEB 24 | KING STREET BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 25 FEB 24 | MIAMI MARKETTA LANEWAY, GOLD COAST QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 1 MAR 24 | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 02 MAR 24 | HABA, RYE VIC | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SUN 03 MAR 24 | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 08 MAR 24 | LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 09 MAR 24 | UNI BAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 15 MAR 24 | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER WA | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 16 MAR 24 | FROTH CRAFT BUNBREWERY, BUNBURY WA | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.humanitix.com.au | +61 2 7202 6035 | All Humanitix Outlets
SUN 17 MAR 24 | FREO.SOCIAL, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
THU 21 MAR 24 | SEABREEZE HOTEL, MACKAY QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 22 MAR 24 | OTHERWISE BAR, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 23 MAR 24 | GILLIGANS, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
Tickets available soon from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
Internationally renowned singer, songwriter Louis Tomlinson has launched an exciting new opportunity for 3 new up and coming bands to join the bill at each of his Australian tour dates early next year.
As his Faith In The Future World Tour makes its stop in Australia in January and February next year, Louis is looking for 3 local support acts to each open his tour shows at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane’s Riverstage, and Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Louis is no stranger to showing his support for grass roots music, often inviting new and exciting bands to join his tours giving them a chance to play in front of his fans around the world, and also at his festival, The Away From Home Festival, that he launched in 2021 as a way to showcase new bands as the event moves around the World every year.
See dates below and for bands to apply they can head over to HERE
Sunday, January 28, 2024 MELBOURNE – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Tuesday, January 30, 2024 BRISBANE – Riverstage
Friday, February 2, 2024 SYDNEY – Qudos Bank Arena
Louis’s return to Australia will delight his mass loyal fanbase and follows his recent chart topping second solo album ‘Faith In The Future’, a collection of songs designed for the live environment. On returning Louis shares, “Australia is somewhere I’ve always loved and really enjoyed visiting. I have some incredible tour memories there and I can’t wait to return and bring the Faith In the Future tour to Australia”.
Earlier this year Louis also unveiled his emotive documentary film, ‘All Of Those Voices’. Released in cinemas worldwide for a limited time, it was a standout refreshingly raw and real look at his incredible musical journey through never-before-seen home movie footage, and behind the scenes access to Louis’ sell-out 2022 World Tour. Trailer HERE
MG Live, Frontier Touring, Illusive Presents, Hit Network (AU), ZM & Flava (NZ) are pumped to reveal all show’s set times and venue maps for Fridayz Live 2023 powered by Macca’s – the hottest event in the Southern Hemisphere!
Jason Derulo above
Kicking off in two weeks, the countdown is on! Hitting Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, and Auckland for one night only, your favourite party is ready to deliver an unforgettable night of dance anthems, contemporary RNB and classic hip-hop hits.
Boyz II Men above
Now in its sixth edition, Fridayz Live 2023 brings you nine of the biggest household names of their genres, combining rich nostalgia with all the current hits from the 90s to now!
Flo Rida above
Unfortunately, due to sudden health reasons affecting his core touring team, Baby Bash can now no longer leave the United States to attend Fridayz Live 2023. Due to personal reasons, Abbie Chatfield is no longer available to co-host Fridayz Live 2023. Artists on the Fridayz Live 2023 tour will now have extended set times which means we are in for an extra treat!
Don’t be ridin’ solo, get your crew together before it’s too little too late as final tickets will be snapped up quicker than you can sing ‘Jason Derulo’.
Enigmatic Sydney-based modern metal monsters, Diamond Construct, become the first Australian band to join US-based record label Pale Chord’s roster and equip the news with their frenzied new single JYNX, streaming everywhere now via Greyscale Records & Pale Chord.
JYNX is Diamond Construct’s mighty return after nearly two years, revitalised with a stellar team of industry heavyweights behind them. Home to Spiritbox, Thousand Below and Harper, Pale Chord will represent Diamond Construct in North America, joining Australia’s Greyscale Records for the rest of the world.
“It feels incredible to partner up with our second label, and humbling to know that four guys from small towns have the opportunity to make a wave on this giant planet,” says the band.
An ode to long time DC fans, JYNX revisits the bands chaotic metal roots and refines their craft, “We wanted to write something heavy for the people who resonate with our faster, heavier stuff,” says the band. “This one sets a new standard for us.”
The furious new single lyrically explores feeling the weight of wearing someone else’s guilt and the toll it takes over time. JYNX is the cathartic release of that guilt, and is accompanied by a glitchy-heavy multiverse music video by Colin Jeffs of Ten Of Swords Media, watch here.
Diamond Construct is Kynan Groundwater (vocals), Braden Groundwater (guitar), Alexander Ford (bass) and Liam Newman (drums). From their humble beginnings in Taree, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, Diamond Construct have cemented their foundations with commitment to dreams of something greater.
Tenacity, drive and unyielding sonic fury coming to fruition in a heavy, distorted nu-metalcore blend of low-tuned guitars and 808s, the band have dedicated every second on stage, and countless hours otherwise to thinking outside of the norm and pushing the musical envelope through which they cut their teeth.
Their debut, self-titled album and subsequent follow up EP, ‘DCX2’, with the help of Greyscale Records, propelled the trajectory of the band to new heights and attracted the attention of Pale Chord, with both labels seeing the glimmer of originality and creativity evident in the production of their sophomore LP.
Many laps of Australia alongside such heavy-hitters as Greyscale labelmates Alpha Wolfand Justice For The Damned, as well as international acts including Stray From The Path, Bury Tomorrow and Kingdom of Giants have created a base of loyal, frothing fans, recognising that there’s no better place for Diamond Construct than on a big stage, commanding the energy and putting everything into their show from the first note to the last.
This is Diamond Construct. The time for talk is over.
JYNX is out now and streaming everywhere via Greyscale Records and Pale Chord.
Brisbane alt-rock trio Torizon share triumphant new single Martyr, launching live on the Gold Coast this weekend supporting Bridge Left To Burn on the Bitter Endings East Coast Tour.
Mixed and mastered by Chris Blancato (Northlane, Reliqa, Vilify), new single Martyr is written from the perspective of a person dealing with previous underlying trauma that finally finds themselves ready to break out of a narcissistic relationship.
Vocalist Mish Sharma explains: “The lyrics explore the victim grappling with the reality of the situation and deciding to leave; even though the trauma brain is persistent about staying because it feels ‘familiar’.”
Sharma draws from personal experience on Martyr, taking a stand against toxicity and empowering listeners to do the same. “Statistically, the likelihood of adults with childhood trauma ending up in dysfunctional and abusive relationships is very high,” says Sharma. “As someone with complex PTSD – treated – I found myself in multiple abusive relationships. With the help of a great mental health care team, all my connections now are safe and supportive.”
The trio will play Vinnies Dive Bar on the Gold Coast this weekend to launch their new single live, supporting Bridge Left To Burn on the Queensland leg of their Bitter Endings East Coast tour. Tickets on sale now!
Torizon is Misha Sharma on vocals and piano, Luke Kleinschmidt on guitar, bass and synth and Jordan Miller on drums and percussion. The Brisbane three-piece blend modern rock and metal genres to create their own brand of energetic and anthemic alternative rock. Not ones to shy away from exploring the full palate of human emotion, their body of work is teeming with evocative hooks, irresistible grooves, blistering riffs, and frontwoman Sharma’s larger than life vocals.
Torizon ‘Martyr’ Officail Single Artwork above Release4d Friday October 27
Since their inception, Torizon has garnered global coverage and airplay from the likes of triple j, Unearthed, Triple M, Metal Sucks, HEAVY Mag, Kill Your Stereo, New Noise Magazine and more and have seen adds to Apple Music editorial playlist Heaps Heavy as well as hundreds of Spotify user playlists.
The group has performed alongside Circles, Valhalore, Darkcell, Orpheus Omega, as well as securing slots at Wallapalooza and Jacaranda Festivals. With an impressive reportoire under their collective belts, Torizon are back with an emotive new banger Martyr, with the promise of a long-awaited larger release in 2024.
Taking Back Sunday: John Nolan (lead guitar, piano, vocals), Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), Shaun Cooper (bass) and Mark O’Connell (drums) shared Keep Going, the fourth and final preview track from their upcoming new album 152, due Friday, October 27, 2023, via Fantasy. Reflecting the darkness in betrayal and the light of forgiveness, the percussive, quick-hitting rocker arrives just days ahead of the band’s long-awaited LP 152, Taking Back Sunday’s first full-length album in seven years.
Mark O’Connell on Keep Going: “’Keep Going’ is a song about struggling through relationships with the people you love. When it rains it pours, but you’ve got to get up and keep going. It’s a heavy song with an important message that fits the inclusive positivity of 152.”
Tomorrow, fans around the world can get a sneak peek of 152 as Taking Back Sunday hosts an album listening party followed by a live video chat with the band immediately following the playback. Find it HERE.
In addition, Taking Back Sunday will celebrate the release of 152, with series of intimate album release shows, promotional events, and in-store appearances, all of which sold-out in a matter of minutes including: Fingerprints in-Store (Long Beach, CA) November 4, Lodge Room album release show (Los Angeles) November 6, Grimey’s in-Store (Nashville) Nov. 8, Eastside Bowl album release show (Nashville) Nov 9, Looney Tunes in-store (New York) Nov. 12, and Bowery Ballroom album release show (NYC) Nov 13.
The band also recently announced the 9th Annual Taking Back Sunday Holiday Spectacular at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh, NY December 13 and 14, and Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on December 15 and 16.
Produced by Tushar Apte (whom the band met through a mutual collaboration with noted DJ Steve Aoki) and mixed by Neal Avron (Twenty One Pilots, Bleachers), 152 features 10 intensely vulnerable and absorbing new tracks all delivered with fresh ambition and newfound purpose. Inspired by the long layoff and the cloud of uncertainty that blanketed the world (and music industry) these past few years, 152stands among the most genuinely reflective and emotionally pure efforts of Taking Back Sunday’s illustrious career.
Anticipation among fans for the new album continues to build. Previously released tracks, (along with Keep Going) include The One,S’old, and Amphetamine Smiles. All through 152, the consistent thread is one of generosity, gratitude and ultimately, hope.
Taking Back Sunday will perform this November in North America before heading to Australia for Good Things Festival alongside Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Devo and many more. The band will also appear in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney at their own Good Things Festival headline sideshows.
152 TRACK LISTING:
01. Amphetamine Smiles
02. S’old
03. The One
04. Keep Going
05. I Am the Only One Who Knows You
06. Quit Trying
07. Lightbringer
08. New Music Friday
09. Juice 2 Me
10. The Stranger
TAKING BACK SUNDAY UPCOMING 2023 SHOWS:
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL 2023
FEATURING FALL OUT BOY LIMP BIZKIT DEVO I PREVAIL, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, COREY TAYLOR PENNYWISE, SPIDERBAIT, SLOWLY SLOWLY, ENTER SHIKARI BEHEMOTH, SEPULTURA, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, PVRIS & MANY MORE
FRIDAY 1 DECEMBER – FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, MELBOURNE (LIC AA) SATURDAY 2 DECEMB ER – CENTENNIAL PARK, SYDNEY (18+) SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER – SHOWGROUNDS, BRISBANE (LIC AA) SOLD OUT
