Photo Credit: Kristina Wild

When songwriter and musician Jack Bratt released his debut album Slow Release in 2022, the record was met with acclaim and renewed appreciation for Bratt’s skills as a wordsmith and musician.

A record that took time to create, execute and deliver, Slow Release proved to be well worth the wait for fans and for Bratt alike; his artistry had been evolving and deepening in its quality for two decades – the release of such a record proved a fitting career touchstone.

Bratt’s return in 2023 then, was always going to be quite the anticipated one. The first new music we’re hearing from him arrives in the form of ‘Hand On Heart’ – a stunning track that heralds the re-emergence of an Australian songwriting gem.

Written during time spent living in Brooklyn, New York, where he had relocated to undertake the Grant McLennan Fellowship. During this time of creative development, Bratt’s personal life also underwent some big changes.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, Bratt’s long-term relationship of seven years came to an end, leaving him on the other side of the world, figuring out what was coming next. Navigating this phase during such an uncertain time gave inspiration for the foundation of ‘Hand On Heart’ and from there, the music came to life.

“I’d spent a year in a bit of a holding pattern trying to work out where my life was headed after such a huge change in trajectory. I thought the rest of my life was planned out and then it completely changed overnight.

The lyrical content of the song is referencing a lot of doubt about whether or not I would be able to repair correctly after that relationship, and if I was ever going to allow myself to be vulnerable enough to put myself in the position again. I’d had several short-lived relationships afterwards and just found myself feeling a bit broken and unable to give the emotional depth to those relationships that I wanted to.”
JACK BRATT

Recording took place in Brisbane at Hunting Ground Studios, with Bratt working alongside Joel Myles (Head Atlas), who produced the Slow Release record. Reconnecting with Joel soon after his return to Australia, Bratt found himself back in a rhythm of creativity that was comfortable and from there, things clicked back into place.

“The recording of the track was an extremely enjoyable process. I went back into the studio with my producer/collaborator as soon as I returned to Australia after living abroad for a year, and we went straight back to work like a day hadn’t passed. Joel and I have a truly amazing working relationship where it feels very effortless, our ideas are very much in sync.

“It’s new musical territory for me, but I always plan on expanding my sound and I hope to always find it hard for people to think what genre I fit into.”
JACK BRATT

Bratt’s relationship with music has been one growing with reverence since he was a teenager. Playing across numerous projects over the years, he has performed alongside the likes of Wolfmother, Tame Impala and more; though in his solo work, Bratt has truly engaged in a special phase of his songwriting journey.

Slow Release debuted at #6 on the AIR Album Charts, as well as earning support across community radio and the national broadcaster; three singles receiving Triple J and Double J support, as well as adds to Coles Radio and more.

Bratt’s win of the lucrative and respected Grant McLennan Fellowship in 2019 was a demonstration of faith the industry had in Bratt’s continued potential as a musician; potential that has thrived in recent years, kicking off again here with the release of ‘Hand On Heart’.

PLAY/LISTEN

PRAISE FOR JACK BRATT

“It’s not just a record that’s written well, it’s also a true masterclass in composition. With Bratt taking on most instruments himself …it’s a warm and inviting record that feels custom-made to appeal to the true music appreciator.”
Rolling Stone Australia (Slow Release, 2022)

“Consistent songwriting, cleverly arranged, and delicately mixed — as expected from JB.”
Triple J, Max Quinn (‘Coming Of Age’, 2022)

“Songwriting that throws back to the golden age of Australia radio rock. You’ve got a voice with plenty of character and a chorus that might stick in the dome!”
Triple J Unearthed, Tommy Faith (‘Coming Of Age’, 2022)

“Drawing from the same deck as The War on Drugs or Kingswood, there’s textural, atmospheric walls of sound punctuated by potent guitar lines, a propulsive rhythm section and Bratt’s own driving vocals…” 
Music Feeds (‘Spades’, 2020)

“For many years now, Brisbane’s Jack Bratt has been an unsung hero of the Australian music scene…”
ToneDeaf

HEAD ON HEART is out now.
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Toronto, ON – Today, Canadian rock band Texas King is excited to announce their highly-anticipated new EP Capsize, set to be released on July 7th via Known Accomplice / Cadence Music Group and via all streaming platforms.

Capsize will be the band’s biggest and boldest record yet, and is a story of reckoning, redemption, nostalgia, and hope that sees Texas King’s Jordan Macdonald (Vocals & Guitar), Melvin Murray (Bass), and Phil Spina (Drums) following up from where their 2021 EP, Changes, left off.

The five-track EP will include Texas King’s current radio single “Whatever You Break,” a driving power ballad, which recently broke into the #5 on the Active Rock charts and is the band’s highest charting single to date. The song was produced by Brian Moncarz, along with the EP’s title track “Capsize” and “Rely On Me”.

“This is a follow up to our Changes EP and it speaks to the real life nature of things sometimes needing to get worse before they get better. The metaphor is that you’re in a boat and seemingly smooth sailing when all of a sudden you re enter rough waters and you find out that your boat wasn’t as solid as you thought. It flips over. A total capsize. There’s something to be said about hitting rock bottom. There are some “phoenix rising from the ashes” type vibes on this one that we hope fans enjoy,” said Jordan MacDonald, lead vocalist of Texas King.

In-your-face singalongs and heartfelt power ballads that reflect the heat, the urgency, and the desperation of a moment, are also showcased on the EP in the tracks, “Home” and “Memory,” produced by Peter van Helvoort and Matt Snell.

Texas King have put 250,000 miles into their van over the past decade – touring all over North America alongside acts like Big Wreck, Last Dinosaurs, and The Glorious Sons. Since 2013, they’ve been cutting their teeth on the road and in the studio, releasing music that captures the show-stopping passion they’ve brought to stages that include Vancouver’s Ambleside Festival, Ontario’s ParkJam and Hillside Festivals, and Québec’s Festival D’été.

Most recently, the band performed their high energy live show for 20 markets across Canada on their national tour, after announcing that they inked a deal with Known Accomplice, the go-to indie label serving rock and related genres in Canada. Texas King also has an upcoming show in Bala, ON on August 19th opening for The Trews.

For more information on Texas King, please visit here.

Capsize Track List

1. Capsize
2. Whatever You Break
3. Memory
4. Rely On Me
5. Home

RANCID
UNVEIL 10^TH STUDIO ALBUM
‘TOMORROW NEVER COMES’
OUT NOW VIA EPITAPH

WATCH MUSIC VIDEO FOR
“NEW AMERICAN”

“Fast, ragged, catchy and even a little thrashy at points,” – Revolver “The album stretches a whopping 16 tracks of punk rock fury…” – Knotfest “The sunny brutalism of Rancid’s East Bay ska-thrash has lost nary a step and their ethical-emotional rigour is as sweet as it is pure.” – SPIN “A must-listen for longtime fans, Tomorrow Never Comes will also bring cathartic joy for anyone who likes their music loud and soaked with clobbering charm. It’s 2023, and punk’s definitely not dead” – Hysteria Mag “Tomorrow Never Comes emphatically proves that Rancid are still just as relevant in the music world as they have ever been.” – Heavy Mag “On Tomorrow Never Comes, Rancid have crafted a masterstroke that carries a social consciousness, yet is not weighed down by the gravity of its message (or lack thereof?). It may concern itself with the back alley world of the urban downtrodden, but it sparkles with just enough glitz to resonate with those on the other side of the tracks. 2023 album of the year (thus far)!” – Stack Mag Berkeley, California, punk stalwarts Rancid share their highly anticipated 10th studio album, ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ out now via Epitaph Records. The follow up to 2017’s Trouble Maker, the new album was produced by longtime collaborator, Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph founder, Brett Gurewitz. Check it out below: ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ LISTEN At a whopping 850 Million catalogue streams to date, fans and critics alike seem to agree that Rancid’s brand of high impact, no frills punk still flows abundantly in their blood, while easily translating to a modern audience. Now embarking on their tenth full-length effort, this is evident throughout ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’. With its sixteen blistering tracks barely making the two-and-a-half-minute mark, the album boasts the same gritty, straight forward punk-with-a-purpose that the world just can’t get enough of. Throughout the last three decades, Rancid has remained fiercely independent, never losing their loyalty to their community or each other. Their music confronts political and social issues, while balancing personal tales of love, loss, and heartbreak with attitude. By carrying on the traditions and spirit of the original punk rock bands that came before, Rancid has become a legend and inspiration to punk bands that have come after. Tomorrow Never Comes Tracklisting Tomorrow Never Comes Mud, Blood, & Gold Devil In Disguise New American The Bloody & Violent History Don’t Make Me Do It It’s a Road to Righteousness Live Forever Drop Dead Inn Prisoners Song Magnificent Rogue One Way Ticket Hellbound Train Eddie the Butcher Hear Us Out When The Smoke Clears

 

Over the past few years, change has been the only constant in many of our lives. Aussie festival favourite and dependable joy-merchant Paces (Mikey Perry) saw his life turn upside down. He’s since gone through a musical renaissance either because of or in spite of that. 2022 saw Paces pivot from his trademark tropical electronica to a new sound that affixed edgy hyperpop with his lifelong love of punk & emo styles. Stepping in front of the microphone for the first time, his singles Adrift & Butterflies explored personal pain, fears and growth in a way that was both moving and exciting. The next single Brain Got Hands is as intimate as it is energetic. Candid personal thoughts atop a tense chord progression and urgent drums before a wailing wall of punk energy blasts us at the apogee. “Brain Got Hands is a snapshot of how I was feeling when my depression was at its worst. It was a pretty hopeless time and despite doing everything to manage my mental health I just kept slipping further under.”

Alongside the announcement of Brains Got Hands, comes the revelation that we can expect a full length album from Paces, later this year. Three Summers will be his third LP but the first with this new sound. “In the past I’ve been focussed on making escapist pop music which I thoroughly enjoyed doing at the time. This album is quite different as it’s much more personal plus I’m singing on the tracks, doing all the songwriting, and it’s a different direction in terms of genre.” Authentic in essence and innovative in style Three Summers will be a triumph in expression and a cathartic release of energy. “For the last few years I’ve been hurting pretty deeply for a few reasons and one of the best ways I’ve found to cope is by writing songs. I was writing songs every day as a form of journaling, just trying to channel the negative energy into something creative, and then at some point I decided to take it a step further and actually record them.” Tonelly new, but with the outstanding production standard we would expect from Paces, Three Summers is upbeat, brash, vibrant and sincere. Hoping that his existing fans will join him on the journey but ultimately motivated by something more intrinsic, Paces says: “The songs were really just made for me but if anyone out there connects with them, that’s a bonus.”

Brain Got Hands is out on the 2nd of June via Off Leash Records.

www.linktr.ee/pacesmusic

www.instagram.com/pacesmusic/

www.tiktok.com/@pacesmusic

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Canadian pop artist Kyle  Richardson is celebrating the recent release of the official music video for his current single  “Can  You Hear Me” 

Written by Richardson and fellow Canadians Andrew Allen and Grammy-nominated Jeff Dawson  (who also produced), “Can You Hear Me” is the first of three planned singles to land from the  artist’s debut album, “Louder Than Words”, which arrives later this year.  

Coasting on a modern pop vibe with a rock edge, “Can You Hear Me” boasts minimalistic bouncy  verses leading into call-and-answer chorus vocals with big harmonies, and an appropriately  energetic percussion throughout. The music video was produced by Roadhouse Productions.  

Richardson says, “This song is a strong musical representation of my direction as an artist. It’s  about confidence, hope, and inspiration – all major themes that the album touches on as well. For  the video, I really wanted the visuals to be kinetic and colourful to really emphasize the urgency  behind the lyrics. Working with AJ Astle and Roadhouse Productions, we found an edgy studio  location filled with modern aesthetics and bright neon signs to really bring the bold sentiment of  the song to life.”  

As the first new music for the Vancouver-based LGBTQIA+ artist since 2019, “Can You Hear Me”  is a re-introduction of sorts for the artist and dedicated songwriter. Having written with a wide  range of Canadian artists, including superstar Carly Rae Jepsen, WCMA-nominated DYLN, and  rising star Garrett Neiles, Richardson previously released two singles of his own to Canadian radio  (“Painkiller” and “So Hot It Hurts”) and has lent his talents as a guest vocalist on a number of  collaborations, including Bobina’s 2016 single, “Love is the Answer” and its accompanying  remixes, which have earned over 1.5 million streams on Spotify.  

Having performed at multiple Pride events around his home city (including 2019’s New West  Pride), Richardson also wants “Can You Hear Me” to serve as a calling card and a proud statement  for the LGBTQIA+ community – especially fellow artists and creatives – to follow their  inspirations. Ultimately, his aim is to guide others to live boldly, while also leaving them ready for  more music.  

He says, “I want to give all of us the confidence to live loud in the moment, make memories to  hold on to, and celebrate the good times while you can. Treat every night like it’s your last night,  so you won’t have any regrets.” 

“Can You Hear Me” from Kyle Richardson is currently on Canadian radio and on all digital  streaming platforms. The music video is available on YouTube.  

For more about Kyle Richardson, please visit KyleRichardsonMusic.com and follow him on social  media: 

Instagram: @TurnUpTheKyle Facebook: @TurnUpTheKyle Twitter: @TurnUpTheKyle YouTube: YouTube.com/@TurnUpTheKyle Spotify: tinyurl.com/turnupthekylespotify TikTok: TikTok.com/@turnupthekyle 

Prolific Melbourne producer SPE3D adds a new moment to his discography with the bass driven Time Trial. Harmonic from the starting line, the ethereal vocals are eventually overtaken by a ravenous bassline with enough bounce to leave a cloud of dust. “I was really unsure about this tune in terms of actually releasing it. This is a much more mellow tune, compared to previous SPE3D releases.” says SPE3D of the single

 “A few positive comments and motivating words from friends and fellow producers really pushed me to finish this track.” Don’t be mistaken, the moments of gentle energy in the tune are fully balanced with the thumping bass and dancefloor energy that  we’ve come to love from SPE3D. The final drop has reference to broken breaks and katana blade slashes before hitting top gear with the 909 hats that accelerate us across the finish line.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlimited_spe3d_40mbps/

Triple J Unearthed profile: https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/spe3d/

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Chemical Surf and their fellow Brazilians Mevil and Enigmix have teamed up for a new release on Dim Mak‘s house imprint – A Good One. The result is a hypnotizing house single “Bad For U,” featuring a driving bassline, rhythmic kick drums and synths, alongside sultry vocals. As the weather heats up and parties really start to kick off, “Bad For U” is bound to be in heavy rotation on dance floors around the globe. It follows Chemical Surf‘s recent track “KIDS” with Jetlag Music., which dropped on Spinnin’ Records last month, as well as their latest Dim Mak release – “Dale Loca” with Anna Marchesini from October 2022.

“‘Bad For U‘ is a secret weapon in our sets since we made it. It’s making big crowds dance and also working very well in the clubs, and that’s why we are playing this song everywhere. Finally, it’s time to share it with the world. When we received the first idea from Mevil and Enigmix, we felt it could be something special. We worked on all the drums, build-up, construction of the track, and some details on the synths, and also mixed and mastered it later by ourselves. After that, we all were very happy with the result.” – Chemical Surf

“This is my 2nd collab with Enigmix and my 3rd with Chemical Surf. I was looking for a groovy song, so he sent me the vocals, and I got hyped since the first play on it. Then I just put the vocal on FL Studio, and 2 hours later, the main idea of the song was done.” – Mevil

“After Mevil sent me the main idea, I added a few synths and improved the whole groove of the song, and we decided to reach out to Chemical Surf for a collab 🙂” – Enigmix

Chemical Surf

Brazilian brother duo Luca and Hugo Sanches are together behind Chemical Surf which has become known for their high energy and rhythmic style. They have recently worked with Kaskade, Steve Aoki and put their own spin on MEDUZA‘s “Tell It To My Heart” and many others. Prior to releasing on Dim Mak, Chemical Surf‘s music has found a home on labels such as Spinnin’ Records, STMPD RCRDS, Musical Freedom, Armada, Sony, and Warner, to name a few. Chemical Surf challenges the electronic music status quo by breaking the lines between genres. With high musical sensibility. Keep an eye out for more coming from these talented rising stars very soon.