David James Young

There’s an alternate timeline out there somewhere where Thelma Plum made a different album. She’s still sitting in this same Surry Hills cafe. She’s still older and wiser than the teenager that first emerged in the early 2010s with songs like the tender ‘Father Said’ and the expletive joy of ‘Round Here.’ She’s still an accomplished, acclaimed performer that has worked with some of the biggest names in Australian music — all the while pushing as a contender to become one herself.

It’s been 15 years since Pig City, the debut (and, up until quite recently, the only) book by Brisbane-based music journalist Andrew Stafford. The book was an acclaimed success, detailing the history of Brisbane’s music scene from the rise of punk in the ‘70s through to the breakthrough of acts like Powderfinger and Savage Garden in the ‘90s.

This Friday, Angus Stone will release his fourth solo album. It is, however, on a technicality. Smooth Big Cat will mark his second studio album under the moniker of Dope Lemon, which he adapted back in 2016. Prior to that, however, he released an additional two solo LPs – one under the nom de plume of Lady of the Sunshine in 2009, and one under his real name in 2012.

“Can we put you on speaker? We've got a few of us here.” Mixdown was scheduled to speak with Gravemind's lead singer, Dylan Gillies-Parsons, in order to promote the Melbourne band's debut album Conduit. The phone is instead answered by Michael Petritsch, one of the band's two guitarists, who reveals that he is there with both Gillies-Parsons and the band's primary songwriter, lead guitarist Damon Bredin.

Sarah McLeod has been lying low for a bit. In her defence, she's earned a bit of a break – the band with which she rose to fame, The Superjesus, had a remarkably busy 2018 and haven't been slouching in 2019 either. Last year revolved mostly around a re-release and tour in support of their breakthrough album Sumo, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary.

When we catch up with FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper, he’s in absolute top spirits. “Livin’ the dream, man,” he says cheerfully down the phone from his LA home. “I’m working on some music right now – I have no idea what it’s going to be, but I can tell you it’s house music."

The ascent of Sia Furler from Adelaide girl done good to in-demand global megastar is both unprecedented and unrivalled. Unlike other pop stars, who have revealed more and more of themselves as time has gone on, Furler only came to worldwide recognition in the 2010s, after she had decided to stop showing her face in public.

Despite its rich history within the country, the music of Ireland is more often than not reduced to an emerald novelty of jigs and whistles. This is certainly not helped by songs like Ed Sheeran’s ‘Galway Girl’ going gangbusters on the charts, or the kind of schmaltzy dross that gets wheeled out every St. Patrick’s Day.

It’s almost 30 years since a young Tim Rogers took his love of Aerosmith and the Hard-Ons and decided to do something constructive with it. What he never would have guessed is the impact this band — formed while he was still a teenager — would go on to have. You Am I are widely regarded as one of the most important rock bands to ever come out of Australia.

A synthwave duo formed out of a love of movie soundtracks and sax-heavy 80s pop, with one foot in the glory days of nostalgia and one in some post-apocalyptic future.
Plenty of artists from across the seas will be making the pilgrimage to Byron Bay this coming July, but it’s not just the global megastars you should be keeping your eye on.

She’s prone to writing bare, confessional songs about everything from divorce to dysphoria. She’s been the subject of countless in-depth interviews, documentaries and even webseries. She even wrote her life story in a revealing memoir, Tranny, back in 2016. Even still, it feels like we still don’t know Laura Jane Grace – at least, not entirely.

It’s generally not appropriate to ask a musician about their kids right at the beginning of an interview. For a lot of artists, family is strictly out of bounds territory — and fair enough too. But with Frank Iero, it’s different. The 37-year-old shares the story of his kids — Cherry, Lily and Miles — through his Instagram feed, to the point where his 706,000 followers feel a familial bond with them.

The next time you see Tim Rogers taking to the stage, it won’t be alongside his bandmates in You Am I. It won’t even be as a solo artist. Instead, the veteran performer will be at the helm of Liquid Nights in Bohemia Heights – a stage adaptation of Rogers’ long-standing Double J digital radio program, Liquid Lunch.

In Amyl & The Sniffers' history – or “Sniffstory,” as they call it – you won't find sweet melodies, pop hooks or production sheen. Instead, the Melbourne natives have always optioned for their sound to be live and loud – particularly when it comes to their high-octane live shows.

This July sees Adelaide-via-Melbourne-via-LA rapper-turned-singer Allday make his triumphant return to Splendour in the Grass. There’s a twist, however – much like Dune Rats’ wild party from last year, this show is being billed as “Allday & Friends.” A myriad of collaborators and team-ups are expected for the set. This is set to be Allday’s biggest festival performance to date.