We've rounded up another fresh batch of Aussie releases so you can say you heard it first! From rootsy grooves to shimmering pop, our local artists never fail to deliver the goods.
I Know Leopard - 'Lover Automatic'
Back and better than ever, Sydney band I Know Leopard have returned from a two year hiatus with their new single ‘Lover Automatic’. This bubbly track sees the group take on a poppier sound with lush synths and lo-fi beats. ‘Lover Automatic’ talks about diving head first into love despite knowing the dangers all too well. In June, I Know Leopard will be playing their first live shows in 18 months to launch their new single. For our Melbourne and Sydney friends, this is your chance to be the first to hear some new tracks due to be released later in the year.
Don’t tell me what's wrong/
I already know/
I'll be your lover automatic/
And I can be whatever you want
For Fans Of: Beach House, Tame Impala, Pond
Megafauna - 'Romance Left For Bread'
Sydney five-piece band Megafauna have released their second single featuring vocals from Flowertruck frontman Charles Rushforth. Since dropping their debut single last year, Megafauna have been building their rep as an eccentric all girl group offering infectious performances and a distinctly Australian sound. Inspired by a new romance, this track cleverly zeroes in on the food that spoils in the fridges of lovers as they remain utterly oblivious and swept up in each other. Freyja Fox (vocals & guitar) shared, "Due to the city coming to a halt, neither of us had anywhere to be and as a result spent days on end in each other’s company. We talked about being caught in a house together that neither of us could leave. It was a dreamy escape from the monotony of lockdown.” Embodying the male character in the story, Rushforth’s folk vocals contrast beautifully with Fox’s as they sing alongside soaring guitars.
The fizz is gone from the sparkling wine/
Parsley's lifeless and dead/
And I continue/
This romance left for bread/
For Fans Of: Mazzy Star, The Buoys, Babitha
Sam Brittain - 'Hitchhiker'
With five years passing since Sam Brittain’s last release, his new track ‘Hitchhiker’ is highly anticipated to say the least. Described as ‘Australia’s answer to Bruce Springsteen’, Sam Brittain is a captivating storyteller with the killer vocals to match. 'Hitchhiker’ is inspired by a real life run in with a stowaway who hopped on a train to rural WA without food or water in the middle of summer. Brittain shared "The song was born from exploring that feeling of desperation, the fear and inescapable self-loathing that must have ensued trapped on a train running from his past or perhaps his present.” The first taste of his forthcoming new album, ‘Hitchhiker’ turns a snapshot from Brittain's past into a powerful roots track exploring loneliness and freedom.
The love we had just disappeared somewhere in the deliverance/
Falling in and out of lives and wasted time
For Fans Of: Ryan Adams, WANDERERS, Damien Rice
Egoism - ‘Lonely But Not Alone’
Sydney duo EGOISM, made up of Scout Eastment and Olive Rush, have dropped their first single of 2021 ‘Lonely But Not Alone’. A surefire winner for The 1975 fans, this track is a sad banger™ oozing with layers of glossy pop production and personal anecdotes. The duo shared, "This song is us trying to put to music the feeling of lying next to someone and feeling unbearably separate to them, like it’s a futile cause to try and be understood. We really felt that way about each other when we wrote it late last year, and things only felt worse in the months afterwards.” EGOISM are taking us along for the ride as they allow their feelings to pour out into this therapeutic track. Watch the music video to step foot into a hazy dream featuring gorgeous Australian landscapes
Can I give it up, learn to be enough/
Another pretty girl that you messed up/
But I need touch, and you're good enough/
Fill the hollow in me, I'll take the blame
For Fans Of: The 1975, Pinkish Blu, Hatchie
Aphir - 'Negative Space'
Becki Whitton, the mastermind behind Aphir, has released a surreal new single ‘Negative Space’. Whitton is a songwriter, producer, engineer and singer who isn't afraid to push the envelope with experimental samples and vividly descriptive lyrics. ‘Negative Space’ transports you to sonic dreamscapes with chilling electronic echoes and brooding vocals. A truly gifted lyricist, Whitton draws upon her frustration with capitalist power structures to conjure up images and ideas you never thought possible. Whitton shared, "I’ve always accepted these systems as an inescapable part of life but the more I learn about the world the more I find them jarring against my knowledge of the ingenuity and kindness humanity is capable of”.
And I don’t believe the world would be a terrible place/
If they dignified us with a liveable baseline/
I’ve felt something like peace seeing sun in your face/
I believe in good feelings hurt will never replace
For Fans Of: Flume, Banoffee, Cecile Believe
Meghna - ‘In My DNA’
Meghna is a Melbourne-based Australian-Indian artist sharing her unique personal experiences and fiery soul through pop music. Imperious instrumentals pair with Meghna’s commanding vocals and passionate lyricism to peel back the curtain on confronting issues. Inspired by the experiences of her parents and grandparents in India, this track talks about the desperation to break free from poverty and stereotypes to form your own identity. Meghna shared, "Essentially, 'In My DNA' is about thinking that ‘you have to be something’ because it is ‘in your DNA’, or in your roots but still hoping for better things, or for things to be different.” Keep your eye out in the coming weeks for the 'In My DNA' music video.
I'm stuck 'cause I keep following the flow
Here against my will, can't leave, I wanna go
Every moment I'm here, I feel myself being pulled in
For Fans Of: Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai