Festival News

Gold Coast alt-rock four-piece Loose Goose have turned breakups, burnout, loneliness and the frustrations of chasing a career in music into their nine-track debut album, Going Nowhere Fast, out now.

The album wasn’t originally meant to be an album at all.

What started as a four-song recording session with Ryan Barwick, Max Humphrey, Wil Wood and Greg Pheasant quickly expanded as the band found themselves with more to say. Now in their third year as an independent band, Loose Goose had plenty of experience with the less glamorous side of building a music career: chasing streams, support slots and industry validation.

“We got wrapped up in the game, the streams and the opening acts, who’s supporting who, letting the comparison eat us down,” says vocalist and guitarist Ryan Barwick.

That tension shapes much of Going Nowhere Fast. Opener ‘Achilles Heel’ takes aim at an industry that can leave artists feeling permanently under pressure, while ‘Bulls In The Arena’ digs into judgement from people who haven’t lived the same experience.

The album’s subject matter reaches well beyond music, too.

‘Sneezy’ looks at getting older, forgotten dreams and the desire to leave something behind. ‘Hot Coffee’ tackles male loneliness beneath driving guitars and a huge chorus, while ‘Distance’ captures the strange pain of watching someone who was once part of everyday life gradually become little more than pictures on a phone.

‘See You (Every Night)’ strips things back for one of the record’s more vulnerable moments, while ‘Scumbags and Warlords’ questions the value of doing the right thing when the world can appear to reward the opposite.

Then there’s ‘Bolivian Boogie Sugar’, the album’s completely unhinged closer.

“It’s like being woken up at 3am by your neighbour with a triple shot espresso martini at the ready, while your ex-girlfriend berates you for not taking the goldfish for a walk,” Barwick says. “Mosh pit material.”

Recorded at Brooklet Studios in Byron Bay with longtime producer Cameron Lockwood of Wolfmother, Going Nowhere Fast also marks a shift in the band’s sound. Loose Goose move beyond the surf-rock foundations of their earlier material towards a heavier alternative approach, drawing influence from Cage The Elephant, Wunderhorse and Inhaler.

For all that evolution, the band’s connection with their audience remains central.

“Our greatest strength has always been our close connection with the fans,” says Barwick. “We wanted to reward those who have supported us, not pander to a mass that couldn’t care less right now.”

That connection has helped Loose Goose build a loyal following of ‘Goslings’, while also selling out a 500-capacity headline show at Miami Marketta, selling out Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, breaking the ticket record at Elsewhere Bar and earning five nominations at the 2025 Gold Coast Music Awards.

They’ve also shared stages with Rum Jungle, Old Mervs, Beddy Rays, Surf Trash, Dear Sunday, Peach Fur, Chutney and The Delta Riggs.

Now the album is out, the next chapter moves to the stage.

Loose Goose will bring GOOSEMANIA to Miami Marketta on Saturday, September 5, with Stimpies, Laurel Hill, Eyesite and Santo Domingo also on the bill.

The band then head to Lennox Heads on September 25 before taking GOOSEMANIA to Perth’s Indian Ocean Hotel on October 10.

Going Nowhere Fast is out now.

LOOSE GOOSE LIVE

05.09.26 — GOOSEMANIA GOLD COAST — Miami Marketta
25.09.26 — LENNOX HEADS — Lennox Hotel
10.10.26 — GOOSEMANIA PERTH — Indian Ocean Hotel

LOOSE GOOSE:| Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Facebook | Unearthed

Following overwhelming demand, San Francisco pop visionary underscores, aka April Harper Grey, has added second and final Sydney and Melbourne shows to her highly anticipated GALLERIA Australia Chapter tour this December.

First show presale allocations were immediately exhausted, prompting the additional dates.

underscores will now play back-to-back nights at 170 Russell, Melbourne, on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 December, before heading to Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 December.

While in Australia, she’ll also perform in Brisbane and at Meredith Music Festival in Victoria.

Frontier Members can access presale tickets for the two new shows from 1pm AEST today, Wednesday 26 August. Tickets for the previously announced dates are already available.

Tickets for all shows go on sale to the general public from 12pm local time on Friday 28 August.

For full tour and ticket information, visit Frontier Touring.

A bona fide auteur, underscores arrives in Australia following her trailblazing third album, U, released via Mom+Pop. The album has surpassed 80 million global streams and continues an artistic trajectory that began with SoundCloud uploads made as a teenager from her childhood bedroom.

Her music brings together hyperpop, alt-pop and fearless genre experimentation, building a devoted cult following in the process. underscores has been profiled by Interview, The FADER, Vogue, Pitchfork and NME, while U earned a triple j Feature Album.

She has appeared at Coachella, Lollapalooza and Corona Capital, and has collaborated with Oklou, Yaeji and Danny Brown. She has also played alongside 100 gecs and Porter Robinson, with an upcoming US run alongside Charli xcx.

Joining underscores at all headline shows will be New York Estonian-American music producer and DJ umru.

underscores ​+ special guest umru

​GALLERIA AUSTRALIAN CHAPTER
​DECEMBER 2026

​Presented by Frontier Touring and Penny Drop

NEW SHOWS: FRONTIER MEMBER PRESALE
​via frontiertouring.com/underscores
​Runs 46 hours from: Wednesday 26 August (1pm local time)
​or until presale allocation exhausted

TICKETS ON SALE
​Begins: Friday 28 August (12pm local time)

Friday 11 December
​Princess Theatre | Brisbane, QLD
​Lic. All Ages
​ticketmaster.com.au

Monday 14 December
​170 Russell | Melbourne, VIC
​18+
​moshtix.com.au

Tuesday 15 December
​NEW SHOW!
​170 Russell | Melbourne, VIC
​18+
​moshtix.com.au

Thursday 17 December
​Metro Theatre | Sydney, NSW
​Lic. All Ages
​ticketek.com.au

Friday 18 December
​NEW SHOW!
​Metro Theatre | Sydney, NSW
​Lic. All Ages
​ticketek.com.au

Also playing Meredith Music Festival (not a Frontier Touring show)

FOLLOW UNDERSCORES:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Tik Tok

frontiertouring.com/underscores

Sydney rock’n’roll four-piece C.O.F.F.I.N have released their first acoustic song, ‘13 Days’, while announcing an Australian headline tour for February and March 2027.

The single is the third preview of the band’s sixth studio album, Out In Oslo, which arrives Friday 18 September via King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s p(doom) Records.

Written by vocalist and drummer Ben Portnoy, ‘13 Days’ started life as an acoustic solo track. Producer Declan Mehrtens encouraged the band to explore something outside their usual songwriting approach, with guitarist Abijah “Kosty” Rado also pushing Portnoy to bring the song to the group.

The band had made a point during the writing of Out In Oslo not to rule anything out, eventually turning the song into C.O.F.F.I.N’s first acoustic track.

Lyrically, ‘13 Days’ documents the story of two friends facing potential jail time following acts of street justice that did not result in anyone being hurt. The pair were given 13 days from January 1 to prepare their defence and raise the money needed for it.

Portnoy also directed the accompanying video, which adopts the look of CCTV footage. The concept draws directly from the role surveillance footage played in the real-life case, while examining the limitations of interpreting events through fixed cameras, low frame rates and restricted perspectives.

‘13 Days’ follows Out In Oslo previews ‘Sleep In It’ and ‘Think Bad’. Produced by Mehrtens, known for his work with Amyl and The Sniffers, with vocals co-produced by Frenzal Rhomb’s Jason Whalley, the album expands C.O.F.F.I.N’s sound while retaining the raw energy of their rock’n’roll roots.

The record draws on Australian rock influences including Coloured Balls, The Angels and AC/DC, while exploring Australian identity, community, environmentalism, injustice and the country’s relationship with the wider world.

C.O.F.F.I.N’s previous album, Australia Stops, was released in 2023 and received an ARIA nomination for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album, as well as a National Live Music Award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Album.

The band will return to Australian stages in 2027 for their biggest Australian headline shows to date.

C.O.F.F.I.N — Out In Oslo Australian Tour

Friday 26 February 2027 — Max Watts, Melbourne, VIC
Friday 5 March 2027 — Factory Theatre, Sydney, NSW — Lic AA
Saturday 6 March 2027 — Crowbar, Brisbane, QLD
Friday 12 March 2027 — The Rosemount, Perth, WA
Saturday 13 March 2027 — Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide, SA — Lic AA
Saturday 20 March 2027 — Altar Bar, Hobart, TAS

TICKETS

Before the Australian tour, C.O.F.F.I.N will play the King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard-curated block party in Melbourne/Naarm on Sunday 18 October, before heading back to the UK and Europe for further shows.

10,000 Miles From Oslo Documentary Screenings

C.O.F.F.I.N’s story is also being told through the feature-length documentary 10,000 Miles From Oslo, created by Jake Laderman and Scott Marrinan.

The film follows more than two decades of the band’s history, from childhood friends making music on Sydney’s Northern Beaches through to their development as an internationally touring live act. The story culminates in the journey to Norway that helped bring Out In Oslo to life.

The documentary has already screened in Australia, Europe, the UK and the USA, with additional screenings announced in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Oslo.

Screening dates

30 June — Cinema Nova, Melbourne — SOLD OUT
1 July — Cinema Nova, Melbourne — SOLD OUT
2 July — Dendy Newtown, Sydney — SOLD OUT
4 July — Dendy Newtown, Sydney — SOLD OUT
8 July — Kino Central, Berlin
15 July — AFS Cinema, Austin
16 July — Brain Dead Studios, Los Angeles
17 July — Film Noir, New York City
10 August — Genesis Cinema, London — SOLD OUT
12 August — Cultplex, Manchester — SOLD OUT
28 August — New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane — NEW DATE
30 August — Palace Nova, Adelaide — NEW DATE
1 September — Brunswick Picture House, Melbourne — SOLD OUT
27 November — Vaterland, Oslo

STREAM

CONNECT WITH C.O.F.F.I.N
WEB | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | BANDCAMP

A BIGSOUND week party by COHORT Records, Human Behaviour, Somersault Magazine & SydneyMusic

Wednesday, September 2 from 12-5pm

at Never Enough, Fortitude Valleey

DJ sets from Erika Ever, Harley Girl & more!

There’s only one week to go until Fortitude Valley gets very loud

BIGSOUND 2026 runs from 1-4 September, bringing four days of live music, industry sessions, showcases, parties and plenty of reasons to spend the week moving between venues across Brisbane.

Now in its 25th year, BIGSOUND has become one of the biggest fixtures on the Australian music calendar. The festival has helped put artists including Flume, Tash Sultana, Tones And I and Courtney Barnett in front of the people who can help take their careers further.

This year is no different, with hundreds of artists and industry figures heading to Fortitude Valley, alongside a packed program that keeps expanding.

Among the names joining the 2026 program are SLOWLY SLOWLY, MAY-A and Sunshine Coast duo FRANK & LOUIS.

For those not spending the week behind a delegate lanyard, there’s plenty to check out too.

The BIGSOUND Mall Stage, presented by Amazon Music, brings free live music to Brunswick Street Mall every day, with Pash, Zipporah and Salty performing Tuesday, followed by BIRDLAND, DEVA MAHAL and LAMBROS on Wednesday and LARA BUCHANAN, NGAIIRE and SILKY ROADS on Thursday.

Wednesday also brings the Hunting Ground Publishing Showcase, featuring new signings JUNGAJI and HOLYSTONE from noon.

Brisbane’s QUBE Effect is making its BIGSOUND debut this year, with local band BADPOSTURE taking over Brunswick Street Mall at 4.40pm on Thursday.

There’s plenty happening away from the stages. The California Lane CD & Record Fair runs Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am–3.30pm, while the MILKLAB x BIGSOUND Morning Mix Run Club offers a morning run, DJ set, free drinks and merch.

At The Precinct, the what’s the colour of love? exhibition will feature a floor talk with trials and BIRDZ at 4.15pm Wednesday, looking at the work and ideas behind trials’ hendle album.

Then there are the parties.

Sony & Friends brings MAY-A, Jem Cassar-Daly, Pash and Bella Amor together, while the official Oztix Party takes over The Brightside with Slowly Slowly, BIRDLAND, Large Mirage and Liquid Zoo.

Live Nation’s Ones To Watch will feature Jem Cassar-Daly, Eli Wan and Holly Hebe, with Holly Hebe appearing exclusively during BIGSOUND week.

The UPSTARTER Showcase Party is another one to watch, with five finalists performing at The Beaumont on Wednesday for the chance to take home a $20,000 cash prize.

And when it’s finally time to call it, the BIGSOUND 25th Birthday Closing Party takes over the entire Prince Consort from 11.30pm until close, covering the Garden Bar, Parlour Bar, La La Land and Greaser.

There’s a serious industry side to the week too, with international delegations from the UK and Canada arriving in Australia to connect with local artists, managers, labels, publishers and music businesses.

Canada is the Featured Guest Country for 2026, with representatives from BPI, CIMA and Music Managers Forum Canada among those involved.

Before everything officially kicks off, the BIGSOUND Sneak Peek LIVE at The Sofitel Brisbane runs Saturday 29 August from 4–7pm.

For four days, Fortitude Valley becomes the place to be for anyone interested in where Australian music is heading next. There will be new artists to discover, old friends to run into, industry conversations happening everywhere and, inevitably, a few late nights.

Line Up Here

BIGSOUND 2026
1–4 September 2026
Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Delegate Pass: $899 / $849 QMusic Subscriber & Reciprocal Members
3-Night Festival Pass: $100 early bird / $119 full price
1-Night Festival Pass: $69
Youth (25 and under) & Concession: $30
Platform fees apply. Afterpay available.

More info and tickets: bigsound.org.au

Chicago house legend Green Velvet is heading to Sydney this September, joining Fuzzy’s new music series THE POINT for an open-air show at Yurong / Mrs Macquaries Point on Saturday 26 September.

The producer and DJ will take over THE POINT’s floating stage on Sydney Harbour for a six-hour party running from 4pm to 10pm, with support acts still to be announced.

For anyone with even a passing interest in house music, Green Velvet’s catalogue speaks for itself. ‘Percolator’, ‘La La Land’ and ‘Bigger Than Prince’ have all become enduring club records, helping establish the Chicago artist as one of the genre’s most recognisable figures.

Across more than three decades, Green Velvet has continued to move between underground clubs and major festival stages without losing the character that made his music stand out in the first place. His sets are built for movement, combining his own productions with a broad approach to house and electronic music.

Bringing that sound to an outdoor stage overlooking Sydney Harbour should make for a very different setting from the clubs where much of his career was forged.

THE POINT is the latest chapter in Fuzzy’s long-running relationship with Yurong / Mrs Macquaries Point. The new series presents standalone live music events on a floating stage, with each show built around a different artist and musical direction.

Green Velvet’s Sydney appearance lands as the weather starts warming up, making it a fitting way to kick off the season.

Pre-sales begin at 12pm AEST on Thursday 27 August, with general public tickets available from 12pm AEST on Friday 28 August.

Green Velvet – THE POINT

Saturday 26 September 2026
Yurong / Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney
4pm – 10pm
Supports: To be announced

SIGN UP FOR PRE-SALE

Nia Archives is taking jungle somewhere new.

The Leeds-raised producer brings her Emotional World Tour to Forum Melbourne on Wednesday 6 January 2027, following the release of her second album, Emotional Junglist, for her only Victorian Beyond The Valley sideshow.

The big change? She’s bringing a live band.

After years behind the decks, Nia tested the format at a church show in Hackney earlier this year and decided to take it on the road. Her first Australian shows in this format will put Emotional Junglist front and centre.

The album pushes beyond straight jungle, blending breakbeats with melodic, alternative and R&B influences while exploring love, heartbreak and vulnerability.

A three-time BRIT nominee and one of the most exciting names in modern jungle, Nia has never treated the genre as a fixed formula. Melbourne now gets to see that evolution up close, with the music moving from the decks to the stage.

Nia Archives – Emotional World Tour
Forum Melbourne
Wednesday 6 January 2027

SHOW INFO

Nia Archives – Melbourne

DATE → Wednesday 6 January 2027 — The Forum, Melbourne / Naarm

PRESALE → Wednesday 2 September — 10:00AM AEST

ON SALE → Thursday 3 September — 10:00AM AEST

PRESALE TIX

Brazilian guitar virtuoso Mateus Asato brought his unique blend of technical brilliance, touch, and tone to Melbourne’s Prince Bandroom on Monday night. He wowed the crowd delivering a guitar masterclass in feel, technique, and musical expression. 

Photography + Words: Darren Chan

Castaway Festival is returning for the 2026/27 summer with a distinctly Australian lineup spanning hip hop, rock, pop and emerging talent.

Headlined by Hilltop Hoods, Violent Soho and Amy Shark, the festival will travel across Perth, Melbourne and Wollongong, with Playlunch, Trials, Lyric and Birdland completing a seven-act bill.

The first stop will be Whitfords Nodes Park in Hillarys, WA on Saturday 21 November 2026, followed by Mornington Racecourse in Victoria on Saturday 12 December, before Castaway heads to Wollongong on Saturday 20 March 2027.

Castaway Festival

At the top of the bill are Hilltop Hoods, the Adelaide trio whose career has stretched across more than two decades. With multiple ARIA Awards and a catalogue of releases that have helped shape Australian hip hop, their festival sets have become a reliable home for big crowds and bigger singalongs.

Joining them are Brisbane rock favourites Violent Soho, bringing a very different kind of energy to the lineup. Their raw, guitar-driven sound gives the festival a heavier edge, while Amy Shark adds a pop and singer-songwriter perspective to the day.

Shark is also coming into Castaway with fresh material following the release of her latest album SOFT POP. She says she’s a fan of both Hilltop Hoods and Violent Soho and was more than happy to join the lineup.

“I don’t think you could get a better lineup. Hip-hop, rock and pop – I can’t wait!” Shark said.

The supporting lineup gives the festival plenty of room to move beyond its three headline acts.

Playlunch arrive after a busy period of international touring across the US, UK and Europe, while Trials, Lyric and Perth’s Birdland bring a younger wave of Australian talent into the mix.

For Playlunch, returning home after their overseas run makes the timing particularly exciting.

“We’re so stoked to be a part of Castaway Festival with this STACKED lineup of incredible acts,” the band said, describing the festival as a chance to get back on home turf and kick off the Australian festival season.

The appeal of Castaway is in the mix. Rather than building a bill around one particular sound, the festival brings together artists from different corners of Australian music and gives them a common stage.

Hilltop Hoods can move a crowd with decades of Australian hip hop behind them, Violent Soho bring the guitars and volume, and Amy Shark offers a completely different side of contemporary pop. Add Playlunch, Trials, Lyric and Birdland to the day and there’s plenty for audiences to discover between the headline sets.

Castaway Festival 2026/27

Saturday 21 November 2026
Whitfords Nodes Park, Hillarys, WA

Saturday 12 December 2026
Mornington Racecourse, Mornington, VIC

Saturday 20 March 2027
Wollongong, NSW

Lineup:
Hilltop Hoods
Violent Soho
Amy Shark
Playlunch
Trials
Lyric
Birdland

Tickets go on general sale Friday 28 August at 12pm local time, with Telstra Plus and artist presales beginning Wednesday 26 August. A Face To Face presale follows on Thursday 27 August.

Get Castaway Festival tickets and information

With three cities, seven Australian acts and a lineup that refuses to sit neatly inside one genre, Castaway is shaping up as one of the bigger Australian festival runs of the 2026/27 summer.

Three decades after four friends from Perth started making music together, Jebediah’s story is heading to cinemas.

Jebediah: Are We OK? will open in cinemas nationwide on 8 October 2026, with Madman Entertainment distributing the documentary across Australia and New Zealand. The release will be accompanied by a national Q&A tour featuring members of the band and the filmmakers.

Jebediah: Are We OK? — Madman Entertainment

Formed in suburban Perth in 1994, Kevin Mitchell, Chris Daymond, Vanessa Thornton and Brett Mitchell went from playing in school bands to national stardom with their double-platinum debut album, Slightly Odway.

Thirty years later, they’re still making records, still playing together and still working out how to balance the band with the lives they’ve built away from it.

Directed by Victorian writer-director Arlo Dean Cook and produced by Western Australian producer Brooke Tia Silcox of No Thing Productions, the 89-minute documentary was made over eleven years.

The film combines thirty years of personal archives and home videos with intimate present-day access to the four members of Jebediah. Rather than simply retracing the band’s biggest moments, Are We OK? looks at the friendship underneath the music and the realities of growing older while trying to keep a creative partnership alive.

That relationship is what gives the film its weight.

Jebediah emerged during the 1990s and quickly became one of Australia’s most recognisable alternative rock bands. Their debut album Slightly Odway went double platinum, while songs including “Leaving Home”, “Harpoon” and “Jerks of Attention” became part of the soundtrack to an era.

But Are We OK? isn’t simply a trip back through the band’s biggest hits.

Instead, it spends time with the four people behind the music, looking at what it means to maintain a creative partnership and friendship across three decades while life continues to change around them.

The result is a portrait of a band that has managed to keep going without pretending that the journey has always been easy.

The documentary was selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival 2026 Premiere Fund ahead of its national cinema release.

The national Q&A tour begins in Western Australia, with the full band joining Cook and Silcox at Luna Leederville in Perth on 2 October and Luna SX in Fremantle on 3 October.

From there, the tour moves through Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne, with different members of Jebediah appearing alongside Cook at selected screenings.

The Sydney screening at Ritz Cinemas on 11 October will be hosted by Richard Kingsmill, while the 30th Anniversary Special Q&A at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne on 18 October will feature Vanessa Thornton and Cook, hosted by Jane Gazzo and Dylan Lewis.

For longtime fans, Jebediah: Are We OK? offers a chance to revisit a band that has been part of Australian music for more than three decades. For anyone discovering Jebediah now, the documentary provides a closer look at the people, friendships and experiences behind the songs.

National Q&A Tour

Western Australia

Friday, 2 October – 6:45 PM
Luna Leederville, Perth
Q&A with Jebediah, Arlo Dean Cook & Brooke Silcox

Saturday, 3 October – 4:00 PM
Luna SX, Fremantle
Q&A with Jebediah, Arlo Dean Cook & Brooke Silcox

South Australia

Friday, 9 October – 6:30 PM
Palace Nova Eastend, Adelaide
Q&A with Kevin Mitchell & Arlo Dean Cook

Queensland

Saturday, 10 October – 6:30 PM
New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane
Q&A with Kevin Mitchell & Arlo Dean Cook

New South Wales

Sunday, 11 October – 3:00 PM
Ritz Cinemas, Sydney
Q&A with Kevin Mitchell & Arlo Dean Cook, hosted by Richard Kingsmill

Saturday, 17 October – 6:30 PM
Tower Cinemas, Newcastle
Q&A with Vanessa Thornton & Arlo Dean Cook

Victoria

Tuesday, 13 October – 6:30 PM
Cinema Nova, Melbourne
Q&A with Kevin Mitchell & Arlo Dean Cook

Wednesday, 14 October – 6:30 PM
Sun Theatre, Yarraville
Q&A with Kevin Mitchell & Arlo Dean Cook

Thursday, 15 October – 6:30 PM
Kino Cinemas, Melbourne
Q&A with Arlo Dean Cook

Sunday, 18 October – 6:30 PM
The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
30th Anniversary Special Q&A with Vanessa Thornton & Arlo Dean Cook, hosted by Jane Gazzo and Dylan Lewis

Monday, 19 October – 6:30 PM
Elsternwick, Melbourne
Q&A with Arlo Dean Cook

Tickets for the Q&A sessions

General national release sessions across Dendy Cinemas and independent cinemas will be announced soon.

San Francisco’s underscores is heading back to Australia this December, bringing her genre-bending live show to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney for three special theatre shows, with an appearance at Meredith Music Festival also on the calendar.

The Australian return follows the release of U, the third album from April Harper Grey and one of the year’s more adventurous pop records. The album has already amassed more than 80 million global streams, continuing a trajectory that began with Grey uploading music to SoundCloud as a teenager from her childhood bedroom.

Since the release of her 2017 EP skin purifying treatment, underscores has built a distinctive world somewhere between hyperpop, alternative pop, electronic music and internet culture. Her music can move from distorted production and chaotic energy to surprisingly intimate moments without ever settling comfortably into one lane.

That unpredictability has become a major part of her appeal.

Her previous releases, including the 2021 debut fishmonger and the concept album Wallsocket, helped establish a devoted following, while U has pushed that sound even further. The album earned a triple j Feature Album spot and has seen underscores featured by publications including Interview, The FADER, Vogue, Pitchfork, Wonderland, Crack Magazine and NME, where she also graced the cover.

Live, underscores has continued to build momentum on some of the world’s biggest stages, appearing at Coachella, Lollapalooza and Corona Capital while sharing stages with artists including 100 gecs and Porter Robinson.

Her collaborations have also become an important part of the picture. ‘Harvest Sky’ saw her team up with Oklou, while other collaborations include Yaeji and Danny Brown.

Joining underscores for all three Australian headline shows will be New York-based Estonian-American producer and DJ umru. Known for his early work with Charli xcx, A. G. Cook and the PC Music scene, umru has developed his own reputation for distorted maximalism and boundary-pushing production that sits somewhere between underground experimentation and pop.

The pairing makes for a fitting Australian tour, bringing together two artists who have spent much of their careers pushing at the edges of contemporary electronic and pop music.

A June 2026 DJ set from underscores gives some idea of what to expect live. The set moves through music from SOPHIE, Ninajirachi, Jane Remover and Oklou alongside unexpected appearances from Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Skrillex, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus.

The Australian shows will take place in December, beginning at the Princess Theatre in Brisbane on Friday 11 December. underscores then heads to 170 Russell in Melbourne on Monday 14 December before finishing at Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Thursday 17 December.

She will also perform at Meredith Music Festival in Victoria.

The Frontier Members and artist presale begins Wednesday 26 August at 10am local time, running until Friday 28 August at 11am or until the allocation is exhausted. General public tickets go on sale Friday 28 August at 12pm local time.

Tour Dates

Friday 11 December 2026
Princess Theatre, Brisbane, QLD
Licensed All Ages

Buy tickets via Ticketmaster

Monday 14 December 2026
170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC
18+

Buy tickets via Moshtix

Thursday 17 December 2026
Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Licensed All Ages

Buy tickets via Ticketek

Also appearing: Meredith Music Festival

Meredith Music Festival

More Information

Frontier Touring

underscores official website

underscores on Instagram

umru on Instagram

Watch underscores – ‘Tell Me (U Want It)’

With U continuing to find new listeners and a live show that refuses to sit neatly inside one genre, underscores’ Australian return looks set to be one for fans of the more unpredictable side of modern pop and electronic music.

Presented by Frontier Touring and Penny Drop.

FOLLOW UNDERSCORES:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Tik Tok

frontiertouring.com/underscores

Thirty years is a long time in music. Tastes change, venues disappear, festivals come and go, but some names manage to remain part of the conversation.

Fuzzy is one of them.

Founded in Sydney in 1996 with Sublime, an 800-capacity club night on Pitt Street, Fuzzy grew from a club night into one of the most influential live music and festival operators in Australia. Over three decades, its events have become part of the fabric of Australian summer, from Parklife and Field Day to Harbourlife, Listen Out and Shore Thing.

Now, as Fuzzy celebrates its 30th anniversary, the company is marking the occasion with a new identity designed to reflect where it is today rather than simply where it has been.

The story began with John Wall, Ming Gan and Adelle Robinson, who helped build Fuzzy into a national operation. Wall and Gan stepped away from the company in 2025, with Robinson, who joined during Fuzzy’s early years, now leading the business as CEO.

For Robinson, the anniversary is as much about looking forward as it is recognising the past.

“Thirty years is a huge milestone in live music, particularly when you think about how much the industry has changed since 1996,” she says. “What I’m most proud of is that Fuzzy has kept moving with it.”

That ability to evolve has been central to Fuzzy’s story. The company has moved from club nights into festivals, regional events, touring productions and new live formats, while continuing to put artists and the experience of being there at the centre.

Some of Australia’s biggest artists have also passed through Fuzzy’s stages early in their careers. Flume, for example, opened a small stage at Parklife in 2012 after winning the Triple J Unearthed competition. Less than a decade later, he returned to headline Listen Out and Field Day.

At 30, Fuzzy isn’t slowing down.

In 2026, Groovin the Moo returned with a one-off show in Lismore following a two-year hiatus, while Field Day celebrated its 25th anniversary and will return to Sydney on New Year’s Day 2027.

The Point has also expanded Fuzzy’s live offering, bringing artists including Missy Higgins and The Teskey Brothers to Fleet Steps, a location that has hosted Fuzzy events since 2003. Harbourlife now sits within the wider series alongside its headline concerts.

Earlier this year, Golden Hour brought 15,000 people to Bondi Beach for Crowded House, while Fuzzy also brought UK festival Mighty Hoopla to Australia for the first time and secured the licence to bring New Year’s Eve celebrations back to Bondi Beach.

Away from the major festival stages, Fuzzy’s touring arm has continued to grow, with recent tours featuring Mochakk, Dennis Cruz, Disco Lines, MEDUZA, Gorgon City and Levity. From here, those tours will sit under a new banner, A Tour by Fuzzy, giving the company’s touring work its own place within the broader Fuzzy identity.

The rebrand isn’t simply about a new logo or visual direction. It reflects a company that has changed considerably while holding onto the principles that have kept it going for three decades.

That includes making live music more accessible. Fuzzy’s MobTix and Affordability Tix programs provide significantly discounted tickets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people holding selected concession cards across Fuzzy-run shows.

Sustainability has become another part of the operation, with recycling programs now running across major Fuzzy events. In 2024 alone, the team prevented around 650,000 cans and paper cups from going to landfill, with funds generated through Return and Earn donated to charity.

“Good Times, Done Properly” remains the mantra.

Thirty years after Sublime first opened its doors, Fuzzy has grown into something considerably larger than the club night it started as. Yet the idea behind it remains familiar: bring good music, good people and a great setting together and give people a reason to show up.

The new identity is a line in the sand between what Fuzzy has built and what’s still to come.

Thirty years in, there’s clearly no intention of standing still.

PRE-SALE REGISTRATION HERE

Hypersonic Festival is returning in 2026 with a two-city edition bringing some of the biggest names in electronic music to Melbourne and Sydney across two massive days in November.

Following its debut, the festival is set to return to Melbourne Showground on Friday 20 November before heading to Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday 21 November.

The lineup is led by Dutch electronic music heavyweight Armin van Buuren, who will headline alongside W&W, Showtek, Australian festival favourite Timmy Trumpet and drum and bass duo Hybrid Minds.

The festival is being presented by Symbiotic and Hardware, with the 2026 edition expanding across multiple stages and a broad range of electronic styles including EDM, techno, drum and bass, dubstep, hardstyle, tech-house and dance-pop.

Rather than focusing on a single corner of electronic music, Hypersonic is positioning itself as a multi-genre festival bringing together established international acts, Australian artists and artists making their Australian debut.

Armin van Buuren arrives with a career spanning decades and a reputation built on euphoric productions and huge festival performances. W&W will bring their high-energy approach to the main stage, while Showtek add their blend of EDM and electro house.

Australian artist Timmy Trumpet will represent the homegrown contingent, bringing his signature trumpet-driven sound and energetic live show to the festival.

For drum and bass fans, Hybrid Minds will offer something more atmospheric. The British duo have built a reputation around melodic and emotional productions that sit at the more immersive end of the genre.

Adding to the festival atmosphere will be MC Stretch, known for his work at major events including Tomorrowland and Stereosonic.

With two cities, multiple stages and a lineup designed to move between festival EDM, techno, bass music and harder sounds, Hypersonic is aiming to build on the momentum of its first edition while establishing itself as a major fixture on Australia’s electronic festival calendar.

Presale registration is now open, with presale tickets going on sale at 12pm AEST on Tuesday 25 August.

General public tickets go on sale at 12pm AEST on Wednesday 26 August.

Hypersonic Festival 2026

Friday 20 November — Melbourne Showground, VIC
Saturday 21 November — Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, NSW

Presented by Symbiotic and Hardware.

PRE-SALE REGISTRATION HERE

Hypersonic Festival

Indianapolis indie rockers Wishy are entering a new chapter with their second album, Nature’s Pill, arriving 2 October via Winspear.

The band have also shared Lovesick, the album’s first single, offering an early glimpse at a record that leans into romantic frustration, melodrama and the strange contradictions of being human.

Led by Nina Pitchkites, Lovesick is a bright, swooning piece of dream pop that balances sugary melodies with a little grit. There are clear echoes of classic pop-minded alternative music, with the track carrying the buoyancy of The Sundays and some of The Cure’s more melodic instincts.

Pitchkites describes the song as a deliberately over-the-top take on yearning, with the track embracing the kind of romantic melodrama that can be both ridiculous and completely sincere.

That balance between melancholy and humour runs throughout Nature’s Pill.

The album follows Wishy’s acclaimed 2024 debut Triple Seven, which helped establish the Indianapolis five-piece as one of the more exciting new names in indie rock. Their growing reputation has since been strengthened by the Planet Popstar EP, festival appearances and tours with artists including The Beths and Beach Bunny.

For Nature’s Pill, Wishy approached the writing process more collaboratively than before. Kevin Krauter, Pitchkites, Dimitri Morris, Mitch Collins and Conner Host reunited with producer Ben Lumsdaine in Los Angeles, recording half of the album live together in a small studio.

The result is a record that expands the band’s existing palette. The dreamy, guitar-heavy world of Triple Seven remains intact, but Nature’s Pill draws further from ’80s college rock, ’90s dream pop, alternative rock and ’00s indie.

Thematically, the album isn’t simply a collection of breakup songs. Wishy explore romantic frustration, desire, loneliness and the melodrama that comes with relationships, often approaching those subjects through fictional or exaggerated perspectives rather than straightforward confession.

That gives the songs room to be emotional without becoming overly heavy.

The band’s second album also arrives with a sense of momentum. Triple Seven received widespread critical attention, while Wishy’s live schedule has continued to expand alongside their growing audience. Nature’s Pill feels like a natural progression rather than a reset, keeping the band’s melodic instincts intact while allowing them to become stranger, louder and more adventurous.

With Lovesick setting the tone, Wishy appear ready to embrace all of it — the heartbreak, the humour, the noise and the absurdity.

Sometimes the best response to everything being a mess is simply to make something beautiful out of it.

Nature’s Pill is out 2 October 2026 via Winspear.

Tracklist

All The Rage
Covergirl
Sensational
Shift
You’re Not Serious
Mona Lisa
Lovesick
Freak 99
Headscratcher
Blitz
Kiss Kiss Kiss
Party World

C**T is out now via Tabloid Recordings, buy/stream it here

SIDNEY PHILLIPS TOUR DATES
Oct 9 – C**T LP Launch @ Northcote Social Club – Naarm/Melbourne (TIX)
Nov 24 – The Rechabite – Boorloo/Perth w/ Buckshot (TIX)
Nov 26 – The Triffid – Meanjin/Brisbane w/ Buckshot (TIX)
Nov 27 – Prince Bandroom – Naarm/Melbourne w/ Buckshot (TIX)
Nov 29 – Manning Bar – Eora/Sydney w/ Buckshot (TIX)
Dec 2 – San Fran – Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington w/ Buckshot (TIX)
Dec 3 – Tuning Fork (All Ages) – Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland w/ Buckshot (TIX)

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