Tag Archives: album

News

PHIL JAMIESON SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘BLUE AS THE SUNLIGHT’

Australian singer-songwriter Phil Jamieson continues to unveil his most expansive solo era yet with the release of new single, Blue As The Sunlight, the second offering from his forthcoming sophomore album, 10Charlie (out August 14 and available to presave here).

Arriving on the heels of the project’s first single Weekends, Blue As The Sunlight further showcases Jamieson’s evolving solo sound; a blend of vivid storytelling, atmospheric guitar work and a vocal delivery that moves between tenderness and raw intensity. The track deepens the emotional and sonic palette already introduced on 10Charlie, revealing another side of an album shaped by reflection, resilience and renewal.

 

“Blue is about unconditional love. Not just for others, but for yourself as well,” explains Jamieson.”In some ways, from my perspective, this is about having empathy and forgiveness. It’s about allowing yourself to be loved and also in doing so, loving others. It’s this feeling that pierces through the melody.”

 

“Lyrically, it’s a little obtuse in some ways, but the drama of the song comes from me trying to communicate that on my own personal journey, I’ve unlocked a way to spread love and do it in an unconditional manner. I’m not always great at it, but I try. That’s the purpose behind the track.”

10Charlie finds Jamieson at his most direct and personal, capturing moments of introspection and clarity while leaning into collaboration with a handpicked group of Australian musicians and longtime creative allies. Reuniting with producer Oscar Dawson, the record features contributions from Davey Lane, Rob Muinos, Ben Edgar and Soph Ozard, weaving together a collection that shifts between meditative space and explosive release.

 

Following the announcement of his massive national PJ AIR tour – spanning more than 40 shows across Australia – Jamieson will take Blue As The Sunlight and the broader 10Charlie material on the road, bringing the new era to breweries, theatres and beloved local venues nationwide. The tour celebrates the grassroots circuit that has long underpinned Australian live music culture, connecting new songs with the audiences that shaped his career. Tickets are on sale now from www.philjamieson.com.au/.

 

With Blue As The Sunlight, Jamieson continues to chart a deeply personal course through his solo work, one that balances introspection with widescreen emotional scope, and reinforces his place as one of Australia’s most distinctive songwriting voices.

 

Blue As The Sunlight is out now.

10CHARLIE will be released on Friday 14 August, and is available to presave here.

Tickets to the PJ AIR tour are on sale now from www.philjamieson.com.au/.

 

STREAM: BLUE AS THE SUNLIGHT

WATCH: BLUE AS THE SUNLIGHT
PRESAVE: 10CHARLIE

 

PHIL JAMIESON – PJ AIR Tour

with special guests
Tickets from www.philjamieson.com.au/

THU 11 JUN – LEICHHARDT HOTEL, ROCKHAMPTON QLD

FRI 12 JUN – HARVEY ROAD TAVERN, GLADSTONE QLD

SAT 13 JUN – GRAND HOTEL, CHILDERS, QLD

SUN 14 JUN – METROPOLITAN HOTEL, MACKAY QLD

THU 18 JUN – MOUSE PROOF BREWERY, TOOWOOMBA QLD

FRI 19 JUN – NORTON MUSIC FACTORY, CALOUNDRA QLD

SAT 20 JUN – VINNIES DIVE, SOUTHPORT QLD

THU 25 JUN – TANSWELL’S HOTEL BEECHWORTH VIC

FRI 26 JUN – SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC

SAT 27 JUN – YOUNG STREET TAVERN, FRANKSTON VIC

FRI 03 JUL – THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE VIC

SAT 04 JUL – EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG VIC

THU 09 JUL – THE SCENIC HOTEL, NORTON SUMMIT SA

FRI 10 JUL – ED CASTLE, ADELAIDE SA

SAT 11 JUL – PORT LINCOLN BREWING CO, PORT LINCOLN SA

WED 15 JUL – CABARITA BOWLO, CABARITA SA

THU 16 JUL – ELTHAM HOTEL, ELTHAM NSW

FRI 17 JUL – WOOPI BREWING CO, WOOLGOOLGA NSW

SAT 18 JUL – BELLINGEN BREWERY, BELLINGEN NSW

SUN 19 JUL – FINNIAN’S, PORT MAC NSW

THU 23 JUL – LA LA LA’S, WOLLONGONG NSW

FRI 24 JUL – MILTON THEATRE, MILTON NSW

SAT 25 JUL – FUN TIME PONY, CANBERRA ACT

THU 30 JUL – HAMILTON STATION HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW

FRI 31 JUL – FLOW BAR, OLD BAR NSW

SAT 01 AUG – THE WHALERS, MOSMAN NSW

SUN 02 AUG – AVOCA BEACH THEATRE, AVOCA BEACH NSW

FRI 07 AUG – THE DECK TRARALGON, TRARALGON VIC

SAT 08 AUG – LIVE AT THE BUNDY, BUNDALAGUAH VIC

SUN 09 AUG – SOCIAL CLUB, BALNARRING VIC

THU 13 AUG – CROWBAR, BRISBANE QLD

FRI 14 AUG – SHOTKICKERS, MELBOURNE VIC

SAT 15 AUG – HEAPS NORMAL HEALTH CLUB, SYDNEY NSW

THU 20 AUG – THE ROYAL OAK, LAUNCESTON TAS

FRI 21 AUG – FORTH PUB, FORTH TAS

SAT 22 AUG – ALTAR BAR, HOBART TAS

THU 27 AUG – MOJOS BAR, FREMANTLE WA

FRI 28 AUG – FROTH CRAFT BREWERY, BUNBURY WA

SAT 29 AUG – THE RIVER, MARGRET RIVER WA

SUN 30 AUG – INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA

SAT 05 SEP – ALICE SPRINGS BREWING CO, ALICE SPRINGS NT

THU 10 SEP – TANKS ART CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD

FRI 11 SEP – THE WAREHOUSE, TOWNSVILLE QLD

SAT 12 SEP – MAGNUMS, AIRLIE BEACH QLD

 

music, News

MOLER UNLEASH NEW SINGLE ‘ROKY’ FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM ’69’ — OUT MARCH 6 + ANNOUNCE LAUNCH SHOWS

Aussie indie rock icons Moler roar back into 2026 with Roky, a blistering new single lifted from their long-awaited forthcoming album 69, out March 6. It marks only the band’s second full-length album since their ARIA-nominated 1997 debut Golden Duck, and finds Moler sounding louder, sharper and more irrepressible than ever.

 

The album’s latest taste, Roky, grew from guitarist JJ McCann’s riff ideas inspired by the legendary Roky Erickson, which bassist and vocalist Helen Cattanach then reshaped into the song’s driving bass line. Sonically, the track threads shimmering alternative textures influenced by My Bloody Valentine and Deerhunter, while nodding to post-punk guitar lineage via John McGeoch-style phrasing and a glam-leaning, tribal stomp rhythm.

 

Lyrically, Roky explores unrequited love in the digital age, questioning how intimacy, desire and expectation collide when romance moves online. Is connection real, or curated? Are lovers ever villains when reality doesn’t match the screen? As the chorus asks: “Could you be my bloody Valentine?”

 

Recorded at Soundpark Studios with Andre ‘Idge’ Hehir, mixed by Helen Cattanach and Miguel Alonso, and mastered by longtime Moler collaborator Lindsay Gravina (Magic Dirt, The Birthday Party), Roky captures the band in full, unfiltered flight. “It’s exciting to be starting the year with another new song,” says drummer Dave Peacock. “It’s one of my favourite tracks to play live from the recent album sessions.”

 

A raw collision of fuzzy guitars, riot grrrl attitude and 70s–90s punk rock spirit, 69 is nostalgic yet forward-looking — a fierce, hook-packed statement from a band who very clearly aren’t done yet. As Dave Peacock shares, “For me, this album is about a band that don’t feel they’re done just yet. We still enjoy playing together and making music.”

 

Across 69, Moler’s songwriting is shared and instinctive, with each track first sparked by an individual member before being shaped collectively in the room. Album opener AI (Helen) sets the thematic backbone, interrogating artificial intelligence, human connection and self-awareness, while I Just Need (James) arrives dream-formed and intimate, inspired by a lucid vision of Alex Chilton and later transformed into a poignant duet. Crimson (Helen) flips classic rock desire on its head with lustful confidence, while Springtime (Dave) captures a sun-soaked, beer-in-hand moment of seasonal release, short, punchy and built for sing-alongs. Elsewhere, Let Yourself Go (Helen) leans into self-acceptance via a funky blues pulse, and Fun (Helen) — the first song written by the new lineup — channels post-lockdown urgency and underground grit. Proper Remote (James) spirals into paranoia and hallucination, Sonic Waiver (Helen) sketches a dark, Orwellian dystopia, while Roky (Helen) dissects unrequited love in the digital age with hypnotic intensity. Closing track Come Around (Dave) offers a weary, bittersweet comedown — a breakup song reshaped in the studio into the perfect final exhale.

 

Formed in St Kilda in the early-to-mid 1990s, Moler unveiled Golden Duck in 1997, earning ARIA nominations and international acclaim before disbanding in the early 2000s. After reforming in 2018 and releasing their Work EP in 2019, the band have steadily rebuilt momentum — sharing stages with Ash, Regurgitator, Custard and Magic Dirt, and receiving airplay across Australia, Japan and the US, including Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM.

 

Now joined by JJ McCann (The Drones, Nunchukka Superfly), Moler’s current lineup feels both renewed and resolutely true to form. “As the new guy, I’m stoked to be part of Moler’s daring endeavour to create their first full-length album in decades,” says JJ McCann.

 

Fans can expect a loud, energetic and attention-grabbing live show, with Moler set to road-test 69 alongside classics from across their catalogue.  Helen Cattanach declares “It’s been brilliant writing, recording and playing Moler shows again, especially catching up with the old Mole Patrollers and meeting some new ones.”

 

With 69 on the horizon and Roky leading the charge, Moler are embracing the future — loud, melodic, hardworking and glam, just as they’ve always been.

 

Roky is out now.
Album 69 out March 6.

 

 

Stream: Roky

Pre-save: 69

 

 

MOLER – UPCOMING LIVE DATES 2026:
SAT 21 FEB | Desert Highways, Reservoir VIC | FREE All Ages In-Store, 2PM

FRI 13 MAR | Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC | with Redd Kross & The Hard-Ons | 18+
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au

SAT 21 MAR | The Tote, Collingwood VIC | 18+
Tickets: www.thetotehotel.com/gig-guide

My Dream Rider Series

My Dream Rider: Emily Ulman

Emily Ulman is a singer-songwriter and long-time music wrangler, venue booker, festival curator and industry shapeshifter based in Melbourne/Narrm. She’s the kind of person who knows where the best gigs, bagels and accidentally iconic moments are happening at any given time. After a ten-year break from releasing music, she’s back with new songs, a new album on the way, and a renewed love of crafting stories through sound. Her single Planned Burn is the focus track from her brand new album Severe Clear out this Friday October 10

10 items on your fantasy rider 

1. A Bulldogs scarf (handmade, not merch) probably knitted by my sister for warmth, superstition and soft moral support. Also, to wear during soundcheck like a talisman.

2. One mood-boosting email from someone who once saw me play in 2016 and still remembers the second verse.  No notes. Just joy.

3. Two cats keeping the green room couches warm.  They do not belong to the venue. They just know when they’re needed.

4. A small screen in the green room playing the 2016 AFL Grand Final on repeat. No sound. Just vision. Picken flying through the frame like a myth. The perfect pre-show pep talk.

5. A designated feedback booth with a very kind stranger inside, available for gentle and enthusiastic affirmation only. Constructive criticism can wait until Monday.

6. A portable clothesline with one set of just-washed sheets for the smell alone. I will not lie down on them.

7. A jug of orange cordial just like the one from childhood after netball. It needs to taste slightly diluted and vaguely nostalgic. Served in a cup too small.

8. Mum’s sourdough with too much butter. It will arrive just before I go on stage and I will pretend I won’t eat it. But I will.

9. A venue dog who does one dramatic sigh during the saddest part of the set. They’ve heard it all before. They’re still moved.

10. A note from the venue saying ‘take your time’. Not because I will, but because it’s nice to be told.

The Plug
Pre-save Emily’s new album Severe Clear – out Friday October 10

Follow: Emily’s substack

 

News

EMILY ULMAN RETURNS WITH SPARKLING NEW SINGLE ‘SEVERE CLEAR’ THE TITLE TRACK FROM HER FORTHCOMING ALBUM, ‘SEVERE CLEAR’, OUT OCTOBER 10

A bright and dulcet addition to her ever-growing repertoire, Melbourne/Narrm singer-songwriter, and music industry legend, Emily Ulman today returns with  Severe Clear, the sparkling title track  from her forthcoming album of the same name set for release on Friday, October 10.

 

Blending her buoyant charm with acoustic, folk and pop elements, Severe Clear channels a poignant optimism, with Emily nodding to Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now to evoke “the hope after the heavy.” As Emily explains, “Severe clear is an aviation term describing skies so clear and cloudless that the endless visibility is too much to take in. I have always loved the phrase. Severe clear weather often follows a storm, and that resonates with me too. A furious, cloudy pocket of weather giving way to something calm and bright and still. Pilots say these conditions are dazzling,almost too perfect.”

“Severe Clear is a song about the moments that arrive after everything has settled,” Emily adds. “It’s about clarity that is so beautiful it is almost unbearable. That strange kind of beauty: perfect, but piercing. I think about weather a lot. I lean right in because it is intrinsic. And magical. This song lives in that space between forecast and feeling. It is about the quiet, everyday moments that suddenly become enormous in their clarity. Like standing in the middle of something spectacular and letting yourself be swept up by it. It is about love, about letting yourself be soft and fall, it’s about buying matching towels because you want to be one and the same. Johnny Nash wrote ‘I Can See Clearly Now’. And I’m borrowing the idea that after the clouds and hard times pass, something brighter takes their place. Sometimes clarity isn’t sharp or sudden or cold. Sometimes it is soft and patient and a little bit dizzying. And perfect.”

 

With Severe Clear – both the single and broader album – Emily worked alongside a stellar team to realise her creative vision. Produced and mixed by Bonnie Knight (Amyl and the Sniffers, Angie McMahon, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers) at The Aviary, with Every Hillside recorded at Soundpark, the album was mastered by Simon Berckelman (Courtney Barnett, Passenger, Lime Cordiale, Cate Le Bon). Drawing inspiration from the likes of Julia Jacklin, Adrienne Lenker, Big Thief, Pinegrove and Bill Callahan the album’s songwriting, structure and emotional weight are further enriched by contributions from Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper, Mallrat, Gretta Ray), Alex Lashlie (Closet Straights, Loose Tooth), and Soren Maryasin (Stella Bridie, Chitra).

 

Beginning with its glowing title track, Severe Clear opens on a serene and stirring note, offering an optimistic warm embrace drawing listeners into Emily’s inner world. From there, the album moves through intimate acoustic beauty and soothing harmonies (Every Hillside), wistful melodies over ethereal backdrops (Fans in the Stands), and a folksy yet cinematic ode to life’s highs and lows (Mountains Mountains Mountains). It balances polished introspection (Trundle), stripped-back glimmers that swirl through your bones (Lake Mistake), and gentle flourishes of empowerment (Planned Burn). At the midpoint of Severe Clear, is an exquisite, vulnerable modern love ballad (Liminal Spaces) that gives way to brooding melancholia (Toughest Tourniquet), before the raw, rousing penultimate track If It Isn’t True, where Emily shifts between vocal serenity and spoken word over sparse, moody instrumentation. Closing with Repeat Things, Severe Clear ends in resounding clarity and vulnerability, carrying inescapable undertones of optimism through heartache, change, and renewal – a perfect embodiment of Emily’s potent songwriting and performance, as well as the broader album’s themes.

 

“Severe Clear is about change,” shares Emily, “and renewal. About being brave enough to step back into something you love, even after a long absence. It is an album full of mountains and hillsides and clouds and clarity. It is about duality. The ability to hold two conflicting and coexisting truths at the same time. Severe Clear is deciduous. A letting go and a returning. A way to make peace with the cycles that keep pulling me back to songwriting, and back to myself.”

 

A defining force in the Australian music industry for over two decades, both on stage and behind the scenes, Emily Ulman’s lengthy tenure championing artists has seen her curate and program lineups at some of Melbourne’s most iconic venues, including The Prince Bandroom, The Gasometer Hotel, and The Toff In Town. Additionally, Emily has programmed some of the country’s most significant music events, including Brunswick Music Festival, White Night Melbourne, the CHANGES summit, and her own award-winning online festival Isol-Aid, which received the 2020 triple j J Award for “Done Good” and was named Best Festival at the 2021 Music Victoria Awards. Recently, Emily served as Executive Program Director for ALWAYS LIVE, a Victorian state-wide celebration of contemporary music, inclusive of emerging artists through to international icons, from sell-out stadiums through to intimate venues all playing home to these one-off, exclusive and community-focused events.

 

Dedicated to shaping a more progressive, inclusive and artist-first Australian music scene, Emily’s creative output is as acclaimed as her work behind the scenes, with her earlier 2025 single Every Hillside marking her first new solo material in over a decade. Now with her stunning and hotly-anticipated new album Severe Clear set for release this October, Emily has channelled her passions and creative core into a collection that is honest, intimate and destined to captivate.

 

“I’m a words and feelings to the front type of writer,” Emily reveals. “I have described my songwriting as emotional archaeology; digging through my memories to see what might still be living underneath. To sift and sort and better myself as a creator and as a person. I’m constantly taken by the intensity of a moment or phrase and the way a single word can unearth something you thought was long buried. And this is who I realise I am. I write to excavate. I sing to archive and fossilise and remember the mess and magic of it all.”

 

“It feels really good, really scary, really perfect, really disorienting to be releasing Severe Clear,” Emily concludes. “This is the first time in ten years that I’ve released music and it’s so familiar and wildly foreign. I’ve spent the past decade working behind the scenes in the music industry, but I never stopped writing. I’m glad that Severe Clear is the song and album returning me to my own music and creativity. It’s honest and personal, and I’m proud of it.”

 

Severe Clear (single) is out today.

Severe Clear (album) is due out Friday October 10.

Stream: SEVERE CLEAR (Single)

Pre-order: SEVERE CLEAR (Album)

Pre-save: SEVERE CLEAR (Album)

Interview

Album Q&A: 12 Questions with Rob Gaylard of The Nomadic

  1. Hey Rob! “Marie Antoinette” is out now—congratulations! Can you tell us a little bit about the song’s inspiration?

Marie Antoinette explores the idea of a relationship that is almost working, but not quite: You both need to go away, evolve, grow and develop individually. And in the end, although at the time you feel things are falling apart, actually it is good for you- and a blessing in disguise if you like. It is a song inspired by personal experience, and also the observations of those around me. My experience of life is that we start out quite optimistic, hopeful and almost ‘naive’ about how things work:  The hollywood/ traditional representation of romance if you will. And life doesn’t tend to work like that- people are complex, relationships are hard, past trauma is almost impossible to escape and can only be addressed through hard work and deep reflection and professional guidance. So Marie Antoinette as a song explores that part of life when things start to ‘go off the rails’ personally and in a relationship: “The revolutions coming for you.”

  1. You’ve described the song as having a balance of melancholy and optimism. Can you explain what that means?

Well it is melancholy because it is about the death of idealism and naiveté.  It marks the metaphorical evolution from an immature, romantic, idealistic view of life and relationships, into a more evolved, mature one (that is hopefully not cynical or jaundiced!). The fictional couple in Marie Antoinette cannot stay together- they need to go away and work on themselves. And their whole worlds are falling apart at that moment, but in the end “don’t you know, crisis can be good for you”.  It is inspired by the idea that “pain is the touchstone of spiritual growth” it is often in our darkest, most painful moments that we are catalysed into growth, action and personal development. Both people will go on to lead better, happier lives. So in the end there is an optimistic theme to the song. That’s a theme I have experienced myself and also seen in so many of my friends and family. So it felt pretty natural to capture it in a song!

  1. What was it like recording your upcoming album New Horizons back in Sydney after so many years in New York?

Super exciting! It was great to come home and then in the first week being back I got in touch with Dan Frizza and we met to discuss the album. So it was pretty cool how things moved so quickly! 

  1. Speaking of New Horizons, what can we expect from the album?

I hope fans will enjoy the flow of the album. We have thought pretty carefully about the flow of the album. So it definitely oscillates a bit between high, up tempo rock and more chilled, slow paced ballads. We hope listeners will enjoy that flow and balance!

  1. You’ve worked with some incredible musicians on this album. What was it like collaborating with them?

It was an awesome experience! Miles Thomas (Lior, Ronan Keating, Montaigne) on drums, Oliver Thorpe (The Whitlams, Matt Corby, Meg Mac) on guitar, and Brendan Clark (Meg Mac, Montaigne, Jack River) on bass; and Dan Frizza as producer (Tones and I, King Princess, and Gurrumul) definitely brought incredible professionalism, creativity and brilliant arrangement ideas to the tracks. 

  1. There’s a personal theme in New Horizons about feeling stuck and wanting more. Can you tell us more about how that plays out in your songwriting?

I think those are ever present themes for me. I have to really work hard to reframe things in my mind, to kind of stop and smell the roses, appreciate the here and now. Because I am always planning the next thing, the next project, and driving things forward. Which is a good thing in terms of productivity, but can have its own challenges of course!

  1. “Marie Antoinette” feels like a song that could have a big impact—what’s the message you want listeners to take away from it?

Just that whatever you are going through in life, you are doing it tough- there is always a solution. There is nothing new under the sun. a good friend of mine told me that once and it changed my life.  Life can be hard, life can be messy, but there is always a way forward, keep going, keep putting one foot in front of the other, “this too shall pass!”

  1. You’ve lived all over the world—from Burma to the UK to New York. How has this nomadic lifestyle shaped your music?

Musically, I think being exposed to different musical influences, from UK Britpop to Americana Rock/ Alt Rock, has certainly shaped my music. Lyrically, I think living all over the world has exposed me to different and interesting themes and ideas.

  1. How does your work with the UN and living in conflict zones like Afghanistan influence your songwriting?

 

I think it has helped me to see different cultures, perspectives etc, and to see the shades of grey in life; as well as the complex choices people often have to make in order to survive. And it has taught me to try to always stay humble and make an effort to understand others’ cultures, ideas and ways of doing things.

  1. You’ve mentioned that New Horizons is set against the backdrop of global changes—how do you think the current world events influence the music?

Well the last 10-15 years (and even earlier) have been pretty momentous in terms of some of the political, social and economic events that have shaped our contemporary world. From the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Global Financial Crisis, the growing threat of climate change, to the various conflicts that have proliferated- they all provide a rich tapestry for any songwriter to explore.

  1. “Marie Antoinette” is just the beginning, with the full album due out in December. What’s next for The Nomadic after that?

We have some interesting projects in the works, including another full band album “American Dream” and an acoustic album! So yes exciting times ahead!

  1. Last one—what’s the most exciting part of releasing Marie Antoinette today?

 

It is of course incredibly exciting to see the whole New Horizons project come to life, embodied by the release of Marie Antoinette. It feels like we are crossing the line of a long marathon! Hopefully the crowd appreciates the effort and the final performance which we trained so hard for!

 

News

News: THE NOMADIC UNVEILS STIRRING NEW SINGLE ‘MARIE ANTOINETTE’ TAKEN FROM SOPHOMORE ALBUM ‘NEW HORIZONS’ DUE OUT DECEMBER 14

A haunting yet hopeful exploration of love, loss and growth, the stirring new single Marie Antoinette out today from Sydney singer songwriter The Nomadic offers a sweeping glance into the artist’s upcoming sophomore album, with New Horizons imminently beckoning for release on December 14.

 

Helmed by singer-songwriter Rob Gaylard, The Nomadic sweeps in today with a glimmering and oscillating bundle of melancholy and optimism, with Marie Antoinette stylistically nodding to the likes of early Coldplay, Radiohead, Phosphorescent, The War On Drugs, The 1975 and The National, while also fostering The Nomadic’s introspective and immersive unique flair. “Marie Antoinette is about being in a relationship with someone where things are so close to working but it’s not quite there,” explains Gaylard. “You both have work to do on yourselves, you both have hidden trauma, there’s a revolution coming for both of you! You just don’t know it yet! But over time you will come to see the silver lining in the current (painful!) cloud and realise that you grew from pain, suffering, hardship and crisis. The song is not about anyone in particular, just really inspired by the stage of life I was at and the observations of the world around me and the struggles friends and family were going through!”

 

After relocating back to Sydney in 2022 following years as a regular fixture on the New York City indie rock scene, Gaylard’s original designs for his latest body of sonic work also grew alongside working with some high-profile local talent, with an army of collaborators from around the industry joining Gaylard to grow The Nomadic journey; and, to ultimately bring both Marie Antoinette and its broader album New Horizons to full-bodied life. “I was lucky enough to work with some of the best in the business!” shares Gaylard. “I relocated home to Sydney Australia in 2022 and recorded New Horizons with Dan Frizza in Sydney at Forbes Studios. The Nomadic is the best of Aussie rock talent, with Miles Thomas (Lior, Ronan Keating, Montaigne) on drums, Oliver Thorpe (The Whitlams, Matt Corby, Meg Mac) on guitar, and Brendan Clark (Meg Mac, Montaigne, Jack River) on bass. Dan Frizza as producer lends the kind of magic touch that has seen him enrich the work of the likes of Tones and I, King Princess, and Gurrumul.”

 

Mastered by Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound in New Jersey, New Horizons builds upon the foundations set by The Nomadic’s 2022 debut album My Mind is Racing. Detailing themes of loss, change and hope amongst fluctuating moments of indie hues, classic and modern rock, wistful anthems, alt-country and more, New Horizons feels instantly intimate and welcoming, with many of Gaylard’s own powerful experiences percolating throughout. “The main themes of the album are feelings of being stuck in life and having the feeling that there is ‘something out there better for you’, of not wanting to let go of dreams, going through big changes professionally and personally, loss of relationships, and generally life upheavals!” Gaylard reveals. “This personal theme is set against the backdrop of major global changes and events, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, climate change, social and societal changes, and revolutions in the west.”

 

Opening with calm melancholy, New Horizons kicks off with Treading Water, before diving into an alt-country-meets-rock charmer courtesy of All Changed. From here, The Nomadic explore more upbeat rock territory (the Led Zeppelin-inspired First Light), unbridled and driving optimism (Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams), and a Bloc-Party-esque propulsive rocker (Hearts And Minds), with the latter also traversing heartache set against a personal backdrop of political instability and crumbling security witnessed by Gaylard during his time spent with the UN in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2011. Shifting into glossy emotives via title track New Horizons, a sublime nine minute opus buoyed by violin and cello, the album’s second half oozes into wistful beauty (Luminescent View), evocative storytelling (Erasing Mental Photographs), and a nod to The Boss himself, aka Bruce Springsteen, via The Absolution; also another track heavily influenced by Gaylard’s time in Afghanistan, and in particular the mental health issues caused by America’s troop surge in 2009. And returning again to some alt-country flavours with Blood Red Sky, recalling the devastating Australian bushfires in early 2020, New Horizons ultimately closes out with a rousing call to arms (Revolution), the gentle yet equally powerful stylings of Find A Way, and, ultimately, its closing track, and also The Nomadic’s brand new single out today: Marie Antoinette.

 

Imbued with a passion for music and songwriting from a young age, Rob Gaylard’s road to forming The Nomadic stemmed from his own nomadic lifestyle, living in five different countries in the first 10 years of his life, including Australia, Burma, Singapore, the Soloman Islands and the UK. This nomadic theme continued into Gaylard’s adulthood, with the talented creative living and working with the United Nations, national governments and NGOs in Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Israel/Palestine. Also a massive sports fan alongside his musical pursuits, Gaylard’s adventures under The Nomadic moniker entices listeners to enter a world of boundless melodies and wanderlust-inspired styles, first witnessed in 2022 with The Nomadic’s debut album My Mind is Racing, and set to flourish further this December with the release of New Horizons. Commencing The Nomadic project in 2014 off the back of immersing himself in the vibrant energy during a stint in New York City, Gaylard ultimately returned to his Australian roots in 2022, teaming up with producer Dan Frizza to begin work in earnest on New Horizons in 2023; and the rest is set to be history.

 

“It’s incredibly exciting to be releasing Marie Antoinette today!” shares Gaylard. “It feels like the culmination of a long journey, from the initial conception of the songs to the development and creation of the final product in the studio, mixing and mastering! Combine that with the emotional experience of going through some rough times and coming out the other side to see some New Horizons – overall It’s been a bit of a marathon!”

 

Marie Antoinette is out today.

The Nomadic’s full-length album New Horizons is due out Saturday December 14.

 

Soundcloud: MARIE ANTOINETTE

Stream: MARIE ANTOINETTE

News

BULLY HAY SHARES STIRRING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BUSHFIRE MOON’ + DEBUT ALBUM ‘BLACK DOGS AND SONGBIRDS’ DUE OUT OCTOBER 30

Embracing Australian rock with swooning acoustic adornment, the brand new single Bushfire Moon out today from Tasmania singer-songwriter Bully Hay is a stirring new cut taken from his forthcoming debut album Black Dogs And Songbirds, due out on Wednesday October 30. Also accompanied today by a striking music video reflecting actual events, Bushfire Moon is a reflective yet charming outing from this gifted Australian creative and storyteller, with production courtesy of the legendary Jeff Martin of The Tea Party fame.

 

With each song on the upcoming full length album Black Dogs And Songbirds channelling their own unique sonic flavours, Bushfire Moon effortlessly, and inadvertently, found its way into semi-country-meets-singer-songwriter terrain, with some classic Australian rock undercurrents also flourishing in the steady hands of Bully Hay, aka Jonathon Coleman. Taking inspiration from some of the greats, including Paul Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Crowded House and Eddie Vedder, Bushfire Moon was also ultimately motivated by real-world events in the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated parts of Bully Hay’s home state. “Bushfire Moon came to me after the Dunalley bushfires in Tasmania a few years ago,” shares Bully Hay. “The fire wiped out most of the Tasman Peninsula and caused a lot of damage and disruption. It ended up cutting off a lot of people from the rest of the island to the point where people could only get on and off the peninsula by boat. So, the community had to band together to get help to those that needed it. It felt like just about anyone that had a boat was ferrying supplies and people back and forth for days because the roads were all blocked with debris from the fires. I had this fictional story in my head inspired by those events of a volunteer firefighter right in the thick of it, fighting the fires and totally exhausted. At some point he knows it’s a lost cause. The situation is hopeless and too far gone and he needs to get out of there. All he can think of is finding his love and he sets out, determined to find her amongst all the chaos.”

 

Produced, recorded and mixed by Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), who Bully Hay will also support on his Australian tour starting tonight and closing out in October, Bushfire Moon is ultimately “at its core, an acoustic guitar ballad that builds with layers of electric guitars and subtly intertwines a touch of violin”, brought together Bully Hay himself on guitars and vocals, Martin on guitar, Hellhound Brown on slide guitar, Drew Castles on drums, Ben Conicella on bass, and Luke Moller on strings. And also teaming up with Thomas Roach of Roach Media to bring the accompanying visuals for Bushfire Moon to life, the new music video snapshots the unique reality of bushfires in Australia, as Bully Hay elaborates, “We kept it simple with this one and just took the Australian landscape, lit it on fire (not literally, just found footage of it on fire!) and projected that onto me playing through the song.  As traumatic as bushfires are, there is something quintessentially Australian about our country where fire is both the great destroyer and creator. So, we wanted that to be a focus of the video.”

 

Joining earlier singles Wash Off The World and the upcoming new album’s title track, Black Dogs And Songbirds, Bushfire Moon furthers the core notions of change, self-reflection and life’s highs and lows in general beating at the heart of Bully Hay’s debut full length. Along with Bully Hay and Jeff Martin’s incredible fingerprints across the entire album, Black Dogs And Songbirds also brought onboard Paul Pilsneniks (Silverchair, Dope Lemon, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) on engineering, and Grammy Award-nominated Joe Carra (The Teskey Brothers) on mastering duties, as well as sonic inspiration spanning Soundgarden riffs, Rage Against the Machine basslines, Jeff Buckley, Paul Kelly, Powderfinger, Crowded House, The War On Drugs and, fittingly, Jeff Martin’s own band The Tea Party. Opening with buoyant empowerment via Wash Off The World, Bully Hay bursts into vivid view with heartrending melodics, acoustic flourishes and a glistening sonic reflection of the ocean itself in all of its cleansing and naturally wild beauty. From here, Bully Hay flits between wistful twangs (Breathing Out and I Can Be Your Lover), pensive, stripped-back ruminations (Black Dogs And Songbirds), swooning country hues (Bushfire Moon), an indie love ballad that melts and charms with measured simplicity (The World Is On Fire But You Look So Great), potent storytelling set against swelling textures (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet), as well as injections of Aussie rock, both upbeat (Flinders Street Station. And whether diving headfirst into woozy and heavier territory (Arrest The Youth and Such Confidence) or buffeting across the album’s gossamer closing track (I Know What You’re Saying Love), Bully Hay not only showcases his dexterous abilities across a sea of different genre elements; he also effortlessly captures the entire gamut of the human existence in 11 powerful tracks.

 

“All of the song themes are taken from real life inspiration and reflection,” shares Bully Hay of Black Dogs And Songbirds. “Musically, I’m definitely a product of my listening habits and these vary so much from classical and folk music to grunge and metal, rock and acoustic singer songwriters. So perhaps this is why the songs vary a lot in style and are tricky to pinpoint. It’s a very self-reflective album. Most of the songs are about change and dealing with those changes in different ways. That could be rejecting change, embracing change or just noticing that something is happening whether you like it or not. Being true to yourself and recognising your own flaws and unpacking them. The songs differ quite a lot in style and feel. So, the album itself takes the listener on quite a journey. One of the songs on the album (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet) has a lyric in there: “You cannot have the light without a little bit of darkness” and this very much sums up the experience of listening to this album. There are plenty of moments of light and shade and a little in between. Sums up the highs and lows of life in general.”

 

A sixth-generation Tassie boy currently based in Southern Tasmania, Bully Hay’s upbringing saw him utterly immersed in music, with his musical family helping to ignite his lifelong passion at an early age. Ultimately sparking his desire to become a musician by his father, who introduced Bully Hay to some chords on the guitar at the tender age of 14, the rest well and truly was history, with the self-taught Coleman going on to learn music by ear, and performed in bands and as a solo artist for the years to follow. Settling on the moniker Bully Hay for his solo endeavours, the name was inspired by Coleman’s uncle who was one of “The Rats of Tobruk” in World War II.

 

Ahead of the upcoming release of Black Dogs And Songbirds on October 30, Bully Hay will perform some solo acoustic shows supporting Jeff Martin on his Australian solo tour, with Martin performing interpretations of classic David Bowie songs on his Aussie run. Kicking off tonight in Belgrave, Martin and Bully Hay will trek to Melbourne, Adelaide and Cronulla, before closing out on Thursday October 24 in Newcastle. For Bully Hay, the chance to not only tour with Martin but also strip back his own live show is the perfect complement to the origins and creative journey for Black Dogs And Songbirds, as Bully Hay explains, “I couldn’t be more pumped about these shows. Normally these songs would be performed as a 5-6 piece band. But I’m hitting the road first in reverse and supporting Jeff in a solo acoustic format.  I love playing these songs solo. In fact, every single song on the album began with just me on an acoustic guitar so it feels very natural. You can expect these songs stripped back and distilled into rather intimate versions. Often, it’s easier to connect with the audience when it’s just you and your guitar. As for Jeff jumping on stage, I would say there’s a strong possibility, but you’ll have to come along and find out!”

And with a national tour with his full band also on the cards following the release of Black Dogs And Songbirds, the best for Bully Hay seems only yet to come.

Bushfire Moon is out today.
Black Dogs And Songbirds is due out Wednesday October 30.

 

BULLY HAY – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Acoustic Solo Shows supporting Jeff Martin

FRI 20 SEP | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix

SAT 21 SEP | CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix

SAT 5 OCT | JIVE, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix

WED 23 OCT | BRASS MONKEY, CRONULLA NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix

THU 24 OCT | KING STREET WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix

 

Stream: BUSHFIRE MOON
Watch: BUSHFIRE MOON

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QUINNY SHARES JOVIAL NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘EVERYTHING YOU WANT’ TAKEN FROM DEBUT ALBUM ‘OUTER MONOLOGUE’ DUE OUT OCTOBER 17

A charming pop turn from Scottish-born, Melbourne-based artist Quinny, the brand new single Everything You Want, out today, expands Quinny’s indie folk sonic universe into buoyant new territory, also armed with an endearing accompanying music video. Following on from his recent singles Settlers and Found & Lost, Everything You Want also unveils yet another sneak peek ahead of Quinny’s debut full-length album, with Outer Monologue officially set for release on Thursday October 17 and available to presave now.

 

A track that took on many forms during its recording process, Everything You Want saw Quinny team up with Graham McCusker, a composer for BBC’s His Dark Materials and lead artist in Glasgow/Manchester bands KAZE and Marouli, as well as fellow creative Kieran Logan, drummer for Kassidy, to bring the charming new single to life. Mixed and with additional production courtesy of Nathan Cable and mastered by Neil Pickles, Everything You Want ultimately flourishes with balanced modernity and classic craftsmanship, drawing on some dazzling influences and real-life experiences along with performances from Quinny himself on vocals, guitar and bass, Marie Collins (from The Vegan Leather) on backing vocals, Graham McCusker on backing vocals and keys, Dan Drennan on guitar, and some integral drum work courtesy of Kieran Logan. “This song is fairly new, and it got changed a lot in the recording process, so I definitely still feel in our honeymoon phase,” shares Quinny. “Everything You Want is one of my poppier tracks, very upbeat with a good groove – and props for the groove goes out to Kieran Logan who played drums on this one. Once we got right into the weeds of this tune, we were really aiming for a 1975 feel. Bit of Bombay Bicycle Club, Biffy Clyro and Steely Dan in there too. It’s about us not realising how good we have it. I feel like when things are going well, we can create problems to justify ourselves and our struggles.”

 

Recorded at Tpot Studios by Robin Evans in Quinny’s homeland, Scotland, Everything You Want’s cheerful wiles are perfectly matched by its accompanying music video. Centred around a wedding photo booth, the clip for Everything You Want follows the bride and groom and their guests posing, drinking and everything in between as the evening wears on, serving as a clever yet simple reminder to relish the good times when they pass your way. “We just wanted a fun vibe that fitted the feel of the song,” reveals Quinny. “The video features some people in the photobooth at a wedding, capturing the highs and lows of the evening as things get messier. The video was directed and produced by Eilidh Loan, known for her performances in ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘How To Have Sex’, and features an ensemble of performers including Anna Russell-Marti, a Screen International Rising Star, known for her TV performances in ‘Karen Pirie’, ‘Falling Into Place’ and ‘Annika’, and Reuben Joseph known for his run as Alexander Hamilton in London’s West End and TV roles in ‘Vigil’ & ‘Crime’”.

 

An artist capable of seamlessly harnessing jovial and moody overtones with unbridled relatability, Quinny’s fusion of innovation and fresh sentimentality is on full display throughout his forthcoming debut album; the aptly titled Outer Monologue. Opening with the airy melancholic beauty of Raining Monarchs, Outer Monologue traverses pulsating calls to action (Up the Dollar), wistful indie folk (Settlers), raw and plaintive rumination (An Act of Contrition and Astral Plane), Beatles-esque lush melodics (Darkness at the Door), crisp nostalgic odes (Friends and No Place to Die), as well as jukebox-ready swoon (Found & Lost), all helmed by Quinny’s captivating Scottish lilt lining his vocals while the additional acoustic version of Settlers brings in Marie Collins, Hannah Daman and Graham McCusker performing alongside Quinny. And while the overall album has been many years in the making for Quinny, nodding to his core influences of The Beatles, Biffy Clyro, Blink-182 and The Flaming Lips, as well as more recent nods to the likes of The Killers, Rufus Wainwright and Pixies, the end result of Outer Monologue is something that has been entirely worth the wait – and it’s one ready to resonate with new and old fans alike. “It’s been a long time coming,” says Quinny of his upcoming debut album release. “It’s sort of unbelievable that I managed to commit the time and money to it. I remember a lecturer of mine when I was 20 telling me it was time I wrote an album… so it’s overdue! I often can’t spot the themes of my songs until after the fact. Now that all of the creative part of the work is done, I can realise that the whole thing is me trying to look at things from other people’s perspectives, but I always end up just writing from my own. I can’t escape my own take!”.

 

A talented singer and songwriter hailing from Scotland, renowned for his tongue-in-cheek Christmas sonic creations, as well as frequently having strangers mistaking him for Ed Sheeran in public, Quinny’s musical endeavours has seen him fuse his burgeoning musical flair over the years with his four influential B’s, namely Biffy Clyro, Blink-182, The Beatles and Bombay Bicycle Club. With tours in the UK and North America under his belt, the multifaceted creative relocated to Melbourne in early 2020, with his newfound hometown sparking creative excitement that is now set to culminate in 2024 with the release of his debut album – and Quinny is certainly not bidding farewell to Australia any time soon. “I’m here for a while!” says Quinny. “I’m currently starting the hunt for somewhere to buy with my girlfriend. We met in London, did long distance once her visa ran out. I then moved here in 2020, got stuck… and never left.”

 

Alongside headlining shows at The Gaso, Last Chance, Retreat and Fitzroy Pinnacle since moving to Melbourne, Quinny also previously won the 2020 Darebin Songwriters’ People’s Choice Award shortly after moving down under, scoring the nod for his single Found & Lost that will also feature on the upcoming album Outer Monologue. Described by Tenement TV as “an enthralling mix of the raucous and sentimental with witty lyricism and poppy charm”, Quinny had also spent the past few years releasing older material and flippant Christmas songs, with One Foot In The Grave’s Richard Wilson making an appearance in one of Quinny’s infamous Christmas videos.

 

To celebrate the release of Outer Monologue this October, Quinny will host a special album listening party on Saturday October 19, with the free event set to take place at The Gem in Collingwood, before christening the album live in action this December. “I’ll play the album in full for the first time in December, followed by a set of my wonky Christmas tunes,” Quinny shares. “It’ll be high energy, and I’ll try not to derail the sombre mood of the songs by talking too much – though that seems to be half of what people come for now!”

 

“I’m looking to do more recording next year,” Quinny concludes. “I’m currently trying to suss out dates and see if I have enough ideas left after this. I might be hitting up my pop punk roots for the next thing. They’ve been calling me a bit lately.”

 

But before Quinny’s pop punk roots return, Outer Monologue is primed to delight this October, and keep your ear to the ground for a new Quinny Christmas song this December, also.

 

Everything You Want is out today.

Quinny’s full-length album Outer Monologue is due out Thursday October 17 and is available to presave now.

 

 

QUINNY – UPCOMING SHOWS:

SAT 19 OCT | THE GEM (UPSTAIRS), COLLINGWOOD, VIC | ALL AGES

Album listening party – Free entry

 

THU 19 DEC | SHOTKICKERS, THORNBURY, VIC | 18+

Tickets available from Moshtix

 

 

Soundcloud: EVERYTHING YOU WANT

Stream: EVERYTHING YOU WANT

Watch: EVERYTHING YOU WANT