Naarm/Melbourne rockers Among the Restless have really impressed me with their latest single “Running Away.” The band is a three-piece, but they’ve got such an epic sound that wouldn’t be out of place in any stadium. If you love acts like The 1975 and Nothing But Thieves, I know you’re going to crank the volume on this one.
“The lyrics are vulnerable and honest, recounting the emotions felt during parting ways with someone close to you, whilst regrettably feeling happy about the outcome,” Among the Restless explained. “Running Away has a sense of tragic hope that almost all of us have felt at some point in our lives.”
Among the Restless will close out the summer with shows all along the East Coast. Catch them at the following venues:
Boorloo/Perth-based indie rock trio Fool Nelson are preparing to embark on their first headlining tour of the country on the back of their latest single “Don’t Feel Right.” Despite its name, listening to this ultra-catchy track feels so very right! It’s a cracker of a song that begs for repeat plays.
“‘Don’t Feel Right’ is about not taking the people around you for granted,” the lads from Fool Nelson said. “It touches on the idea of growing apart from friends and forgetting about how important certain people are in your life.”
After playing plenty of shows in 2024 supporting the likes of Ball Park Music, The Grogans, and Old Mervs, Fool Nelson are thrilled to finally take top billing.
“We’re super excited to be doing our first ever headline Australian tour finally. It’s a big effort to do coming from WA, but now that we’ve got a bit of a taste for it, we’re definitely keen to keep the ball rolling with playing as many shows around the country as we can!”
No doubt as the year progresses we’ll see these guys playing larger venues, so make sure you catch them at these more intimate shows while you can!
No one does a summer tune quite like Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast trio Bootleg Rascal. For their sexy new single “Drip Your Love,” they’ve enlisted the help of South Summit’s Zaya. The result is a smooth soul number that’s perfect for pool parties and summer road trips.
“It’s long, hot summer days spent by the pool sipping ice cold, extra strong, homemade margies,” Bootleg Rascal guitarist and dad-bod extraordinaire Jimmy Young said of the single’s inspiration. “It’s steamy nights spent with your new flame, picture the love scene from the OG Top Gun movie, ‘Take My Breath Away’ playing on cassette tape. It’s traffic jams spent sweating it out in your 1986 Toyota Corolla with busted A/C. It’s pretending to drown at the community pool just so you can get resuscitated by the hot lifeguard on duty, see Squints Poladoris in the ‘Sandlot Kids’. It’s trying to finish your Frosty Fruit before it melts in the blazing hot sun (aka impossible). It’s necking your first cold beer of the day so fast it feels like the liquid just evaporates before it even touches your lips. It’s slamming chip sambos at the beach, white bread/chicken salt/extra sauce. It’s hanging for summer to come around just to complain every day about how hot it is, then lament it when it’s all over for another year. It’s summer lovin’ just the way Olivia and John boy would want it.”
Bootleg Rascal will keep the summer vibes flowing after the season ends with their mini-festival, Booty Block Party. It’ll feature a revolving roster of guest artists including Dante Knows, Dear Sunday, Dizzy Days, and Tasman Keith. They’ve also got a few shows before that happens supporting Steel Pulse, so see them anywhere you can!
Former Chats guitarist Josh “Pricey” Price is striking out on his own with a brand new single “Bastards Never Change.” It’s a raw, rock track delivered without a hint of bullshit. If that’s the sort of thing you need on your Friday, press play. But if you’re in the office, you might want to grab some headphones, because the lyrics aren’t exactly work-safe!
“The song came about during a recent tour with The Screaming Jets,” Pricey recalled. “As we travelled from venue to venue, I found myself gazing out the bus window when I noticed a homeless man holding a cup. In that moment, I didn’t just see him. I saw my reflection. It struck me how lucky I am to be living my dream, touring with a rock band, having fun, and doing what I love. This song isn’t about that man. it’s about me appreciating the blessings I have and recognizing the stark contrast of our lives. ‘Bastards Never Change’ is my way of expressing gratitude and resilience, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys.”
Pricey is back on tour, this time supporting Wheatus on their acoustic Dirtbags Across Australia shows. Here are all the remaining dates on that run!
I thank my lucky stars regularly that I can work from home for myself. The corporate world and the conformity that came along with it was never for me. So Jet City Sports Club’s latest single “Mini Skirt,” which celebrates finding your own path, really resonates with me. And if you’re not one for blending in, I think it’ll strike a chord with you too.
“You don’t have to be perfect or conform to the ways your friends, family or the world might want you to,” the band insists. “The story is narrated from the perspective of a young girl going through serious body image issues and pressure to be someone they might not necessarily be. The verses talk about this and the chorus aims to reclaim a sense of independence and self worth.”
Jet City Sports Club are preparing to hit the road with a couple of acts that celebrates nonconformity, DICE and Eliza and the Delusionals. They’ll also find time for a pitbstop at Party in the Paddock. Where will you see them?
In the 2000s, I missed a lot of the fabulous pop-punk acts America produced. Some like Green Day and Fall Out Boy broke through, but most passed Australia by. Thankfully now we can all make up for lost time with plenty of these acts visiting our shores on monster bills. In March, Philadelphia’s The Wonder Years will join forces with SoCal act Joyce Manor and Naarm/Melbourne up-and-comer Suzi for some killer shows.
“It’s been far too long and we’re extra excited that these are venue shows where we can play full and long sets for y’all,” said The Wonder Years’ frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell. “Also, to somehow make all of this even more incredible, we get to have Joyce Manor, one of our all-time favourite bands, and Suzi, who have quickly become one of our new favourites, on these shows with us. It’s truly a dream tour in dream places and we hope to see you there.”
Tickets are on sale now, so make sure you get yours!
If I’d have had my way, I would have told you about Slowly Slowly’s collaboration with Frank Turner months ago. That way you could have all gotten turned on to it before Frank visited Australia and played some capital city sideshows and slots at Good Things. However, the email came through while I was in New Zealand, and then I had my car accident days after my return, so things came a little … well … slowly. I considered just moving on, but I haven’t been able to get their take on “Show People” out of my head. And there’s so much new music out there, it’s so easy for releases to fall through the cracks. So while you might have already heard it, I thought I’d better share just in case it slipped under your radar.
“Show People” originally appeared on Frank’s most recent album, Undefeated. It was always a great song celebrating life as a touring musician, but it’s gotten an extra special something with the addition of our homegrown talent. Apparently the collab came about when Frank heard Slowly Slowly referenced him in a song. He reached out to frontman Ben Stewart and they became fast friends. So working together was the natural next step.
“I have been a monstrous Frank Turner fan for so many years,” Ben said. “After name checking him in ‘Turn It Around’ (a song from our 2022 record Daisy Chain), Frank reached out and it has now snowballed into me featuring on one his new tracks. Absolutely ecstatic to be able to call him a friend and so happy with how it all turned out – the song has a message I can really relate to. I hope we get to perform it live soon!”
“Slowly Slowly are one of my favourite Australian bands, ever, so when I reached out on a whim to ask if they’d be part of a collaboration, I was blown away when Ben said yes,” Frank added. “He brings such magic to his performance on what is one of the most important tracks from Undefeated, I kind of wish we could use this on the album proper. It’s an honour to have them involved.”
While I couldn’t get this news to you before Frank went home, I can bring it to you just before Slowly Slowly start their own tour to promote their latest album Forgiving Spree, which drops on January 23. They’re wasting no time playing some really cool acoustic shows with Q&A sessions and local festivals, then heading to Europe and the United Kingdom, before coming back home for a few more gigs. Here are all the dates you need!
It’s taken eight years, but Tyler Hilton is making his long-awaited return to Australia. Best known for his starring turn on One Tree Hill, Tyler is a super talented American singer-songwriter who’s blown me away with his latest EP No Man’s Land. It seems Tyler is every bit as excited about returning to ours as we are to have him.
“I have been DYING to get back to Oz since I came for the first time ever in ’17,” he said. “ Meant to get right back then the pandemic happened and it took a sec for me to get everything back on track. I had no concept of Australia before I came. No real idea of the culture or what the cities looked like … it just hadn’t really spent much time in my brain. I landed in Sydney, hit Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth and my life was changed. I was like, ‘What is this magical place?’
“The food! The people! The beaches! The coffee! I still drink flat whites as my daily drink to this day after that trip. I bought an acoustic guitar there from a local luthier to help commemorate my time there. I wanted to hold onto it so badly. Anyway, the point is, I’m BEYOND excited to be returning and so thankful to still have a fanbase there to justify the trip!”
Expect to hear songs from the incredible new EP and his entire catalogue, including many featured on One Tree Hill, at these East Coast shows.
Pacific Avenue have served up a summery delight with the latest track “Lucy”. It’s a feelgood exploration of infatuation and longing with a catchy chorus that compels you to clap along.
“The concept of Lucy represents the idea that everyone has their own version of ‘Lucy’ — someone or something they hold dear,” the band explained. “Love takes many forms, and beauty is ultimately defined by the one who sees it. This song was recorded at a studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles and is called ‘The Hobby Shop’; it’s a little hole in the wall studio that has some really beautiful gear. It was our first time recording overseas and something we’ve all dreamed of since we started the band.”
Pacific Avenue are making the most of the warm weather with some choice festival spots and solo dates in the coming week. Catch them at following gigs that are sure to brighten up your summer holidays.
Ziggy Alberts is easing you into your working week with his latest single, “Singing for Country.” This patriotic, chilled-out folk song is the latest track from Ziggy’s forthcoming seventh album New Love which drops on February 21.
“I wrote ‘Singing For Country’ along the Mid-North Coast of Australia. It’s a song about what it means to be Australian, to love this land and our planet. For me, being Australian is about embracing a unique mix of cultures on this sunburnt land,” Ziggy explained. “This song was my way of celebrating what and how it feels to be Australian. I performed this song across my tour in Europe, UK and North America and despite it being about my love for Australia, people really connected to it. I think that for anyone who loves the natural beauty of their homeland will relate and feel camaraderie in this too. It speaks to the core reason I write songs; to sing and celebrate people and nature.”
Ziggy has played plenty of shows all over the world, but he’ll be back home in February with gigs in the capitals and regional centres supporting New Love’s release.
“After being on tour all year, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home,” he said. “You don’t realise how much you love a place until you’re back, breathing it in again. There’s something raw and grounding about being back on home soil, smelling the bottlebrush, and returning to the ocean. Originally, this song was just going to be part of the album, but when I got back home, that visceral feeling reminded me how important it was to share it as a single ahead of summer. I’m grateful my team helped make it happen.”
Some shows have already sold out so don’t wait to get yours.
