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.
Back in May COVID-19 forced the inaugural Yarra Valley Writers Festival online. At the time organisers promised a jam-packed day of author live streams for the main festival day in May. But, there was also the promise of continued events into the future, in the form of virtual book clubs and author chats. Four months…
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In a virtual ceremony Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening, translated into English by Michelle Hutchison has been unveiled as the winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize. The £50,000 prize will be split equally between Rijneveld and Hutchison, giving both the author and translator equal recognition. The Discomfort of Evening was…
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Spring is right around the corner and Brisbane alt-pop outfit Syrup are here to help you shake off those winter blues. Their new single “Sun”, which dropped last week, embraces all the best parts of the Summer season. Sure, we’ve still got a season to go until we get there, but I’ve been reliably informed…
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Adelaide-based solo artist vayla dropped their debut single “Run Out” on Friday – and it’s a delight. vayla is the new solo project from DRESS CODE guitarist and keyboardist Jayden Lugg. The project combines Lugg’s love of 80’s synth-pop and contemporary pop music. It’s also very much a DIY effort with Lugg doing all the…
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They have one of my favourite band names and they’re back with a new single. Perth’s Grievous Bodily Calm are releasing “Mosaic” today. Written and conceived during the coronavirus shutdown, “Mosaic” was primarily written in the studio. It was born out of experimentation: “We wanted to experiment with our writing process by delaying jamming as…
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This week sees Sydney’s Crystal Cities release their new single “Don’t Speak Too Soon”. Releasing on Friday 21st August, the single is taken from their forthcoming sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight. Ahead of the official release date we’re excited to be bringing you this exclusive first listen. The difficult second album is…
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This week sees London future soul outfit Goldrain release “Atlantis”, the second song to be released from their forthcoming debut EP Mysteries, and their second ever release as a band. We’re excited to bring you this exclusive first taste of the stunning single ahead of the official release at the end of the week. Formed…
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Brisbane trip Pink Matter released their new single “You’ll Never Know” on Friday. Co-produced with friend and close collaborator Harvey Sutherland, the single is a delightfully empowering slice of disco and soul. It also happens to be the groups’ first release for the year, and marks their signing to global tastemaker label Daily Nightly. “You’ll…
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Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Riley Pearce is continuing to tease his forthcoming EP, Maybe I Can Sleep It Off, this time with the release of “Statue”. It’s the third single to be released from the EP, following “Ceramic Real Estate” and “Breathe & Release” earlier in the year. With the new single released today, we’re excited to…
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Perth-based singer-songwriter Ben Catley is back with a new single, and this time has company. On “For The Life Of Me” Catley has enlisted the guitar slinging skills of none other than Australian blues legend Ash Grunwald. Officially released tomorrow, we’re stoked to bring you this sneaky first listen of the empowering new single. Recorded…
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Midnight Oil are back with their first new song in close to twenty years. “Gadigal Land” sees the veteran rockers team up with vocalists Kaleena Briggs, Bunna Lawrie, Dan Sultan and Gadigal poet Joel Davison. The fiery slice of rock is part of The Makarrata Project, a themed mini-album of collaborations with Indigenous artists, which…
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Alexia Avina is an ambient folk artist based in rural Massachusetts in America. She’s a recent addition to the wonderful Scottish label Lost Map Records, who will be releasing her new album Unearth in October. “Fit Into” is the first taste of that forthcoming album, and it is absolutely stunning. It’s a striking piece of…
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Brisbane psych-pop outfit These Guy released their new album, These Guy House, on Friday. Premiered by us on Thursday, the album was conceived, written, recorded and mixed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and shut down. As such the album has taken on something of a ‘cabin fever song cycle’ feel. To help us, and you…
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Life finds a way. Or, in this case, literary festivals find a way. As with many sectors COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the publishing and literary communities in Australia. Plans have been disrupted with author tours, book events, award galas and now literary festivals having to be cancelled or venture online. Melbourne Writers…
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Brisbane psych-pop outfit These Guy are all set to release their new album, These Guy House, this week. The mini-album, which officially releases tomorrow, was conceived, written, recorded and mixed all during the early months of Queensland’s lockdown. We all knew they were going to come eventually, the pandemic albums, but perhaps not quite so…
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Everyone’s favourite pioneers of ‘condiment rock’ Chutney make their return this week with “Outcast”. It’s the Gold Coast indie rockers second single lifted from their forthcoming self-titled EP release. It follows on from “Genie’s Lamp” released last month. Officially released on Thursday, we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive first listen of the new single. …
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“Voices In My Head” is the debut single from Ex-Olympian, the new musical vessel for Melbourne’s Liam McGorry. If you recognise that name, it’s because he’s the principal songwriter and musician for a host of bands, including Saskwatch and Dorsal Fins. But, with both projects officially on hiatus, Ex-Olympian will be his main focus going…
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We’re delighted to be kicking off the week with the exclusive premiere of “Quand C’est Mou”; the exquisite debut release from Melbourne composer and musician Hugh Klein. Recorded between France and Melbourne, “Quand C’est Mou” explores ideas of awakening, rebirth and genuine intimacy. The ‘theme’, as Klein describes the single, forms part of a larger conversation…
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Sydney singer-songwriter Justin Stewart Cotta has had a pretty busy 2020, surprising fans with a slew of singles and older tracks back at the beginning of the year. Now he’s back with his punchy and empowering new single “Longing Is Not Love”. Today we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the single’s music…
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This week marks the return of Irish rockers Fontaines D.C.. The Dublin-based band are all set to release A Hero’s Death, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album Dogrel. The album’s success, including a Mercury Prize nomination, saw the band spend a considerable amount of time on the road. A transience that has ultimately…
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2020 has been a prolific year for Tasmanian indie-pop artist Nuria, and she’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. On Friday July 31st, she’ll be dropping single number eight for the year, the punchy and powerful “Touch”. If like us, you can’t wait, you’re in luck, as we’re bringing you this exclusive first listen….
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Sydney indie-rockers Gaspar Sanz are back with, “On My Mind”, their second single of the year. Written back in 2019, the single’s message of utilising your own oppression as a form of power has become all the more poignant and timely in the increasing mess of uncertainty that is 2020. Recorded in Sydney with producer…
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The 2020 Longlist for the Booker Prize has today been unveiled, bringing with it its fair share of surprises. Though the inclusion of one title, Hilary Mantel‘s The Mirror & The Light, will likely shock no-one. That said this year’s longlist looks to be an eclectic mixture of established talents and debut authors. That the majority…
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The guest performers for this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards have been announced today. The awards, which will be broadcast on across TV, Radio and online on August 8th, will feature performances from national treasure Archie Roach, Gamilaraay singer Thelma Plum, Pitjantjatjara and Torres Strait Island R&B star Miiesha and more. The evening will also…
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It’s become pretty much the norm these days, but WAM (West Australian Music) are taking the Awards Party for their 2020 Song of the Year competition online this year. The virtual awards party will be coming to you live from WAM’s Facebook page, this Wednesday, July 29th from 7:30pm (AWST). With Odette Mercy on MC duties,…
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Parisian trio Oracle Sisters released their debut EP, Paris I earlier this month via New York independent label 22Twenty. Mixed by Noah Georgesen (The Strokes, Marlon Williams), the EP is an ode to their adoptive home and its imagined futures. Over the past twelve months, in the build up to the EP’s release, the band have worked to build…
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Today the nominations for this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards were announced, with Miiesha and Baker Boy leading the way with three nominations apiece. The awards, with their sizeable geographic and genre range, honour the best of First Nations musical talent. The twenty-four finalists are spread across seven categories and represent a diverse and rich…
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“Flyder” is the striking new single from Gothenburg-based artist and producer sir Was. The new release was created in collaboration with Casper Clausen, the lead singer of experimental Danish post-rockers Efterklang. The new single started life as a small sketch last year, when sir Was, real name Joel Wästberg, joined up with Clausen and Efterklang…
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Melbourne-based trio Woodlock make their return today, releasing new music for the first time in four years. The band consist of brothers Zech and Eze Walters, and drummer Bowen Purcell. Born out of the divorce of guitarist and vocalist Zech Walters, “Start Again”, is unsurprisingly given its title, a song all about rebirth and renewal. Which…
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As Melbourne once again enters into lockdown, locals Howlite are all set to release their striking new single “Stranger”. A long time in the making, “Stranger”, is the final track to be released from their forthcoming EP, Not Here, which is scheduled to be released in September, barring any further COVID-19 induced disruptions. Unsurprisingly, the…
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