By South-African born and Queensland-based MiCCY has dished up a deliciously catchy tune in Tug of War. A vibrant and playful track that’s almost impossible to sit still with, it’s sensuously slick with effortless glamour. The clever conflation of genres and unique vocal phrasing sets MiCCY a step apart, helping the tune happily linger in your head for days.
TRACK: Self Destruct – Slayyyter ft. Wuki
Happy Halloween! Self Destruct is like the horror movie of our dreams. If you get too close, you’ll get bitten. But there’s something about it that’s too sweet to resist. Feisty, dark and fiercely dramatic, the latest spook-inspired track by Slayyyter is devishly enticing.
TRACK: Meteorite – KESMAR
Meteorite is like a musical Xanax. There’s something about it that trickles down from the top of your head and through your body, washing over it with a sense of relaxation. A reliable piano centres the track as synths and sound effects duck and weave between it. With some kind of youthful joy that’s completely uncomplicated, KESMAR (a.k.a Nathan Hawes) has created a happy tune that will take you wherever you need it to.
INTERVIEW: Oly Sherman
The World Is In A Bad Room is a dreamy jam full of open space for a freely tinkering guitar. Described by Oly Sherman as a mix between the chaotic world we’re all dealing with and his own internal thoughts, he says ‘the song basically encapsulates our decisions when weighed up with friends, relationships and social media.’ We had a chat with the Sydney-sider about his music, getting through 2020, and his huge 41-show tour.
TRACK: You Got Me – Kinkora
Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Kinkora has released her latest track You Got Me, a sensuous song that offers an instant rush of warm blues trickling from a soft, muted guitar. Coupled with her gorgeous and smokey vocals, Kinkora has delivered a stunningly gentle serenade full of romantic notion and heartfelt gratitude.
TRACK: All Night – Karosella
Karosella are a duo ‘making music together, a world apart’. With Titu in locked-down Melbourne and Sam over in battling London, the pair have taken things online to bring people together despite distance and disaster. One way for sure-fire unity is delivering something that feels good and can get a crowd moving. That’s what this pair have done with their debut energetic pop/dance track All Night.
TRACK: Lost in the Middle – Elizabeth Fader
The latest in indie electro-pop from Elizabeth Fader is irresistibly addictive. With the kind of ’90s nostalgia that combines the sweetest of pop vocals with the reliability of an acoustic guitar, it’s a certainty to press repeat on. Shining through with a lightness in both story and song, Lost In The Middle is an instant winner in peppy tunes that tell a vulnerable tale.
TRACK: 2020 – Leonie Kingdom
While we’ve spent the last few months ducking and weaving through songs that seem to perfectly sum up the rollercoaster that is this year, none are quite as direct as 2020. Leonie Kingdom has bypassed the million metaphors to deliver one of the most honest appraisals of 2020.
TRACK: Dear E. – Aya Yves
Sometimes life is blissful. Other times, it frays at the seams. Then there are those times where life barely seems to hold together, and just when you think you’ve patched the holes to hold tightly for another day, a new tear rips through. In one of those moments, Aya Yves created a letter to her sister and family that shares her grief and vulnerability while still offering a glimpse of hope. Dear E is heartbreaking, but it’s also nurturing and full of love.
FEATURE – KIRKLANDD
Canberra artist KIRKLANDD has completed his trilogy EP The Love Divide. The final single Too Late is another display of KIRKLANDD’s ability to play with genre, this time taking his signature rapping and mixing it with an exotic acoustic guitar melody. We take a look at the EP in full and hear from KIRKLANDD about his Top 5 Movie Soundtracks, celebrating the ability of composers in merging audio and aesthetic to create the ultimate emotive experience.
