BEACHWOOD ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE MARBLES + BEACH BOYS COVER GOD ONLY KNOWS
The effortlessly cool Beachwood have today announced two singles Marbles and God Only Knows (out today, October 25). Their compelling, hypnotic brand of electro pop shines bright on both tracks; completely mastering an unexpected cover in God Only Knows, and documenting a gradual lapse of sanity in Marbles. Beachwood (otherwise known as Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong) are the new kids on the block – only these multi medium artists already know exactly who they are, and are already making waves across the globe. After working with massive international artists such as Charli XCX, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lana Del Rey and Lauryn Hill, and much loved Australian artists Montaigne, Daniel Johns and Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun), it’s finally time for Jarrad and Ange of Beachwood to step to the front.
Their new original track Marbles was conceived in Los Angeles and features Texan MC Tray Haggerty, and you can almost hear the buzzing heat in the final release. Surprising beat changes, inventive melodic vocal ideas, almost overwhelming synthesisers and hits are all contained within Marbles. It feels like a true masterclass in marrying the art of songwriting and the art of production and the end result is one very exciting pop song. Speaking on the inspiration behind the single, Jarrad says, “Sometimes, caught up in the moment, we find ourselves saying and acting like someone we don’t even recognise – someone who is not at all the person we want to be deep down – that sort of inner struggle just seems to be a part of human nature. It was cool to work together on a song that found a way to really capture that universal feeling of letting someone you love down, of ‘losing your mind, your grip on things, your marbles.’”
God Only Knows may seem a strange fit as a cover for a modern electronic pop duo – but Beachwood’s version of this classic Beach Boys hit is the track you never knew you needed. Eerie, progressive and warm, the gorgeous nature of this stunning song glows in Beachwood’s thoughtful remake. Angeline’s voice is soft and emotive as impressive production swells and recedes with stunning technical prowess. This cover highlights the melancholy within God Only Knows, as Ange explains, “God Only Knows is such a sweet, romantic sounding song – but when you dig deeper and pay attention to the lyrics, it’s quite bittersweet and dark – there’s a real desperation and longing in it. That same longing and bittersweet feeling exists in both of our new tracks: hidden beneath pulsating pop beats and big progressive sounds, there’s the raw voice of a desperate longing for a relationship that won’t spoil or break. I think that taps into something very personal for all of us, no matter how deeply buried.”
The decision to release the two songs side by side was one that felt natural to Beachwood, as Ange reflects, “It’s always nice to give people more. As artists we’re always so hungry to release our music faster than is sometimes possible – it feels really good to just let go and hand these two over to the world all at once. We wanted to do something a little different – there’s a big focus on releasing one single at a time these days, but we felt that there was a bit of a story here in releasing both together. We love re-imagining songs, especially ones as amazing as God Only Knows.” No matter what the song, the Beachwood sound will always come through.
Beachwood is Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong.
Marbles and God Only Knows are released today, October 25, both through BMG.
KING COYOTE SHARE NEW SINGLE COCA COLA AHEAD OF NEW EP WILD OUT NOVEMBER 1 + ANNOUNCE SHOWS WITH GRINSPOON AND THIRSTY MERC
Australian rockers King Coyote have today announced their killer new single Coca Cola, an energetic romp inspired by chasing true love, out today. Coca Cola is the first taste of the upcoming King Coyote EP Wild, an absolute masterclass in rock n roll, set for release on November 1. King Coyote will be heading out on tour throughout October and November to celebrate the release, kicking off in Burleigh at Moe’s Desert Clubhouse on Friday October 4, then heading through Kingscliff to support Grinspoon, home to Port Macquarie for a series of shows, wrapping with a summer show on December 28 at Tacking Point Tavern (Port Macquarie) supporting Thirsty Merc.
Coca Cola is for fans of true, classic rock n roll; the kind of song that makes you want to slam your empty glass on the bar and head straight to the dancefloor. Evocative of rock auteurs Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures and Jet, Coca Cola is overflowing with heady guitar riffs and hooky vocals. Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, lead vocalist Sunny Rowlands enthuses, “This song is a bit of old time rock n roll, a throwback with our twist. Coca Cola was inspired by true love, about seeing the red flags and acting on it, before you lose too much time… or whatever the listener thinks it’s about. We like both!”
Wild is a diverse collection of rock music by a group of seasoned musicians who know exactly who they are and what King Coyote represents. From the exhilarating opener Running Wild, to the affecting, emotive closer Diamonds, the EP is true to its namesake in every sense of the word – this music is undeniably Wild. Produced by Michael Lynch (Jimmy Barnes, Midnight Oil, John Butler Trio), Wild meets the thematic golden trio – sex, drugs and rock n roll – head on, as Sunny says, “We’ve taken a bit of time with this EP, enjoying the road, the band bonding, the late nights, the long nights and all the in-between, helping us get the songs to the point that represents us truthfully as a band. It’s taken a couple of years, but it was worth the wait for us – it shows how far we’ve come and how far we can go.”
King Coyote are set to perform tracks from Wild live throughout October and November, with a diverse run of headline shows and support slots alongside rock legends Grinspoon, Thirsty Merc and First Beige. Giving fans a taste of what to expect from the shows, Sunny says, “The shows will be high energy, loud, and in your face – like a shot of coffee with your Red Bull!”
King Coyote is Sunny Rowlands (vocals), Jimmy True Love (guitar, vocals), Stevie G (drums, vocals), Josh Hall (bass) and Mike Montgomery (guitar).
Coca Cola is out today, October 3. Wild is out November 1
KING COYOTE QLD & NSW TOUR
FRI 4 OCT | MOE’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE, BURLEIGH, QLD | 18+ | SUPPORTING FIRST BEIGE
Tickets available here
SAT 5 OCT | KINGSCLIFF BEACH HOTEL, KINGSCLIFF, NSW | 18+ – SUPPORTING GRINSPOON | SOLD OUT
FRI 18 OCT | FINNIANS, PORT MACQUARIE, NSW | 18+ | w SLIPPERY GYPSEES
Tickets available on the door
FRI 1 NOV | ART OF THE EMPIRE (ACOUSTIC), PORT MACQUARIE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available on the door
SAT 28 DEC | TACKING POINT TAVERN, PORT MACQUARIE, NSW | 18+ | SUPPORTING THIRSTY MERC
LONTALIUS SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘SWIM’ AHEAD OF NEW ALBUM ‘ALL I HAVE’ – SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 4 + NATIONAL TOUR SUPPORTING JAPANESE WALLPAPER IN OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
Enigmatic NZ electronic artist Lontalius, also known as Eddie Johnston, has today announced his glowing new single Swim, a comforting, honest track about accepting the ups and downs of life, out now. Swim is also accompanied by a stunning clip, made in collaboration with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (Pacific Heights, Whim, Weird Together). The prolific young artist has also announced his new album, All I Have, set for release on October 4. Lontalius will be joining Japanese Wallpaper on the road for his first ever Australian shows in October and November this year, kicking off at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on October 25, then moving through Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and wrapping up in Brisbane at The Brightside on November 9.
Swim is an endearing track, seemingly buoyed by pessimism and optimism at the same time. Reminiscent of indie pop giants The 1975 and Troye Sivan, Swim is driven by a pounding beat and intricate guitar lines (not to mention a killer solo towards the end) while Lontalius’ idiosyncratic vocal floats above it all. Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, Lontalius says, “Swim is about the acceptance that with all the heartbreak, anxiety and stress of being young, the universe is still leading you on the right path. You can have everything seemingly perfectly lined up in front of you, but sometimes it just won’t work out… it’s a song that i’m really proud of. It hit a lot of marks I had been trying to hit for the past few years. It’s energetic and it has a pace to it that I haven’t done before, all the while still living in the ‘lontalius’ world, I think.”
The clip for Swim zooms in on the self-reflection in the song in a figurative and literal sense. Lontalius sings alone, in the gorgeous Wellington wilderness, looking deep into a mirror suspended in mid-air. The clip is beautiful, dreamy; an appropriate visual representation of Swim, as Lontalius explains, “The video follows me singing the song into a mirror, walking along various locations in my home Wellington, NZ. With the song mostly being a dialogue with my own brain – a moment of self reflection, it made sense for me to sing it back to myself. This clip was a culmination of a few ideas we’d had in our minds for a while. The picturesque NZ landscape never fails to contrast the emotion in my music…I made it with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. They’ve done all of my videos as well as a number of other NZ artists. We tend to have similar ideas around what will work, I’m not sure if I could work with anyone else.”
If Lontalius’ debut LP I’ll Forget 17 was a snapshot of his life as a teenager, All I Have documents the period in life when he was exiting adolescence and entering adulthood. Outgrowing one era but not yet ready, perhaps, for another. With a characteristic melancholic, yet beautiful temperment, paired with wistful synthesisers and soft, gentle guitar, All I Have is a superb collection of songs from this impressive artist. Working in LA alongside Grammy award winning producer Om’Mas Keith (Frank Ocean, John Legend, Jay Z), Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Modest Mouse), Roy Blair (Kevin Abstract) and Mr Hudson (Kanye West), Lontalius dove deep into a varied array of infuences for this second album, drawing inspiration from the artists he grew up listening to, such as U2 (circa Joshua Tree), REM, and Coldplay, alongside modern pop auters Kacey Musgraves and Lorde. Reflecting on the album, Lontalius enthuses, “The main themes on All I Have are love, youth and anxiety. I started writing it at 18 so it basically follows my own experiences with love, being away from home, new pressures and pleasures, as well as that general feeling of ‘coming of age’. Just trying to make sense of it all… It was my intention to add a little more energy and life into my music than I had done before. I had built up energy and I wanted to let it out! It was also important to me that it didn’t end up being a bloated, 20 song thing. I wanted to be able to grab it all with one hand.”
Lontalius will be playing his first Australian shows ever in October and November this year supporting Japanese Wallpaper on his Glow national tour. Thrilled to be hitting the road for what is set to be a beautiful, immersive experience for audiences, Lontalius says, “I’m really happy I’m finally making it to Australia! I’m doing solo sets, playing new and older music from even my soundcloud days. Trying to create a sound that people can get lost in for 30 minutes or so.”
Swim is out now. All I Have is set for release on October 4.
LONTALIUS NATIONAL TOUR (SUPPORTING JAPANESE WALLPAPER)
FRI OCT 25 | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC| 18+
SAT OCT 26 | SEWING ROOM, PERTH WA | 18+
FRI NOV 1 | LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
FRI NOV 8 | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW| 18+
SAT NOV 9 | THE BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD | 18+