Grizzly Coast - FRITZ

Grizzly Coast - Zuzu's Petals.

Background from Grizzly Coast - My background as a poet, mixed with my lifelong affinity for playing music, lead me to blending the two mediums on my debut album Gold Lined Path. 

My new single, “Zuzu’s Petals,” showcases my expansion into a full-band sound, and my commitment to free-falling even deeper into my lyrics.

“Zuzu’s Petals” is about the feeling of self-assurance – something that struck me on a refreshing upswing that I rode after going through a breakup. Finding simple luxuries in both solitude and community, and really focusing on music were what brought me back home to myself. With the song’s upbeat tempo and lyrics, I aimed to evoke the excitement that you feel when you’re inspired by the boundless possibilities that exist in your future.

This video attempts to capture the growth and joy that solitude can bring, and frames it in a single summer’s day, FACEBOOK.

Grizzly Coast's vocals are quite beguiling as well as beautifully melodic. With 'Zuzu's Petals' we also have intelligent lyrics, a simple and attractive musical backdrop, that when combined together give us a fresh and uplifting song.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRITZ - Summer Holiday.

Background - FRITZ takes on teenage heartbreak with the release of dreamy new single 'Summer Holiday' and the announcement of a debut headline tour and appearances at Brisbane's BIGSOUND.

Drenched in 90s VHS hues, the video features FRITZ (Tilly Murphy) and her band mates as indifferent members of the living dead in idyllic, (and normally) happy locations around Newcastle. Directed by FRITZ and Lazy Bones (Bronte Godden), the sinister visual undertones are inspired by FRITZ's admiration for The Cure's knack for seamlessly combining dark and poppy moods.

Lyrically, 'Summer Holiday' touches on incredibly relatable teenage emotions. "it's about losing friends, a boyfriend, and inner confidence, consecutively," says FRITZ. "It’s very over dramatic and naive though, considering I’m only 18 and basically singing about how being dumped by my first boyfriend was the worst thing that has ever happened to me, when really it wasn’t. 'Summer Holiday' is my favourite song I’ve written, or maybe just my favourite riff.”

'Summer Holiday' follows the huge success of FRITZ's 'Biggest Fool In The World', the hilarious video for which premiered on triple j Unearthed. Piquing the attention of taste-makers nationwide it gained multiple spins on triple j and was added to Spotify's Fresh Finds and Chords and Cardigans playlists in its first week.

2018 is clearly heating up for this bubbly dream-pop newcomer whose secret weapon is A+ on-stage banter and an infectious laugh. Following a huge formative live year supporting the likes of Fazerdaze, WAAX, Jess Locke, Cub Sport, Middle Kids, RAAVE TAPES, The Belligerents, Ruby Fields and FRITZ is finally taking her own show on the road.  Following two BIGSOUND showcase parties and a spot on the sold out Yours & Owls festival lineup, the Newcastle native launches her first ever run of headline shows this October at intimate venues across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Wollongong. With so many shows up and down the Coast, there's no excuse for skipping that 'Summer Holiday' this year.

A bright dream pop song with more than a hint of slick indie rock 'Summer Holiday' is as infectious as it is charming. The video images bring out the songs retro vibe, one that gives this track even more character, concert goers down under have yet another sparkling band to enjoy in the coming months.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dead Naked Hippies - Hero Fisher - Linda Em

Dead Naked Hippies - Rare.

Background - With an angular opening riff that batters its way into your head and stays rattling around in there all day, Rare is the ferocious new offering from Leeds art-rock trio Dead Naked Hippies. Don't be fooled by the initial ferocity, Rare serves to empower others and front woman Lucy Jowett is not holding back:

“It is a song about self love. I think we're quick to judge the term & deem it laughable or irrelevant in fear of being arrogant, or weird. But if you take a hard look at the society we live in, it's clear to see why so many people struggle to feel content in their own minds and their own bodies. I've always struggled with myself and it sickens me to think that so many other people feel the same. It needs to change.”

Expanding more on the band’s mission, and where latest release Rare fits in – Lucy says: “We're used by advertising companies, so they can make money out of our discontentment. Bombarded with images of fake realities, only to make us feel like ours isn't enough. We're made to feel like our creativity and passion will never be as important as serving a functional purpose in society. It's dull, boring and I'm ..king mad about it. Most importantly, I want people to know that they're not alone.”

By creating a vehicle, alongside band mates Joe Clarke (guitar) and Jacob Marston (drums), through which Lucy can express and tackle her own internal issues, Dead Naked Hippies offer a space for others to do the same. Rare is a cathartic rallying call in the form of pounding drums, guttural guitars and righteous vocals. TWITTER.

Following on from the song 'Guillotine' which was our first taste of Dead Naked Hippies back in June we now have the chunky and somewhat rambunctious follow up track 'Rare'. A loud alt rocker that takes no prisoners, it's hard to ignore and easy to embrace.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hero Fisher - If I Die and Nothing Happens - (Warning - Flash Video).

Background - With it’s heavy dub bass and raw distorted vocals, the sound of ‘If I Die And Nothing Happens’ belies Hero’s playful lyricism. The dark spectral soundscape she builds evokes a deep volcanic winter as her ambient instrumentation facilitates the telling of a fundamentally human story. Hero’s lyrical quest for light also serves as an affirmation of life, and a recognition of the beauty around us. Moreover, it showcases Hero’s unique dynamism as a songwriter.

There are light moments within the dark, as in her canny layered vocals and the sublime motorik outro. The glacial production style shines with the same vitality that Hero has carried through all her work. Ultimately, ’If I Die And Nothing Happens’ is a heady reminder of the heights of alternative music and its limitless potential to tell new stories and explore new ideas. Hero’s influences are vast, but she distils them into a sound that feels both effortless and rare.

British-born, French-raised and London-based, Hero Fisher (yes, that’s her real name) is returning to release her sophomore LP Glue Moon. Hero’s career has so far seen her collaborate with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the Mark Ronson-scored ballet Carbon Life, open for The Rolling Stones and Neil Young at Hyde Park, and get shortlisted for the 2014 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Prize. In 2015 she released her debut album, the critically-appraised Delivery which won her fans in The Horrors and Blur.

By turns a blistering rock and roller in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, and an experimental folk storyteller à la Jeff Buckley, Hero Fisher resists easy generic categorisation with her protean and cinematic musical storytelling. Able to expertly strike a variety of different narrative poses, she is at once the spurned lover and the fired-up rabble rouser, predator and prey. With Glue Moon previous singles ‘Sylvie’, ‘Push The Boat Out’, ‘I Let Love’ and ‘Lonely’ Hero’s lyrical imagination proved unique and bountiful. ‘If I Die And Nothing Happens’ takes her sound into unchartered territory. It’s a testament to her resplendent artistry, and a display of her limitless potential to find new sonic avenues. WEBSITE. 

'If I Die and Nothing Happens' is our fourth feature for Hero Fisher who continues to impress with her imaginative and intriguing music. There are some clever melodic hooks that contrast well with the dub bass and ambient backdrop, and Hero Fisher's vocals once again are just so engaging, that it leaves me simply wanting to hear more.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linda Em - Two Hands.

Background - London-based Irish-born songstress Linda Em presents her new single 'Two Hands' ahead of her ‘London Irish’ EP, to be released on September 21 via Talking Elephant Records. This new single comes on the trail of her blazing ‘Wild Fire’, a sultry earworm of an EP teaser.

This EP is the first step in a different direction for Linda, towards a more atmospheric and spacious sound and vocal performance. It is both poetic and storytelling while still being brutally honest and personal. Her pure and raw vocals beautifully convey a nostalgic lyrical narrative, her warm endearing vocals drawing the listener into her musical story telling.

The ‘London Irish’ EP was recorded, produced and mastered at Orphan Recording, Dublin by Gavin Glass (Paul Brady, John Grant, Lisa Hannigan, Mundy), who is also music director for John Carney's film ‘Sing Street’). It was mixed by Scott Halliday (John Grant, Lisa Hannigan and previously guitar tech for Prince and James Vincent Mcmorrow). 

‘Two Hands’ is about seeking a safe, quiet space in which to gather strength when the trials of your everyday life feel overwhelming. Linda Em co-wrote this song with Ian Montague.

“There was a particular point in my life where I felt very alone just been kicked out of college and my mum and brother were both in hospital. I was the main caregiver. I went into the church at the end of the road and sat asking for something (I didn’t know what). You light a candle and expect god to be at the end of the bed that very night. I used to search for churches in-between the madness” is me reflecting on those moments. When we cannot fix something, we always try to go to a higher place for help and as a young person whose family was not “normal”, I looked for that more often,” says Linda Em.

“As we grow and work on self, we realise that the higher powers we are seeking are not some greater godlike figure but something within ourselves, even if it’s just simple acceptance. That’s why the end of the song refers to that “bitter sweet surrender” of letting go and letting go of ego “humiliate me slowly” of being willingly open to vulnerability and letting go of pride. And also of being reborn spiritually “open me unholy again and again“, each able to become our own superhero.” WEBSITE.

We featured 'Wild Fire' back in the middle of July and the second single from the 'London Irish' E.P. due later this month is 'Two Hands'. It's another gorgeous modern folk song where Linda Em's vocals are so full of emotion and personal feeling. The musical arrangement is sublime giving even more passion to this truly beautiful song.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Auton - Shane Guerrette - Stonefield

Tom Auton - Stay.

Background - Self taught musician, Tom Auton will be releasing his highly anticipated EP Big Little Glass Bowl on September 14th.

“I spent months hitting my head against the wall. How on earth do you build a colossal fanbase overnight?! Then I realised; it’s useless being a ‘small fish in a big pond’, I need to be a ‘BIG fish in a SMALL pond’. I’m wasting time splashing about, trying to be heard from every single person on the planet, It’s my hometown I need to pour myself back into. A crowd draws a crowd. It’s this new mindset that inspired me to plunge back into Cardiff, put on my first headline show which subsequently sold out at 150 capacity.

Big Little Glass Bowl is for not only my pond, but all the other musicians who are trying to be a small fish.” - Tom Auton.

Influenced by Royal Blood and John Mayer, the singer-songwriter has already made his mark, breaking the top 8 in Fender’s Undiscovered Artist of the Year Award, showcasing himself to an audience of over 5 million. Tom also achieved first place at both Open Mic UK and Future Music Songwriting competition. After supporting the likes of Jack Savoretti and touring with Galaxies Collide, Tom has been highly supported by BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Kent and Radio Cardiff. WEBSITE.

My first impression of 'Stay' is that it exudes confidence, something that comes through with both the distinct vocals and sturdy musical arrangement. There's a little bit of soulfulness, even something of a blues vibe here and there, but it's the whole thing, lyrics, performance and even the flowing video that connect beautifully, it's no wonder Tom Auton is gaining attention on a local level, further afield now beckons.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shane Guerrette - Nomadic Soul.

Background - A fresh 21 year old singer/songwriter with big dreams and an ever-expanding fan base, artist Shane Guerrette's future as a performer looks quite promising. 

Drawing influences from the blues/rock genres, Shane is reinventing these sounds into a style uniquely his own.

A blues/rock influenced singer/songwriter based out of New York, has amassing millions of Youtube plays, & gaining nearly 100k subscribers on the platform. 

Shane Guerrette will be releasing his debut self-titled EP, Shane Guerrette, - produced by Bob Cutarella (Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck) - on September 7th.

The first single, Nomadic Soul has now been shared. WEBSITE.

'Nomadic Soul' gently opens with some gorgeous acoustic guitar playing before the layers of blues rock are added. Vocals are rich and full of experience and feeling that belies Shane's age, his guitar work in sublime, collectively this all helps to explain how the listening statistics are all stacking up.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stonefield - Through The Storm.

Background - Australian psych band Stonefield -- who released their third LP earlier this year via King Gizzard's Flightless Records -- has announced a North American tour, kicking off on September 20th. It includes a performance at Desert Daze in October, stops at Toronto's Night Owl Fest & Mexico City's Hipnosis Festival, and a 7" release show at NYC's Baby's All Right.

This week, the band shares a video for their song "Through The Storm," which appears on both their latest full-length, Far From Earth, and a new 7" coming out this fall on Greenway Records. The video features footage from Stonefield's previous LA residency at the Bootleg Theater.

Made up of sisters Amy, Hannah, Sarah, and Holly Findlay, Stonefield's sound pays homage to the prog, metal, and psych powerhouses of the '70s while remaining uniquely their own. Their latest album was produced by Stephen McBean (Black Mountain) and features Rob Campanella (Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Gregg Forman (Cat Power.) FACEBOOK.

 Stonefield on Tour:
** with Frankie and the Witch Fingers
9/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Griffin**
9/21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room**
9/22 - Denver, CO @ The Hi-Dive**
9/23 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge**
9/24 - Davenport, IA @ The Raccoon Motel**
9/25 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen**
9/26 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar**
9/27 - Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx**
9/28 - Toronto, ON @ Night Owl Fest**
9/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right (Greenway 7” release show)**
9/30 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
10/2 - New York, NY @ Berlin
10/3 - New York, NY @ Berlin
10/6 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Hipnosis Festival
10/10- Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
10/12-10/14 - Moreno Beach, Lake Perris, CA @ Desert Daze
11/10 - Tijuana, Mexico @ Marko Disko (w/ King Gizzard)

At the end of last year we featured 'Delusion from Stonefield describing that song as a "full on rock & roll song oozing power and passion." Now we have 'Through The Storm' a track that pretty much explains that this is something this potent rock outfit are good at. The concert footage within the video simply ups the desire to see them perform live!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foxhole - Vaureen

Foxhole - After The Walk.

Background - “After the Walk” is the soaring second single that Foxhole is sharing ahead of the release of Well Kept Thing, the post-rock band’s first new album since 2006’s Push/Pull EP. Written under one of the live oaks that pepper Austin, TX, album opener “After the Walk” (which was mixed by the Grammy-winner Stephen Roessner and mastered by Bob Weston from Shellac) is an attempt to bring joy and elation to post-rock, a genre not exactly known for its bright side. A close listen reveals coins dropping to the floor as the song empties out, as well as a misplaced chuckle in a guitar mic at the break. It’s a celebration of friendship — the sort of excitement that comes not from swelling cymbals and cinematic guitars, but from being in the same room as old friends, who remember parts of you that you’d nearly forgotten.

Written across 12 years, five states and three countries, Well Kept Thing is a sonic autobiography, telling the story of a band growing up and journeying apart, while fighting against distance and the demands of adulthood to preserve their friendship. It's the culmination of more than a decade of writing, recording, revising and waiting. As members started new careers (as a coffee shop owner, a farmer and commercial fisherman, a creative director, an admission to MIT’s Media Lab), married, had children and continued their nomadic tendencies, with members living around the globe, each change brought a new perspective on a growing repository of ideas.

Slowly, a new writing process emerged, and with it, a new aesthetic. Emails and MP3’s were exchanged with scraps of ideas captured on phones and laptops. As those scraps became songs, they graduated to a server where a version control system tracked every change — syncing them to all five members and bridging disparate locations, time zones and work schedules. It was a rhythm that a different band might have found frustratingly slow, but played to the strengths of a group committed as much to each other as their music. Blistering drums, masterful melodic interplay, dynamic composition and a distinct smattering of brass — these are the defining qualities of Foxhole, a post-rock group of limited output but surprising longevity. And on their third proper album Well Kept Thing, the band builds on their diverse foundation to deliver a (mostly) instrumental album for the ages. WEBSITE.  

The first of eleven tracks on next months album release 'Well Kept Thing' is 'After The Walk'. Foxhole might base themselves on mainly instrumental pieces however there is nothing lacking on this album. As the featured second single demonstrates, the bands ability to develop melodic and epic music focused around a post rock core is something they do with flourishing style. Sometimes it's the momentum and sheer power that stands out, then again it might be the more sensitive and pristine moments that grab you. What is certain is that the level of imagination and musical diversity ensures that with this collection of songs, there is never a dull moment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vaureen - Stare Into The Sun.

Background - Brooklyn trio Vaureen share their new single 'Stare Into The Sun' and announce the new album 'Extraterra' due out 26th October via Rising Pulse Records. Formed in 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, three-piece Vaureen are anything but straight-forward. Combining the off-kilter fuzz of mid-90’s grunge aligned against abreactive passages of noise, left-of-centre shoegaze and the bleak doom of psych-infused stoner rock, Vaureen create a brooding, nihilistic sound, steeped in a raw energy and honesty that could shake even the most apathetic listener. With an acclaimed EP behind them along with a number of US live dates under their belt, the band are now set to release their debut album ‘Extraterra’.

Vaureen’s forthcoming album exhibits their unique brand of ethereal yet intensely foreboding alt-rock, which could be equated to the sound of early-The Breeders meets Fugazi meets Chelsea Wolfe meets The Sword. Tracks such as ‘Stare Into The Sun’ showcase vocalist Andrea Horne’s sonorous and dynamic vocals while stripped back instrumentation seamlessly transforms into atmospheric shoegaze infused post-rock, driven forward by a powerful rhythm section. The entire album is flooded with progressive moments like this with songs evolving at every opportunity. You’d be forgiven for thinking the band might have some affiliation with Sargent House, but despite having these moments of beguiling familiarity their music remains entirely distinctive. Elsewhere, you can hear a much heavier set of influences such as on ‘Forms Beyond My Own’, where fuzz laced guitars descend into doom-inspired riffs, becoming more caustic, whilst also hinting at their more experimental influences.

Recorded by long-time friend and esteemed producer Aaron Bastinelli (Fun Sound Studio), ‘Extraterra’ sees Vaureen release their most dynamic and consummate material to date. Speaking about the album, Andrea Horne (vocals/guitar) says, “I came to music from an art background and I have a form of synesthesia. For me the album is highly visual. The title comes from my personal interest in spaces beyond direct perception, both within and without… like Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot and Charles & Ray Eames’ Powers Of Ten.”

Debut albums boasting the dexterity of ‘Extraterra’ are extremely rare. Vaureen refuse strict categorisation and in doing so have produced an incredibly textured record, which is all at once dark, pensive, expansive and airy, and will appeal to many both on and beneath the surface. WEBSITE.

'Stare Into The Sun' is dramatic and powerful to start with, it then proceeds to build with potency and intensity to a thunderous finale. A genre shifting rocker that is hard to pigeonhole, Vaureen have something very addictive going on here, I sense that the awaited album might pack some formidable material.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------