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Today, Aussie indie rock mainstays Moler officially release 69 — their first full-length album in 29 years, following their ARIA-nominated 1997 debut Golden Duck. And if the past few weeks are anything to go by, the wait has only sharpened the band’s edge.
Led by the punch of recent singles “AI” and “Roky,” 69 finds Moler energised, reflective and gloriously loud. “AI” set the tone with its fuzzy guitars and sharp commentary on artificial intelligence, questioning how technology reshapes love, identity and connection. It was classic Moler — melodic, urgent and slightly mischievous — but unmistakably rooted in the now.
Follow-up single “Roky” leaned further into the band’s romantic paranoia, exploring unrequited love in the digital age. Built from a riff inspired by Roky Erickson and layered with shimmering alternative textures, the track balances vulnerability with grit — a perfect snapshot of an album that looks forward without losing its raw 90s heart.
Across 69, each song began life with a different band member before being collectively reshaped in rehearsal rooms and studios — a creative process that feels instinctive rather than nostalgic. The result is an album that captures a band not revisiting former glories, but reigniting them.
That momentum was on full display at last weekend’s Desert Highways in-store in Reservoir, where a packed, all-ages crowd turned out to celebrate the record’s arrival. Fans old and new crammed in, singing along, snapping up vinyl, and proving that Moler’s audience hasn’t gone anywhere — it’s grown.
As the band share collectively:
“To have 69 out in the world 29 years after our first album feels surreal. We didn’t make this record to relive the past — we made it because we still love playing together, still love loud guitars, and still feel like we’ve got something to say. The response so far has blown us away.”
With the album officially out today, the celebrations continue live.
UPCOMING SHOWS
FRI 13 MAR – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC (18+)
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
SAT 21 MAR – The Tote, Collingwood VIC (18+)
Tickets: www.thetotehotel.com/gig-guide
Nearly three decades between albums might sound like a long time — but on 69, Moler sound like a band who’ve simply been winding up for the next punch.
And it’s landing hard.
