CHAVEZ CARTEL SHARE HYPNOTIC NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘UNFAMILIAR BOY’
A hypnotic blend of grit and post punk narcosis, the brand new single Unfamiliar Boy out today from Gold Coast five-piece Chavez Cartel is a woozy yet powerful continuation of the group’s trademark sound, serving up simmering intensity alongside a fittingly moody music video also out today.
Opening in a stripped-back haze, Unfamiliar Boy soon grows to oscillate between smoky simplicity and raucous choruses, headily driven by the repeated mantra “I wanna change, I need a change / I’m only human after all” and healthy servings of post punk rock. With nods to the psychedelic stylings Iggy and the Stooges as well as IDLES, Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines D.C., Unfamiliar Boy ultimately draws you headfirst into a vivid reflection on the overwhelming rollercoaster that is time, as the band explains, “The song was inspired by a period of time where life seemed to be going really fast and having the feeling where you don’t have time to even think. Like life is slipping through your fingers and you can’t quite grasp what’s really going on. Not a good headspace to be in. There’s a line coming out of the breakdown, “I need to wheel-spin in the mud, now that the months feel more like weeks”, that paints the mental picture of that feeling. It’s sort of like a plea where I’m going “If my head is going to go round in circles this fast can’t we at least stand still while we’re burning out and overheating so we’re not wasting any more time while we’re doing it?”.
Working alongside friend and frequent collaborator Jake Johnson, aka Burning Jacobs Ladder, Unfamiliar Boy firmly captures the live Chavez Cartel sonic potency, with the addition of Spencer Martin on mixing duties also continuing the creative thread in the band’s recent creative journey. “We did this song with a good mate of mine called Jake Johnson aka Burning Jacobs Ladder,” shares the band. “He’s a really great producer, he produces all his own music and he’s had a lot to do with our band over the last few months. He filled in on bass for our US tour and was a really cool addition to the lineup. We wanted to take that tour sound into studio with us and we’ve replicated it quite well. Johnson also engineered All I Know for us as well which is the bonus track on our Red Flag Blues EP. Those songs came out in March (check ‘em out!). Spencer Martin mastered the song for us who is an American mix/mastering engineer based in South Korea. He worked with Johnson a lot on his stuff, so we kept that working relationship going on our song.”
Wielding a slick yet gritty aesthetic, the accompanying music video for Unfamiliar Boy balances performance visuals along with punctuated shots of New York, resulting in a journey that feels simultaneously intimate yet perfectly curated, with all the featured visuals filmed by Brooklyn-based videographer Katie Oliver during the band’s recent North American visit. “The video was filmed by Katie,” the band shares, “It was all filmed on our New York leg of the US tour. She followed us around and hung out with us while we were playing over there and covered all our shows. She’s a real cool cat and came out partying with us and showed us round the city a bit too. It’s all there in the video. The video has a bit of a gritty/grungy tour documentary sort of vibe which is exactly what we wanted for this song. It’s more of an intimate live diary sort of feel as opposed to our previous production heavy music videos. Chavez Cartel in New York City. I still can’t get over it. Proud accomplishment.”
Releasing two EPs in 2019, Lucky Lucky and Confidence Is All I’m Taking Home, Chavez Cartel bunkered down during the pandemic years, ultimately turning their gaze and full focus into sharpening their sound and songwriting. The end result saw the band sign with End Of The Trail Records and release their 2023 EP Man’s Best Friend, before embarking on an extensive East Coast headline tour, supporting The Reytons on their What’s Rock N Roll Australian run, tour as main support alongside The Delta Riggs, and tick off their first ever UK performances, including headline shows in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham, along with performances at The Great Escape Festival and at the End Of The Trail Creative Showcase in London.
In 2024, Chavez Cartel took off overseas once again, performing at The New Colossus Festival in New York as well as at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with both experiences broadening the global reach of this talented Gold Coast group. A band undeniably on the rise and one absolutely not to be missed, Unfamiliar Boy is the beginning of a phenomenal new chapter for Chavez Cartel; and following an extremely busy 12 months on the road, the band are raring to reveal even more new music to the world in the not-too-distant future, as they conclude, “It feels like we’re back to business. Whenever we get back off touring it always feels like we’re doing nothing because the pace is so slow compared to life on the road. Of course, we never stand still, but the change of intensity is always disheartening. It feels like we’re working again now. We’re still in the studio finishing off a second song which will be the follow up single to Unfamiliar Boy. It’s a real change of pace for us but it’s a really beautiful track. We played it live once in Byron Bay a couple of years ago and it was received really well. We don’t often get chance to perform any stripped-back songs, but Byron is a hippy town and we dropped it at a small venue down there. It was quite magic, so we’re really happy to be digging this one out and getting it laid down. It shows our versatility as writers. Stay tuned for more to come.”
Unfamiliar Boy is out today, Wednesday July 10.
CHAVEZ CARTEL – UNFAMILIAR BOY – Official single artwork
THE CORONAS SHARE NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT LOVE IS’ FEAT. GABRIELLE APLIN + NEW ALBUM ‘THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS’ + DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 27 + TOURING AUSTRALIA THIS NOVEMBER
A stirring new single out today from Dublin’s finest The Coronas, That’s Exactly What Love Is blends the trio’s knack for poignancy and indie pop and rock in charming fashion, with the group’s friend and collaborator Gabrielle Aplin also featuring on this latest release. The second single taken from The Coronas’ upcoming eighth studio album, Thoughts & Observations due out on Friday September 27, That’s Exactly What Love Is also arrives today accompanied by a brand new music video, with the track also destined to feature in the trio’s upcoming Australian live shows this November.
Opening with the beautifully wistful vocals of frontman Danny O’Reilly, serenely crooning “I’ll start with sorry / And please believe me / Kills me to see you cry”, That’s Exactly What Love Is burgeons as Alpin’s crystalline vocals fuse with O’Reilly into a heart-rending duet, echoing at times the sublime collaboration from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush on the track Don’t Give Up. Driven by the group’s trademark pensive pop and mature songwriting with a modern twist, That’s Exactly What Love Is reflects its vulnerable lyricism through astutely simplistic instrumentation and warm tones, and the end result is ultimately one of hope rather than misery; a fact which carries across the broader upcoming album Thoughts & Observations. “Thematically, the album deals with love, loss and growing older,” shares The Coronas. “It’s possibly us fully embracing our man-band status. After seven albums we’re probably a little more cynical now than we were when we started! In saying that there’s still an optimistic feel to this album that The Coronas albums tend to have.”
Filmed in Glastonbury with longtime videographer and The Coronas friend Johnny Stewart (Hozier, Kodaline, Gavin James), the accompanying music video for That’s Exactly What Love Is effortlessly mirrors the track’s moving thematics, with the clip, filmed at a picturesque field near Glastonbury Tor. “That’s Exactly What Love Is was the first song I wrote after our last album came out,” vocalist Danny O’Reilly reveals. “I wrote it as a conversation between two people going through a breakup, and as soon as I wrote the female part, I had Gabrielle in mind to sing it. In fact, I bumped into her at a festival a week after I wrote it. I immediately told her about the song and, over a year later, it was amazing to have her in studio bringing her own character to the song. She’s so talented and professional she blew us away when she came to London to record her part.”
Teaming up with longtime collaborator and Grammy Award winner George Murphy (Mumford and Sons, The Specials, Ellie Goulding), The Coronas inject a gamut of captivating moods and emotions throughout Thoughts & Observations, with their powerful and melodic eighth studio outing ultimately taking an incisive look at life, relationships and art. Alongside the talent and chemistry at the core of each member, with O’Reilly on vocals, piano and guitar, Graham Knox on bass, and Conor Egan on drums, Thoughts & Observations also embraces the talents of The Coronas’ touring supergroup, boasting Lar Kaye (All Tvvins) on guitar, Cian MacSweeney (True Tides) on saxophone, and Roisin O on backing vocals. And balancing moments of delicacy with soaring anthems, Thoughts & Observations captures The Coronas unbridled authenticity and passion, with the album originating not long after 2022’s Time Stopped had released into the world. “We’re so excited to be sharing new music,” says the band. “To be honest we didn’t really take a break after the last one, as soon as the touring and promotion of Time Stopped slowed down, we were already working on Thoughts & Observations”
In the ever-evolving landscape of the modern music industry, The Coronas have continued to independently thrive without sacrificing their creative vision along the way. A multi-platinum group who can claim supporting Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park, playing for President Biden, and a burgeoning global fanbase, The Coronas’ last three albums also went straight to #1 in the Irish Charts, with recent sold out tours in their wake spanning North America and Australia further showcasing the trio’s successful and ever-growing legacy. Renowned for their magnetic live shows, having also been previously voted as the #1 Live Act of the Year by Hot Press, The Coronas have been headlining their own shows and festivals in Ireland for almost 15 years, with their regular Christmas performances at The Olympia Theatre in Dublin becoming the stuff of legend. And set to return to Australia this November following their acclaimed down under run late last year, The Coronas will arrive armed with their trademark magic as well as their hotly-anticipated album Thoughts & Observations.
“Every album we make is with a view to improving our live show,” explains O’Reilly. “We still feel like we have something to say.”
That’s Exactly What Love Is is out today, Friday July 5.
Thoughts & Observations is due out on Friday September 27.
THE CORONAS – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
THURS 21 NOV | CROXTON BANDROOM, MELBOURNE
Tickets available from https://thecroxton.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/9b2e8104-0fc7-4f60-bf75-65ee6f8aa049
FRI 22 NOV | SELINA’S, SYDNEY
Tickets available from https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/the-coronas/168917?skin=SelinasVenue
SAT 23 NOV | MAGNET HOUSE, PERTH
Tickets available from https://tickets.393murray.com.au/outlet/event/2f8576da-c523-4c8e-87dc-e0dcc38b3511
Stream: THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT LOVE IS
GAVIN MAC SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘SIDESWIPED’
A swaggering alt country ode to misadventures, the brand new single Sideswiped out today from Sydney-based country sensation Gavin Mac is a slick follow up from Mac’s 2023 trio of singles, Bushfire, Live Your Life and Getaway. Also marking a further glimpse into Mac’s impending debut album, Make You Feel set for release in September, Sideswiped is a crisp outing as well as a meaningful full circle moment for the talented artist.
Produced by multi CMAA and ARIA Award winner Matt Fell, Sideswiped welds Mac’s effortless combination of nostalgic country licks, with rock, folk and soul hues linked alongside nods to Chris Stapleton, Eric Clapton, Midland, and John Mayer. Summed up by Mac himself as being “like mechanical bull riding”, Sideswiped evolved from a demo that first drew Mac to the attention of Sony Music Australia as a teenager, as Mac explains, “I first penned, then demoed Sideswiped when I was just 16 years old. The demo helped me capture the attention of Sony Music Australia, who ultimately signed me. By the time the deal was done, I had grown a bit older, and moved to a different place musically, so the song (and I) got shelved. It wasn’t until years later that I dug it out, rewrote it and recorded it properly for the first time, with Matt Fell, and incredible guitarist, Ben Butler.”
Teaming up with Grammy Award winner William Bowden on mastering duties, Sideswiped also features Mac’s effortless vocals and earworm choruses along with guitarist extraordinaire Ben Butler (Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Suzanne Vega) on lead guitar, culminating in a track built both for sun-soaked highway road trips and hazy whiskey bars; or, as Mac reveals, to also soundtrack those days where things go from bad to worse. “I love classic cars, so I’m pretty sure there was a subconscious desire to write a song that featured one,” shares Mac. “The story itself though, is one of misadventure mixed with a dollop of bad karma. A bit like something out of a Quentin Tarantino flick, the (fictional character, loosely based on yours truly) has the proverbial day from hell, that starts off a mess and just gets worse, and with every turn. We all have those kinds of days…right?
Discovered at the age of 16 by Sony Music’s Denis Handlin and John Watson, Gavin Mac quickly gained the title of being Sony Music Australia’s youngest-ever Australian recording artist at the time. Evolving his music industry skills and knowledge in the years to follow, Mac worked alongside both international and iconic Australian artists, including previous work with Nickelback, Queens of the Stone Age, Linda & Vika Bull, and Alex Lloyd. And from managing A&R duties for Roadrunner Records to stepping back from the industry to raise his family, Mac still kept his creative fires alive, co-founding the award-winning brand experience agency Urban, conceiving and delivering marketing campaigns for Electronic Arts, Airbnb, and Netflix.
With years away from music, a fortuitous 2019 road trip to the Tamworth Country Music festival provided the very kindling that would ultimately turn Mac’s gaze firmly back to his passions, songwriting and storytelling, with the Melbourne-hailing singer-songwriter emerging from his musical hiatus with gusto in 2023 balancing renewed purpose, perspective and the powerful drive that comes with unfinished business. In 2023, Mac released his debut solo singles Getaway, Live Your Life and Bushfire, amassing over 300K streams and counting, with 2024 also garnering Mac his first industry nod, taking home the Tamworth Music Association’s 2024 New Songwriter of the Year. Now poised to release his long-awaited debut album, Make You Feel on September 5, Mac’s latest single Sideswiped is the perfect appetiser, providing a full-bodied taste of the dynamic sound and depth of songwriting lying in wait later this year; and there will also be plenty of good vibes in the mix when Mac takes the stage with his new material in Northcote and Waverley in June, as Mac concludes: “I love fans and people who discover me at my shows to feel like they’ve just been invited into a party with their close mates. No egos, lots of chatter and songs you can stomp along to.”
Sideswiped is out today.
Make You Feel is set for release on Thursday September 5.
GAVIN MAC – UPCOMING SHOWS:
SAT 15 JUNE | THE WESLEY ANNE, NORTHCOTE, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
SAT 22 JUNE | ROBIN HOOD HOTEL, WAVERLEY, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
SAT 20 JULY | POST OFFICE HOTEL, TAMWORTH, NSW
Free Event, onstage at 4:30pm