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| Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder |
Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter Anna Smyrk shares a poignant moment of catharsis with new single ‘This is a Drill’. The impressive indie-folk offering arrives along with news of a debut album on the way. Spectacular Denial with be out on the 20th of March via Community Music
Written in the wake of her father’s passing, ‘This is a Drill’ is born from the unrelenting impact of grief. The track moves from a quiet ache to a raw emotional unravelling, echoing the unpredictable ways that the pain of loss can take hold. Sharing more, Anna explained: “This is a Drill is a song about not being ready to feel my feelings. It’s about the strange, foggy state of denial, where everything feels a little unreal, like normal life is happening on the other side of a heavy curtain, like each day is a drill for the real thing.”
Arriving as a striking, indie folk slow-burner, courageously honest lyricism carries a tender reminder of the ways we cope or don’t when life cracks open. It’s both a whisper and a wail, a confession and a release. Produced and mixed by Anna Laverty (Courtney Barnett, Nick Cave), 'This Is a Drill' captures the suspended, dreamlike space between shock and acceptance.
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Following their debut singles “Restless” and “Diamond In The Rough,” ZOCO the international rock project founded by multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter Marco Zocco returns with “Searching.” A wistful, yet cathartic anthem, “Searching” explores universal yearning for fulfillment, reflecting on trust issues, doubts about satisfaction, and the complexity of dreams and aspirations. “Searching” serves as the latest offering from ZOCO’s upcoming debut EP LUMANISTA (Part 1), a collaborative project with distinguished rock players, due January 9, 2026.
Marco’s gritty vocals deliver his conversational songwriting which convey the philosophical pondering, desperation and frustration of an age old question: will we ever find satisfaction. In “Searching”, ZOCO explores both the excitement of coming across something promising and the worry that it will not be in the future, leading the loop we all feel at times “will I ever find something perfect for me? Something perfect for both now and the future? Is such a hope doomed to delusion? Written in ambiguous terms, this could relate to anything the listener is “Searching through” as the chorus sings, whether romantic, spiritual, financial or other.
However, this contrasts with brighter production elements and captivating guitar riffs, giving the song a steady pace and hopeful undertones and suggesting that time can heal these wounds. Like “Restless” and “Diamond In The Rough,” “Searching” also highlights ZOCO’s intelligent and thought-provoking songwriting paired with top-notch production and musicianship. The upcoming LUMANISTA EP comes to life with the help of some high-profile collaborators–production by Gunnar Nelson (Nelson), executive production by Kerry Brown (Smashing Pumpkins) and co-production by Jake Pace and Carmine Rojas (David Bowie, Rod Stewart).
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| Photo - Orlando Cubitt |
Howling Bells have recently announced the release of 'Strange Life', their first album in over 12 years, on the 13th February 2026 via Nude Records. Ahead of this they have now released another single 'Chimera.'
Since their beginnings, breaking through with their acclaimed self-titled debut back in 2006 amidst a landscape of scrappy British indie and skinny-jeaned male dominance, the Australian trio - vocalist/guitarist Juanita Stein, her brother and guitarist Joel Stein and drummer Glenn Moule - have been something of an anomaly. They might have moved to the other side of the world in pursuit of the dreams that soon became a reality, playing at an NME Tour and then in stadiums supporting Coldplay whilst whipping up acclaim from the most credible ends of the music press. They may have seen various members come and go, but Howling Bells’ hypnotic indie rock always stood apart from the pack and was very much a reflection of their unbreakable union
Juanita explains: "Chimera is a strange word. It means a few different and curious things; in this context, however, I’m using it to mean something of an absurd nature, unattainable, a fantasy. Such is the relationship we have with music at times. This song speaks to my experience as a musician, surviving the perpetual ups and downs of the game. But if you’re lucky enough, you have someone who can cut through the noise and help you realise that the fantasy is half the joy. That the longing is part of the journey and that our achievements along the way are deeply meaningful. At its core, 'Chimera' is a song about hope and relinquishing control".
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Alt Songs is the first TCBYML compilation to bring together everything that defines our current sound — a vibrant, uncompromising mix of indie, alternative, punk, and post-everything energy. Twelve bands, each distinct in tone and vision, yet bound by one shared truth: music that feels real. Featuring: Velcro Sunset · Moving Into Tucson · Song 1 · A Better Place · Death Sells · Uitwaaien · Amber Hotel · Public Divide · The Indie Pea · June Rest · Sun Is Out · Shiverfield.
From the melodic rush of Moving Into Tucson and the cinematic pulse of Amber Hotel, to the lo-fi storms of A Better Place and the hardcore intensity of Uitwaaien — this collection never sits still. It drifts through the wistful haze of Velcro Sunset, the fierce pulse of Death Sells, and the jagged charm of Song 1. It swells with the orchestral glow of The Indie Pea, the sharp hooks of June Rest, and the sunlit shimmer of Sun Is Out. Add the tense explosions of Shiverfield and the razor-edged urgency of Public Divide, and you get a portrait of where alternative music lives right now. This collection captures a moment in motion. — raw, restless, and utterly alive. The moment a label stopped curating genres and started following its gut.
Over the years, TCBYML has evolved from a broad platform into something much more personal — a close-knit community of artists who don’t just share a roster, but a belief: that sincerity beats polish, that imperfection can be power, and that a great song still matters more than anything. Alt Songs isn’t just a playlist, it’s a pulse — the collective heartbeat of a label rediscovering what it truly loves. Each track is a chapter in that rediscovery: fierce, melodic, restless, and alive.
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