Rising from Brisbane’s underground music scene, multi-talented singer-songwriter John Keenan is pleased to announce the release of his debut single – ‘If You Saw Me’.
The release of ‘If You Saw Me’ comes after months of Keenan refining his musicianship and creativity at Hunting Ground studios where he has dedicated endless hours writing and recording his upcoming EP at Hunting Ground Studios, and the result is exactly what you’d expect and more from a debut single.
From the very first note, he catches you with his smooth vocals and poetic lyricism, which together form a rich and powerful blend that echoes the likes of Paolo Nutini and Leon Bridges. To complement the tune even further is the tight backing, catchy harmonic hooks and gentle instrumental phrasing that match guitar icons like John Mayer.
It’s a flowing combination of soul, blues and pop that creates a signature sound Keenan has come to be known for, all with a specific lyricism that resonates with pretty much everyone – what would my ex and I feel if we saw each other?
With a topic that is often approached with a sense of pensive sadness, somehow Keenan turns such a theme into one that is charged with different emotions. Instead of wanting to think back to your first love in gloom, you instead find the desire to tap your feet and live in the present moment.
‘If You Saw Me’ is a powerful yet gentle tune that encapsulates Keenan’s gift as a musician and vocalist well, all while telling a story that’s heartfelt, relatable and heavy in sentiment.
‘If You Saw Me’ can be found on all downloading platforms, including Spotify and Triple J Unearthed. To check out more of John Keenan’s catchy tunes and tasty jam sessions, visit johnkeenan.com.
Category: music
Sea N Sound delivers stellar line-up led by Amy Shark
One of Queensland’s biggest music festivals is back for another year, and it comes with everything that the Sunshine State is famous for – Mooloolaba’s famous Seafood, craft beer, gourmet food – and it’s all topped off with a stellar line up of Aussie artists led by Aria Award winning Amy Shark.
Joining Amy Shark will be Busby Marou, Didirri, Ali Barter, Kyle Lionhart, I Know Leopard, Cheap Fakes and Living Robins, making this year’s lineup the festival’s biggest bill yet.
Last year saw Amy Shark celebrate a milestone with the release of her chart-topping album, Love Monster, which won 2018 Album of the Year at the ARIA’s. She also blew away audiences in all parts of the globe as she toured internationally, sold out shows across Australia, scored spots on the Hottest 100 list and sealed it off with just a few ARIA wins.
Emerging as one of Australia’s most promising artists is Busby Marou, who are currently busy gearing up for a big year themselves with their fourth album set for release mid this year. But in the meantime, they’re basking in the success of their recent hit, ‘Sound of Summer’.
Another act that is greatly anticipated is the one and only Didirri – the artist behind the indie hits ‘Can’t get last night out of my head’ and ‘Formaldehye’.
Renowned for his genuine storytelling and immersive live performances, Didirri will serenade Sea N Sound audiences, while Ali Barter performs a searing set garnering tunes from her 2017 album, A Suitable Girl.
Treasured by the local Sunshine Coast scene is OKA, a group who have amassed fans from all over the world with their self-described “Australian earth music with sublime dimensions.”
Furthering the good vibes will also be rising star Kyle Lionhart, indie rockers I Know Leopard, genre-blenders Cheap Fakes and local legend Livi Robins. This year’s Sea N Sound is set to not only be sonically diverse, but one that is for the books, so prepare yourselves for any possible giveaways or promos!
General tickets went on sale Friday, February 30th, so get in quick before they sell out!
Reside set to release new single ‘Replace Me’ in lead up to upcoming EP
Melbourne alternative-rockers, Reside, are gearing up for the release of their brand new single, ‘Replace Me‘, which is due for release on March 29th.
Set to fuel their upcoming EP ‘The Light That You Saw’, ‘Replace Me‘ is a thematic journey surging with gritty guitars and powerful vocals, all while telling the tale of hardship after dealing with the loss of a friend or family member.
“Acceptance is often the hardest part of dealing with loss. Whether it’s the end of a relationship, loss of friend or family, the letting go and moving on is the scariest part. Leaving behind what was familiar and walking a path into total unknown,” said vocalist Liam Guinane.
Refusing to be shackled down by the chains of losing a loved one, the band dive deep into the harrowing unknown in Replace Me, exploring the themes of what it is to move on from the emotions attached to friendships and relationships.
“The track that deals these themes unforgivably. It’s a journey of starting at a point where sorrow and pain are almost to much to bare any longer to realising that while you might “feel like dying sometimes (you’ll]) be alright,” said Guinane.
For Guinane, ‘Replace Me’ summarises his experience in learning to deal with life’s most difficult truths.
“Replace Me was one of the first songs we wrote for this upcoming EP and in a way sort of sums up my journey of how low I was 18 months ago to reaching a point where I felt more myself again.
“It’s similar to that mantra “It’s okay not to be okay.” Accepting that you might feel shit now but you’ll get through it. There’s plenty of songs about heartbreak but I’m not sure any of them reach a point of positive conclusion,” said Guinane.
‘Replace Me’ follows their banger 2018 release, ‘In This Moment’ – a similar lyrical and melodic journey about loneliness and its suffering.
‘The Light That You Saw’ will be released on Friday, March 29 and to celebrate Reside will be hitting the road with dates in Wagga, Albury and Melbourne (TBA).
Sophiya unleashes fiery visuals for ‘White Ivory’
Melbourne’s newest flow queen Sophiya took over the underground hip hop scene late last year with her rebellious single, ‘White Ivory.’ With rhythmic flow and catchy lyricism, Sophiya caught the attention of Spotify and radio listeners, where they drew comparisons to Leikeli47 and others.
To add even more colour to her already energetic release, Sophiya has decided to team up with a league of local filmmakers and supporters – Brayden at Fun Films, close friends July Stewart, model Sophia Ast and Sophiya’s girlfriend. Together, they produced a video that effectively amplifies Sophiya’s confident and energetic personality while adding an extra layer to the already explosive, ‘White Ivory’.
Sophia, 2019
“Before I released White Ivory, I promised myself that if I ever got more than 10,000 streams on Spotify I would have to make a music video for it. One month and 30,000 streams later, I met up with Brayden (Fun Films) and we began to bounce ideas for the video.”
“A non-negotiable for this music video was my friend July Stewart and his talented voguing dance moves. If you don’t know what voguing is, google it! The moves are super sassy and truly embody White Ivory’s bad bitch energy. It was also very important for me to represent a LGBTQ friendly vibe through the visuals of this song and July really made all of that possible.”
Sophiya has already amassed over 85,000 streams in just a couple of months with ‘White Ivory’, so expect to hear a whole lot more of her in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Good Doogs tackle mental illness with new single, “Nobody/Alone”
From captivating audiences at BIGSOUND Festival to leaving triple j listeners in awe over their singles “Nothing To Do“, “So Dumb” and “Want That”, Mandurah party starters Good Doogs have been dominating airwaves and stomping stages for a good year and a half.
Now after a solid breakthrough, the Doogs are back with their brand new single, “Nobody/Alone” – a jangly surf punk tune about the debilitating effects of anxiety and how it can control one’s life.
Speaking about the song, the band explains that writing the song was a catalyst for mustering up the courage to overcome anxiety.
“The track is about getting up the courage to leave the house because all your friends want you to, but once you are out – everything and everyone is still too overwhelming that you just want to get back home but your problems are still there too. So it’s basically about anxiety and how it can ruin your life…”
Good Doogs, 2019
But before they courageously imparted some intimate details about their new single, the boys’ relaxed and outgoing demeanour had most convinced they lived life without any worries. Their jangly surf-punk tunes and vibrant stage presence resonate confidence, joy and light-heartedness; a stereotypical sign of being worry free. But all too often, those who are gifted with the ability to express are also far too abled in hiding personal hardship.
That’s not to say the Doogs aren’t content with life though. After all, in less than a year, multiple singles from the surf-punk group have circulated right around the world.
Their breakout single “Nothing To Do” blasted the boys into the radio realm, where they received praise from Triple J hosts and gained comparisons to Skegss, Wavves, Hockey Dad, and Dune Rats. It also saw the boys pack out rooms in Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Wollongong and Perth, and saw the Doogs get signed with Adam Montgomery at recently announced new booking agency Fourtone Artists (along with A. Swayze & The Ghosts, Bec Sandridge, Gold Class, The Gooch Palms, IV League, Slowly Slowly), along with an added sponsorship from major surf brand Rusty.
They also got the noble nod of “most hit unearthed profiles of 2018” – sharing the list with G Flip, Ruby Fields, Slowly Slowly, CLEWS, and Didirri – and then premiered the video for “So Dumb” on triple j unearthed and tallied up an impressive 50k views along with an appraisal from Triple J’s Claire Mooney, where she labelled it “THE perfect track for summer”.
The surf rock boys are far from done this year, with a bucket load of announcements still to come. Keep your ears prepared for some more salty surf-rock goodness.
The Doogs will be joining DZ Deathrays on some upcoming shows, along with Party In The Paddock, City Limits Festival, and The Hills Are Alive Festival, with more shows to be announced soon.
Didirri kickstarts 2019 with ‘live at the corner’ EP
Since releasing his debut EP ‘Measurements’ in 2018, Didirri has come a long way. From dropping his debut EP ‘Measurements’ to touring the world, the home-grown artist has since risen as one of Australia’s most recognised talents.
Now Didirri is back with his first release of 2019. Capturing his unique storytelling and mesmerising talent, ‘Live at the Corner Hotel’ is an intimate performance that features tracks from his debut EP, all recorded in his hometown of Melbourne in November, last year.
The EP features a fruitful dose of soft and soulful tracks, and includes a track which recounts an inspiring conversation Didirri had with his brother:
“I talked to my brother, who is an autistic man… and [he] said the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever heard. He said: “Find the thing that makes you happy and don’t get in the way of other people finding the thing that makes them happy” and I thought… shit.”
Since the release of his 6-track EP ‘Measurements’, the Melbourne artist has soared into the musical stratosphere, boasting over 20 million streams, earning a series of radio features around the world, and taking stages at SXSW, The Great Escape Festival, Primavera, Splendour In The Grass, Hodgepodge, Superfest, as well as a 10-date Australian tour with already two sold out shows at the Corner Hotel.
Didirri’s ‘Live at the Corner Hotel’ EP is out now, and is available digitally on all platforms.
Didirri will be performing his first ever headline shows in New Zealand in April, followed by two special performances with Irish artist Hozier at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.
Australia
February 8 – Party In The Paddock – Launceston, Tasmania
March 29-31 – The Hills Are Alive Festival – Loch, Victoria
New Zealand
April 5 – The Tuning Fork – Auckland
April 6 – Caroline – Wellington
Australia (Supporting Hozier)
April 25 – Palais Theatre – Melbourne
April 26 – Palais Theatre – Melbourne
For more information, visit https://www.didirri.com
Yung Gravy announces debut down under tour
Some delicious gravy is about to be served up this April!
Yung Gravy, the rapper who brought us such viral tracks as ‘Karen’, ‘Mr Clean’ and ‘1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot’ will be hitting our shores this April for a string of club performances across the country.
The Minnesotan word-chef’s debut down under tour follows a sold out tour in North America, collaborations with Dram, Ugly God and Lil Baby, and a gravy-load of streams on Spotify.
Last year saw Yung Gravy release his highly-anticipated Snow Cougar record which went onto to amass millions of streams and thousands of downloads. The invigorating record successfully blends subtle humour with playful rap that satisfies the sonic senses. The smooth production is also lined with deep bass lines and jazzy flourishes that showcase an invigorating style that is both unprecedented and uniquely enjoyable.
Yung Gravy’s renowned for his unforgettable performances that are both unpredictable and raw – a feat that he’s spent the last three years finessing. Don’t miss out on your chance to step aboard the Gravy train to witness this unstoppable force first hand, this April!
Tour Dates:
April 3: Whammy Bar, Auckland 18+
April 4: Valhalla, Wellington 18+
April 5: Burdekin Hotel, Sydney Lic AA
April 6: The Brightside, Brisbane 18+
April 7: Wrangler Studios, Melbourne AA (Day Show)
April 7: Stay Gold, Melbourne 18+ (Night Show)
For ticket info, visit https://tickets.destroyalllines.com/.
BOO Seeka release new single “Rush”
After a year of non-stop touring and intimate recording, Newcastle-based duo BOO Seeka have announced the release of their highly-anticipated new single, “Rush”.
Inspired by their attempts of letting go of the past and diving into the present, “Rush” is a colourful blend of dreamy synth and tight hip-hop beats that echoes imagination and spacy vibes.
Benny explains; “”Rush” was kind of inspired by my attempts at diving into anything and everything happening around me in the presence of everyday. Making everyday a new day. Not looking back, not looking too far forward. Accepting what this moment was and is.”
“I’m laughing at myself while I write this, I’m known as a classic over-thinker and that’s the opposite of what I was trying to say in the song. The song it just a straight up “I’m happy not thinking about things too much.”
The release comes after a year of non-stop touring and several months hidden away in the studio where they were working and producing their second album which is due for release later this year.
Their debut album, ‘Never Too Soon’, was released in 2017 and peaked at number 1 on the Australian iTunes Album Charts on the day of release. The album dominated airwaves across Australia, resulting in a run of hit singles and sold out tours around the world.
Their most recent singles “Does This Last” & “Turn Up Your Light” evidences the duo’s sonic transformation with each track heavy in string layers and spacy synths. Both singles have received critical acclaim, having been featured heavily on Triple J and multiple Spotify and Apple Music playlists.
BOO Seeka are only continuing to dominate the sonic channels, both in and outside of Australia, with their high energy live shows continuing to grow in audience numbers. With a bunch of fresh tracks in the works, BOO Seeka are currently putting the finishing touches on their second album which is set to be released later this year.
Stay tuned for more info!