PRAISE FOR ‘PRESSURE’
“It’s an album that seems to capture the broadness of SCABZ’ sound; the pub-punk of acts like Bad//Dreems, the pop of The Divinyls and Stevie Nicks, the mania of acts like Royal Headache all coming together with a deeper emphasis for lyricism that separates SCABZ from the pack.”
– Pilerats (AUS)
“[‘Guess Who?’] is further evidence that SCABZ are Australia’s unwavering punk heroes.”
– Life Without Andy (AUS)
Lead single ‘Guess Who?’ premiered on triple j’s Home & Hosed
Focus track ‘Just At The Pub (Gossin’ With The Gals)’ added to Spotify playlist ‘New Punk Tracks’
Dharawal and Gadigal country-based punk trio SCABZ have just revealed their ingenious debut album ‘Pressure’ – produced and mixed by Dan Antix at Defwolf Studios.
‘Pressure’ is ten tracks of high-octane punk rock, dripping with the sharp wit and fierce attitude of lead singer Siobhan Poynton. The self-proclaimed ‘Newtown’s shittest band’ exude ferocious performances, complemented by driving bass lines, piercing guitar chords and propelling percussion.
Opener ‘Used’ kicks off the album with thudding bass lines and reverberating guitar, slowly building into a hostile frenzy full of sharp hi-hats and pumping bass drums. Title track ‘Pressure’ is next up, full of offbeat guitar chords and a steadfast beat, taking cues from punk luminaries The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Joy Division.
Lead single and third track ‘Guess Who?’ is a political, satire-drenched commentary on the NSW Police, including unexpected saxophone provided by True Vibenation’s Vuli. This leads to fourth track ‘Heart Of Nothing’, a self-reflecting look at mental health and depression.
The album is split down the middle by conversational crooner ‘Covid I Reckon’, a light-hearted and summery mirroring of classic COVID yarns. Focus track ‘Just At The Pub (Gossin’ With The Gals)’ kicks off the second half of the album, featuring a heaving bass line, as the track bounces between the light dialogue of its verses and the potent vigour of its choruses.
Track seven ‘Kick Ons’ is a pocket rocket of a track, at one minute and twenty seconds, it parallels Australian punk legends such as Frenzal Rhomb in its explosive nature and hilarious commentary. Continuing on this sentiment is ‘Double Dole’ and ‘Vegan Magnums’, both joyous Australiana anthems erupting in riff-centric euphoria, ripe for backyard sing-alongs.
Closer ‘Julia Gillard’s Misogyny Speech’ is a rousing, intense reflection of the original parliamentary speech, full of ominous instrumentation and earnest vocals, ending the album on a definitive punk-rock moment.
In the live arena, SCABZ has shared stages with the likes of Skegss, Ruby Fields and Bugs, as well as performances at Yours & Owls Festival, Festival of the Sun, BIGSOUND and Bad Friday. The band also equalled a record for performing the most amount of sets at the King Street Crawl last year, playing an impressive five shows back-to-back.
Previous releases have been widely embraced by Australian radio stations triple j, triple j Unearthed, FBi, 3RRR, 4ZZZ, RTR FM, Edge Radio, SYN FM, PBS FM, 2XX, 2SER and Radio Adelaide. They’ve also seen support from online blogs The Line of Best Fit (UK), Pilerats, Life Without Andy, Savage Thrills, Music Feeds, Little Indie Blogs (UK) and Podcart (UK), as well as their video clips being added to rotation on the ABC’s Rage.
‘Pressure’ is available worldwide now
Album Track Listing
1. Used
2. Pressure
3. Guess Who?
4. Heart Of Nothing
5. Covid I Reckon
6. Just At The Pub (Gossin’ With The Gals)
7. Kick Ons
8. Double Dole
9. Vegan Magnums
10. Julia Gillard’s Misogyny Speech
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