The hits keep coming from Perth rock act The Faim. I keep expecting the quality of their singles to dip at some point, but their latest offering “Me Because of You” is just as irresistible as I hoped it’d be. If you love your rock music with a side order of synths, you’re going to dig this one.
“‘Me Because of You’ was written about embracing change and letting go of a past version of yourself. The lyrics recognise the huge impact someone else can have on the process,” bassist and keyboardist Stephen Beerkens explained. “This song was a huge milestone for us, as it’s our first release that has been self-produced!”
The Faim will set off on their first Aussie tour in three years this July. It’s been a long time coming, so you don’t want to miss it.
15 July 2022 – Vision Studios, Perth (ALL AGES)
16 July 2022 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
21 July 2022 – The Brightside, Brisbane
22 July 2022 – Newcastle Hotel, Newcastle
23 July 2022 – The Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
24 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
29 July 2022 – Transit Bar, Canberra
30 July 2022 – Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne
31 July 2022 – Enigma Bar, Adelaide
After recently wowing crowds as the support act for Trophy Eyes, Waxflower are ready to headline their own shows. The Brisbane pop-punk act will showcase songs from their latest EP on The Tour of What Went Wrong which kicks off next week.
These guys are known for their high-energy shows and anthemic set lists that encourage you to sing along. While the shows celebrate their latest releases, you can expect plenty of your old favourites will also get a run.
The Sound of What Went Wrong EP is on all your favourite streaming services now. Get acquainted if you’re not already, because it’s chockful of bangers. Then get your tickets to one of the following gigs.
4 June 2022 – Waywards, Sydney
17 June 2022 – The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne
18 June 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.; credit: Mitch Lowe
It’s just close enough to the weekend to start the party tunes I think. Queue Laura Mac’s, whose latest single “Don’t Know What I’m Thinking” deserves to get turned up loud at your next shindig. I’ve been moving and grooving to this one at home, but something tells me it’d sound even sweeter surrounded by mates with a bevvy in hand.
“Party, disco, dance – we’re just having fun with it!” explained one half of the Queensland duo, Laura Maclachlan. “All our songs have a different vibe but I feel like we’ve kept our own unique sound. DKWIT is staying up all night partying and loving every second of it. Celebrate every chance you get, party with your mates and dance ‘til you drop… High 5!!”
Laura Mac will play their very first live show supporting British India tomorrow night before playing some East Coast shows in July and August.
21 May 2022 – Solbar, Maroochydore (supporting British India)
29 July 2022 – Greaser Bar, Brisbane (FREE)
6 Aug 2022 – The Last Chance, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Dane Beesley
Lara Dee, the frontwoman of Brisbane band Cheap Date, has released a gorgeous new single “Dear Daughter.” This is a real departure for Lara, a song that sees her being truly vulnerable. It’s something that has taken her many years to do, but I’m so glad she did.
“‘Dear Daughter’ is a song that I wrote during a very tumultuous period of my teen years. Some six years later, I have finally worked up the courage to release the song and be a little bit vulnerable,” she admitted.
“I had to grow up very quickly, spending much of my adolescence in and out of hospital wards both for my own treatment and my brother’s. When I reflect on this song and my state of mind during the writing process, I have finally realised that ‘Dear Daughter’ saved me.
“Unlike many of the songs I write, ‘Dear Daughter’ was complete within 30 minutes, without any hesitation or reflection. I was 15 and buried deep in a vicious cycle of a relapsing eating disorder and self-harm. On this particular night I was pushed to my limits and needed to escape. Before the ritualistic process of self-harm could progress to something scarily worse, I remembered my mum was in the room next door.
“Music was something I had always been passionate about and used to express emotion. It was also one of the many things I had thrown to the wayside in the grips of my struggles. In this particular moment I thought about my mum and our relationship. She has always been my best friend and biggest support and our relationship is one that I am always grateful for. I thought about how she would feel and respond if she knew how I was feeling and how I was treating her ‘little girl’.
“This led to a bigger thought and emotion around how I would feel if I had to enforce my thinking and actions onto a younger version of myself. So I sat down and decided to write a note to a future child of mine and a past version of myself. ‘Dear Daughter’ is the product of that evening and I am very proud to have emerged on the other side.”
This might be a solo release, but it definitely doesn’t spell the end of Cheap Date. The band are supporting Suzi on her upcoming Aussie tour. Check out both great acts at the following venues:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
Dean Lewis is so prolific, it’s so easy to miss those new singles when they drop. So I’m thrilled he’s rereleased his latest track “Hurtless” in a new stripped-back format. What a beautiful piano ballad this is. Can this guy put a foot wrong? It doesn’t seem like it!
“’Hurtless’ has immediately become one of those special, connecting moments in the live shows,” Dean said. “If there’s one thing my career so far has shown me, it’s that the more painfully honest about my own life I am in my songs – the more they seem to resonate”.
Speaking of live shows, Dean has just kicked off his Sad Boi tour in North America and will travel to Europe next. If you’re abroad, here are all the dates you need!
14 May 2022 – The Underground, Charlotte
16 May 2022 – Union Transfer, Philadelphia
17 May 2022 – The Fillmore, Silver Spring
20 May 2022 – Webster Hall, New York City
21 May 2022 – Roadrunner, Boston
23 May 2022 – MTELUS, Montreal
24 May 2022 – HISTORY, Toronto
26 May 2022 – Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit
27 May 2022 – Riviera Theatre, Chicago
28 May 2022 – Fillmore Minneapolis, Minneapolis
30 May 2022 – Ogden Theatre, Denver
31 May 2022 – The Depot, Salt Lake City
2 June 2022 – Malkin Bowl, Vancouver
4 June 2022 – The Showbox, Seattle
5 June 2022 – Roseland Theater, Portland
7 June 2022 – The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco
8 June 2022 – Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles
11 June 2022 – The Observatory North Park, San Diego
12 June 2022 – Marquee Theatre, Tempe
15 June 2022 – Granada Theater, Dallas
16 June 2022 – Emos Austin, Austin
17 June 2022 – Warehouse Live, Houston
20 June 2022 – The Orange Peel, Asheville
21 June 2022 – The National, Richmond
23 June 2022 – Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park
24 June 2022 – Mr. Small’s Theatre, Pittsburgh
25 June 2022 – Deluxe At Old National Centre, Indianapolis
28 June 2022 – The Pageant, St. Louis
29 June 2022 – The Truman, Kansas City
2 July 2022 – Summerfest, Milwaukee
7 July 2022 – Ottawa Blues Festival, Ottawa
8 July 2022 – Quebec International Summer Festival, Quebec
10 July 2022 – Wonderstruck Festival, Cleveland
17 September 2022 – Filadelfiakyrkan, Stockholm
18 September 2022 – Sentrum Scene, Oslo
20 September 2022 – Skråen i Nordkraft, Aalborg
21 September 2022 – Posted, Odense
22 September 2022 – Train, Århus
24 September 2022 – Train, Århus (SOLD OUT)
25 September 2022 – Forum Black Box, Copenhagen (SOLD OUT)
27 September 2022 – Forum Black Box, Copenhagen, Denmark
28 September 2022 – Train, Århus (SOLD OUT)
29 September 2022 – Markthalle, Hamburg
1 October 2022 – Progresja, Warsaw
3 October 2022 – ROXY Prague, Prague
4 October 2022 – Huxley’s, Berlin
6 October 2022 – Live Music Hall, Cologne
7 October 2022 – X-tra, Zurich
9 October 2022 – Magazzini Generali, Milan
11 October 2022 – La Madeleine, Brussels
12 October 2022 – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
13 October 2022 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
15 October 2022 – Le Trianon, Paris
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Darren Craig
There’s a perception that artists who came to our attention through reality TV shows never go on to have long-standing careers in the music industry. However, in reality, plenty of singer-songwriters have used these platforms to do amazing things. Take James Johnston, who first caught my attention on The X Factor way back in 2014. He’s just returned from performing alongside Lee Kernaghan at the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival and Golden Guitar Awards. He’s clocked up more than 14 million streams. His last single “Small Town” spent 10 weeks at the top of the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay charts. And he’s just released a new track, “Country Boys”, which deserves to be every bit as successful. The song sees James reminiscing about his childhood in Wingham, in regional New South Wales.
“’Country Boys’ is my childhood captured in a song,” he said. “From riding dirt bikes to losing summers swimming in the creek.”
As the weather cools, the country music scene is heating up. James is on board for a whole string of festivals in the coming months. Check him out at one of the following events:
20 May 2022 – Nebo Hotel Pre-Rodeo Street Party, Nebo
21 May 2022 – PBR Australia @ Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
27 May 2022 – Boots & Beach Festival, Port Macquarie
11 June 2022 – Buck Wild Country Barn Sessions, Townsville
30 July 2022 – Tara Festival of Culture & Camel Races, Tara
20 August 2022 – NQ’s Rock’n Country Music Festival, Mackay
26 August 2022 – Gympie Music Muster, Gympie
23-25 September 2022 – CMC Rocks, Willowbank
2 October 2022 – Savannah in the Round, Mareeba
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
MID CITY’s latest single “Choc Mint” is exactly the kind of high-energy rock number your weekend needs. Just see if you’re not punching your fist in the air by the time that chorus kicks in. Like the love child of Gang of Youths and Arctic Monkeys, the Melbourne band has really outdone themselves here. They had a simple aim with this single: they want to get you moving!
“Our entire existence as a band is about getting people to uncross their arms at gigs,” they said. “There’s enough terrible stuff going on in the world without a bunch of relatively fortunate dudes in a band making people feel worse about themselves or disappearing up their collective musical butts trying to be the saviours of music as we know it. We wanna write fast songs with big choruses that make other things in your life feel less shit.”
Amen to that! “Choc Mint” is the first track lifted from MID CITY’s forthcoming debut album. The band are preparing to play a few shows in Europe but they’ll be back before too long for some Aussie dates. Catch them anywhere you can!
16 May 2022 – Ostpol, Dresden
17 May 2022 – Klubovna, Prague
18 May 2022 – Privatclub, Berlin
19 May 2022 – Nochtspeicher, Hamburg
20 May 2022 – Artheater, Koln
21 May 2022 – Jugendheim, Haldern
24 May 2022 – Schon Shon, Mainz
25 May 2022 – Kohl, Karlsruhe
26 May 2022 – Substanz, Munich
2 July 2022 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
15 July 2022 – The Chippo, Sydney
16 July 2022 – The Greaser, Brisbane (FREE)
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Nick Manuell
Suzi really captured my heart last year with her track “Amelia”. Now she’s impressing me all over again with her latest release, “Everyone I’ve Met Hates Me”. Suzi has a great knack for creating songs that capture specific moments in time that are so relatable. They’re not always pretty, but real life rarely is.
“You know when you wake up after a big night on the bevs and your hangxiety is so bad you never want to leave your house or talk to anyone ever again?” Suzi says of the song’s inspiration. “It is absolutely impossible for everyone you have ever met to hate you – but dear lord does it feel that way sometimes.”
Ready to prove that there’s a lot of love for her out there, Suzi is about to embark on a six-date headlining tour. Catch her at the following shows:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
Image used with permission from GYRO PR; credit: Ruby Boland
With fans already snapping up tickets to The Show Business Tour, there’s no better time to remind you that Hilltop Hoods are bringing new music to your ears and preparing to tour. If you thought their best music might be behind them, press play on their latest track “Show Business” immediately. With special guest vocals from Eamon (remember him?!), this feel-good single is a real crowd-pleaser.
With the pandemic slowing everyone down, Hilltop Hoods haven’t had the chance to headline shows since The Great Expanse World Tour in 2019. This time around they’re taking A.B. Original, Elsy Wameyo, and DJ Total Eclipse along for the ride. Fan club members could nab their tickets yesterday before Telstra Plus members get in on the action tomorrow. The general sale happens at 10 am on Wednesday 11 May. The last shows sold out, so you can expect these ones will too. Don’t say you weren’t warned!
The Hard Aches celebrate finding comfort in the uncomfortable with their latest single “Party Ghost.” Featuring guest vocals from Cahli Blakers of Teenage Joans, it’s a real return to form for this iconic Aussie band.
“It’s all about finding yourself in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar smells and unfamiliar sounds … it’s about reflecting on your own existence, and your own experiences then learning from them, and doing everything you can to do better,” explained the band’s frontman, Ben David. “Most of all, it’s about trying to understand how it must feel to be an animal, moved away from your safe place, put through big changes, and unable to understand them.”
The fun doesn’t stop there though. The Hard Aches haven’t been on the road since they supported Grinspoon in 2019. The Black Summer bushfires and global pandemic has kept them grounded, until now. The Hard Aches will party all around the country in the middle of the year. Here are all the dates you need!
1 July 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
2 July 2022 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
3 July 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Southport
7 July 2022 – Cambridge Side Room, Newcastle
8 July 2022 – Crowbar, Sydney
9 July 2022 – La La La’s, Wollongong
10 July 2022 – UC Hub, Bruce
13 July 2022 – Beer Deluxe, Albury
14 July 2022 – Tonic Bar, Bendigo
15 July 2022 – Barwon Club, Geelong
16 July 2022 – Volta, Ballarat
22 July 2022 – The Leadbeater, Richmond
23 July 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
28 July 2022 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
29 July 2022 – Pub Rock Diner, Devonport
30 July 2022 – Republic Bar, Hobart
6 August 2022 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide (ALL AGES)
