Adelaide endured one of its famous 40C heatwaves over the Adelaide Cup long weekend. In this climate, events can be cancelled, postponed or modified. To their credit, the WOMADelaide organisers made the World’s festival as comfortable as could be. The bats that have recently taken up residence in the Frome Road copse of trees were…
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Have you ever struggled to find the right words to use for a conversation you dearly wish to have with someone important in your life? If so, then “If We Never Speak Again” from Naarm/Melbourne-based 17-year-old singer-songwriter Kaiyah Mercedes will resonate deeply. We’re very excited to have the premiere of this powerhouse single from Kaiyah ahead of its…
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UK singer-songwriter James Bay returned to Australia and Sydney to play a packed out Enmore Theatre. The adoring fans were treated to Bay’s classic soul rock gold hit “Hold Back The River”, the triple platinum “Let It Go” plus a whole lot more. Support on the evening came from the very talented Merpire. Pete Dovgan…
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Splendour In The Grass has announced their lineup for the 2024 edition of the festival, with a stacked billing of artists, headed by the one and only Kylie Minogue. Taking place in the North Byron Parklands over the weekend of 19 – 21 July, the festival will greet us with a plethora of international superstars…
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Sydney-based psychedelic duo Velvet Trip have recently released their debut album, Harmony Blooms. The album found its genesis when the duo met up in Berlin, taking in the sounds around them. Their approach to creating the album took a substantial deviation when they both had significant hand injuries. I caught up with lead singer Zeppelin Hamilton and…
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With the 22nd edition of Splendour in the Grass announced to go down from 19 – 21 July, we thought it was about time to get the crystal ball out and begin to speculate as to whom might be playing the North Byron Parklands this July. With a strong history of booking the cream of the…
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One of the biggest highlights on the Sydney live music calendar is the Vivid event and with the 2024 line-up being dropped today, it’s fair to say, they’re well and truly back with an enormous line-up! From the 24th May to the 15th of June, Sydney will once again light up with events ranging from…
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Michigan emo larrikins Hot Mulligan have just wrapped up their 11-date debut Australia and New Zealand tour with a sold-out show at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane on Saturday 9 March. Upgraded from The Brightside Outdoors, the beloved punks were supported by Nashville five-piece Free Throw and esteemed locals Bad Neighbour in an emotional farewell…
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Londoners Black Country, New Road made their way to Melbourne ahead of their Golden Plains Festival debut on the weekend. After a full year touring the globe in 2023, the six-piece celebrated with the Forum punters in the wake of their latest LP release Live at Bush Hall. The night had a stunning emotional underbelly, even with…
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Katy Steele brought her Broken tour to The Great Club in Sydney last night. It was an appreciative audience, where Katy played stripped-back versions of many tracks from her recent solo album, Big Star, her 2016 solo release, Human, and of course, her most recent single, “Broken”. For Little Birdy fans, there were also some treats,…
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It was a hot summer evening in Adelaide for a night of psychedelia, with four bands on the bill at the Cranker (Crown and Anchor Hotel). Local outfits Nite Rites, Thunder Speaks and Sons of Zöku supported the highly anticipated Japanese Krautrock band MINAMI DEUTSCH, making their debut in Adelaide. Outside, the closed off Rundle Street…
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The annual convergence festival that takes over downtown Austin, Texas, is back for another year, and this year, it is going to be impossible not to feel the presence of Australia at South by Southwest. 32 Australian artists will be featured in showcases and pop-ups around the Texas capital. South by Southwest is a one-of-a-kind…
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As we waltz through March, we’ve added ten more songs to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two tracks we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week is “People Come, and People Go” from Elana Stone, an artist who is a firm AU favourite. Elana is a wonderful songwriter…
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Black Country, New Road on their debut Australian tour played the Sydney Opera House. Fans were left mesmerised by the amazing talents of all six members whom were a perfect fit for the sold out iconic Sydney Opera House with their eclectic art-rock sound. Pete Dovgan brings you the images.
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A permanent survivor of the ever-changing music industry, Ricki-Lee is one of Australia’s finest success stories. An advocate for the independent music scene and an unapologetic lover of all things pop (sorry, she’s not sorry), she’s forging her own path with the anticipated release of her 5th album On My Own, the first under her…
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Slow Cinema is an indie-rock quintet from Newcastle/Mulubinba who we fell in love with in 20200 when we premiered their emotive single “Balta”. They’ve recently dropped two singles, “Magic Potion” and “Pocket Knife”, and we are stoked today to be premiering their new self-titled EP with three more stellar tracks. Keen Slow Cinema fans have…
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Aussie Indie Artists is a series of interviews with lesser known Aussie creators across all forms and fields. The goal is to share exciting new works, find new angles towards the art, and peek behind the scenes. Tess Hannah’s music is grungy, moody, and frayed with overloaded electric guitars– often likened to Wolf Alice or…
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Slowmango are a six piece band from SA that are having their debut Womadelaide appearance this weekend. We sat down to learn a little more about the band. How would you describe your music? Is it something that can be categorised? Slowmango’s music is a melting pot of global influences, incorporating rhythms and melodies from…
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Have you ever lost the spark? Maybe the intensity of a relationship has started to fade. The job which you were so passionate about no longer shines as brightly. Or making your way as a musician is just proving too hard. Boorloo/Perth-based indie-rock band King Ibis have just the cathartic banger that encapsulates this so adroitly. We’re…
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Given the longevity of her prolific career, it’s easy to forget that popstar-cum-media personality Ricki-Lee got her start within the Australian Idol space and that she didn’t win; Casey Donovan would ultimately be crowned the winner of said season. In the 20 years (!!!) since the commanding singer won us all over during her tenure…
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UK Multi-disciplinary vocalist Sampha touched down in Melbourne for a beautiful night of music at Margaret Court Arena. The venue was transformed into an intimate theatre-like performance, with seated General Admission and reduced numbers. The evening was one for the books with Sampha captivating the crowd with his humbleness and stunning vocals. In celebration of…
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Mona Foma finished off their month-long Tasmanian summer festival with a free evening concert in the beautiful Cataract Gorge in Launceston. The natural rock pool, enhanced with a shallow man-made wading pool made for a natural amphitheatre for the music event. It’s a popular destination, with a walking trail along the Tamar River, a swimming…
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The National have been regulars to our shores for 16 years, so the six-year gap since their last show in Australia is a fair enough gap to have revived the appetite for the Ohio via New York City group. Bringing Annie Hamilton along for the tour was a stroke of genius. Not only is she…
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PWEI (Pop Will Eat Itself) returned to Sydney in magnificent form playing their rap-rock indie anthems and were supported by fellow Brits and equally brilliant Jesus Jones at a very sweaty and humid Sydney Uni Manning Bar. Pete Dovgan brings you the action.
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The National have returned to Australia for the the first time since 2018, and last night played at the ICC Sydney Theatre, the first of two shows. It was an incredible gig, with leadsinger Matt Berninger as always stalking and prowling the stage as he brings the tunes alive. You had to feel sorry for…
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Wednesday are Karly Hartzman (guitar/vocals), with MJ Lenderman (guitar), Xandy Chelmis (lap/pedal steel), Ethan Baechtold (bass) and Alan Miller (drums) they are all the way from North Carolina USA. Think shoegaze, indie rock combined with alt country and we are on a winner. Check out one of the great indie albums released 2023 Rat Saw…
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We’re launching into March with ten more songs added to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two singles we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Australian alt-rock artist Tyne-James Organ has released his first new music of 2024, the single “All On Me” and it’s our Track of the Week. “All On…
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There’s no point throughout Sampha’s generously paced, highly detailed performance at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion where it feels like the UK singer has made any sort of mistake or taken a wrong turn. From the smart lighting to the composition of his achingly vulnerable songs, the man demonstrated exactly why he has emerged as one of…
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The Mona Sessions were held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings on the lawns of the Mona Museum. Each night showcased a diverse range of artists, both local and international. The highlight of the Friday night was Scottish post-rock kings, Mogwai. Their set is larger than life with a sound that envelops everything, and…
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Scheduled for the tail-end of March, Souled Out by Whatslively will visit Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Perth with a solid line-up of on-trend R&B acts. I’ve typed similar sentences many times over the past decade, and I’ve watched sadly as R&B-flavoured festivals folded. Soulfest is the most obvious one, and slow ticket sales in…
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