News

STEPHEN SANCHEZ ADDS

SECOND SYDNEY, MELBOURNE

& PERTH DATES TO

AUSTRALIAN TOUR THIS

APRIL & MAY

Viral star Stephen Sanchez has revealed he will play second Sydney, Melbourne and Perth shows on his anticipated return to Australia this April and May, after first shows completely sold out.

Following a hugely successful debut Australian tour in 2023 which saw the troubadour play multiple sold out rooms around the country, Sanchez brings his Angel Face Tour down under less than 12 months after his show-stopping last visit.

Kicking off with back-to-back shows at Perth’s Astor Theatre on Tuesday 23(sold out – rescheduled from 8 May) and Wednesday 24 April (new show), Sanchez will head through Brisbane’s Tivoli on Friday 26 April (sold out – rescheduled from 6 May), Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Sunday 28 (new show) and Enmore Theatre on Monday 29 April (sold out), and Melbourne’s Forumon Tuesday 30 April (sold out) and Wednesday 1 May (new show).

Frontier Members can access presale tickets to the newly announced shows tomorrow from 11am local time, before tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday 1 March at 12 noon (local time).

For more information, head to frontiertouring.com/stephensanchez

“… it was Sanchez’s voice that was most captivating: velvety, with a controlled, era-appropriate vibrato that echoes back to the likes of Roy Orbison. His vocals were topped with a stage presence that crossed Elvis Presley with Michael Jackson, with sharp little hand movements that exploded into full-body shakes” – The Washington Post

In Stephen Sanchez, raw talent arises, and his future promises monumental success. If his name wasn’t on your radar before, it certainly is now” ​
​– Spill Magazine

“Stephen Sanchez personifies Elvis… transporting viewers to another era.” – Rolling Stone

Stephen Sanchez has materialized at the forefront of popular culture with a sound that’s as timeless as it is necessary for the times. It’s easy to sway into the embrace of his breezy baritone stylings, warm guitar phrasing, and untouchable charisma.

The release of his global hit ‘Until I Found You’ saw the world embrace the swoon-worthy artist. Barely in his twenties, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer has already enchanted audiences around the world, with the track reaching multi-platinum status, vaulting into the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 25, hitting No.8 on the ARIA Chart and generating more than 2 billion streams. Heavily influenced by music of the 1950’s and 60’s, Stephen’s stunning catalogue of songs is nostalgic for a time gone by.

Following his much talked-about performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden – even an invitation to join Elton John on his final show headlining Glastonbury 2023 – and successive sold-out headline tours, Stephen released his second album, Angel Face last year. A tale-telling project, taking listeners on a journey through fictional 1958 musician The Troubadour Sanchez, Stephen treated fans to sneak peeks of the album on his last visit. Now in 2024, the singer-songwriter will return to perform the perfectly curated sing-along hits fans know and love.

Local singer-songwriter GRAACE will warm audiences across Stephen’s Australian dates. Thrust into the spotlight after she featured on Hayden James 2017 track ‘Numb’, GRAACE has wowed audiences around the country. GRAACE delivered her recent Self Preservation EP, after embarking on a new era of organic pop; through it, she returns to her roots, retaining the candid, goosebump-inducing songwriting that first won her legions of global fans.

A live spectacle with impeccable vocals, don’t miss Stephen Sanchez as he returns to Australia for seven special shows this April and May.

STEPHEN SANCHEZ
​WITH SPECIAL GUEST GRAACE
​AUSTRALIAN TOUR
​APRIL & MAY 2024
​Presented by Frontier Touring

FRONTIER MEMBERS PRESALE | NEW SHOWS ONLY
​via frontiertouring.com/stephensanchez
​Runs 24 hours from: Thursday 29 February, 11am (local)
​or until presale allocation exhausted

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE | NEW SHOWS ONLY
​Begins: Friday 1 March, 12pm (local)

TUESDAY 23 APRIL
​(previously Wednesday 8 May)
​Astor Theatre | Perth, WA
​SOLD OUT
​Lic. All Ages

WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL
​Astor Theatre | Perth, WA
​NEW SHOW, JUST ADDED
​Lic. All Ages
​ticketek.com.au

FRIDAY 26 APRIL
​(previously Monday 6 May)
​The Tivoli | Brisbane, QLD
​SOLD OUT
​18+

SUNDAY 28 APRIL
​Metro Theatre | Sydney, NSW
​NEW SHOW, JUST ADDED
​Lic. All Ages
​ticketek.com.au

MONDAY 29 APRIL
​Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW
​SOLD OUT
​Lic. All Ages

TUESDAY 30 APRIL
​Forum Melbourne | Melbourne, VIC
​SOLD OUT
​18+

WEDNESDAY 1 MAY
​Forum Melbourne | Melbourne, VIC
​NEW SHOW, JUST ADDED
​18+
​ticketek.com.au

Support act Graace above

Follow Stephen Sanchez

Follow Graace

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX

ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

X’s

Cigarettes After Sex announce their new LP, titled X’s (due July 12), alongside their upcoming world tour, which includes Australia & New Zealand dates in March 2025 and features shows at some of the globe’s most iconic venues, like Madison Square Garden and London’s O2 Arena.

Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slow burn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years.

 “The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”

While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ‘50s and ‘60s, finding himself now drawn to a ‘70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.

Today also marks the release of the record’s first single, ‘Tejano Blue’, a nod to the music of bandleader Greg Gonzalez’s Texas childhood, resulting in the most instantly memorable version (and liveliest tempo) yet of the band’s signature sensual, timeless, love songs.

Gonzalez explains: “I grew up in El Paso & Tejano music is huge there. You could go to a lot of the bars in the city & hear artists like Selena, Los Ángeles Azules & La Mafia playing over the speakers. It was in the atmosphere around me back then, but I always rejected it & gravitated towards anything else I was attracted to really.

“Years later when I was living in New York City I finally started listening to Selena’s ‘Como La Flor’ at the same time that I was also listening to a lot of Cocteau Twins. I had the idea then to try to combine both of their sounds somehow, which felt a bit strange, but also felt like it was coming from a genuine place of rediscovering & finally connecting with the music that I heard around me in my youth.”

‘Tejano Blue’ is available now, and Cigarettes After Sex’s new LP, X’s, is out July 12th via Partisan Records / Liberator Music.

Cigarettes After Sex will bring their live show to Australia & New Zealand in March 2025. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, March 8 at 10am local time at cigarettesaftersex.com.

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX TOUR DATES
Ticket details at: https://www.cigarettesaftersex.com/shows
 
Wed 12 March 2025 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena  
Fri 14 Mar 2025 | Sydney | ICC Theatre  
Mon 17 Mar 2025 | Brisbane | Brisbane Entertainment Centre  
Wed 19 Mar 2025 | Auckland | Spark Arena

Cigarettes After Sex – ‘Tejano Blue’

Out now via Partisan Records / Liberator Music

Listen/watch here

Cigarettes After Sex – X’s
Out Friday 12 July via Partisan Records / Liberator Music
Pre-order here
 
Tracklisting:
1. X’s
2. Tejano Blue
3. Silver Sable
4. Hideaway
5. Holding you, Holding me
6. Dark Vacay
7. Baby Blue Movie
8. Hot
9. Dreams From Bunker Hill
10. Ambien Slide

Follow Cigarettes After Sex

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

HEY! ASTRO EXPLORES

UPS & DOWNS OF YOUNG

LOVE ON ‘SUPERFICIAL’

Hot off winning triple j Unearthed’s Lost Paradise competition over the summer, Central-Coast indie musician Hey! Astro has dropped his first single of the year: new alt-pop release ‘Superficial’.

 “‘Superficial’ is about being in love with someone who has bad intentions. But after escaping this relationship, I’ve realised how much better I am without them.” – Hey! Astro

He captures the heady and addictive confusion of a messy young love, juxtaposing lyrics like ‘my mind’s stuck in maze, made a mess of it all’ with a cool hook-laden soundscape that proudly leans into indie pop-sensibilities.

As the project of talented indie songwriter and musician Owen Elepano, Hey! Astro started as an avenue to explore an early love for music-making. His musical journey starting in 2017, the foundations of Hey! Astro began in the schoolyard, where he developed a talent and love for creating crafty diss tracks against classmates, engaging in friendly battles during these formative years living in Western Sydney.

Fast forward to more recent years, and Hey! Astro has evolved into a dynamic and multi-talented creative, threading individualism throughout each release.

Releasing his debut single, ‘Birthday’ in 2022, Hey! Astro introduced himself as a young artist unafraid to play with form; a track that fits as well within pop circles as it would for indie and hip-hop fans, the fusion of myriad influences brought Elepano early interest from tastemakers at outlets like triple J Unearthed and Rolling Stone Australia.

Following an impressive introduction, 2023 saw Hey! Astro return with dynamic releases ‘Where Was You Going’, ‘Place To Speak’, ‘Wonderland’ and ‘SUPERSTAR’ – the latter featuring fellow rising indie artist Matilda Pearl.

2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for this incredible young artist. With a full body of work on the horizon, it’s only up from here.

Hey! Astro – ‘Superficial’ Out now via I OH YOU Listen/watch here

FOR FANS OF: Dominic Fike | Artemas | Bakar

Follow Hey! Astro

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

ALTERJOY SHARES

ELECTRIC NEW SINGLE

“BETTER MAKE A MOVE”

Dark-pop solo powerhouse ALTERJOY shares new single Better Make A Move, begging the question – is the price of fame and ego worth losing yourself?

Working alongside established producer Chris Lalic (Windwaker), Ben Heidrich, also known as ALTERJOY, takes a step into the dark side of ambition and desire with his fresh new single. The new track explores our addiction to instant gratification and the hunger for attention as we prioritise status and wealth over human connection, particularly in such a social media driven society.

Better Make A Move is a rock tune at its core, but delves into elements of EDM, metal, dark pop and hip hop, inspired by artists to the likes of Enter Shikari, BILMURI and Ghostmane. Experimenting with a broad range of genres, ALTERJOY sets out on a unique path of self discovery and sonic exploration.

ALTERJOY is the brainchild of singer songwriter Ben Heidrich, predominantly known for his role as drummer in Adelaide alternative metal outfit, The Daily Chase. Relocating to the Gold Coast last year, Heidrich ignites his creativity in the form of ALTERJOY, a project free from genre restraint and restriction.

Launching in 2023, This is Real became ALTERJOY’s debut single, a rock anthem built upon a cinematic landscape, paving the foundations of alternative pop rock mixed with EDM elements. A blend of dark synths and vibrant keys sought to strike listeners in the feels from the first drop.

This year’s sophomore single Hella Good is a fierce and confident cover of a No Doubt favourite. The single reached tens of thousands of streams across YouTube and Spotify and further established ALTERJOY as a newcomer worth watching.

ALTERJOY is a musical odyssey for those craving something refreshingly unique and thought-provoking. Heidrich’s refusal to be confined by convention has led his solo project into uncharted territory, creating a thrilling and unpredictable listening experience.

Better Make A Move is available and streaming everywhere now. Official Single artwork below

Follow Alterjoy

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

DAN SULTAN CELEBRATES

10 YEARS OF BLACKBIRD WITH

LIMITED EDITION

VINYL RELEASE 

In excellent news for fans of Dan Sultan today, the esteemed singer-songwriter has announced the release of a 10 Year Anniversary pressing of his acclaimed album Blackbird (out April 26 via Liberation Records), This limited edition, signed pressing of Blackbird has been re-invigorated with a fresh layout and will be pressed on exquisite transparent red vinyl with black dust throughout. Today he also announced a celebratory show with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in July.

Recorded at Nashville’s famous Blackbird Studios with super producer Jacquire King(Tom Waits, Kings Of Leon) and originally released in April 2014, Blackbird debuted at #4 on the ARIA Albums Chart and went on to achieve gold accreditation. Featuring the hits ‘Under Your Skin‘, ‘The Same Man‘ and ‘Kimberley Calling‘, Blackbird took out the ARIA award for Best Rock Album, the AIR Award for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album and a NIMA award for National Cover Art of the Year.

At its core, Blackbird is the simple journey of a man singing about love, desire and identity, where powerhouse riffs are met by crackling gospel interludes, rock and roll, soul jams, pure country tones and bare, aching ballads.

In further celebration of the album’s anniversary, Dan will join the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra during NAIDOC Week to perform songs from Blackbird, along with hits from his extensive catalogue. The MSO will be conducted by Noongar man Aaron Wyatt with musical arrangements from Alex Turley.

Dan says he jumped at the opportunity to reunite with the MSO on this special anniversary, after headlining the Orchestra’s 2023 performance One Song: The Music of Archie Roach.

“I loved the experience of making Blackbird. I spent two months in Nashville and worked with an incredible producer in Jacquire King and was able to take my band with me, Pete Marin and Josh Jones. We all had a wonderful time together and made something really special. It was a huge adventure and something I’ll always cherish. To bring this music to the MSO is a huge honour and a big challenge that I’m very excited about. I think we will make something very special once again.” – Dan Sultan

A consummate performer with the ability to deliver memorable, transcendent shows, Dan’s recent performances, including a show-stopping rendition of ‘Took The Children Away’ at Mushroom 50, indicate that fans are in for an absolute treat.

More about Dan Sultan

Dan Sultan is an undeniably important artist. One of Australia’s most loved singer-songwriters, he boasts numerous accolades to his name, including multiple ARIA Awards, AIR Awards, NIMA Awards and two Top 5 ARIA-charting albums.

Last year, Dan released his fifth studio album, the self-titled Dan Sultan, which won the ARIA for ‘Best Adult Contemporary Album’, and was also nominated for ‘Best Solo Artist’ and ‘Best Independent Release’. The release saw him perform a sold-out East Coast tour and travel to the US in support of Vance Joy for sold-out shows at iconic venues including Central Park, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Ryman. ‘Story’ – the lead track from the record – was shortlisted last week for APRA’s peer-voted ‘Song of the Year’

Dan Sultan – Blackbird
Out Friday 26 April via Liberation Records
Pre-order HERE

Tracklisting:
1. Make Me Slip
2. Can’t Blame Me
3. Under Your Skin
4. High Street Riot
5. Ain’t Thinking About You
6. Kimberley Calling
7. The Same Man
8. Nobody Knows
9. Waiting On The End Of The Phone
10. It Belongs To Us
11. No More Explanations
12. Loving’s Just For Fools
13. Gullible Few

DAN SULTAN x MSO
Tickets on sale Thursday February 29, details at www.mso.com.au
Fri 12 Jul | Hamer Hall, The Arts Centre | Melbourne VIC
 
DAN SULTAN TOUR DATES
Thu 29 Feb | Milton Theatre | Milton NSW
Fri 1 Mar | Milton Theatre | Milton NSW
Sat 2 Mar | Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre | Bathurst NSW
Fri 8 Mar | Enlighten Up Late at the National Gallery of Australia | Parkes ACT
Sun 10 Mar | Civic Theatre | Newcastle NSW
Thu 28 Mar | Byron Bay | Bluesfest NSW
Sun 30 Mar | Byron Bay | Bluesfest NSW
Fri 26 Apr | The Gum Ball | Belford NSW

Follow Dan Sultan

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

MAINA DOE ANNOUNCE

RELEASE OF LATEST SINGLE

‘WITNESS’

Maina Doe ushers in a year of renewed creative works with new single ‘Witness’

Maina Doe above

Firmly established as one of the most masterful and captivating R&B stars coming through globally – Maina Doe is an artist who represents the expansive nature of contemporary music, with earnest experimentation at her core.

Reinforcing her unique position as a multi-sensory artist, Maina has starred in campaigns with fashion heavyweights Vogue, Chanel and Calvin Klein, sold out her headline show at VIVID last year, played an impressive Sydney Opera House performance for Liminal, supported the likes of Masego, Tkay Maidza, and Winston Surfshirt; and garnered attention from tastemakers at BBC1Extra, triple j, FBi, VICE, RUSSH & more.

Follow Maina Doe

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

KUČKA RELEASES

MONUMENTAL NEW SINGLE

‘ONE MORE NIGHT

(FEAT. FLUME)’

After years of collaborating and touring the world together, electronic producer/vocalist KUČKA (aka Laura Lowther) and beloved Grammy award winner Flume have joined forces again on mind-melting new single ‘One More Night’.

Salacious and satisfying, ‘One More Night’ is the massive pop moment the pair’s creative partnership has been building to. Seeing its first spin on triple j Breakfast this morning, the track was ideated during a writing session for Flume’s Palaces, alongside his album track ‘ESCAPE (feat. KUČKA)’. It was revived while on tour together in New York a year later.

‘One more night and it’s the last time’ had been stuck in KUČKA’s head that day, a forgotten lyric she couldn’t place. After plugging it into her computer and discovering the forgotten demo, the pair decided to finish it in a conversation enroute to that night’s show, and took it back into the studio a week later. ‘One More Night’ was reborn and built from the original demo’s first verse, this time with KUČKA’s project in mind, culminating in their most collaborative creative effort to date.

“I found myself singing ‘hunger for your desire, body an icon to admire’ and it made me laugh. It captures that ridiculous feeling when you’re infatuated and addicted to your crush. You become a performative cartoon. And it’s just as fun giving the performance as it is receiving it. It’s this horny funny exchange.” – KUČKA

Dialling effortlessly between explosive crescendos and moments of near-silence, KUČKA credits Flume’s fearless production choices with nudging her further out of her comfort zone. The release comes with an absurd and campy music video by Natural Fantasy, the moniker of director duo Dillon Howl and KUČKA. In the video, KUČKA plays a tongue in cheek cam girl obsessed with performing bizarre acts for her viewers. The meta nature of the video’s concept —we are watching someone cam-girling — plays on the voyeuristic nature of KUČKA’s songwriting as of late. “I love being an emotional voyeur, that way I can write from anyone’s perspective – even someone created from my imagination. There’s fantasy in that.”

KUČKA has quickly become one of Australia’s most exciting musical exports, now based in L.A.. She boasts major collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Flume, SOPHIE, Vegyn, Mount Kimbie, Machinedrum and more. Her seminal debut album Wrestling received critical acclaim internationally from the likes of triple j, NME, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and SPIN, earning her the cover of Spotify’s Front Left and crush and ambassador title for the platform’s PRIDE campaign.

KUČKA has captivated audiences on stage with Flume at Coachella, LA’s Kia Forum and Red Rocks, while her own headline shows – including a sold out Dark Mofo and specialVIVID Live performance at Sydney Opera House – have earnt KUČKA a reputation an impressive live act, with a mesmerising stage presence and a talent for creating immersive sonic landscapes.

KUČKA’s earnest depiction of her experiences across love and growth have been prevalent through her past releases. But a new era has seen Laura Jane Lowther, the mastermind behind KUČKA, move toward music that transcends herself, writing from different perspectives and experimenting with visual influences.

Flume has won 1x Grammy, 12x ARIAs, 2x MTV Europe Music Awards and 1x Billboard Music Award across his 12-year career. He rose into the main-stage ranks globally with his 2012 debut and Grammy-winning 2016 sophomore effort Skin, both of which topped the album chart in his home country Australia. He has worked with the likes of Lorde, Sam Smith, SOPHIE, JPEGMafia, PinkPantheress, Disclosure, Slowthai, Toro y Moi and more. KUČKA remains one of his favourite voices to work with.

KUČKA – ‘One More Night (Feat. Flume)’

Out now via Soothsayer

 Listen/watch here

Follow KUČKA

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES

SHARE DOUBLE SINGLE

PARADIGM TRIGGER +

ANGELS WEEP

U.S. metalcore act Like Moths To Flames have dropped a new double single: Paradigm Trigger and Angels Weep. It’s the first new music from the band since last spring’s I Found The Dark Side of Heaven.

Paradigm Trigger is an absolute rager, and is quite possibly the most vicious the band has ever sounded. It will make even the finest hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, thanks to the guttural growls and pummeling riffage, as well as the subtle dynamics.

“This song is about being stuck in a levitative state of sleep paralysis,” says singer Chris Roetter. “Including a lot of feelings of anxiety, it’s meant to represent the feeling of being stuck. Desperately wanting to run from everything you’re falling into but somehow you always end up back in the same place.”

Angels Weep is as ferocious as its counterpart, and is sure to stir up moshpits from coast to coast. It goes from zero to sixty in the first moment and stays there.. until the haunting, ominous fadeout.

“The track tells the story of a man who finds himself a place in a dense dark forest,” Roetter offers. “Something about it resembles heaven, but more or less has become a place where God and angels collectively go to die — a place that’s desolate and empty, hopeless and lacks any promise of getting better.”

PARADIGM TRIGGER & ANGELS WEEP – OUT NOW
https://lmtf.lnk.to/PTAW

Follow Like Moths To Flames

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

THE BEACHES

2ND SYDNEY &

MELBOURNE SHOWS ADDED

TO MEET DEMAND

Responding to huge demand for tickets during yesterday’s presale, which saw allocations in Sydney and Melbourne sell out, Frontier Touring are pleased to announce 2nd and final shows in Sydney and Melbourne for Toronto four-piece The Beaches, heading to Australia this April/May on the Blame My Ex Tour.

A 2^nd and final show has been pencilled in for The Lansdowne, Sydney on Tuesday 30 April, making it two nights back-to-back at the venue. In Melbourne, a 2^nd and final date has been added to venue Howler for Wednesday 8 May.

Tickets for the two new shows – plus all other cities – will go on sale on Monday 12 February (12pm local time) via frontiertouring.com/thebeaches.

In further news, The Beaches will be joined at all shows by Melbourne singer and songwriter Lotte Gallagher, who is currently on tour with Laneway Festival. The Northcote High student was a finalist in triple j Unearthed High competition in 2023, and recently released her debut single, ‘Adam’. “Angie McMahon out front of New Order!” was how Richard Kingsmill first described the rising artist’s sound, praising her bold vision and “unmistakably confident voice”.

Coming in at #101 on triple j’s recent Hottest 100, the boisterous ‘Blame Brett’has seen The Beaches take over the globe in 2023, the award-winning Canadians finally head down under in support of latest album Blame My Ex. While in Australia, they’ll perform five big headline dates on the east coast and take to the stage on regional festival Groovin The Moo.

Don’t miss Canada’s finest, The Beaches, this autumn. Tickets on sale Monday!

THE BEACHES
​BLAME MY EX TOUR
​APRIL/MAY 2024
​Presented by Frontier Touring

TICKETS ON SALE
​via frontiertouring.com/thebeaches
​Begins: Monday 12 February (12pm local time)

The Beaches above

ALL SHOWS 18+

Tuesday 30 April ​ ​
​NEW SHOW!
​The Lansdowne | Sydney, NSW
​moshtix.com.au

Wednesday 1 May
​The Lansdowne | Sydney, NSW
​moshtix.com.au

Monday 6 May
​The Zoo | Brisbane, QLD
​oztix.com.au

Wednesday 8 May ​ ​ ​
​NEW SHOW!
​Howler | Melbourne, VIC
​moshtix.com.au

Thursday 9 May
​Howler | Melbourne, VIC
​moshtix.com.au

Lotte Gallagher above

Follow The Beaches

Follow Lotte Gallagher

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

BAD PARTY SHARE

SULTRY NEW SINGLE

“PRAY”

Brisbane Metalcore act Bad Party deliver their heaviest single to date with sultry new single Pray, their first release with brand new vocalist Dale Dudeson of fellow Brisbane metalcore outfit Revoid.

Pray is produced, mixed and mastered by Callan Orr at Avalanche Studios (Dream On Dreamer, Bad/Love, Alt.) and is partnered with a dark music video directed and edited by Colin Jeffs at Tens of Swords Media – watch the video here.

The new single is a provocative track that explores the power of human connection. Vocalist Dale Dudeson explains: “Innuendo aside, Pray was a concept I had been working on for a while. Originally it was a take on how the right person can really bring you to your knees, sometimes in both beautiful and destructive ways.”

While the foundations of the song take on a seductive tone, the band also highlight the other side of the coin, “Rather than keep the entire affair “sleazy”, we wanted to touch on a very real issue with the way people become unrequitedly infatuated with others with no real cause to do so. For some people, just a glance is enough, but for others, it’s all too much and quite often a pain in the ass.”

Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Bad Party is Daniel Long and Alex Nisiriou (formerly of Chronolyth) on guitars, Campbell Henderson on bass, and Dale Dudeson. The quartet burst onto the scene in 2022 with their EP, ‘Beyond Repair‘. This release attracted all the right attention and set the stage for their live debut, where they found themselves headlining a sold-out show in support of their debut release.

Their latest single Want It became their best performing single to date, with Hysteria Magcommenting: “The track showcases some of the best aspects of heavy music”. Triple j Unearthed added the single to rotation as Dave Ruby Howe gave the track 4 stars and reviewed with: “When you order steak with a side of steak. Extra meaty from the Bad Party boys.”

Since their inception, the band have seized every opportunity to connect with their growing fanbase and have played alongside artists to the likes of Banks Arcade, Diamond Constuct, Clay J Gladstone, She Cries Wolf, Headwreck and more.

Bad Party draw influence from a wide variety of genres including electronic, rock, grunge, nu-metal and metalcore. The sonic amalgamation of sounds has seen the band evolve into a formidable force over their two year life span and have solidified them as rising stars to keep eyes on in Australia’s alternative community.

“Pray” is available now and streaming everywhere.

Follow Bad Party

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts

MELVINS ANNOUNCE

NEW ALBUM

TARANTULA HEART

The Melvins latest opus, Tarantula Heart is quite possibly the band’s most unconventional and imaginative work yet, but also some of their catchiest, continuing a legacy celebrated for its eccentric and extraordinary output.

A preview of the five-song, 39-minute collection arrives with the release of ‘Working The Ditch’, and the accompanying Jesse Nieminen-created video. Nieminen previously directed the band’s short film, ‘A Walk With Love and Death’.

“The way we approached Tarantula Heart was different than any other Melvins’ album,” explains Buzz Osborne. “I had Dale and Roy Mayorga come in and play along with Steven and I to some riffs, then I took those sessions and figured out what parts would work and wrote new music to fit. This isn’t a studio approach we’ve ever taken. Usually we have the songs written BEFORE we start recording!” 

“The majority of Tarantula Heart has dual drum parts,” adds long-time Melvins drummer Dale Crover. “Roy is an amazing drummer. We would discuss what we would do pattern wise, then we’d just go for it. Improvising riffs and trading off on drum fills.”

In actuality nothing appeared out of thin air. Buzz spent hours and hours with the drum tracks by himself writing songs to what he was hearing drum wise. “When the rest of the band heard these songs I’d created from the sessions, they were blown away,” Buzz shares. “These were fully developed new songs that they’d never heard before that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Presto!”

Recorded, mixed and co-produced by longtime Melvins’ collaborator Toshi Kasai, the album also features We Are The Asteroid guitar player Gary Chester. Gary and the Melvins’ history goes back to their days on Boner Records, with the guitar player formerly having been a part of the legendary band, Ed Hall.

Next month sees the Melvins return to Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2017, supporting current labelmates, Mr. Bungle, on The Raging Wrath of Australia & New Zealand tour across six capital city dates.

About the Melvins:
The Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, the group founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne (with stalwart drummer Dale Crover joining the following year), has been credited with merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music, forming a new subgenre all its own. Over the band’s 40-plus-year history, they’ve released over 30 original albums, numerous live full-lengths and far too many to count singles and rarities. Recent releases include 2022’s Bad Mood Rising, a really good collection of what the Melvins do, what they can do and what they want to do, and 2021’s 36-track acoustic collection Five Legged Dog, featuring reinterpretations of some of the band’s heaviest songs as well as covers from their favorite artists. In the course of their discography, they’ve partnered with Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, and Fantômas for individual releases and toured the world many times over.

In fact, the band had the misfortune to be in both Christchurch and Tokyo for their 2011 earthquakes. In 2012, the Melvins completed the “51 States in 51 Days” (50 states +DC) tour, which was chronicled in the film “Across The USA in 51 Days.” The current incarnation of the band is Osborne, Crover, and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross). Previous line-ups include a pairing of Osborne and Crover with Big Business band members Jared Warren and Coady Willis, a four-piece featuring the current trio plus Butthole Surfers’ Jeff Pinkus, as well as Melvins Lite, which partners Osborne and Crover with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn. Sometimes, if you’re extra lucky, one version of the Melvins will open for the Melvins.

MELVINS TOUR DATES
Ticket details at: livenation.com.au
 
Sunday 3 March – Auckland Town Hall, Auckland NZ
Wednesday 6 March – Festival Hall, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 7 March – Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide SA
Saturday 9 March –Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Sunday 10 March – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Tuesday 12 March – Metro City, Perth WA

Follow Melvins

Stay Connected With Black Of Hearts