To make her new album, Light, Dark, Light Again, Angie McMahon had to walk through the fire. The Melbourne singer-songwriter’s second LP was written from the ashes of a tough but transformative few years of relationship changes, private breakdowns and core-shaking revelations about self. At times, McMahon felt like falling apart. But instead, she pushed through and found that hope, joy and relief lies on the other side of pain.

The inevitability of change, the push and pull and between light and dark, and the natural cycles of the world are all over Light, Dark, Light Again, which marks McMahon’s step into a bolder, bigger, brighter expanse of sound than she has utilised before. Whether she is documenting her own metamorphosis on Saturn Returning, rumbling with rage, power and reverence for the earth on Mother Nature, celebrating release on Letting Go or pledging to step into the bravest version of herself on Exploding, McMahon’s songs feel like a triumph; music that buoys and cradles you.

Light, Dark, Light Again is a record about facing the fear and learning it can be a portal to something bigger and better. It finds that the only certainty in life is that everything ends, and everything begins again – that there is life and death and life again, that there is light and dark and light again.

Eora/Sydney-based Australian artist Annie Hamilton possesses a singular ability to capture the beating heart of an emotion and refract it through her own vivid musical prism, harnessing visceral, shimmering textures and wild, kinetic energy.

 

Driven by an unquenchable desire for risk-taking, her constantly-shifting sound enters a new era in 2023, melting down the building blocks of indie-rock and alt-pop that provided the foundation of her self-titled EP (2020) and introspective debut record, the future is here but it feels kinda like the past (2022), and fusing them with unexpected electronic and organic elements with a fresh, playfully extroverted tone.

 

Annie Hamilton’s music has found strong support with triple j, CLASH, FADER, NPR, RUSSH, frankie, NME, Pilerats, Purple Sneakers, The AU Review (Album of the Week) and more including community radio nationally.

 

Her “exhilarating” (Spectrum Culture USA) live presence has recently seen her play headline shows internationally across London, Bristol, Paris and beyond, including showcasing at New York’s Night School (2022) and SXSW (2023), complete tours with the likes of Julia Jacklin, Lime Cordiale, Jack River and Gordi and perform in Jack River and Peach PRC’s live bands. Annie Hamilton’s as-yet-unannounced new album is due for release in 2024.

Bobby Alu has been delighting a global audience with his relaxed beach soundtracks for over ten years now. Whether at home in Byron Bay, or as a regular in Europe, the singer, songwriter, and percussionist knows how to use clever instrumentation and his feeling for melodies to open up a sun-drenched panorama that extends far beyond the stage.

He’s a performer that navigates the groove spectrum through Pacific folk, roots, reggae and soul through to tropical pop, making audiences feel truly good in the heart with cruisy favourites like “My Style” and the epic percussive displays of “Tagi”. That’s why he’s had the pleasure of opening for Xavier Rudd on Rudd’s European tours in recent years, bringing his Samoan heritage to a wider audience. It’s the perfect sound to bring the summer to a close here in September.

Four lives that collided to make a stamp of their own.

 

Floodlights’ dynamic live performance is raw and intimate, intertwined with powerful outbursts and marching rhythms. Evocative lyricism lies at the heart of their songwriting and is enhanced by their unique sound. They explore themes of personal turbulence, national identity and the Australian landscape as a form of escapism.

 

Floodlights write honestly and poetically in the hope that it resonates with others.

Gaining global attention with 2019’s sold-out EP Backyard and 2020’s critically acclaimed debut album From a View, Floodlights went on to play sold-out shows and festivals across Australia, performing alongside the likes of Amyl and The Sniffers and Arctic Monkeys. Coming up in 2023 they play Tent Pole Festival with Pavement (USA), SXSW, and End of the Road Festival (UK).

 

With the highly anticipated release of their second album, Floodlights showcase their distinctive style and evolution as a band.

Taking form in Melbourne as the 2010’s drew towards their denouement, Flyying Colours have built their dense but intricate musical DNA around the interlocking guitar play and vocal symbiosis of Brodie J Brummer and Gemma O’Connor.

Flagbearers of Australia’s world renowned shoegaze scene, Flyying Colours may on initial encounter appear to take cues from seminal influences such as My Bloody Valentine and Ride. However, as their sound has developed over the course of two acclaimed EPs and 3 album releases, they’ve incubated what can only be described as their own Australian blast of howling yet delicate noise; a multilayered sensory overload underscored with the delicate filigree of ethereal boy/girl call and response vocals.

Melbourne quintet Future Static create an exhilarating synthesis of alternative, melodic, and progressive to shape a unique brand of emotional heavy music which is unlike any other. Now one Australia’s most talked about breakthrough heavy acts, Future Static return this year with a turbo charged, metal fuelled cover of Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee’s 2004 international hit, Gasolina, out on July 6th via Wild Thing Records.

Electrifying front-woman Amariah Cook, born in Melbourne and raised in Barcelona, unites the vastly different metal and reggaeton worlds of her upbringing; lending her powerful screams, dulcet tones, and fluency in Spanish to elevate the song’s distinguishable hooks. Lead guitarist Ryan Qualizza demonstrates his prowess in arrangement and composition with the addition of chaotic dissonant riffs, punchy pitch shifts, and intense blast beats evolving the familial structure of Gasolina. Mixed and mastered by Sam Bianco (Tapestry), ensuring the soundtrack to be both gritty and grandiose in equal measures, and with fabled director Colin Jeffs (Make Them Suffer) at the helm, an impressive all action adrenaline-driven music video came to fruition. Seductive scenes, dangerous motor-acrobatics, and a gallon of attitude, the result a monstrously energetic masterpiece.

Future Static ushered in a new era with the release of 2021 single Waves (Wild Thing Records); the debut of charismatic new singer Amariah Cook, raising the group’s profile to another stratosphere. The track landed ‘Featured Artist Of The Week’ on both Triple J Unearthed (AU) and Kerrang! Radio (UK), with Alex Baker of the latter proclaiming “big things are on the horizon for this band”. Waves became a staple of Spotify and Apple editorial playlists, and Triple J radio spins, with its striking music video rising above 115k YouTube views. 2022’s potent follow up single Venenosa solidified the band’s status, with Wall Of Sound (AU) asserting “there is a massive future awaiting this band…this band is about to erupt”. Further international presence across Spotify, Apple, Kerrang! Radio, and New Noise Magazine (US) was realised, while back at home, Triple J further championed the band with radio plays, and Unearthed rotation/‘Track Of The Day’.

The band’s debut festival performance at 2021’s Knight & Day had ‘What We Did On The Weekend’ declaring they were “the highlight of the festival…they were made for the big festival stage”. Following winning the much-coveted Triple J Unearthed Unify slot, Future Static dropped a show-stopping performance at Unify Forever Festival 2022. The group then carried out an extensive national touring regime, including sharing the stage with RedHook, Windwaker, Caligula’s Horse, Circles, Bloom, and Pridelands. Capping off a successful year, the band showcased at Bigsound to high industry praise, performed at Alpha Wolf’s CVLTFEST, and landed Australian tour support for Ukraine’s progressive metal superstars Jinjer. 2023 has seen the band hand-chosen as special guests for Australia’s Eurovision stars Voyager and USA’s Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, along with an appearance on Unify’s Off The Record Tour. The group will be venturing to Europe and the UK for the first time in September and October 2023, including appearances at prestigious German tastemaker festivals Reeperbahn and Euroblast.

In 2020, the band’s story began to take shape with the release of the EP Fatalist, garnering rave reviews. Future Static’s effortless flow between crushing riffs and bright, soulful melodies saw them become a standout young talent, breaking out of Melbourne’s bustling heavy music scene. Following the departure of founding lead vocalist Brianna Marsh, the group added electric singer Amariah Cook to the lineup. Amariah’s debut performances turned heads, backed by the band’s swagger and blazing rock fury, experiencing Future Static evolved into an aural and visual explosion of seismic proportions; leading the band to ink deals with Wild Thing Music Group (management) and Wild Thing Records (label).

With a late 2023 debut album release on the horizon, Future Static are primed to make a lasting impression on the global stage, bringing its visceral fusion of heavy and alternative sub-genres to the world at large.

Last year a suffocating black fog pursued Melbourne musician Gena Rose Bruce through the night’s depths – a recurring dream wraith brought on by the passing of her partner’s mother and pandemic instability. But as the inky spectre retreated, she began waking early, when the stars just barely cling to the sky – the first sparks of the strength, self-acceptance and resilience, which came to fruition over the recording of her new album Deep Is the Way.

“I really connected with the idea that stars are the people we’ve lost looking over us,” says Bruce. “You see that there’s so much beauty still left. You’re awake and you’ve got this whole day, this whole life ahead of you.”

It’s a memory Bruce channelled into the hopeful, devotional track ‘Morning Stars’, taken from Deep Is the Way – a record of dark introspection punctuated by the brightness of self-acceptance; and startling guitar excursions that articulate the present moment’s roiling emotions. It’s a complex album – devastating, jaunty, heavy and besotted.

Deep Is the Way chronicles Bruce’s fraught path back into the light, as she processes death and inner turmoil to emerge with a newfound state of strength and resilience. Following the success of her acclaimed debut Can’t Make You Love Me, Bruce had international touring planned, including stops in the US for SXSW Music Festival, the UK and Japan. But her last stores of adrenaline were running dry as she attempted to balance her career with trips to Israel to support her partner.

Artists are told by the industry to capitalise on momentum both explicitly and implicitly, to keep pushing or risk losing it all. When the pandemic flattened Bruce’s months of preparation, doubts about her future and artistic worth crept in. Her journey into balancing ambition and self-worth shows up on the burning slow-build ‘Future’.

“My passion and drive had actually been a burden and held me back from a lot of other aspects of life,” says Bruce. “You’ve dedicated yourself to something – and then there’s a pandemic and it’s just gone. I took it too far, too hard and kind of destroyed myself.”

She found herself facing Melbourne’s extended lockdown, in a tiny apartment with a grieving partner, and her career in jeopardy – anxieties that bubble over in a whitewater of arpeggiated synthesisers on ‘Misery and Misfortune’

“I just burnt out completely. When everything stopped, I felt exhausted and completely frustrated,” says Bruce. “It sounds funny to say now, but I felt like I wasn’t really good at anything. I didn’t like myself as a person, like I needed to have attention, recognition, or praise to make myself feel acceptable.”

She began turning inwards and shutting down around friends and family. Her close relationships felt laboured and her responses in social interactions insincere. She even began questioning her commitment to her partner. On the baroque, Billie Holiday-inspired track, ‘I’m Not Made to Love Only You’ Bruce fantasises about the thrill of new romance with unflinching honesty; and on the album’s dancefloor-ready opening track ‘Foolishly in Love’, that heat feels palpably close.

“I was asking myself: ‘am I meant for one sort of relationship?’,” says Bruce. “I think it’s an important question to ask, to really just have a frank conversation about those feelings.”

Housebound, with the claustrophobia of lockdown setting in, Bruce began identifying with characters in the books she was reading, like April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road – an actor whose ambitions are dampened by domesticity. Frustrations that made their way into the aching track ‘Captive’.

“Being out of work made me feel like a 1950s housewife,” says Bruce. “Because music wasn’t happening at the time, it felt like my time was over… I couldn’t see a way out. I just kind of felt trapped at home. That’s what April’s like, she’s just not made for that kind of suburban housewife existence. She kind of fell into it and let go of all of her dreams.”

Bruce’s journey inward led her to seminal psychoanalytical texts, including Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents, in which he continues his exploration of humanity’s self-destructive tendencies. On the doom-laden ‘Destroy Myself’, with its buzzing synths and chugging guitars, Bruce reflects on her own dark compulsions.

“I think what I found fascinating was that he was talking about the fact that people have a need for that sort of behaviour. I have always felt that I drive towards that darkness,” says Bruce. “But it’s not a way to live your life and you do need help.”

Deep Is the Way is Bruce’s outlet for those emotions; but writing only gets you part of the way. It’s only through professional help and embracing the strength in her long-term relationship – found on the delicate piano tribute ‘Love’; and on ‘Harsh Light’, with its jagged Crowded House-like guitars and post Paul McCartney swing – that Bruce has found herself back literally on solid ground.

In the absence of touring, she has relished nature’s therapeutic qualities, through her newfound love of gardening, which she’s now studying too. Investing time in life’s cycles of renewal and growth gave Deep Is the Way its name, and the context for its pivotal title track, co-written with iconic songwriter Bill Callahan.

“Sometimes you don’t know why plants die, it can be so many things,” says Bruce. “Gardening just feels like going back to simple things. Working with your hands, in dirt and mud, is just a really beautiful feeling.”

Now, Bruce is content in her artistry: happy to dream, and relinquish herself to the whims of time and circumstance, rather than fight the tide. On the Electric Light Orchestra-inspired ‘I’d Rather Be a Dreamer’ she bucks society’s measure of success, instead finding contentment in her own creations and inner-strength, the dirt below and the stars above.

Go-Jo, the solo project of the emerging pop star Marty Zambotto, growing up off the grid on a self-sustained property in remote Western Australia, Go-Jo’s unique upbringing gave him and an chance to his unique sound and character.

 

After getting his first guitar at 13, Go-Jo began producing and writing songs for others before finding his own voice and launching his solo project.

 

What sets Go-Jo apart from other artists is his incredible ability to write, produce, record, mix, master and perform as an artist, whilst also having an almost innate knack for connection with fans, entertaining, and engaging with audiences both in person and online.

He has championed an outside of the box approach to delivering his music to new audiences and is constantly looking for new ways to pair his catchy music with his captivating personality and personal style.

Lime Cordiale’s infectious performances and genuine interactions with their fans has made them one of Australia’s buzziest bands. It’s a fact that was reflected in July when they scored their first #1 album on the ARIA Charts with “14 Steps to a Better You”. In a watershed moment last year, Lime Cordiale chalked up an incredible 8x ARIA Award nominations, making them the most nominated act of 2020 and landing them their debut ARIA Award for Best Breakthrough Artist. Soon afterward, in January’s triple j Hottest 100 countdown, the band scored 5x tracks in the top 26,”On Our Own” claiming 11th position.

In 2020, Lime Cordiale’s hit singles ‘Robbery’ and ‘Temper Temper’ gained Platinum accreditation, and over the past eighteen months, the band has accrued an additional 7x Gold singles. Their newest mini album “Cordi Elba” is a pure art collision between Australian chart-topping duo Lime Cordiale and actor/musician/DJ and record label boss Idris Elba. Recorded in Sydney this year while Idris was in town shooting a movie, what started as a one-off experiment spawned a mini album, “Apple Crumble” being the first released single.

The partnership began when Lime Cordiale asked if Idris wanted to guest on a new version of Lime Cordiale’s Unnecessary Things – a song that first surfaced on the ‘relapse’ reissue of their 2020 No.1 album 14 Steps To A Better You. Idris did his research and was instantly sold. “I listened to them on Spotify, fell in love with them very quickly,” he says.

For Tori Zietsch, who records emotionally direct and woozily romantic songs under the moniker Maple Glider, music has been an escape from a series of oppressive institutions: religion, enervating relationships, her own brain. Zietsch’s music has formed new pathways both literal and metaphorical; physical and neural, that have allowed her to step outside herself, and shake you—yes, you, the listener—by the hand.

Striking emotionality is at the centre of her performance, leaning into an intimacy that is achieved by way of deeply personal reflections and velvety melodic compositions. Vocals melt into layers of plucked acoustic guitar and lulling piano, drawing on the sombre styles of folk contemporaries with a stark tenderness and introspection that assumes the listener is inside her bedroom as she plays for herself.

Matt Corby is a world-renowned Australian singer-songwriter, who achieved global commercial success with his EP Into the Flame (2011) and single ‘Brother’ which was certified 6 × Platinum by ARIA.

 

Matt recently released his album Everything’s Fine, reaching #1 on the ARIA Album Charts. Corby vividly captures his personal and creative growth on this album as like many, his life was tipped belly-side up recently.

 

Beyond the global touring pause, on the day he had planned to begin writing his next album Matt’s home was inundated with floodwaters. His family moved into Rainbow Valley Studios, where he juggled familial responsibilities with his creative pursuits – a one-of-a-kind pressure cooker circumstance that would galvanise his artistic evolution.

 

Firmly fixed on seeing the best of things, Matt reveals “I’m at a really beautiful point in my life. I’m accepting all this stuff: the good and the bad, but particularly the bad. Which is kind of great. It’s a good thing to come to that point. Life isn’t always magical, but the moments that are, well you really value them. I think this record is about that, about managing your actual reality. Sometimes I have those moments when you realise: well I’m still breathing, you still have the gift of life, so everything is fine I guess?”

17-year-old Mitch Santiago is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist from Perth, Australia. He’s described by triple j as a “Perth prodigy making extremely good indie rock” and as one of BigSound 2022’s “9 standout acts ready to explode”. Back in July 2022, Mitch celebrated the release of his singles ‘Out For You’ and ‘How I See You’ with his first ever national headline tour where he played to full rooms across Perth and Melbourne.

‘Out For You’ was described by triple j as a “massive new track that sees Mitch Santiago sharpen his vast psych sound with a bitta indie rock flair. If you’re into Spacey Jane, that’s the vibe”. His song ‘Seeing Straight’ was released in 2022 and was added to high rotation on triple j, airplay on tastemaker radio station 3FM in The Netherlands and received fantastic playlists across DSPs.

Mitch has busked and gigged through hundreds of performances to emerge as a seasoned live performer. This passion for live music has enabled him to shape his massive one-person live show and signature sound and plays a crucial role in refining his original music.

Attendees of Mitch’s high-energy shows can expect to be blown away by the catchy song writing, powerful vocals and a soaring soundscape of multiple live-looped tracks and effects fused into a sonic wall that will leave them breathless.

Mitch sets the tone for what’s going to be one of his biggest years yet in 2023 with some huge, back-to-back announcements. His new track ‘Figure Me Out’ was released on March 3rd and really strips his previous up-beat releases right back, to a more emotional and vulnerable offering that takes his honest song writing ability to a whole new level. This was followed up by the release of his debut EP Later In Life, with focus single ‘Final Blow’ which cemented Mitch as an artist to watch. Mitch has also recently signed with UK based booking agency 13 Artists – one of the world’s leading independent booking agencies, operating worldwide, excluding the USA and Canada.

In September, Mitch will embark on his first ever international tour, playing at one of the largest festivals in the world Reeperbahn Festival, plus other key headline shows across the UK and The Netherlands.

Cinema for your ears.

The Omnific is a breathtaking progressive instrumental trio from Melbourne, Australia, featuring two other-worldly intertwining bassists, Matt Fack and Toby Peterson-Stewart, backed by flamboyant drummer Jerome Lematua; creating an extraordinary mosaic that dances between progressive rock, djent, funk, and synth-driven soundscapes.

 

On August 17th 2023, The Omnific unleash the all-new djent-propelled single, Phat Mackerel – via Australian label Wild Thing Records. The track comes as the band’s first new offering since its acclaimed 2021 debut album, Escapades, which cemented The Omnific’s status as torchbearers of the next generation of progressive rock and metal, thanks to their unparalleled musicianship and unmistakable, earthmoving dual bass riffage. From Melbourne to New York, and everywhere in between, The Omnific will embark on a landmark 46-date Phat Mackerel World Tour from September through to November 2023, covering Australia, Europe, UK, USA, and Canada; including legendary festivals BIGSOUND (AU), Reeperbahn (DE), and Euroblast (DE), plus supporting fellow Australians Ne Obliviscaris across North America. The group are firmly in the global spotlight, and with Phat Mackerel, there are no signs of stopping anytime soon.

 

Their 2021 debut record Escapades (Wild Thing Records) achieved significant international acclaim, impressively landing #3 on the Australian AIR Independent Album Charts. Their most refined and artistic work yet, Escapades is a record for those seeking to be challenged, and for those who wish to be blanketed by atmosphere with swirling textures, syncopation, euphoric highs, and melancholic lows. The record was brought to life by the esteemed duo of mixing engineer Adam Bentley (Felix Martin, Arch Echo), and mastering engineer Ermin Hamidovic (Devin Townsend, Plini), and features Clay Gober of Polyphia as guest bassist on the single Antecedent, which received a colossal reception internationally – exceeding a combined 1 million plays on YouTube and Spotify.

 

With the young virtuosic band clocking in over 12 million Spotify streams and 4 million YouTube views to date, The Omnific elevated their career to new heights with the release of Escapades. The new album received extensive coverage from press outlets such as Metal Hammer (UK), Guitar World (UK), Bass Player (UK), and Bass Magazine (US), with PROG Magazine (UK) declaring “a veritable masterclass in the art of the bass player”. Significant Spotify editorial playlist wins were realised, including ‘Progressive Metal’ and ‘Prog Rock’, coupled with several major radio spins on Australia’s Triple J.

 

The Omnific’s live show, full of character, swagger, showmanship, and stellar technical performances, has left a lasting impression on audiences across the world. The Music (AU) put it simply, “The Omnific never cease to entice, excite and amaze”. At home, they have conquered numerous headline tours, and shared stages with the likes of Between The Buried And Me, Galactic Empire, Ne Obliviscaris, Twelve Foot Ninja, Cog, and Circles, in addition to performing at Brisbane’s Dead Of Winter Festival.

 

2023 saw the band hand-chosen as special guests of US instrumental superstars Polyphia on their sold out Australian tour. In Europe & UK, The Omnific have traversed the continent with Canada’s Intervals in 2019, and made their much anticipated post-Covid return in May-June 2023 with fellow Australians Ne Obliviscaris, plus headline dates – where they were an unquestionable hit.

 

Following the release of three stunning EPs – Sonorous (2016), Kismet (2017), The Minds Eye (2019) – the band attracted interest, and fans from all corners of the globe, with Metal Hammer proclaiming “a bright future for the instrumental outfit”. An ensuing viral online fanbase transpired, strongly devoted to the band’s playthroughs, gear demo, and music videos, sparking a series of industry signings; Wild Thing Music Group (management), Wild Thing Records (label), and Sheet Happens Publishing (sheet music). In addition, The Omnific forged close-knit partnerships with internationally renowned companies Darkglass Electronics, Neural DSP, and Dingwall Guitars, influentially representing these brands online.

With their musical craft truly unique and a live show unlike any other, The Omnific stands tall as the world’s most prominent bass driven instrumental rock act.

Amidst a global lockdown, Gerringong locals Jacob Finch (vocals), Lukas Anderson (lead guitar) and Ben Salvatori (rhythm guitar) began teaching each other to jam in their shared trailer house, owned by landlord/legend, Terry… Many noise complaints and two additional members later, Cameron Cooper (drums) and Trent Cooper (bass), Terry agreed to lend the fully formed band his name, and at last, the almighty Tezzas were born.

Since their debut single in mid 2020, The Terrys have been prolific in their releases and touring, embodying their secret sauce to life and music, “Don’t think. Just do. And go with your heart.” Having not even celebrated their first birthday, triple j dubbed the band “your new favourite surf-indie outfit” and that summed up the unstoppable storm that was brewing. Following the heavily supported singles ‘Our Paradise’ and ‘Cost The Peace’, The Terrys sold out all 12 of their debut East Coast tour shows. In September 2021, the band released their debut body of work in The TerrySonic Mixtape which has amassed over 10 million streams and was supported by a 21
date national tour which was presented by triple j.

The impact of The Terrys cult following became undeniable at the beginning of 2022, when ‘Our Paradise’ was voted in at #76 in triple j’s Hottest 100 and they were also announced as the #1 most played artist on triple j Unearthed for the year or 2021. Not bad for a completely independent band that had formed 12 months ago.

Moving at the only pace they know how, The Terrys released ‘IDK’ and ‘Waiting For You’ which were both added to triple j full rotation and heavy support from Spotify, Apple and fans alike. If they weren’t busy enough already, The Terrys also announced their inaugural Battle of the Bands competition which will give one lucky winner the chance to support them on their debut national album tour… wait what? Their highly anticipated debut album ‘True Colour’ did not disappoint racking up over four million streams in the first three months of the release, peaking at #3 in the ARIA Aus Album Charts and is currently being supported in a mammoth 32 date nationwide tour.

Infectious, fun and free-spirited is the classic Tezzas way. It’s not the streams or radio plays – it’s fulfilling their own creative urges and building a community on the foundation of music and mates in the process. It’s about not trying to appease anyone or faking who they are. It’s about reflecting on life, embracing what they’re going through and putting that to paper. It’s spinning everything into a positive learning curve and always looking for the ray of sunshine. It’s letting their true colours show and inspiring the Terrydactyls to do so too.

Thelma Plum is a Gamilaraay woman, musician and creator from Brisbane Australa, Thelma Plum’s debut album Better In Blak is a story about culture, heritage, love, and pain.

 

With incredible strength, courage and heartbreaking tenderness, the album captured deftly what it’s like to be a young Aboriginal woman in Australia, while also managing to sport a co-write with Paul McCartney! Better in Blak became one of the most successful Australian albums of 2019, nominated for 7 Arias and spawning 3 Platinum and one Gold singles. The title track “Better in Blak” came in the top 10 of the Triple J Hottest 100, as well as winning the prestigious Vanda and Young “Song of the Year” award.

 

2022 saw the Meanjin EP, a love letter to Brisbane supported by extensive national touring, numerous festival appearances and a slew of brand collaberations and fashion engagements. 2023 will see the first music from Thelma’s new album, and a round of international touring. The world awaits!