CHUCK SICS SHARES LUSH SINGLE ‘I’VE BEEN THINKING’ AND ANNOUNCES NEW EP ‘SLIPSTREAM’ DUE SEP 23
A lush indie anthem for all the procrastinators and introverts of the world, today Sydney-based artist and multi-instrumentalist Chuck Sics returns with an introspective yet unwaveringly immersive new single I’ve Been Thinking, the third offering from his anticipated debut EP Slipstream set for release on September 23.
With hypnotic hues a la Radiohead and Tame Impala, fused with Chuck Sics’ increasingly trademark knack for conjuring relatable lyrical fare, I’ve Been Thinking was self-produced and mixed by Chuck Sics himself, showcasing a crunchy yet volatile creative aesthetic while detailing the frustrations and realities of procrastination and feeling overwhelmed by the world. “I’ve Been Thinking is essentially a song about procrastination,”shares Chuck Sics. “It’s about feeling like you’re stuck thinking about life instead of living it, and keeping that locked inside your mind.”
“For me, it’s particularly relevant to writing, recording and releasing music,” Chuck adds. “You can think about a song for a long time: about how it’s going to sound, and how it will be received etc. I end up living in a fantasy world where the song exists before I’ve done the hard work to make it.”
Marking Chuck’s third single release following his debut single Redo which dropped earlier this year, as well as more recent track M.A.D, I’ve Been Thinking will join both previous singles on Chuck’s upcoming debut EP Slipstream due out next month, with the five-track release primed to ruminate on dread, self-analysis and beyond. Placing Chuck’s versatility and skill, both as a writer and a musician (playing every instrument, producing and mixing the EP solo), front and centre, Slipstream is a whimsical yet hard-hitting outing that balances cohesive alt-pop-rock production with pensive and occasionally cynical lyricism. Opening with Chuck’s debut single, Redo, Slipstream begins on an upbeat and psychedelic note, bathed in warm instrumentals and lyrically detailing unrequited love. Next up, M.A.D dabbles in Britpop flavours alongside percolating rhythms and smooth vocals, while the EP’s title track and midway point serves up buoyant melodies, dazzling basslines and a beat primed to fill dancefloors. And with today’s new single I’ve Been Thinking marking the EP’s penultimate track, Slipstream ultimately closes on a gooey note of melodic haze, ethereal vibes, and sharp contemplation. “The EP explores themes of dread, self-analysis, sleep (or lack thereof), and reflection,” shares Chuck. “I’m trying to express that I don’t think of myself as a reliable narrator, even of my own emotions. I think that there’s a healthy amount of self-doubt, but for me what tends to happen, the result turns into dread.”
Picking up the trumpet in primary school, Chuck Sics’ musical evolution soon led him to the piano, before the floodgates burst wide open via finding the guitar at the age of 12, followed by bass, singing, and the occasional foray into drums. Dreams of becoming a concert pianist soon gave way to rock’n’roll persuasions, and, ultimately, a solo career that now finds Chuck in 2025 weaving lush and atmospheric soundscapes into stories soaked in poignant and authentic introspection. Offering listeners a journey through creativity and self-discovery, Chuck’s lyrics and musical proficiency was most recently on full display in a live setting with his band at The Trocadero Room in Sydney. But it’s via his upcoming debut EP Slipstream that Chuck Sics’ creative magic will enamour far and wide; a labour of love that has itself been five years in the making, and one Chuck is entirely ready to share with the world at long last next month.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Chuck shares. “I worked a lot of (nocturnal) hours putting all of these songs together over the course of 5 years. “I’ve Been Thinking” was the first song I finished for this record, and it laid the groundwork for the aesthetic and vibe of everything I wrote from there onwards.”
I’ve Been Thinking is out today.
Slipstream is due out Tuesday September 23.
Artist Managers Aidan McLaren, Joe Miles & Rhett McLaren of The Hills Are Alive Group Launch ‘Weird Fishes’
After more than a decade of managing artists in a strategic partnership with UNIFIED Music Group, Aidan McLaren, Joe Miles and Rhett McLaren have launched a new independent artist management company, Weird Fishes.
The Weird Fishes management team kicks off with an impressive roster, including Australian staples; Boy & Bear, The Dreggs, Pete Murray, Steph Strings and Tim Hart, all of whom are currently experiencing significant periods of growth in their careers.
Boy & Bear are one of Australia’s premiere alt/indie acts. With multiple number 1 albums, 5 consecutive top 10 albums, the band are selling more headline tickets in their career than ever before.
The Dreggs are one of the fastest rising acts in the country. Snagging the coveted triple j feature album this week, the most played Like a Version of any Australian act this year, playing the upcoming Spilt Milk and Strumming Bird touring festivals, as well as embarking on their own debut North American headline tour along with returning to the UK/EU for headline shows in September and October.
Pete Murray is a national icon. He’s sold over 1.2 million albums and is currently in the middle of a 57-date Australian tour that has already sold 35,000 tickets.
Steph Strings has amassed over 1 million social followers and is selling out headline shows and playing festivals all over the world. Stay tuned for her debut album that is coming soon.
Tim Hart is a singer-songwriter-producer (and a founding member of Boy & Bear). His stunning ‘Parasol’ EP was released last week and he continues his reputation as one of the country’s best indie/folk creators.
Mike Waters is a Grammy award winning singer songwriter whose own releases and co-writes have amassed over half a billion streams.
In a joint statement the Weird Fishes founders expressed excitement for the new venture, “We are incredibly excited to launch Weird Fishes and for this next chapter in our journey. We wholeheartedly believe in the unique talent, audience-connection and growth-potential of each of the acts we represent, both locally and internationally, and are excited for what the future holds.”
In addition to Artist Management, the McLaren brothers and Joe Miles are the driving-force behind The Hills Are Alive Group and much-loved music festivals, NYE on the Hill and Ocean Sounds. Now in their 12th and 7th years running, these festivals have become known for putting world class Australian acts on their stages, including The Teskey Brothers, Ocean Alley, Dope Lemon, Courtney Barnet, Royel Otis, Genesis Owusu, Tkay Maidza, Ball Park Music, Tash Sultana, Vance Joy, Dean Lewis, Tones & I, Angie McMahon, Amy Shark and more.
Through their partnership with Jaddan Comerford, and as co-founders in Red Hill Entertainment, Rhett and Aidan were also instrumental in the creation and running of the iconic UNIFY Gathering Festival as well as Gippsland Country Music Festival.
Showing gratitude for their time with Unified Music Group, the Weird Fishes collective share, “Partnering with UNIFIED over the past decade has been nothing short of inspirational, and allowed us to take this step on our own. The friendships and memories we have created there will last a lifetime and we look forward to further collaborating together as our artists continue to work across many different parts of the group.
And on their future, “we’re hyped for our new adventures and challenges, and are so thrilled to be stepping out on our own. We cannot wait to see what the future holds – we’re here to continue to work hard and rep our artists with heart, passion and experience”.
For more information, visit weirdfishesmusic.com.
THE CROXTON ANNOUNCES TWO DAY FESTIVAL – THE CROXTON BLOCK PARTY FOR NOV 1 & 2
Celebrating a decade of live music, Melbourne’s beloved venue The Croxton Bandroom has today unveiled The Croxton Block Party – a huge two-day festival taking over the carpark across from the venue on November 1 and 2. The stacked lineup includes Tropical Fuck Storm, Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Spiderbait, Ratcat, Floodlights, Party Dozen, Grace Cummings, and more.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday 6 August at 10am from thecroxton.com.au. Limited pre-sale tickets are now live from Oztix.
If the walls of The Croxton Bandroom could talk, the stories would endlessly recall its journey from a quiet and largely empty space into a vibrant and enduring fixture on Australia’s music scene when it relaunched as a contemporary live music venue 10 years ago. A space that has shaped the cultural landscape over the years, hosting everyone from Eagles of Death Metal, Suicidal Tendencies and L7 through to homegrown stars in their formative years, including DZ Deathrays, G Flip and The Chats, a celebration of a jam-packed decade demands a party worthy of The Croxton’s legacy.
As its name suggests, The Croxton Block Party will feature a massive two-day outdoor festival over the first weekend of November, with the event taking over the carpark opposite the venue, complete with a huge stage that will host some of the best live acts Australia has to offer. Headlining the Saturday line-up will be Tropical Fuck Storm, joined by Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Grace Cummings, Party Dozen, EXEK and Npcede, and members of The Chats and The Prize will get the party started with their brand new band, Loose Lips. Meanwhile, headlining the Sunday lineup will be Spiderbait, along with the legendary Ratcat celebrating the 35th anniversary of their beloved Tingles EP, and Floodlights rounding out the headline acts, backed by two sensational young guitar bands, Sex Mask and Girl and Girl. And kicking off the Sunday vibes will be the sixties-inspired Frankston four-piece getting buzz all over town, The Gnomes.
Synonymous with whipping crowds into a frenzy with their howling brand of rock’n’roll that spawned from The Drones bandmates Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin, Tropical Fuck Storm are as much a Melbourne institution as The Croxton itself. Punctuated by a genre-defiant fusion of art punk, noise rock and experimental rock, Tropical Fuck Storm most recently released their fifth studio album Fairyland Codex in June, have previously released a joint EP with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and won Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album in 2021 for their #7 charting masterpiece Deep States. Throw in millions of streams, performing across the world both as headliners and alongside the likes of Modest Mouse, Kurt Vile and many more and you have a recipe for a show-stopping time this November when Tropical Fuck Storm take the stage; and it’s little wonder Beat Magazine declared “their sound is as powerful as ever, indenting your head into a sonic stupor” after a 2024 headline outing.
“We opened the Croxton 10 years ago with a Drones gig when that part of town still felt miles away from the inner city,” shares Tropical Fuck Storm frontman Gareth Liddiard. “Now it is the inner city which is why it’s wild that we’re going to be playing outside. The stage will be in that big carpark across from the pub. It’s the first time Simone and Andrew have been able to do that. Like a mini weekend festival with super cool bands smack bang in the middle of Thornbury and Northcote. Though it’s technically Croxton. It’s going to be huge.”
Also featuring on the Saturday event will be Melbourne act Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, an alternative rock-meets-post-punk and folk blues collective, helmed by singer and guitarist Cash Savage. Earlier this year the band ticked off a huge European run, including their first ever shows in Europe, and for their most recent full-length album, 2023’s So This Is Love, the group were nominated for the ARIA Music Awards’ Best Blues and Roots Album. And there ain’t no party like a Party Dozen party, but luckily you can catch the 2-piece noise band weaving their sonic spells on Saturday 1 November, along with a performance locked in from globally-renowned Melbourne singer-songwriter Grace Cummings.
“I don’t reckon you can have the Melbourne music scene without the Croxton,” says Grace. “I’ve had some of my best musical experiences there both on and off the stage and I can’t wait to say happy anniversary with some of the best bands around.”
And rounding out the stellar Saturday lineup will be post punk innovators EXEK, as well as the buzzy industrial electro trio Npcede and members from The Chats and The Prize getting the block party vibes started with their brand-new band, Loose Lips.
Headlining on Sunday 2 November will be Australian icons Spiderbait, a band who have ticked off almost every Australian music accolade possible throughout their illustrious career including taking home several ARIA Music Awards, a #1 single in the form of their smash cover of Leadbelly’s Black Betty, taking out the covetous #1 spot on triple j’s Hottest 100 for Buy Me A Pony in 1996, amassing millions of streams, and releasing multiple albums that have garnered gold, platinum or double platinum status along the way. But the achievements don’t end there for Spiderbait, with the group also an enduring live drawcard, from sharing stadiums with Guns N’ Roses and Pink through to performing at Splendour In The Grass and Big Day Out – and pretty much every single thing in between. In 2025 alone, the band have toured Europe and the UK, and most recently had two appearances on triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian songs via their fan-fave tracks Black Betty at #90 and Calypso at #95.
“Congrats to the super team at the Croxton on 10 years and thanks for all you’ve brought to the Melbourne music scene,” shares Spiderbait’s Kram. “We’re stoked to be part of the celebration!”
Also heading up Sunday’s block party will be Melbourne rockers Floodlights, who will also arrive armed with their recent 2025 third full-length album Underneath. Wielding an irresistible mix of nostalgic pop and alternative elements into their infectious rock, Floodlights also know exactly how to hit you in right the feels, and that goes double for a live performance.
“The Croxton is an iconic venue that has been a staple in the Naarm music community since we started,” says Floodlights. “We always held it as a dream to play the Croxton and have been lucky enough to have some of our funnest gigs there as a band. We’ve also all been to epic shows as punters, seeing bands like Amyl, The Drones and heaps more, made even better due to the fact we all live in walking distance. Can’t wait to celebrate the 10th birthday, it’s gonna be lit!”
And during the 10th birthday celebrations for The Croxton, Sydney rockers Ratcat will be having a double whammy anniversary, with the group celebrating the 35th anniversary of their hit 1990 EP Tingles; a release which took out #1 position on the Australian charts, and also cracked the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks via That Ain’t Bad. And Spiderbait, Floodlights and Ratcat will be joined by enigmatic Melbourne post punk trio Sex Mask, Brisbane four-piece indie darlings Girl and Girl, and Frankston’s sixties rock-inspired four piece The Gnomes, with the latter kicking off the Sunday event in unforgettable fashion.
“More than a decade since our last show in Melbourne, we’re absolutely stoked to finally be heading back to join the 10th anniversary
celebrations at one of the city’s most important live mainstays, The Croxton,” says Ratcat’s Simon Day.
Alongside the stellar live entertainment throughout both days this November, punters can also look forward to food trucks, bars, merch. Throw in some of the country’s most beloved acts and you’ve got a recipe for everything you need for an exceptional day out in the neighbourhood, with this special anniversary event set to bring the community together in classic Croxton fashion.
“As a music venue with four walls and a stage, The Croxton has been there for decades,” says The Croxton booker Andrew Parisi. “But when we took it on ten years ago, it had fallen into disuse. It was basically empty, except for a faded Over 28s club that would shuffle in on a Friday night. It was incredible to me that this amazing space, in the heart of one of the best neighbourhoods in the inner north, was just languishing. And I knew that if we set it up right, built the right culture around it, it would be an awesome live music venue.”
“We had to start fresh and build it from the ground up, and make people feel at home,” Andrew continues. “The Croxton has always felt like a community to us, from the staff who have been with us for a decade, to the artists who keep coming back to play, to the audiences who come through our doors for shows. We take a lot of pride in what we have built here – it’s more than just four walls and a stage. We are part of the essential DNA of this city, which is a thriving music scene. It’s important to Melbourne and it’s important to us.”
“Over the last ten years, we’ve had multiple shows from amazing international acts like Sleater-Kinney, The Hold Steady, Osees and Eagles of Death Metal,” adds fellow Croxton booker Simone Ubaldi. “We hosted the first-ever Australian gigs for artists like UK rap superstar Dave, Idles, Future Islands, Black Midi, Khruangbin, Sleaford Mods, Faye Webster and Phoebe Bridgers, and incredible reunion shows from bands like Pixies, Gang of Four, Swervedriver, Teenage Fanclub, Radio Birdman, Suicidal Tendencies, Helmet, L7, They Might Be Giants, and so many more.”
“We’re proud to have hosted Australian artists whose careers were just starting to blossom, like DZ Deathrays, G Flip, Confidence Man, The Chats, King Stingray, The Teskey Brothers, Skegss and Angie McMahon,” Simone adds. “But more than anything else, we’re proud to have been a home to local heroes like The Murlocs, Floodlights, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Tropical Fuck Storm, Cosmic Psychos, Civic, RVG and The Smith Street Band. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – the greatest live band in the world – has played The Croxton eight times in the last ten years. Amyl and The Sniffers – the other greatest live band in the world – has played at the venue six times.”
“The fact that The Croxton has had a place in their globe-conquering journeys is mind-blowing,” Simone concludes. “It reminds us that being part of a local music scene really means something. We’re part of an ecosystem that connects local artists to the world.”
The Croxton Block Party will storm the Croxton carpark on Saturday 1 November and Sunday 2 November.
Tickets for The Croxton Block Party go onsale to the general public on Wednesday 6 August at 10am from thecroxton.com.au.
THE CROXTON BLOCK PARTY:
Tickets available from thecroxton.com.au
SAT 1 NOV | THE CROXTON BANDROOM, THORNBURY VIC | 18+
Tropical Fuck Storm
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks
Party Dozen
Grace Cummings
EXEK + Npcede
Loose Lips
SUN 2 NOV | THE CROXTON BANDROOM, THORNBURY VIC | 18+
Spiderbait
Floodlights
Ratcat *Tingles 35th Anniversary Set
Sex Mask
Girl and Girl
The Gnomes