THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT SHARE NEW SINGLE VISITING HOURS ANNOUNCE RELEASE DATE FOR NEW ALBUM IV FOR SEPTEMBER 2 SELL OUT MELBOURNE + ADD SECOND MELBOURNE SHOW TO NATIONAL TOUR
Fusing smouldering intensity with existential exploration, the latest track Visiting Hours from Aussie rock legends The Butterfly Effect continues the quartet’s passionate journey towards the release of their long-awaited fourth studio album: the aptly titled IV, with the official release date today unveiled to be September 2. An emphatic anthem that harks back to earlier Butters territory while staunchly showcasing the group’s ongoing evolution, Visiting Hours is another triumphant peek into the brand new LP that will arrive 14 years after its predecessor, 2008’s The Final Conversation of Kings.
With a stacked national tour also on the cards from late September into October, the band’s first full tour since 2019, fans can catch old and new favourite tunes across the country, with Ben Hall, Clint Boge, Glenn Esmond and Kurt Goedhart, aka The Butterfly Effect, bringing local heavies Thornhill and Caligula’s Horse along for the ride, kicking off in Cairns at Tanks Art Centre on September 30 before hitting Townsville, Mackay, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne and Adelaide before bringing proceedings to a close in Fremantle on October 16. And for fans in Melbourne who missed out on tickets to the sold out October 14 show at Northcote Theatre, The Butterfly Effect have also confirmed a second Melbourne show at Northcote Theatre set for October 13. For tickets and information, head to www.thebutterflyeffectband.com.au.
Visiting Hours unfurls with haunting guitar work courtesy of axe-man Kurt before steadily building a world of melodic beauty and oscillating beats around frontman Clint’s raw yet intimate vocals. A dark, brooding and, ultimately, optimistic outing that draws inspiration from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Tori Amos and Kate Bush, Visiting Hours showcases an assured and steady technicality from the Brisbane quartet, with the occasional heavier textures signposting the band’s rockstar status alongside sparser moments juxtaposing previous riff-heavy singles like Nil By Mouth and So Tired. An instant and unmistakable The Butterfly Effect opus, Visiting Hours holds a special place for the band while lyrically traversing life and the human condition, as Clint explains, “It feels amazing as always to be releasing new music and I really think this song is one of our best. To me it is about our eternal search for meaning and worth. It’s about the human condition and an existential crisis that faces us all, but at the same time as asking questions it has an undertone of hope and I hope that resonates with everyone that listens to it.” Echoing Clint’s sentiments, bass player Glenn shares, “This is probably my favourite of the new songs. I’ve loved this tune ever since we first demoed it back in 2009. I’m so excited that everyone’s going to finally get a chance to hear it. All of us in the band have acutely felt the passing of time, and I think Clint’s words reflect this. Our time here, as people and as artists, is very fleeting. Life is delicately impermanent and we’re never guaranteed a second chance.”
Following a chance meeting at a gig back in 2017 between Kurt and Clint, absence had entirely made the heart grow fonder following Clint’s departure from the band in 2012 and the ultimate disbanding of The Butterfly Effect announced back in 2016. And from fortuitous meetings to reuniting the original lineup back in 2018, The Butterfly Effect soon set their sights on album #4, bringing in the likes of Forrester Savell, Nick DiDia, Matt Bartlem, Clint Vincent, Luke Palmer and Stuart Stuart to bring various pieces of the new release to life; and the end result for IV is nothing short of electrifying. Journeying through love and hate, gains and losses, highs and lows, life and death and beyond, IV burrows into themes of dreams and the realities of the dichotomies of life, as well as the variables we all face on a daily basis. Opening with hazy, brooding intensity via title track IV, the broader IV album brushes with soaring melodics (Dark Light), crushing textures (The Other Side), searing riffage (Nil By Mouth) and a horde of inspiration from the likes of Faith No More, Gojira, Jeff Buckley and Deftones. Showcasing The Butterfly Effect at their most elegantly ferocious and focused to date, there’s significant balance throughout IV between show-stopping rock and riffing roar alongside significantly hard-hitting thematics, as Glenn elaborates, “It feels like there’s lots of contemplation of death and rebirth. Disconnection and then reconnection. The temporary nature of time, the passing of dreams, getting older, dealing with change, finding new meaning in life. All of these are completely understandable when you consider the history of the band over the last 10 years and where we all find ourselves as we get older”.
A band significantly well-versed in writing, recording and life on the road, The Butterfly Effect remain one of the all-time Australian greats of their generation, from their critically-acclaimed previous releases to their voracious live shows, both at home and abroad. And while the upcoming new album may be arriving at a very different stage of life, both for the band personally and their legion of lifelong fans, IV is a textbook example of expecting the unexpected, offering a chance for a collection of songs to finally leap into the world alongside freshly written material, as Clint shares, “I am so happy we got here to this point in time. Some of these songs were written straight after Final Conversation of Kings and would have been on the next album had we stayed together. So for these songs to see the light of day and for us to be able to present them to all who wish to listen is a huge privilege and a moment I won’t forget.”
Fans can look forward to a healthy mix of new Butters tunes alongside plenty of fan favourites when The Butterfly Effect take to stages to celebrate IV later this year, and the band themselves couldn’t be more excited to make their way around Australia armed with their brand new album. Of the upcoming shows, Clint says, “I’m excited about all the shows from the smaller stages in the north where it’s up close and super personal to the bigger stages and bigger rooms down south, it’s going to be great getting back out there”. And while fans are already ecstatic about the impending tour, with the original Melbourne date already sold out and a second one jumping in for good measure, the band can’t wait to hit the road, as Glenn concludes, “I’m most excited about playing fantastic new songs. The familiar faces of fans that have been supporting us for so long. The camaraderie with the crew and the other guys in the band. Life can be pretty busy, and the opportunities to socialise and hang out seem to get fewer as we get older. Beers, shit talk, fried food from the servo, I am going to enjoy every moment”.
Tickets for The Butterfly Effect’s upcoming national tour are on sale now from www.thebutterflyeffectband.com.au.
Visiting Hours is out today, Friday July 15.
IV is set for release on September 2.
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT – IV 2022 TOUR:
with guests Thornhill & Caligula’s Horse
Tickets available from: www.thebutterflyeffectband.com.au
FRI 30 SEPT | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS, QLD | 18+
SAT 1 OCT | MANSFIELD HOTEL, TOWNSVILLE, QLD | 18+
SUN 2 OCT | HARRUP PARK, MACKAY, QLD | 18+
THUR 6 OCT | BLANK SPACE, TOOWOOMBA, QLD | 18+
FRI 7 OCT | EATONS HILL HOTEL, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+
SAT 8 OCT | UNSW ROUNDHOUSE, SYDNEY, NSW | 18+
SUN 9 OCT | HOBART UNI BAR, HOBART, TAS | 18+
THUR 13 OCT | NORTHCOTE THEATRE, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+ *NEW SHOW*
FRI 14 OCT | NORTHCOTE THEATRE, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+ *SOLD OUT*
SUN 15 OCT | HINDLEY ST MUSIC HALL, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+
SUN 16 OCT | METROPOLIS, FREMANTLE, WA | 18+
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT – IV – Tracklisting
IV
Dark Light
So Tired
The Other Side
Wave of Tides
Unbroken
Nil By Mouth
Great Heights
Start Again
Visiting Hours
st.james SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘AQUARIUS’
A sultry, dark and immersive adventure lies in wait on Aquarius, aka the brand new single from luminous alt-pop artist st.james. Officially billowing out into the world today, Aquarius marks a stylistic shift for st.james from her earlier work; but it’s ultimately a stunning and welcome deviation, bustling with futuristic hues as well as a smattering of st.james’ more vintage trademark flair.
Aquarius crawls and undulates with glossy production and immersive layers, with st.james effortlessly sweeping and skipping vocally amongst hip hop, electronic and alt-pop undertones. Polished, poised and oozing with charisma, st.james emerges with the ultimate sonic glow-up via her new track, nodding to both the past and present simultaneously, as she explains, “I listened to a lot of The Beatles when I was writing this, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band! I think I also subconsciously got the intensity of the vocals from listening to Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power album as well. But I wanted it to feel futuristic, with a little hint of some vintage energy”.
Working alongside Luke Palmer as the primary producer, st.james also brought in Matt Bartlem as co-producer for Aquarius, with Luke and st.james initially throwing ideas around from an early demo before passing over to Matt to finesse and edit, leading to the eventual bewitching end result. Bouyed by a shared creative vision alongside her collaborators, st.james also fluidly explores intimate and universal themes throughout the visceral single, with a transcendental narrative take on the world and self realisation, as st.james elaborates, “Aquarius is about shining the light on what was once hidden in shadows. It’s personal and also written from a collective point of view. The awakening of our minds and deciding to forge our own beliefs from information presented to us, rather than consuming mindlessly and regurgitating old, tired belief systems”.
A diehard lover of all things music, st.james grew up surrounded by pop music videos and listening to the likes of David Bowie and Bob Dylan with her father along the way. Currently based on the Gold Coast after previously working and living in Melbourne for six years, and a stint in Byron Bay in 2021 filming the Netflix series Byron Baes, st.james has repeatedly enamoured in 2022 with her optimistic, heartfelt tunes via tracks like Liars and Restless Life. And presenting a fun, mysterious, layered and darkly seductive outing fit for a futuristic kingdom on her new single Aquarius, st.james also continues to look to her own past to both bolster her creative process and connect with fans, as she concludes, “My love for great, intentional lyric writing, and catchy pop hooks and melodies are my biggest sources of motivation when it comes to the music I create. It’s universally the number one way humans connect and it has the ability to change and shape your emotions and how you see the world. I find that so fascinating. I have always sung and played music but it took quite a long time to find my feet with songwriting. I had so many thoughts and feelings and no idea how to express them. Figuring out not only what I thought people would want to hear, but also what I wanted to share, was the most challenging part. I now try to write honestly, and without a censor or veil. And if it resonates with an audience then I am so happy.”
Aquarius is out now
KAT GRETA SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘LET IT GO’ FEATURING CHARLIE LANE + NEW EP ‘GET UP & GO’ SET FOR RELEASE AUGUST 5
Beats, grooves and husky delights lie in wait on the debut single Let It Go from dynamic drummer and songwriter Kat Greta. Featuring Melbourne’s Charlie Lane on vocals, Let It Go marks a rousing first look into Kat’s impending maiden EP Get Up & Go due out on Friday August 5; and the slick flavours of Let It Go can also be caught live in action in July and August, with Kat launching the single at The Old Bar in Fitzroy on Thursday July 21, and an EP live unveiling at The Workers Club in Fitzroy on Sunday August 28, with the EP available to grab on vinyl on the night.
Let It Go dazzles with modern 80s cool, with gleaming keys, driving beats and frolicking melodics barreling around the whiskey-soaked vocal stylings of Charlie Lane and Kat’s potent drumwork throughout. Equally embracing vintage and modern tones in a sharp and simplistic arrangement, Let It Go fluidly embraces nods to the likes of 80s greats like The Doors and INXS, alongside the melodic approaches of Carole King, The Beatles and Billy Joel. But while this modern-vintage hybrid has itself been years in the making, Kat also struck inspiration for Let It Go in seizing the day professionally and personally for her debut release, as she explains, “Let It Go is about letting go of what isn’t serving you well, and finding the courage to be free. Life is short. In this case for me, it was rediscovering the joy that playing the drums brings me. I had a gut feeling that there was a suppressed dream inside of me, and I just needed to take a leap of faith and find the courage to do it. Also, on a very personal note, my parents are both living with degenerative illnesses and it really brings home for me the notion that life is very short.”
The video for Let It Go perfectly complements the vintage flavours and lyrical themes on display in the track, with Kat roadtripping in a Mustang convertible with her hair in the wind and, most essentially, with her drum kit along for the ride. Teaming up with Dayne Edward on the clip, who has previously worked with Maya Vice, Zretro, Tanha MC, Adidas and Tune Squad, the end result is a quintessential road trip adventure around areas close to Kat’s heart, as she elaborates, “We decided that I’d drive an old car in the video, something a bit vintage to suit the song. We went with a Mustang because Mustangs are like the ultimate symbol for freedom. I would drive it down an open road, roof down, hair blowing in the breeze, with my drums in the back. Then I find myself at the ocean beach down at Portsea, playing drums out in the open air at London Bridge. It’s really quite liberating. It represents my dream of being free and playing the drums. We chose the location of Cape Schanck and the surrounding areas down on the Peninsula with the lighthouse track, and got a drone to really capture the beauty of the area with the windy track and crashing waves. Also, the Mornington Peninsula is where I grew up and still live, so I’m quite attached to the area.”
While Let It Go, and her upcoming EP Get Up & Go, may mark Kat’s first official foray into the musical realm as an artist, her own backstory is lined with plenty of Aussie music royalty. Hailing from a big Italian, musical family, Kat’s own immersion into music comes as little surprise, with this Victorian powerhouse related to Nic and Chris Cester of Jet, Eugene Cester from TISM, Alf, Johnny, Jayney and Lydia Klimek and opera singer Christina Russo. With plenty of new material and live shows on the horizon, Kat has spent a lifetime around music, playing from an early age and being surrounded by various musical instruments growing up. And with 2022 culminating in Kat finally launching her solo project, this is only just the beginning for this compelling artist; and it’s a journey Kat is entirely ready for, as she concludes, “I am super excited to be releasing a new single and EP this year. It’s been a few years in the making and it’s been an incredible journey so far. It took me a really long time to work out my sound and style, and I did this in a backwards way – I made the recording before I got the band together. I’ve learnt a lot in the process. I am happy to be able to release my music with the confidence that this is the kind of artist that I am.”
Let It Go is out today, Thursday July 7.
Get Up & Go is set for release on Friday August 5, available on vinyl.
KAT GRETA – UPCOMING SHOW DATES:
THURS 21 JUL | THE OLD BAR, FITZROY VIC | 18+
Tickets available from https://theoldbar.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/e04a87a3-d24e-4e48-a8a8-1d3bcb5c436d
1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
Let It Go single launch with guests Luke Medley Band & Thomas Byrne
SUN 28 AUG | THE WORKERS CLUB, FITZROY VIC | ALL AGES
Tickets available from https://theworkersclub.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/a321246f-0867-4e23-a7cd-1dd7777363e9
1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
Get Up & Go EP launch with guests Thomas Byrne & Hui