Eli Greeneyes Drops “She Don’t Care” Single Ahead of Drapht Tour

If you’ve been craving some guitar-driven pop, take a listen to Eli Greeneyes’ new single “She Don’t Care.” It’s super catchy with impassioned vocals that will have you invested in his story.

“She Don’t Care is about someone from my past who came along at a time when I was having a lot of mental health issues,” Eli explained. “Their intentions were extremely different to mine and I was listening to them too much instead of trusting my own intentions and instincts! I lost myself. When I wrote it I thought it was their fault, but now I realise that I also played a part in letting it take that direction. I had to write this song to gain back my true ‘not taking shit’ self.”

While this song sonically reminded me of Oasis, the film clip takes me back to The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Watching Eli sing directly to the camera as the woman yells in his face reminds me so much of the performance Richard Ashcroft laid down in that classic ‘90s video.

Eli is about to tour Australia with recent collaborator Drapht.

“My shows are an opportunity to meet and understand my fans with what they connect with the most about my music,” he said. “What am I saying that makes them feel heard and understood? That all comes down to singing the lyrics for me. Expressing them in that up close and personal way so the story hits straight to the heart.”

Catch Eli with Drapht at the following shows:

14 October 2021 – Freo Social, Fremantle
15 October 2021 – Wintersun, Geraldton
16 October 2021 – Exmouth Fishing & Game Club, Exmouth
22 October 2021 – Mermaid Hotel, Dampier
23 October 2021 – Pier Hotel, Port Hedland
24 October 2021 – Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome
29 October 2021 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
30 October 2021 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
31 October 2021 – Leisure Inn, Rockingham
5 November 2021 – Forth Pub, Forth
18 November 2021 – Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club, Kalgoorlie
19 November 2021 – Pier Hotel, Esperance
20 November 2021 – Studio 146, Albany

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: James Mooney

Paulina’s New Single Is a “Parasite” You’ll Want to Know

Brisbane singer-songwriter Paulina shows maturity beyond her years with her latest single “Parasite.” At just 17, she’s got such a bright future ahead of her. Her warm voice immediately drew me in. I love the way she balances the classic tones of an acoustic guitar with some fresh beats for the chorus.

“At its core it’s about being treated like a parasite by a partner,” Paulina said of the song’s meaning. “Having someone treat you so disrespectfully and disgustingly can destroy someone’s self-worth and self-love. So, instead of continuing to be a victim of such awful treatment and the pain that comes with it, this song shows that you can in fact do yourself a huge favour and leave toxic relationships. You don’t have to and shouldn’t love someone who treats you so badly, because you are so much more than that. If anything, they’re the parasite!”

This powerful song comes with a gorgeous music video directed by Slate Media’s Matt Pettigrew. Slate Media has previously created clips for Cosmo’s Midnight, Mallrat, and Spacey Jane.

“As the music video progresses, my makeup becomes a bit more smudged as I begin to cry. This accentuates the truly sad, and upsetting feeling portrayed subtly throughout the song,” Paulina explained. “In the studio, we used a 20ft square soft box grid, that allowed full range of the colour spectrum, to create a bold, yet soft colour scheme in the music video.”

If you love what you hear, make sure you follow Paulina’s Facebook page, as she often announces gigs around Brisbane just days before they happen.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Lakelend Impresses With “Anybody Else But You”

Melbourne pop act Lakelend is back with what might be his strongest release yet. “Anybody Else But You” is a shimmery pop track with a soft, sensitive centre. Make sure you pay attention to the moving lyrics which give voice to the pain so many of us feel after a bad breakup.

“‘Anybody Else But You’ is about being fresh out of a relationship in the most destructive and dangerous headspace you’ve ever experienced,” Lakelend explained.

Lakelend balances the drama with a fun music video inspired by Grand Theft Auto. In it we see Lakelend navigating his way through the video game world, hoping to come out the other side, just as we do when we’re picking up the pieces of a broken heart.

Live music might seem a long way off for Melbourne, but Lakelend is giving the city something to look forward to on that front. Catch him and fellow Melbourne muso Kuren at Stay Gold in Brunswick on December 17.

Image used with permission from GYRO PR

Sophie Monk Releases Surprising New Single, “Nice to Meet You”

When Sophie Monk appeared on The Masked Singer last season, I guessed it wouldn’t be too long before she returned to the music scene. Now she’s back with a brand new single “Nice to Meet You,” which is the perfect reintroduction to her vocal talents.

This is a far cry from the sugary pop music Sophie made with Bardot. Instead it’s a dark jazzy number with insightful lyrics. Sophie penned the track while on The Masked Singer with Thomas Tan and CDB brothers Gary and Brad Pinto. Prince’s original horn player Phillip Lassiter gives it a cool retro feel.

“It’s taken me years to be ready to release a song and this happened so organically for me, I felt like the time was right,” Sophie explained. “People know me originally as a singer in Australia so it’s nice to be going back to my number one love.”

Releasing the song independently through Ditto Music is another unexpected choice, but one that Sophie says feels right.

“For the first time in my musical career, I feel like I am in complete control and I’m just excited by the opportunity to be able to do this. I hope everyone enjoys the track it as much as I did recording it.”

This track is a real surprise, in the best possible way. It’s great to have you back making music Sophie!

Image used with permission from KAOS

The VANNS Bring Good Vibes With New Single & Rescheduled Tour

The VANNS might just be the most consistent band on the music scene right now. The South Coast act recently dropped their latest single “Feels Good Now,” and it’s predictably brilliant. With Jimmy Vann’s exquisite vocals and big chunky guitars, this track is bound to make your Hump Day a little easier. Like their last single “Red Light,” this song came out of recent recording sessions with producer Chris Collins at The Music Farm.

“The song was originally meant to finish with a fade-out, but we were having too much fun playing it for it to end so soon. We wrote (and I use that term loosely) the jam at the end of the song at the last minute, before we got in the studio and tracked it,” explained the band’s lead guitarist Cameron Little. “Thematically, ‘Feels Good Now’ is about taking a risk on something that you feel needs to change in your life despite any anxieties, apprehensions, and reasons why you tell yourself you shouldn’t; and actually pulling it off and feeling all the better for it. It’s a good feeling, hence the title; we can’t bloody wait to play this one live!”

That tour has just been rescheduled, but there’s an extra Torquay show and a few more tickets to previously sold-out gigs to sweeten the deal. Tickets are selling fast though, so get onto it!

3 March 2022 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
6 March 2022 – Torquay Hotel, Torquay
18 March 2022 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
19 March 2022 – Manning Bar, Sydney
25 March 2022 – Wollongong Uni, Wollongong
1 April 2022 – Kambri @ ANU, Canberra

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; photo credit: Vasili Papathanasopoulos (@vasilipappas)

Rita B Explores the Highs and Lows of Getting Away With “Travel Companion”

Remember travel? It’s becoming a distant memory for many of us, but Sydney singer-songwriter Rita B makes us nostalgic for holidays with her beautiful new folk ditty, “Travel Companion.”

“Travel Companion” explores the ideas of escapism and isolation. As Rita B explains, it also touches on “safety as a woman in those spaces, in particular, whilst travelling. It’s a relatively stripped-back (singer-songwriter) track – not played with the band. Layers of sound, such as backing vocals and violin are added to create a melancholy, dream-like vibe as the track progresses.”

Creating a music video for a song about travel was always going to be challenging right now, so Rita did the only thing you can do: she went outback. This gorgeous video, directed by Maisie Cohen, captures the dramatic, arid beauty of regional New South Wales.

“Maisie Cohen was the brainchild of the project, who quite literally turned a song about road tripping, into a road trip throughout regional NSW. The destination was Mungo National Park with its unique and arid landscape, visiting many quirky/colonial regional towns along the way, taking advantage of the signature architecture and landscapes there within,” Rita explained. “It was ironic as I was able to share this journey with Maisie as well as Drew Norley and Ariki Hita, who helped with the video production. We all got along really well and were great ‘Travel Companions’. I really wanted to dance the waltz because I thought it complimented the longing feeling in the song and managed to include some scenes of beautiful Kiera dancing with me which added to the dreamlike element of the song. A few of my family members feature in the clip, my sister and her partner are mentioned in the storyline and my niece played the role of my imaginary daughter. Really proud and chuffed that they participated”.

Rita B is scheduled to play the following shows in the coming months. Hopefully they go ahead!

28 October 2021 – Get Folked Punk @ LazyBones Lounge Restaurant and Bar, Marrickville
4 December 2021 – The Townie, Newtown (with Josh Shipton)

Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: D.H Norley

Rock Out With A Swift Farewell’s “Sunburn”

Sydney pop-punk act A Swift Farewell are back with “Sunburn,” a track that uses the physical pain of sun exposure as a metaphor for the wrong kind of relationship. By the time that chorus kicked in with powerful vocals from Emma Mather, I was right on board.

Like so many bands impacted by lockdowns, A Swift Farewell had to pivot on the single’s music video.

“We initially wanted to film a live music video of us playing the song at our headline show. However, with the ever-changing situation, we had to find an alternative,” explained the band’s drummer, Dwayne Morris. “Sarah, our bassist, messaged us one day and showed us a homemade green screen idea. From there, we hit up our good friend Robbie and the rest is history. It was a fun experience, especially since I got to hit my drums for the first time in god knows how long.”

Hopefully it won’t be too long before A Swift Farewell plays those live shows they’re craving. Until then, crank this one up!

Image used with permission from Good Intent; credit: Robbie Walcott

Charlie Collins Releases New Banger for the Broken Hearted, “Just My Luck”

Failed relationships are no fun, but sometimes the songs that come out of them are. That’s the case with “Just My Luck,” the upbeat new single from Charlie Collins. If you’ve ever invested your heart in the wrong person, you’ll want to crank this one up.

“It’s about the feeling of always throwing yourself in the deep end, but the other person isn’t there to catch you when you fall,” Charlie explained. Thankfully it’s not something she’s had to worry about lately, as she began writing the track in her living room with partner Mitch Sexty. The track went to the next level when Charlie began collaborating with Gabriel Strum, aka Japanese Wallpaper, at Sydney’s Forbes Street Studios.

“Just My Luck” is the latest track lifted from Charlie’s forthcoming sophomore album. There’s no word on a release date, but this song should tide you over until it drops.

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

AViVA Drops Moody New Single, “Melancholy”

If there was ever a time for an artist making what the press release called “emo-pop,” it’s now. With New South Wales and Victorian lockdowns dragging on, I’ll bet that AViVA’s new single “Melancholy” will resonate with more than a few of you.

“Seemingly cheerful and upbeat from the outside, it doesn’t matter what makes you feel that way, sometimes feeling down is the only way you can feel, but the power of the last line ‘it will never be the same’ is where the core message of the song lies,” AViVA explained. “Even though after negative experiences things often aren’t the same, we are always free to learn and grow from our experiences. Feeling melancholy, like so many feelings, is just a temporary state. Things will, as they always do, get better.”

AViVA is giving us all something to look forward to once lockdown ends with shows all around the country. She’s also scheduled to play Spain’s Mad Cool Festival next year. It’s ambitious to announce an Aussie tour right now, let alone international plans, but I have to admire her optimism! If you’re keen on some gigs, put these ones on your radar.

12 Nov 2021 – Enigma Bar, Adelaide (All Ages)
13 Nov 2021 – Wrangler Studios, Melbourne (All Ages)
20 Nov 2021 – Factory Floor, Sydney (Afternoon All Ages)
20 Nov 2021 – Factory Floor, Sydney (Evening 18+)
21 Nov 2021 – The Brightside, Sydney (Afternoon All Ages)
6-9 July 2022 – Mad Cool Festival, Madrid

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; photo credit: MataisC

Boo Seeka Strips Sound Back With “Tripwire”

Boo Seeka has dropped a very un-Boo Seeka track, and I love it! The acoustic-driven “Tripwire” is such a departure from the act’s electronic party numbers, but I think it might just be what most of us need in our lives right now. The song mourns the loss of normalcy so many of us are experiencing right now.

“The songwriting for Tripwire is really direct, I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve with this one,” Boo explained. “I realised I was writing about myself, and the stuff I was going through, which was hitting me pretty hard if I’m being honest. Writing on an acoustic guitar has always been a part of my process and usually, it would just be used to figure out the chords and structure of the song, and then it would be built into an electronic track. With ‘Tripwire,’ we used the same template, but nothing we built sonically got close to the emotion, and the rawness of the acoustic version. It’s super different to the typical Boo Seeka sound, but the diversity of the upcoming album is something I’m very proud of, and releasing it as the first single is the perfect way to kick it off”.

Covid also got in the way of Boo’s music video plans, but he was not to be deterred.

“Originally I was going to fly to WA to shoot this clip but Covid once again got in the way. My manager Cohen and his mate, Lachlan Ross (of production company Halves and Quarters) set out with Meg Charnaud (actor) on a last-minute adventure to shoot the clip on a farm close to Margaret River, Western Australia. Lachy is the mastermind behind the whole thing, and I love the beauty of it. It’s a simple yet effective clip capturing the emotion of trying to run away from all things negative. Something myself and everyone around me is going through right now.”

If you’re craving a little bit of normal, catch Boo Seeka on The Trip tour. Some shows are being rescheduled given all the current COVID dramas, but at this stage, the following gigs are going ahead as planned.

“When people come to a Boo Seeka live show, I really want to put on a night where people can leave their troubles at home, smile, and just have a whole heap of fun,” Boo said. Leave your troubles behind at the following shows.

25 September 2021 – The Triffid, Brisbane
2 October 2021 – Republic Bar, Hobart
3 October 2021 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
16 October 2021 – Magnet House, Perth

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: @natimgraben