We’ve added another ten tracks to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two songs we exclusively premiered on the site earlier in the week. “Finish Line”, the beautiful new single from Newcastle’s Bree Rusev is our Track of the Week.
Produced in Byron Bay by Garrett Kato, “Finish Line” explores themes of uncertainty and resilience, whilst reflecting on the anxiety that comes from facing an uncertain future. The message essentially is that life is complicated and that things may not always go to plan, but that it’s important to persevere nonetheless.
It’s a familiar message, but one that delivered in some style, with a stunning vocal that is both emphasises and complimented by the subtle, yet affective, instrumentation and production. There’s a real sense of warmth, emotion, and solace — a comforting hug of a song. Expect to hear more from Rusev over the coming months too with a new EP on the way in August.
From Western Australia Elianie is an artist who at the tender age of sixteen is dropping superbly crafted pop/folk songs. “Matter of Time” is an upbeat tune which tackles the process of working through the end of a relationship and being able to move on. Elianie’s voice is divine, and the songwriting has a great maturity to it.
“FISHSACK” is the new single from Naarm/Melbourne post-punk group dogworld. Formed in 2021, dogworld are made up of Yasmine Hosseini (rhythm guitar, she/her), Ella Tinney (drums, she/her), Jesse Dowley (bass, he/they), and Max Sturm (lead guitar, sampler, he/him). They’ve been slowly drip feeding singles over the last few years, but “FISHSACK” is described by the band as a “turning point” and a new direction. It’s a taut, dynamic and jolting track that often takes you somewhere unexpected, but never unwelcome, and highlights the breadth of the band’s creativity and musical impulses. The band will be launching the single tonight at The Grace Darling tonight. Grab your tickets HERE.
Pond have released a delicious slice of funky pop, in “So Lo”, another single from their forthcoming tenth studio album Stung!, out Friday 21 June. It’s a belter of a tune, captivating, with an addictive beat, and boasts lyrics which lead singer Nick Allbrook describe as “.. sort of skirts between being horrendously bleak and really dumb.”. Whichever side of the fence they are straddling here, we think it’s a winner. Pond have a string of shows organised in Australia in June and July, before heading to Europe and North America. Head to their website for all the details.
New York Neo Glam duo Dream Pony have recently released their debut full length album Suspicion Today on Spanish label FOLC Records. “Watching the Dogs” is one of the singles released from the album, and one that really showcases what they’re all about. By way of introduction, Dream Pony are Jordan D’Arsie on guitar and vocals and Aaron Mika on drums. There’s an Australian connection too, with D’Arsie originally hailing from Adelaide. The track tells of the story of a down and out Bukowski-esque lover who’s spending too much time down at the track, gambling on love. Lyrically interesting, “Watching the Dogs” is a strong no gimmicks rock song delivered with style, swagger and charisma.
Gypsy Lee burst onto the scene in February with her debut single “I Realised You Lied When You Said I Was No One”, and this week her third release has dropped, the striking “Pretty In the Dark”. It’s a poignant reflection on the pressures that young women come under in terms of appearance to conforming a certain way.
Again, Gypsy has nailed it with songwriting that resonates (“Pretty comes for free when kindness is your philosophy…”), with her gorgeous vocals floating above the keys. For those in Sydney, Gypsy will be performing at the Oxford Art Gallery on the 6th June. Don’t miss your opportunity to catch her debut show in Sydney. Tickets HERE.
“Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine” is a serotonin shot of a song from Swedish artist Bear Garden. Upbeat, bright, bold, and bursting with joy, “Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine” is the perfect antidote to the grim reality of the world, and a reminder that you can’t go wrong with a little bit more sax in your life. Soulful, carefree and much needed – can we have more of the same, please?
Also added to the playlist this week is “Take Me Back, Bowie”, the new single from Christchurch singer-songwriter Veryhandsomebilly.
We’ve also added two tracks for premieres which we hosted earlier in the week, from Trabants (“Surfers On Acid”) and Katanak (“Honeycomb and Hurricane”).
Catch all the new music updated every Friday on Apple Music:
and on Spotify:
Here’s the complete list of new additions this week:
Bree Rusev “Finish Line”
Elianie “Matter of Time”
dogworld “Fishsack”
Pond “So Lo”
Dream Pony “Watching the Dogs
Gypsy Lee “Pretty In The Dark”
Veryhandsomebilly “Take Me Back, Bowie”
Bear Garden “Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine”
Trabants “Surfers On Acid” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
Katanak “Honeycomb and Hurricane” [Exclusive Single Premiere]
