MAMMAL SHARE FUNKED-UP NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘THE PENNY DROP’ NEW ALBUM ‘THE PENNY DROP’ SET FOR RELEASE MARCH 6 ANNOUNCE FREE SINGLE LAUNCH GIG AT 170 RUSSELL ON FEBRUARY 9
Bringing the noise and funk in incomparable Mammal fashion, the Narrm neo punk/funk warriors return today with a swaggering new single The Penny Drop. Launching with a free show at 170 Russell (Melbourne) on February 9 with support from I Built The Sky (solo) and Bushido, and accompanied by a gleefully colourful and chaotic music video, The Penny Drop also offers a further peek into the group’s forthcoming new album of the same name, with Mammal’s sophomore album The Penny Drop officially due out on Wednesday March 6, available on vinyl, digital and CD formats depending on how you like to face the funk.
Following on from their fiery recent single Keanu Reeves, Mammal are coming in hot in 2024 with both a new single, The Penny Drop, and the confirmation of their anticipated new album which also shares its name with the brand track. Brandishing trademark spitfire Mammal flair amongst sonic nods to Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Skindred, Pantera, Motley Crue and The Killers, the end result for The Penny Drop single is one of unbridled energy and a razor-sharp call to arms, campaigning for long-awaited justice, as frontman Ezekiel Ox impassions, “The Penny Drop is a plea from the front-line for justice. It’s the voice of those who have struggled for decades in, or in solidarity with, the poor, dispossessed, displaced, sick, disabled or criminalised people around the world. It’s a celebration of the wins we’ve had, however big or small. People say the system is broken, but it’s not, it’s working exactly how the racists, land thieves and war criminals intended. Destruction, death, and environmental collapse are here – just be sure to take your reusable bags to the supermarket and turn your lights off and we should be fine, right? Now more than ever, we need to strut like a catwalk model and demand ceasefire and health, housing, water, and education rights. Who’s with the mighty Mammal?”
Teaming up with cinematographer Samuel Vella, director Tristian Braines, and edited and colour graded by David Krebelj to bring some beautiful visual mayhem to life for The Penny Drop’s accompanying music video, Mammal serve up some unforgettable scenes that’ll hurl you relentlessly into the Mammal psyche (and potentially also have you wanting to raid the nearest dress-up drawer). “We met Sam [Vella] through a friend and he filmed our show at The Evelyn,” shares Ox. “We were super impressed with his work so approached him to do our video clip. He brought his production team onboard, and the rest is history. The clip is a circus, a clusterfuck of camp mincing, costume makeup and disco glitter. Aliens ascend, pimps roam free and disco bears pummel beats and strings. Bring your dancing shoes.”
Mammal have never been ones to shy away from tenacious themes throughout their career. Breeding music with a heartbeat that blisters and awes, the same tireless spirit that has accompanied Mammal’s journey over the years burns brightly on their upcoming second album The Penny Drop. Pulsing with pure rock’n’roll at its core, The Penny Drop calls out the wrongs of the world around us while emphatically flexing the group’s revitalised sonic direction and eclectic sonic influences. From stomping fuzz on its opening track Moscow, through to sensual swagger on Slings and Arrows, polished melodics and salient alternative rock on Doubt, irreverent nu metal-laced rage on Live Bold And Dangerous and toe-tappin’ funk/rock fusion on closing track Five Days, The Penny Drop wields a vast palette while also consistently holding up starkly accurate thematic mirrors. “The main themes on the album are politics,” shares Ox, “setting up guillotines, smashing the fash, punching up, our inability to tolerate fools. Musically, fresh, mature, sexy bare bones rock and fucking roll. This album is not for the kids. It’s frown up fun. Pete [Williamson] wrote 100 riffs in 30 days, Zane [Rosanoski] turned them into songs with his V-drums and laptop in another month, then I came down from Newcastle and free-styled for 24 hours over two wild days in Melbourne. After that Jimi Maroudas came on board to produce and hone the 17 best tracks, which became the 12 on the album. After plenty of arguments, compromises and massaging by Forrester [Savell] later, we decided we were done.”
Since forming and releasing their debut self-titled EP in 2006, Mammal have toured relentlessly while also crafting a formidable reputation for their animated live performances, timeless sonic creations and authentic, working-class political activism that has garnered the quartet an ever-growing cult-like status across the globe. Revered as a “must see” rock’n’roll juggernaut, Mammal’s back catalogue includes their striking singles Smash The Pinata, The Majority, Hell Yeah and Think, with their touring history also spanning headline shows in London, Perth, Auckland, Brisbane and everywhere in between, as well as supports with some of the heavy scene’s towering giants, including Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Sebastian Bach, Cog, Grinspoon, Spiderbait and Shihad to name a mere few. A band who also walk the walk alongside their musical calls-to-action, Mammal have also previously volunteered their live services, raising much-needed funds for various charities, supporting Interchange, the Refugee Action Collective and Fitzroy Legal Service over the years.
A band who says what they want, how they want to, as loudly and proudly as possible, The Penny Drop is set to be a natural continuation of the ever dynamic and growing Mammal legacy, with The Penny Drop single itself offering a swaggering disco-slap grind to tide you over until the release of the impending new album. “Mammal is riding high on the energy. It was a different process for us this time, it took over a year to finish from riff to master,” says Ox. “To be honest, we just want to get it out and see everyone at the shows when we play it live”. And for those hoping to witness the new Mammal material live in person themselves, the band are fighting inflation and the cost of living crisis for fans of rock and roll with a FREE ENTRY “People’s Night Out” show at 170 Russell on Friday February 9, supported by I Built The Sky (solo) and Bushido. For those fans in other states, some exciting news undoubtedly lies ahead. “This album is built for the live stage,” Ox concludes. Watch this space.
The Penny Drop (single) is out today, Thursday February 1.
The Penny Drop (album) is set for release on Wednesday March 6.
MAMMAL | THE PENNY DROP SINGLE LAUNCH | 170 RUSSELL | FEBRUARY 9 | DOORS 8PM – 11:30PM | FREE ENTRY
GOODTHANKYOU SHARES SWAGGERING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR’ TAKEN FROM NEW ALBUM ‘THE KENNARDS SESSIONS’ OUT TODAY
A swaggering and powerful ode to the fairer sex, PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR is the new single out today from goodthankyou, aka the solo project from Melbourne cult party-starters The Stiffys’ frontman Jason John Leigh. The formidable lead single taken from goodthankyou’s debut album THE KENNARDS SESSIONS, also out today, PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR showcases Leigh’s enigmatic musical prowess while equally illuminating the broader album steeped in vulnerability, charm and growth.
A foot-stomping delight, PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR finds Leigh weaving indie and rock grooves under the goodthankyou moniker, with Leigh conjuring the single, as well as the entirety of The Kennards Sessions, at an undisclosed storage unit studio setup, recorded over the space of 18 months to avoid discovery and being kicked out. Recording all instruments himself, including guitars, bass, drums, saxophone, keys and vocals, Leigh then flew to Auckland to mix The Kennards Sessions in Neil Finn’s (Crowded House) personal studio alongside ARIA-winning producer Steven Schram. Fusing fuzzy tones alongside Leigh’s iconic vocals, PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR bursts open the goodthankyou journey with sonic nods to Idles, LCD Soundsystem and Queens of the Stone Age; and, as Leigh reveals, the hallucinogenic hues were no mere accident. “This track began as something completely different until the magic mushrooms kicked in,” Leigh shares. “It started as some overthought intellectual drum and bass thing and then became a primal sweaty sex track. PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR marvels at women; how love costs them so much more. How reckless and brave it is for them to fall in love and how our species relies on them ripping their hearts, lives and bodies apart for it. It comes at the end of an album about growing up.”
Accompanied by an old school karaoke film, part of a planned trilogy directed by Tim Hamilton (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Big Scary), the clip for PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR was shot primarily underneath Melbourne’s iconic “cheese stick” in Parkville, with plans to extend the bouncing protagonist’s narrative into the near future. “PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR is accompanied by an old school karaoke film which is shot from the bouncing ball’s perspective,” says Leigh. “The bouncing ball, unfortunately, is overworked and has marital issues”. “Jason and I have shared an aesthetic for a while and long appreciated each other’s work,” adds Hamilton. “The karaoke film idea came about over a few beers and we were really excited to split the story out into three parts, because it’s just too difficult to explain the story of an inanimate ball within a three minute window.”
With 12 new tracks lying in wait on THE KENNARDS SESSIONS, Leigh flourishes with pure DIY genius from start to finish, from the woozy fever dream of its opener HI, to the off-kilter sheen of BE COOL, the sinuous delight that is BAY BAY, Beatles-esque whimsy on GOTTA LEAVE THIS SUMMER, lush hip hop hues on I WAS TOO HARD ON YOU, the hard-hitting cacophony of THE THINGS THAT I THINK and the beseeching DIY ballad that is HOME TO YOU. But THE KENNARDS SESSIONS builds its emotional apex most firmly in its closing moments, ending with the album’s leading single PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR in emboldened fashion. “THE KENNARDS SESSIONS is an album about growing up,” explains Leigh. “About a big fish who leaves a small pond and loses everything, only to find themselves. It was written to be listened to all at once. Everything about it was recorded wrong, which led to the album’s distinctive sound. Mainly due to the combination of inexperience, broken gear, mild inebriation, and excessive vulnerability. It was recorded piece by piece late at night over 12 months in a storage unit and you can actually hear the drumming getting less shit as the record goes on. The record was borne when I found myself in Sydney, far from my band and musical community, and needing a way to make music by myself. I could play all the instruments I needed except for drums. After gate-crashing and accidentally winning an amateur poker night, I found myself with enough money to buy the last remaining gear I needed (a drum kit and recording interface) and taught myself how to use both.”
Best known as the front man for Melbourne cult part band The Stiffys, Jason John Leigh has spent his professional career to date making his name alongside his bandmates via raucous live shows, relentless touring and typing in all caps. Growing up around instruments in his youth, Leigh has been playing in bands since the age of 14, going on to front The Stiffys for their 2012 debut release, titled The Stiffys debut album, and an array of new material that followed, including 2014’s We Are Groovy Boys, 2015’s Art Rock One, 2016’s Art Rock Two and 2020’s Cool. But while his musical clout is already firmly entrenched in the Aussie musical landscape, goodthankyou is nothing like The Stiffys, as Leigh explains. “The Stiffys are Adam Stagg, Devin de Araujo and I having a fantastic and obnoxious time after two bottles of Passion Pop each,” Leigh shares. “goodthankyou is just me in a storage unit after two beers, and it’s a lot more touchy feely. I’ve been gestating on this for ages. And not just in the studio — every waking moment, this record has been playing on loop in my head. This album was recorded to be listened to in full with headphones on. Of course, you won’t, no one does, but maybe someday you’ll find yourself with 35 minutes to kill.
PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR and THE KENNARDS SESSIONS are out today, Thursday January 30.
MAYLENE YINARR SHARES POWERFUL NEW SINGLE ‘THIS IS FOR US’ TAKEN FROM NEW EP SINGING OUR FUTURES – RELEASED TODAY
Radiating poise and soul equipped with a powerful narrative, the new single This Is For Us from singer-songwriter Maylene Yinarr is a sonically lush and thematically important outing, bustling with hope and healing from the talented Naarm artist. Marking the final single released as part of the self-titled Singing Our Futures EP, also out today, This Is For Us joins a stunning collection of songs from fellow artists Ridzyray, Kee’ahn and Emma Donovan, Madi Colville-Walker and Kiwat Kennell under the inaugural Singing Our Futures umbrella, aka The Archie Roach Foundation’s mentoring experience centred around helping First Nations artists on their songwriting and recording journeys.
A stirring and polished ballad, This Is For Us draws on Yinarr’s captivating knack for weaving creations that are equally haunting, uplifting and thought-provoking, while also seeking to inspire conversations about identity and vulnerability. Mentored by the Singing Our Futures leader and fellow artist Candice Lorrae to bring This Is For Us to life, Yinarr balances diverse inspiration alongside a poignant tribute to First Peoples native to any land, as she explains, “This song is a tribute to the frontier wars on the soil that is now known as ‘Australia’. The war that existed between the Aboriginal warriors, hunters and gatherers of many nations at the time of Invasion, colonisation and European settlement. We are their children. I am their daughter. For this song, I was inspired by our blak music royalty, as well as gospel music, blues roots, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Evanescence, Nina Simone, Etta James, Sia, Sigur Rós, Andrea Bocelli, Fleetwood Mac, Patty Griffin and others like Brandi Carlisle, Sara Bareilles, and Ingrid Michaelson.”
Penned from a place of hope and healing, This Is For Us also furthers Yinarr’s ever-growing legacy, with her work alongside both Singing Our Futures program leader Candice Lorrae and other mentors in and around the program also offering her a chance to rejuvenate her creative spirit and meaningfully connect with other creatives and her community following a devastating personal loss. “For This Is For Us, the amazing Candice Lorrae was my mentor and she is a fierce, talented and powerful woman,” shares Yinarr. “We’ve taken my music to a whole new level – within the program to my other tracks that will be released in 2024. I’ve also worked closely with Linc Yow Yeh (The Deans of Soul), I’ve met one of my idols, Gina Williams and Shellie Morris, Uncle Kutcha Edwards, and, as a community, I still have my mentors, Uncle Robert Bundle, Uncle Brad Brown (Kool Mist), Uncle Dave Arden and of course, my Mum, Sharon Slater and my Dad, Mel Burns. Singing Our Futures is so heart-warming and community driven. It’s been a beautiful road. My journey in the project was a heartbreaking start with the loss of my twin sister, Marjorie, so our family was in deep Sorry Business. When I joined the project, it was an exciting secret that I didn’t get to tell her before we lost her. I’ve drawn strength from that – I’ll keep going and living out my dream of music. She was my biggest fan. She would have been right here with me on this journey. Everything that I do, I do for my family and my community. Music is a core healing energy for us as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I have been standing alongside incredible talent – our darling Madi Colville-Walker, Kiwat, Kee’ahn and Ridzyray. It’s an honour to start my recording career this way.”
Offering insight on the single art, Yinarr says, “It was exciting for me to engage a young First Nations graphic designer to design the single artwork, her name is Rubii Red. We worked together to create this artwork, Rubii really captured the essence of the song and the vision of our country when it is healing.”
Sparking her musical journey writing songs at the age of 15 at high school, Yinarr’s experience and inspiration under the tutelage of her high school music teachers led her to her ultimate creative pathway, with teachers Claudia Mameli, Sonny King Ismail and Peter Jones imparting a formula to songwriting that Yinarr still incorporates to this day – with the influence of her culture. Offering her an outlet that was missing in her youth, Yinarr learned to express and explore her feelings via music, with her first official song written in honour of her grandfather, Kamilaroi Elder Tom Slater. From songs penned in her Year 10 music book to adding her voice to the incredible inaugural Singing Our Futures program, Yinarr’s passion spills over vividly into her creative world, as does her admiration for the man behind the program: the late, great Archie Roach himself. “Uncle’s legacy has helped heal our people and shape our nation,” shares Yinarr. “Without his song with Aunty Ruby Hunter, Took The Children Away, our people would not have the international recognition and compassion that we do today. He will always be remembered. A man from Charcoal Lane, Ngar-go to the big stage, who showed the world the sounds of our longest living culture on Earth. He gave our generation the opportunity to follow in his footsteps with pride and with love. With my music, I am drawn to exploring the complex layers that we experience, the heartache and the victories. I love how we can tell a story in a melody and empty our soul into a song and in turn, fill up with the energy of music. I love the place that I go to in my mind and Spirit when I sing. I feel like that is the place beyond the stars.”
A meaningful and culturally safe songwriting program that supports emerging First Nations artists to tell their story through songwriting, Singing Our Futures was devised pre-COVID and was one of the leading programs of the Archie Roach Foundation. Led by Candice Lorrae (The Merindas), an established singer-songwriter and music producer with Jawoyn and Torres Strait Islander roots, Singing Our Futures has since evolved into an impactful and ever-growing initiative for emerging artists and storytelling that spans genres and generations, culminating for 2023 with the long-awaited release today of its inaugural self-titled EP, Singing Our Futures out now.
Bringing together all previous singles unveiled under the Singing Our Future program this year, this extraordinary EP includes the spell-binding debut track Take No More, by Kee’ahn and Emma Donovan, the powerful dive into deep connection, Disconnected from Torres Strait Islander artist Kiwat Kennell, as well as the mesmerising ode to home and country via Yinarr Mulana Winyarr by Yorta Yorta creative Madi Colville-Walker, and pure serenity courtesy of the EP’s final track, Yinarr’s This Is For Us, with the latter unforgettably teaming Yinarr up with program leader Candice Lorrae.
“It’s been a journey and a memorable experience producing the Singing Our Futures program,” shares Lorrae. “There’s nothing else quite like it. It’s meaningful and we get to share our stories through music. This program was born from Uncle Archie’s legacy. We feel him and our ancestors standing with us throughout this journey. Working with Maylene as a mentor taught me so much about the power of healing through music. I knew that music was healing from the start, but Maylene Yinarr has proven it to me through her songs, kindness, strength and wisdom.”
“I feel this is a good way to land the EP release with Maylene’s song as the feature,” Lorrae concludes. “This If For Us, it’s all for us. Uncle Archie has really paved a way for us all and I’m extremely honoured continuing his legacy by running the Singing Our Futures program.”
Maylene Yinarr’s This Is For Us single and the Singing Our Futures EP are both out today via Cooking Vinyl Australia.