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.
DAN KEYES + THE NEW RIDES SHARE NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘LONDON’
Somewhere between the country music heartland of Texas, the bustling palm trees of Los Angeles and the sandy shores of Australia, a sublime ode to yearning and living in the moment was conjured, with the debut single London from Dan Keyes + The New Rides officially out today. Also arriving armed with a captivating music video, London not only marks the first official single for Dan Keyes + The New Rides – it also features the group as the first new signing to the resurrected Wheatley Records, first established in 1980 by the late Australian music icon Glenn Wheatley.
A project many years in the making, helmed by the eponymous and enigmatic Keyes, Dan Keyes + The New Rides flow with warm country tones alongside fresh and unique twists, with the group’s debut single London finding Keyes writing alongside Australian songwriter and producer Tim Metcalfe, whose previous work includes work on Robbie Williams’ platinum 2012 album Take The Crown. With its distinctive 80s synths juxtaposed with acoustic and slide guitar, the balanced sentimentality merged with modernity throughout London was no accident, as Keyes elaborates, “We wanted it to sound classic, familiar and new all the same time. A modern, Aussie take on Americana, if you will… The song lyrics are quite intentionally vague; it’s how you interpret it. Do I sound like I come from London? No. Does Tim, who I co-wrote the song with, sound like he is? Maybe. Its about wanting to walk, or run to someone, in the middle of the night, for no real reason other than wanting to be with them; in that moment.”
With the accompanying music video for London weaving a narrative starting in the desert under the sun before ending in a city late at night, Keyes brings to life the longing and languid love story beating at the overarching track’s core. With Keyes himself beckoning the listener and watcher to follow as he walks “through the night just to be with you”, both lyrically and in person in the clip, London flows with a powerful poignancy; and it’s one that has been growing for years through Keyes musical upbringing, as he explains, “When I was a kid, I used to sit on the porch and listen to my Grandfather play country songs that he wrote in San Antonio, and that’s how I started writing songs. After he gave me that guitar, he told me I should become a plumber because I’d always have work. Now, we want to make music that people can dance to, drink tequila to, make love to, and live their lives to. It even sounds good driving too.”
Born and raised in Texas and now splitting his time between Los Angeles and Australia, Keyes began touring nationally at the age of 18 after his band, Texan post-hardcore quartet Recover, inked a deal with Fuelled by Ramen. Touring alongside the likes of Jimmy Eat World, AFI, My Chemical Romance and Thrice at the time, Keyes’ personal musical tastes also developed alongside his craft, with the talented artist going on to form a dance rock project Young Love in New York City in the mid 2000s. Releasing their debut album Too Young to Fight It in 2007, Young Love garnered significant and high-profile attention, with Keyes soon finding himself sitting poolside with Beyonce and under the wing of Jay-Z, aka the man powering Def Jam Recordings at the time. But for Keyes, it became a case of “too much too young”, who soon packed up and headed west, leaving Young Love behind. And it was this very move that would ultimately lead to the birth of Dan Keyes + The New Rides, alongside the revival of the iconic Wheatley Records; an independent record label established in 1980 by Glenn Wheatley that changed the landscape of the Australian music industry, flourishing the careers of John Farnham, Real Life, Pseudo Echo and countless others.
Post-Young Love and with Keyes initially embarking on a songwriting fellowship with friend and fellow creator Tim Metcalfe, the pair soon revisited their roots, weaving tales of musical sojourns and fusing their eclectic backgrounds in a coating of warm, compelling country-hued music. Bringing together Keyes and Metcalfe and also featuring Jy-Perry Banks (Kasey Chambers, Lime Cordiale) on pedal steel for the project’s debut release, Dan Keyes + The New Rides is Keyes riding high once again – and the chance to be the first new signing for the revitalised Wheatley Records is a shining cherry on top of many great things to come for the group, as Keyes concludes, “It feels sensational. We’ve been working on this project for a few years now and it’s finally ready for people to hear. We’ve put our heart and soul, quite literally into this, so I hope you like it as much as my mum does.”
London is out today, Friday November 17.