​

Australian born, LA based songwriter Lili Kendall has today announced her divine new single love, herself, out Friday April 26. love, herself is a serene, blissful track; an ode to love and everything that comes along with the strength of true passion. Lili has also released a glorious clip for love, herself, sugar-coated and bright, directed by Cole Needham (Shae Jacobs, Cat Spare).

love, herself is both wonderously timeless, describing the highs of being in love, and also incredibly modern, with on-the-pulse production reminiscent of SZA and Ariana Grande. Lili’s voice glides on love, herself, and she sings with a confidence and assurance well beyond her years. Speaking about writing the song, Lili reveals, “When I was originally writing the song in the studio I was singing ‘I think I am in love with love itself’ – then something came over me, and I just started singing ‘herself’ instead. It made so much sense to me. I wanted to bring light to the divine feminine in not only every being but every atom, the collective energy that is love, herself.”

The clip for love, herself feels like a feast – every shot is stunning, meticulously put together, and deeply pleasing to the eye. Lili is surrounded by love; as she sits encircled by friends, and even sitting alone, the viewer can feel a strong, heavenly, feminine energy exuding through her presence. Working with director Cole Needham, Lili explains the ideas behind the clip, “We wanted to keep it clean and simple, like a cherry on top of the song. It accents the story and emotion of love, herself perfectly to me. I really just wanted to showcase that thing in all of us, what makes us all love and connect to one another.”

Lili has been living in LA for two years, working on her craft and growing into her own – and it looks like her work is going to pay off in the form of her debut album later in 2019. Honest and captivating, Lili describes her journey over the last couple of years, “I spent most of the first year in LA lost and confused. The second year I stopped relying on people, and made my own way into studios as a writer instead of an artist. After over six months of writing, I realised I had so much music on my laptop that I could create 10 albums. So I chose my favourite songs, the ones I really connected to, and I began crafting my debut album.”

love, herself the single is out Friday April 26.

​

Secret Sounds Present
THE 1975
A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS
2019 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUEST NO ROME
MELBOURNE SOLD-OUT
ON SALE NOW
SECRETSOUNDS.COM

After delivering mind-blowing performances at Coachella last month, British alt pop-rockers The 1975 have set their sights on Australia. Come September, the Manchester natives will make their long-awaited return to the country for glorious shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

The quartet has enlisted the help of breakout pop visionary No Rome to warm up crowds at their packed-out shows. The London-based Filipino singer and producer demands attention with his uniquely and fresh genre-melting sound. Since making his grand entrance last year with ‘Do It Again’ and ‘Seventeen’, No Rome continues to prove himself as a playmaker in the ever-changing pop arena with the arrival of his brand-new EP Crying In The Prettiest of Places, which is out today via Dirty Hit / Sony and available to listen to HERE.

Far from strangers No Rome and The 1975 are not only labelmates, but also collaborators on The 1975’s third studio album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and No Rome’s blissful bop ‘Narcissist ft. The 1975’. The 1975 front man Matty Healy even went as far as declaring the young talent as his “muse” in a recent interview with Beats 1.

With their fourth record Notes On A Conditional Form coming in hot this month, hitmakers The 1975 will return to Aussie shores with a stack of new material in tow, adding to their already explosive resume of tunes including fan favourites ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’, ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’ and ‘Love It If We Made It’.

Secret Sounds Present
THE 1975
A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS
2019 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUEST NO ROME
MELBOURNE SOLD-OUT
ON SALE NOW
SECRETSOUNDS.COM
FRI 20 SEPT MARGARET COURT ARENA MELBOURNE
SOLD-OUT

SAT 21 SEPT ICC SYDNEY
FINAL TICKETS

SUN 22 SEPT RIVERSTAGE BRISBANE
SELLING FAST

WED 25 SEPT AEC THEATRE ADELAIDE
SELLING FAST

FRI 27 SEPT HBF STADIUM PERTH
SELLING FAST

Born Free, Melbourne hardcore outfit signed to Resist Records, are back! Born Free recently returned on the scene with ‘Blinded’, the first hint of new music after a few years away from the limelight. Today the band unleash the second single, ‘Wasted’, cut straight from the forthcoming self-titled album available for pre-order now at https://shop.resistrecords.com/collections/pre-orders!

‘Wasted’ packs a punch at 2 and a half minutes long and wastes no time diving straight in with a heavy hitting drum beat that leads the way for the driving guitar riffs that provide the backbone for this solid second offering. Vocalist Nathan explains “…the track is a reflection on cause and effect and no matter what, real change comes from within.”

Lyrically, Nathan has strived to vent about the destruction of the planet, internal anguish and a personal take of life, death and everything in between and aimed to create a more dynamic and matured sound for the upcoming self-titled album.

The new album was recorded in Winter 2018 at Black Lodge Studios (old three phase studio) in Brunswick, Melbourne with Mike Deslandes (from Melbourne’s blackened Rock ‘N’ Roll outfit High Tension). The new record is the first from the band to feature new member Josh Manitta (Carpathian, Warbrain) – who has brought on a more layered and melodic style to their previous 2015 album Sorrow, and is a natural progression musically from their Upon my Head tape, released in 2017. The band has further utilised vocalist Nathan’s clean singing, while also creating what is their heaviest album to date, yet more structured and more melodic.

Born Free have done some notable tours in their 6 years of proudly representing Melbourne hardcore throughout the land, with bands like Turnstile, Expire, Blacklisted and Miles Away, as well as notorious/memorable shows with standout hardcore acts Bane, Rival Mob, Mindsnare, Endless Heights and Break the Ice.

The band have more recently played less to really focus on writing and recording – but are excited to get on the road and show what Born Free is in 2019!

Born Free’s self titled album will be released Friday June 7 through Resist Records with pre-orders live now at https://shop.resistrecords.com/collections/pre-orders. ‘Wasted’ is out now to stream and purchase at all good online outlets and streaming platforms.

VALLEY QUEEN
US Indie Darlings Release Boiling Water,
Their First Single In Australia From The Album Supergiant
To Be Released June 28
LA Indie Rockers, Valley Queen have just released Boiling Water, a new track off their Supergiant album!

Watch the animated video for Boiling Water here
youtu.be/SmltWq6kGMA

The incredibly catchy Boiling Water is Valley Queen’s first international single from their Supergiant album which was released in the US in mid 2018.

The band recently signed to Bread and Butter Records, a new division of Australian based Golden Robot Global Entertainment, who will make Supergiant available to the Australian, UK and European markets when it’s released on June 28.

Setting Valley Queen apart from the indie pack is front woman Natalie Carol’s captivating voice. Vulnerable and fragile whilst remaining truthful and relevant with lyrics.

Indie Rock flavoured with an alt-country tinge, Valley Queen are totally in sync with the modern music landscape and are your new favourite band!

Boiling Water is out now!
smarturl.it/vqboilingwater

Producer singer songwriter XMPLA, continues to reach new heights with his track ‘Excited’, the first release ahead of his debut EP due later this year. Hailing from Sydney, the local artist creates genre-defying music using an eclectic and erratic array of sounds and vocals.

For the release, XMPLA has teamed up with three rappers from Ireland Sean X, Sage May and Hudis, the latter is also part of Irish RnB group Supersilly, who previously featured on Odd Mob’s ‘No Pressure’. The feature artists take the lead with their vocals which seamlessly blend into the dynamic future bass production and XMPLA adding his own vocals for the final verse.

XMPLA talks about the idea behind track, “Living everyday like its your first, Excited is about living your best life, going with the flow and reaching for a higher perspective. This is a party anthem that hopefully inspires you to live yours. When this song came together I was feeling what the title suggests! Everyone featured on this record goes by the same, especially in the process of writing music.”

XMPLA has quickly became a favourite in the local music scene, producing his own records as well as making outstanding remixes for artists such as Odd Mob, Animal Feelings and most notably, Marshmello. His 2018 single ‘Sun Goes Down’ garnered commendatory reviews from prominent presenters and local artists on triple j Unearthed which led him to becoming a ‘Feature Artist’ on the station. Most recently, XMPLA has debuted his live show when he supported both Dutch the Rapper and Hippie Sabotage. With a headline tour to be announced later this year, keep an eye on his socials for further info.

‘Excited’ out now via October Records

https://soundcloud.com/xmpla/excited-ft-hudis-sean-x-sage-may

Geelong’s metalcore five-piece Amberyse today drop their huge new single “Glass House” and announce a short tour to accompany. The single will be live for streaming and purchase from this Friday May 3 and can be pre-saved at bit.ly/GlassHouseSpotify. They are also today announcing a short and sharp release tour, heading to Sydney, Melbourne and Geelong!

The track “Glass House” is produced, mixed and mastered at The Loud Noise Estate and at its core is about drug abuse and struggling to overcome addiction. Vocalist Jayden Andrews explains that the track is “…about someone who wants to break out of the lifestyle they’ve fallen into, but is fighting against others who are trying to pull them down. “Glass House” is a struggle of self, a fragile state.”

The music video that accompanies the single is produced and directed by Jackson Webster Visuals and takes the theme of addiction and visualises it on a broader term. The video builds on the idea of battling oneself on a daily basis to overcome the ‘darkness’ that lies inside through drug addiction, anxiety and depression. The chess board represents the loss of time and the struggle to keep a sense of self. Marcel Gadacz of Dream on Dreamer provides the cover art visual for the single, featuring the singular chess piece, tying in with the music video and the representation of time.

Forming in early 2015, Geelong’s own Amberyse wasted little time establishing themselves as a fiery and energetic collection of musicians with a dynamic stage presence. The groups blend of heavy/melodic riffs, groove riddled percussion and the frenzied energy of frontman Jayden bring together a unique sound that they are proud to call their own. Numerous line up changes stunted the groups growth, but after stumbling across an array of new members that have brought new sounds and dedicated commitment, the band have been able to solidify their lineup as Jayden Andrews on vocals, Liam Lynch and Jamie Townley on guitars, Adrian Trinchera on Bass and Corey Mole on drums.

The release of their last creation ‘Heavy Hands’ in 2018 has seen the group land some big shows, playing with the likes of Northlane, In Hearts Wake, Ocean Grove, Hands like Houses and Deez Nuts.

June brings with it three red hot Amberyse shows for ‘The Glass House Tour’ in which the band will be bringing the fire to Sydney’s Crowbar, Melbourne’s Stay Gold and Geelong’s Workers. Tickets available at www.amberyse.com/shows.

“Glass House” is out Friday May 3 and will be available through iTunes & Apple Music/Spotify/Google Play and all good online stores and streaming outlets. Tickets are on sale now for Amberyse’s Glass House Tour at amberyse.com/shows.

SPINNING HALF PRESENTS
AMBERYSE
THE GLASS HOUSE TOUR

THURSDAY 20 JUNE – CROWBAR 18+ – SYDNEY, NSW
w/ SPECIAL GUESTS

FRIDAY 28 JUNE – STAY GOLD 18+ – MELBOURNE, VIC
w/ SPECIAL GUESTS

SATURDAY 29 JUNE – WORKERS 18+ – GEELONG, VIC
w/ SPECIAL GUESTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT AMBERYSE.COM/SHOWS

Aurora, The Forum Melbourne

The forum is awash with blue light this evening for the performance of Norwegian songstress Aurora, large jellyfish suspended from the ceiling adding to the underwater atmosphere.

Support act Tones & I opens the show, her enigmatic voice ringing out across the gilded ceiling. At times she comes across as a little self conscious, however regardless of hiding behind a cap she has a powerful voice that is memorable and captivating.

Aurora arrives in a flurry of tulle and blue, her face painted in trademark stripes, much of the audience mimicking her style. She is enegetic, enigmatic and endearing.

During a short break fans gift Aurora with a bevvy of gift bags, to which she graciously thanks them for, displaying a large pine cone that she informs the audience she loves. She is a delight to listen to as she tells her stories and she captivates the audience with her candid humor and sweetness.

Playing a mixture of songs from both albums, her performance is enchanting, the jelly fish changing colour throughout. ‘ Through the eyes of a child’, ‘ Murder Song’  and ‘ Animal’ are all crowd favourites. When someone in the audience lets out an impromtu howl, the audience begin to collectively howl, the perfect lead in to ‘ Running with the Wolves’ which has the room errupting in dance and flailing arms.

Finishing up with ‘ Warrior’ Aurora has delighted and captivated the audience, drawing them into her world for an evening, only to release us all from her spell, wanting more.

Words by Amanda Lee Starkey

NEW ALBUM ‘IV’ CHRONICLES VOCALIST MATT HYDE’S BATTLE WITH NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

‘IV’ ALBUM OUT THROUGH DESTROY RECORDS JUNE 28 & TOURING
NEW ZEALAND/AUSTRALIA IN JUNE/JULY 2019

OBEY THE RIFF AND RAISE THE SWORD! New Zealand’s Beastwars are back with their brand new single and video – Raise The Sword. Premiering at huge metal blog Metal Injection yesterday, the band have released the track today. Metal Injection said that Raise The Sword is a “…slow-burning, riff-churning new song that practically demands to be blasted.” The song and video was made with the support of New Zealand on Air.

This track and new album is their first new music in a number of years – this is their triumphant return after vocalist Matt Hyde underwent over 6 months of treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2016 – and he is now in remission. They announced their new album “IV” in April – which was shaped by Hyde’s recent experiences. It will be released on Friday June 28 through Destroy Records. Merch bundles can be pre-ordered now at http://www.beastwars.bigcartel.com.

Beastwars are taking the record on the road – touring New Zealand and Australia in June/July – presented by Panhead Custom Ales. They are hitting Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand and then jumping over the Tasman to play Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne shows. All shows minus Christchurch, Dunedin and Brisbane will feature Australia’s Witchskull.

Beastwars formed in Wellington in 2006. Their 2011 self-titled debut was nominated for Best New Zealand Rock Album at the New Zealand Music Awards, as were their second and third albums 2014’s Blood Becomes Fire and 2016’s The Death Of All Things. Beastwars and Blood Becomes Fire were also nominated for the Taite Music Prize.

Beastwars’ new album IV will be released on Friday June 28 and can be pre-ordered now – Limited Edition Vinyl, Cassette and T-Shirt Bundles are available at http://www.beastwars.bigcartel.com. Single Omens is available for streaming and purchase now.

BEASTWARS
IV ALBUM RELEASE TOUR
with special guest
WITCHSKULL (AUS)

Wellington – San Fran – Friday June 28

Auckland – Galatos – Saturday June 29

Christchurch – Blue Smoke – Friday July 5*

Dunedin – The Cook – Saturday July 6*

Sydney – Crowbar – Thursday July 11
w/ POTION

Melbourne – The Espy, Gershwin Room – Friday July 12
w/ Dr. Colossus and Droid

Brisbane – Dead of Winter Festival – Saturday July 13*

*dates without WITCHSKULL

NZ Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz
Sydney and Dead of Winter Tickets available from oztix.com.au
Melbourne Tickets available from moshtix.com.au

‘DISTANT WORLDS’ BRINGS THE MUSIC OF FINAL FANTASY TO MELBOURNE FOR ONLY AUSTRALIAN SHOW

MJR Presents is proud to announce the eagerly anticipated return of Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY to Australia in 2019.

Following on from a sell-out show at Sydney’s ICC Theatre in 2017, Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY will make its return appearance down under in August, for a special one-off, show at the Melbourne Arena; marking Distant Worlds premiere performance in Melbourne!

Originally launched in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY, the brand new, completely revamped live show will feature music from one of the most popular video game series of all time! This concert will include a special tribute to the original FINAL FANTASY VII, featuring special guest Yoko Shimomura, composer of FINAL FANTASY XV, in attendance.

GRAMMY®-winning conductor Arnie Roth will lead the 100-piece ‘Distant World Philharmonic and Chorus in a breathtaking performance of the beloved music of Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, and others, in front of spectacular HD video direct from game developer SQUARE ENIX.

The multimedia experience, which places stirring screen images, stills and iconic scenes from the FINAL FANTASY series alongside the soaring emotions of a symphony orchestra and chorus is set to be Distant Worlds’ biggest show to date, and will perform just one show in Australia in 2019.

Tickets for ‘Distant Worlds: Music From FINAL FANTASY
go on sale at 10:00 AM on Friday 10 May via Mjrpresents.com

MJR Presents
DISTANT WORLDS
MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY

SATURDAY 24 AUGUST
MELBOURNE ARENA – MELBOURNE, VIC
(Only Australian Show)

TICKETS FROM:
Mjrpresents.com

DEAN LEWIS
A PLACE WE KNEW AUSTRALIAN TOUR
KICKS OFF TONIGHT IN SYDNEY!
+ SYDNEY, ADELAIDE & MELBOURNE SOLD OUT
+ LIMITED TIX AVAILABLE IN BRISBANE & PERTH
Dean Lewis will perform the first show of his Australian tour tonight at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre.
Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne shows have already sold out as well as Brisbane’s first show.
Tickets are selling fast for all other shows with limited tickets still available in Brisbane and Perth.
The countdown is over as Dean Lewis’ Australian tour kicks off tonight with two sold out performances at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre!

Following his Sydney shows, Dean will head to Brisbane’s The Tivoli for two nights before performing in Adelaide and Perth, concluding his tour of Australia with three sold out performances at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre.

The tour has been in extremely high demand, with first shows in Brisbane and Adelaide and all Sydney and Melbourne shows having sold out, with limited tickets remaining for all other shows.

The Australian leg of Dean’s international tour follows an incredible live performance at Auckland Town Hall over the weekend. Garnering rave reviews from fans and reviewers alike, the show provides a taste of what fans can expect from the singer-songwriter’s upcoming Australian performances.

‘He is a musical genius who is a master of his trade, and although his songs are emotionally raw, he did nothing but deliver 90 minutes of pure happiness’ – Ambient Light

Dean has returned home to Australia this week following the release of his debut album A Place We Knew (out now through Island Records), which debuted at #1 in Australia. With over a billion streams of his music globally and being named Billboard’s ‘Chart-Breaker’ in October, Dean has been dominating charts all over the world with his single ‘Be Alright’. Dean’s current single ‘7 Minutes’ is now certified Gold in Australia, and has a brand new video clip. ‘7 Minutes’, along with his global hits ‘Be Alright’ (6x Platinum) and ‘Waves’ (5x Platinum) are included on Dean’s debut album.

Following rave reviews in Auckland over the weekend and with limited tickets available to remaining shows, fans are urged to buy tickets now to avoid missing out on this incredible tour!

DEAN LEWIS
A PLACE WE KNEW ALBUM TOUR
MAY 2019
With special guests Winterbourne & Eliott
Presented by Frontier Touring & triple j
ALL SHOWS SHOWS ON SALE NOW
Monday 6 May
Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!

Tuesday 7 May
Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!

Saturday 11 May
The Tivoli | Brisbane, QLD
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!

Sunday 12 May
The Tivoli | Brisbane, QLD
Lic. All Ages | LIMITED TIX!
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 13 61 00

Tuesday 14 May
Thebarton Theatre | Adelaide, SA
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!

Wednesday 15 May
HBF Stadium | Perth, WA
Lic. All Ages | LIMITED TIX!
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 13 61 00

Friday 17 May
The Forum | Melbourne, VIC
18+ | SOLD OUT!

Saturday 18 May
The Forum | Melbourne, VIC
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!

Sunday 19 May
The Forum | Melbourne, VIC
Lic. All Ages | SOLD OUT!