Books Editor. An admirer of songs and reader of books. Simon has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature. All errant apostrophes are his own.
“Hello Perth, this is Bergen calling.” Perth and Writing WA will be featured, along with ten other international locations, in LitFestBergen’s Literature Live Around The World on February 12th. One of the few positives that has come from the global Covid-19 pandemic, is the increasing use of the virtual. In 2020, Literary Awards and Book Festivals…
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Beowulf is one of those stories that a lot of people think they know. That’s because it’s an iconic work of early English literature. Not only that, there have been countless translations and adaptations in the intervening centuries since the heroic tale was first uttered by a bard. Amongst its translators and adaptors are some…
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2020 you are done! Well, close enough! With the New Year only days away we decided it was time to look forward and see what literary treats we have in store for us in 2021. With so many books published each week, month and year, this list can only serve as a snapshot of what’s…
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By now it goes without saying that 2020 has been a rough year. From wildfires to a global pandemic there has disruption and upheaval on a scale rarely, if ever, seen in “peacetime”. Pretty much every sector of society has taken a hit this year. And the publishing world, as with much of the Arts…
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Debut author Andrew Pippos has used his own family history as a leaping off point for his first novel Lucky’s. The multi-generational family saga details the rise and fall (and rise again?) of Lucky, a second-generation American-born Greek entrepreneur, restauranteur and erstwhile family man. Having found himself stationed in wartime Australia, impersonating clarinetist Benny Goodman…
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Melbourne trio Vinny capped off November with the release of “Fire”, their second release of the year. Armed with infectious base lines and oozing swagger, “Fire” is as good an introduction as any to the Melbourne band. Think neon lit dance floors, a touch of hedonism and a smidge of seedy dance floor vibes and…
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This morning the longlist for the 2021 Indie Book Award has been announced. The award, which celebrates the best Australian writing, is made up of titles nominated by Australian independent booksellers. The Awards cover the best Australian book across six categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Debut Fiction, Illustrated Non-Fiction, Young Adult (12+) and Children’s. The Shortlist will…
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Sydney Writers’ Festival and Sydney Festival are joining forces for one weekend in January to present four major events at Carriageworks. The four events, presented under the banner Something to Talk About will see Sydney audiences spending time with the 2020 Booker Prize Winner, Douglas Stuart; perennial Festival favourites Jennifer Byrne, Michael Mohammed Ahmad and…
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Fender have teamed up with singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana for their all-new Signature Stratocaster. The guitar, which features a wide range of tonal options and a custom “Skull” neckplate, is Sultana’s first artist signature model with the iconic guitar brand. The collaboration comes after an incredibly successful five years for the singer-songwriter; going…
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Late last week Western Australia’s Big Orange released their rousing debut album, An Ode To Odious, through Perth indie label Blue Grey Pink. The album was recorded primarily at the home of the band’s principal songwriter Daniel Davis, with some further recording by Dave Parkin (Spacey Jane, San Cisco) at Blackbird Sound Studio in Perth….
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London-based Colombian band The Indios have just released their new single: “La Primavera”. The single is the creation of production duo Juan Contento, the band’s lead singer, and Felipe Rojas, the drummer. Slow-tempo and laidback but captivating, “La Primavera” blends the different musical cultures brilliantly. The band has managed to make Urban latin influences rub…
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Tasmanian indie-pop artist Nuria has just released her debut album, the aptly titled Alive. Regular readers of the AU will have noticed I am a fan of the Tasmanian musician, having featured several of her singles over the past year; many of which feature on this new album. In many ways Alive is an album…
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Brisbane indie five-piece The Bonnie Doons released their new EP, The Betweeners, late last week. The four-track release champions a sound rich in groove, rhythm and soul, with the band dipping in and out of a few genre pools. Recorded at Brisbane’s Alchemix Studios, The Betweeners is a release rooted in optimism, and in making…
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Singer-songwriter and Wergaia / Wemba Wemba woman, Alice Skye hasreturned with the raw and intimate new single, “Stay In Bed”. Accompanying the single is a wonderful video clip that celebrates Blak excellence and features a host of First Nations talent — including the wonderfully inimitable Uncle Jack Charles. On “Stay In Bed”, Skye has once…
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Singer-songwriter Harmony Byrne returns this week with a new single, the quietly devastating “The Good Days & The Bad Days”. The single, written and recorded during quarantine in the Bush, is the first from her forthcoming acoustic EP The Songs I Sing When No One Is Listening – due early 2021. “The Good Days…
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New York-based Scottish author Douglas Stuart has been announced as the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction, with his debut novel Shuggie Bain. Stuart is only the second Scottish author to win the prize in its history. Although a work of fiction, Shuggie Bain draws upon Stuart’s lived experience, and takes the reader deep…
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Australia’s resident dance floor party specialist Peking Duk have teamed up with festival favourites The Wombats on collaborative electro-rock anthem “Nothing To Love About Love”. The single is the second official release from Peking Duk this year, and follows on from the release of “Move” earlier in the year, which featured Alisa Xalayith of The…
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Biting The Clouds is the latest book from visual artist, writer and academic Fiona Foley. Adapted from her doctoral thesis, Biting The Clouds, is a compelling critical examination and exhumation of Australia’s, specifically Queensland’s, colonial history from an Indigenous perspective. Foley is from the Wondunna clan of the Badtjala nation, and is a renowned visual…
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Emerging South Australia artist Tilly Tjala Thomas has just released her debut single “Ngana Nyunyi” as part of Part Time Records’ Singles Club. Coming from the Fleurieu Peninsula, Tilly Tjala Thomas has been writing and performing her own songs around Adelaide since she was eleven. This year, her final year of High School, she’s undertaken…
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South African-born, Bristol-based singer, songwriter and producer Felid is back with his third single: “On Your Own”. The single is all about stepping away from toxicity and negativity and moving onwards and forwards by yourself. Felid has credited his creative subconscious for the track; and has suggested that the alt-pop track originated as a late…
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2020 has dealt Sydney up-and-comers PLANET something of a rough hand. Thanks to COVID-19 their tours of Australia and the UK in support of their new EP Maybe Someday were cancelled. And although they managed to sell out some intimate shows at Mary’s Underground in August, the Sydney quartet are determined to finish the year…
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Released late last week “Closer” is the third single from Queensland artist KARLOU. The raw and emotive track details a vulnerable time in the singer’s life. Today, we’re pleased and excited to bring you the exclusive premiere of the accompanying touching music video. The music video depicts the journey one can go through when struggling…
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Released on Friday, “First Breath” is the sophomore single from up-and-coming soul singer Tash Hills. Infectious and upbeat “First Breath” is like an injection of sunshine to the soul, and is perhaps the perfect remedy to the gloom of 2020. Hills is inspired by Chaka Khan, and influenced by the likes of George Benson and…
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Glasgow-based Irish singer-songwriter Claire McKay a.k.a. Martha Ffion has this week released her latest single, “Rosaleen” – taken from her wonderful sophomore album Nights To Forget. Alongside the album version of the track, fans are being treated to a new special live version of the track. It forms part of a larger live session that Ffion has recorded…
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This week sees rising Australian quartet MOBS release a reworking of their single “Big World” with DJ, producer and singer-songwriter Goldhouse. The quartet enlisted the expertise of the esteemed producer during COVID lockdown earlier in the year. “We were in lockdown with COVID and decided to bring a different energy to a collective favourite song…
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Sydney artist Bambi O’Hara releases “Crazy Without You”, her second single this Friday November 13th. Ahead of the official release tomorrow we’re excited to bring you this exclusive chance to hear the new single early. Co-written and co-produced with her producer, and now partner, Tim McArtney, “Crazy Without You” taps into the current global zeitgeist…
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A year on from the release of his critically acclaimed album New Ways, singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk returns with a two-song EP, Long Blue Light. The title track, which we’re focusing on here, is a brand new original. Whilst, the second track is a cover of Bon Iver’s “29 #Strafford APTS”. It’s equally beautiful, so be…
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“Dawn Calling” is the debut single from Melbourne-based artist Don Glori (a.k.a. Gordon Li). Recorded live to tape over two sweltering days earlier this year, it is also the second release from Nothin Personal, and teases an EP of the same name that’s on the way next month. The lead single drops this Friday, November 13th, but we’re stoked…
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This week sees the release of Yours To Lend, the debut album from transcontinental indie duo Dutch Monks. Ahead of the album’s release on Friday, we’re excited to bring you this exclusive first listen. Dutch Monks are Melbourne singer-songwriter Jesse Rudd-Schmidt and Dutch pianist Thijs Flinsenberg. The pair met whilst they were both working together…
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Late last month Perth indie girl band Dulcie released their latest single “Dust”. We enjoyed the song – a three minute burst of sunshine and positivity to help get you up and going – so much we made it our Track of the Day. The song which is full of charm, personality and displays a…
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