ELLA HOOPER SHARES STOMPING NEW SINGLE ‘I GOT EYES (ON YOU)’
Ella Hooper delivers a bold, barroom banger in new single, I Got Eyes (On You). An upbeat, finger-wagging, foot-stomping anthem that swaps heartbreak for hard-won clarity. Released today, the single is packed with jumping zydeco squeezebox and an earworm chorus that lets Hooper rip into a classic ‘fool me twice’ tale. This track feels like beer spilling on pub floorboards while the band plays on. Landing like an Americana response to Robyn’s Dancing On My Own – but Hooper’s not crying in the corner, she’s walking out the door.
I Got Eyes (On You) follows last year’s Springsteen flavored coming of age track – Growing Up Is Hard To Do.
“I Got Eyes (On You) is the next step in sharing this new era. I’m pushing the boundaries of what Americana means to me.. including more of the diverse flavours I love like the Cajun and Zydeco elements here. From the crazy playing on it, to the production, to the cheeky lyrics – I’m really proud of it”
Written and recorded in Nashville with a who’s who of players, the track was born from a modern day music-industry meet-cute. After becoming obsessed with the work of East Nashville songwriter Melody Walker, co-writer of Sierra Ferrell’s Dollar Bill Bar and the Grammy Award-winning American Dreaming, Hooper slid into Walker’s DMs to heap praise on the songs she couldn’t stop spinning. A connection sparked and months later, Walker was assembling the backing band for Hooper’s Americanafest appearance (Americana’s answer to SXSW) and the pair found time for a co-write in Walker’s living room.
Following a long walk-and-talk around Radnor Lake where both women unpacked a helluva few years and wondered whether they (and maybe the world) were ready for a little cheek and levity, they set out to write something with grit, smarts and heart. The result: a relatable, no-BS “I’m done with you” anthem for anyone who’s chosen a swift exit over being the ‘pick me’ girl.
The studio band reads like a Nashville honour roll: Sheryl Crow’s drummer Fred Eltringham, Tom “Uncle Larry” Bukovac on guitar, Rachel Loy (Willie Nelson, Vince Gill) on bass, not to mention bringing Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor’s pedal steel player – the iconic Dan Dugmore – out of semi-retirement to feature on the track. The sound is loose, live and electric, capturing the joy of seasoned players in a room chasing the same spark. A notable Melbourne based addition is Flora Smith, squeeze box virtuoso and granddaughter in law of Australian music pioneers, Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. Stacked is an understatement.
“I’ve wanted to record in Nashville since I was a kid reading my parents’ record liner notes, seeing the city’s name pop up again and again,” says Hooper. “Seems like every great singer-songwriter from Dylan to CMAT has their Nashville record, and I felt ready for mine. Being there so much these last few years I feel plugged into a community — especially in East Nashville — that feels like a perfect chrysalis for my musical evolution.”
Accompanying the release is Hooper’s wildest, most joyfully unfiltered music video yet, a high-octane live-performance romp shot in her beloved North East Victoria, in and around the iconic North Eastern Hotel in Euroa. Directed by long-time photographic collaborator Laura May Grogan and shot by Indigo Tait-Atkin, the all-female crew captured the countrified patina of the late-1880s watering hole where Hooper genuinely plays and hangs out. It’s Hooper being fully, unapologetically herself – boots on boards, eyes wide open.
“I’ve been wanting to do a live performance clip for ages, as playing with my band is such a big part of what I do,” beams Hooper. “Laura and Indi encouraged me to bring my authentic energy and yes, my silliness to the fore. Working with a tight crew of young female creatives on something so bad ass was honestly pretty special. Everyone burned the midnight oil to get it done, including calling in favours from my country friends for catering and cameos. This a window into my actual reality. Just add dancing on top of cars, being a bar-wench and bringing the razzle dazzle to a 1880s Victorian era pub – which I definitely don’t do every weekend!”
Hooper’s origin story of exploding on to the scene with the band Killing Heidi is well documented. Scoring No. 1 albums, Rolling Stone covers, a stack of ARIA’s and pop culture phenom status as the millennium broke, she is a well loved and respected veteran of the Aus music scene.
Branching out into a solo career, Hooper has continued to surprise and dazzle with her dexterous musical flair, trading in everything from pop rock to synth folk, her evolving craft as a writer has been clocked and celebrated by critics. Her most recent solo album, 2023’s Small Town Temple, was nominated for the Australian Music Prize. The record shared deeply personal narratives over warm acoustic sounds and debuted at #1 on the Australian Country chart. Firmly in her country era and splitting her time between Nashville and Melbourne, Hooper’s sonic shapeshifting continues to transfix both on airwaves and in a live setting.
Hooper has captured the energetic rock chick energy she is known for and blended it with a whole lot of twang on this new single.
I Got Eyes (On You) is out today.
Hooper is also hitting the road with legendary Celtic country innovators, The Waterboys on their tour of Australia and New Zealand throughout May.
WANSTOCK ANNOUNCES 2026 FESTIVAL FOR SYD AND MELB FEATURING 1927, DRAGON, THE ROMANTICS (US), PSEUDO ECHO, BACHELOR GIRL AND MORE
Aussie rock festival Wanstock returns in 2026 with its biggest lineup yet, announcing Sydney and Melbourne events, with the rock gods set to descend on Shoppingtown Hotel in Doncaster (Melb) for two nights on Friday 20 March and Saturday 21 March, and Selina’s (Syd) on Friday 20 March. US icons The Romantics will grace the Shoppingtown Hotel stage alongside New Zealand icons Dragon, Aussie heroes 1927, Pseudo Echo, Bachelor Girl, Taxiride featuring Jason Singh and more in Melbourne, and Sydney will see The Romantics, Choirboys, Taxiride featuring Jason Singh and Ventura bringing the rock to the eastern beaches of Sydney.
Born from organiser Geoff Wansbrough’s love of the legendary Aussie pub rock era in the 80s and 90s, Wanstock has evolved since 2018 into an annual showcase of world-class acts alongside talented up-and-comers; and the 2026 edition is no exception when it comes to homegrown and international artists from the rock realms. Tickets for Wanstock 2026 are on sale now from https://www.wanstock.com.au/.
Headlining Wanstock on Saturday will be none other than influential USA rockers, THE ROMANTICS, bringing nearly five decades of iconic hits to the stage. Fans can expect electrifying performances of MTV-era classics like ‘What I Like About You’, ‘Talking In Your Sleep’ and ‘One In A Million’, alongside favourites such as ‘Rock You Up’ and ‘When I Look In Your Eyes’. The Romantics – Wally Palmar, Coz Canler, Bruce Witkin, Joey Malone, and Mike Rizzi continue their global 2025–2026 tour with an unforgettable Wanstock appearance.
Headlining Friday’s stage will be 1927, formed in 1987, the band made a devastating entry into the ears of its listeners with the release of their debut album …iSH in 1988. Three months after the release, 1927 was catapulted to meteoric fame, with …iSH going on become the highest selling debut album release by an Australian artist. The quintuple Platinum selling album contained a staggering six charted singles, and for 46 weeks, …iSH remained in the TOP 50 of the Australian Music Charts. 1927 again found enormous success with the release of their multi-Platinum second album The Otherside. The band’s second album unleashed yet more charted singles, and for an astounding 19 weeks The Otherside remained in the TOP 50 of the Australian Music Charts. With 7x Platinum Records from multiple albums, a third self-titled album, which also charted, and their best work to date…the most recent studio album ‘Generation-i’, 1927 has firmly established their status as an iconic Australian band.
Returning to the Wanstock stage, Dragon formed in New Zealand in the 1970s before relocating to Australia, the long-time rock purveyors have never been ones to play it safe throughout their colourful and ongoing creative journey. Leaning into a heavy progressive rock sound that garnered a cult-like following and early success, the group have remained a stalwart fixture in the rock world, with hit tracks Are You Old Enough, April Sun in Cuba and Rain solidifying Dragon’s staying power and widespread appeal.
“We are so excited to be part of Wanstock once again, it’s been too long,” says Dragon. It’s always a pleasure to have a spot on such a great line-up with so much Australian talent, and the iconic Romantics from the US!”
An event run by a music lover and for music lovers, the spark for Wanstock festival first ignited when organiser Geoff Wansbrough approached some of his favourite bands to play for his birthday a few years back. Spurred by his love of classic Australian rock and the spirit of the original Woodstock Music Festival, Wanstock was soon born, holding its inaugural event in 2018 at the Burvale Hotel before growing into the event’s current home, the Shoppingtown Hotel, in 2019. And, as Geoff Wansbrough explains, each year is designed to be bigger and better than ever before, with 2026 set to simultaneously offer two nights of amazing acts as well as the chance to catch The Romantics, “I grew up in that awesome Aussie pub rock era of the 1980s and 90s. Every pub had bands and the cream rose to the top and we gave the world some great acts. As such, I used to see a lot of bands back in the day, and I still do. Wanstock came about when I was having a birthday a few years ago. I thought I would have a favourite band play. Then I thought: why not have a few of my favorite bands. That, plus the fact that I was a big admirer of the original Woodstock Music Festival, is really how it came about. Each year, I try and make it bigger and better. Now, it consists of a few components: to have two or three of the classic acts from back in the day, to give a some of the emerging talent a chance to play, and to have a cover band playing all our favorites to get everyone partying and dancing. Basically, I put it on to support our local music talent and so we can have a bit of fun while we still can. I really look forward to putting on Wanstock each year. It gives us all a chance to forget about our worries and enjoy some of that great music of our youth. For this next event, I am particularly proud to be bringing The Romantics to Australian shores. The line up for both nights is stacked with talent, including hall of famers 1927, Dragon and Pseudo Echo – it is bound to have you rocking out all night!”
Tickets for Wanstock Melbourne are on sale now from www.wanstock.com.au/ and Sydney from https://selinas.com.au/ .
BUNT. ANNOUNCES LARGEST-EVER AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR FOR OCT AND NOV
Global stutter house pioneer BUNT. has announced his return to Australia for a landmark headline run, set to bring his iconic in the round show to three classic east coast venues this October and November.
Kicking off at Sydney’s Hordern Pavillion on Friday 30 October, the tour will move through Brisbane to play The Tivoli on Thursday 5 November, before finishing up at PICA in Melbourne on Saturday 7 November.
An artist presale will begin at 10:00am local time on Wednesday 4 March and a promoter pre-sale will begin at 12:00pm local time that day, tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday 6 March at 10:00am local time.
Following a decade-long journey contributing productions for legendary artists including Avicii and touring alongside Gryffin, internationally acclaimed German producer BUNT. exploded into the global spotlight with his 2023 breakout single Clouds. The track debuted at #15 on the Billboard Hot Electronic Songs Chart and has since amassed over 750 million streams worldwide, cementing his arrival as a defining voice in modern dance music. Now, with 2026 underway, BUNT. is entering a new era. With major festival appearances at Coachella and Lollapalooza.
Breaking the traditional DJ mold, BUNT. is redefining the live electronic experience, performing in the round, removing barriers and placing himself at the centre of the crowd for a fully immersive experience. His shows are raw, intimate, and electric communal celebrations – a format that has helped him sell over 200,000 tickets worldwide, including a sold-out 2025 stadium headline show in Mexico City and perform more than 350 shows worldwide since his breakout.
His innovative approach and emotionally charged productions have led to collaborations with global heavyweights including Taylor Swift, Tom Odell, Elley Duhé, Tiësto, and The Temper Trap. Named one of Spotify’s 10 Dance Artists to Watch, BUNT. continues to prove that dance music doesn’t need a club to thrive – it belongs everywhere.
With immersive production, brand-new music, and the anthems that sparked a global movement, this Australian tour represents an unmissable opportunity to witness an artist at the peak of his power, redefining how electronic music is performed.
For tickets and information, visit https://teglive.com.au/live_tour/bunt/
BUNT. AUSTRALIA TOUR 2026
Friday 30 October | Hordern Pavillion, Sydney | TICKETS
Thursday 5 November | The Tivoli, Brisbane | TICKETS
Saturday 7 November | PICA, Melbourne | TICKETS