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.
360 ANNOUNCES PART 2 OF BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR, JOINED BY SPECIAL GUEST DREST
Off the back of a killer 12 date regional run through Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT for Part 1 of his Back To Life tour last month, beloved Australian rapper 360 will continue to conquer in 2024, today announcing 12 new dates in March and April for Part 2 of his regional takeover. Previously embarking on a fully sold out run of shows, his first in just under six years last June, Part 2 of 360’s ongoing regional tour will kick off on Thursday 14 March at Blazes Showroom in Tamworth, swinging through New South Wales and Tasmania, before finishing up in Western Australia at Dunsborough Tavern on Saturday 20 April, with special guest drest supporting on the full run.
Tickets go on-sale to the general public at 9am local time on Friday 15 December. Fans are invited to pre-register now at 360music.com.au to access pre-sale tickets from 9am local time on Thursday 14 December.
Returning to stages in November for the first half of his Back To Life regional tour, 360 also joined forces with Support Act for some of the run, with a donation of $1 per ticket purchased matched by a further $1 from Live at your Local being donated to the music industry charity, Support Act. And with the first part of the Back To Life tour officially now done and dusted, the positivity and memories grown throughout that run will firmly flow into the upcoming 2024 shows, as 360 poignantly shares, “Part 1 was so good, though I’m not going to lie, after the first tour in June I was nervous because I felt so rusty still. I had to shake off a lot of cobwebs and it got in my head a bit, I felt stiff, I struggled loosening up and having fun performing. But this tour – that feeling has completely gone, thankfully. Now I’ve been just vibing with the music, having fun and feeling like I used to back in the day. It’s taken a lot of work to get here, but it’s so good to be back.”
An ARIA Award-winning, multi-platinum pioneer, 360’s art has consistently resonated globally throughout his career, thanks largely due to his honest, authentic and self-aware nature as well as his inescapably likeable sonic flair. Closing out the year and gazing towards 2024 tapping into his own life and broader society, 360’s culturally conscious state of flow has also been heavily inspired in 2023 by the likes of Danheim, Hans Zimmer, Nicholas Britell, Mac Richter and Dustin O’Halloran. “I listen to them when I’m zoning out,” 360 reveals, “and picturing the life I want to create for myself”. Returning with gusto in 2023, 360 is undeniably back, better than ever before – and his hard-fought and inspiring journey to finding peace and strength against the odds has exuberantly flowed over into his creations as well as his live performances, as 360 reveals, “I was in a horrible place, I had a whole bunch of music I was making but the lack of self-confidence and social anxiety had wreaked havoc on my frame of mind. I wanted to stay indoors and avoid the world, I lost the spark to live and be better. But this year I made a conscious choice to turn things around and take back control of my life, so it’s been a mixture of things. It started with a ton of therapy every week, understanding my issues inside and out. Then that evolved into working with a life coach. I had to figure out the exact man I wanted to be and stop living like a little boy, so that’s what I’m in the process of doing right now. A lot of it is about doing the work I would usually avoid doing at all costs. I’m not a confrontational person and I let that get out of hand to the point I wouldn’t stand up for myself or communicate honestly. So learning to be more assertive, to have trust in myself and actually love myself again. Also, I can’t stress the importance of the fitness side of things, smashing the gym regularly and eating healthy has done way more than any medication has…so this has been the process to coming back to life.”
An artist who has never been one to do anything in halves, the prolific rapper swiftly cemented himself on the Australian scene via his 2008 debut album What You See Is What You Get, before the game-changing 2011 release Falling & Flying catapulted 360 into a whole new stratosphere. Hailed for its emotive weight, authenticity and genre-fluid finesse, Falling & Flying paved the way for 360’s continued domination with 2014’s Utopia and 2017’s Vintage Modern firmly sealing his legacy. But amongst his renowned battle rapping dexterity, searing creative innovation and collaborations, 360’s path has simultaneously been lined with mountains, from an accident in 2010 that almost upended the release of Falling & Flying to his battle with addiction and mental health issues in later years; all moments in time that ultimately helped guide and strengthen 360’s resolve, leading him to new music as well as his triumphant return to performing earlier this year. Now primed and focused on a horde of upcoming projects, 360 will also imminently be joined on Part 2 of the Back To Life regional tour with drest – a young singer-songwriter hailing from the small farming town of Finley in New South Wales, and currently based in Melbourne. Weaving a melting pot of indie, rock, pop, and rap, drest’s dazzling sonic amalgamation is equally connective and fresh, with sold out shows across Australia alongside 360 in his wake, his own headline shows and a recent single heavenwillwait out in the world.
Alongside drest in 2024, 360 is primed to continue bringing his exhilarating live show around regional Australia, with the Back To Life Part 2 tour guaranteed to satiate past, present and future fans of the magnetic rap maverick. Expect unapologetic and heartfelt storytelling from an artist who can tackle any style and make it his own. And hitting some familiar and less travelled locales next March and April, prepare for some incredible moments from one of Australia’s most engaging modern artists, who is as excited to be back and thriving, as much as his legions of fans are excited to have him back. “I am working on an album, collab projects, and I intend to jump back into the arena of rap battling as well,” 360 reveals. “I’ll be doing a bunch of other shit too, like showing certain steps I’ve taken to get myself better, I really wanna show others who are stuck in a rut that if they need a way out, this is how I’ve done it, but you’ve gotta put in the hard work. It’s fucking good to be back.”Tickets to the Back To Life Regional Tour Part 2 go on sale at 9am local time on Friday 15 December from 360music.com.au.
360 – BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR PART 2
Tickets available from 360music.com.au
THU 14 MAR | BLAZES SHOWROOM, TAMWORTH NSW | 18+
FRI 15 MAR | FINNIAN’S, PORT MACQUARIE NSW | 18+
SAT 16 MAR | KING STREET, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
THU 04 APR | MIRANDA HOTEL, MIRANDA NSW | 18+
FRI 05 APR | SHOAL BAY COUNTRY CLUB, SHOAL BAY NSW | 18+
SAT 06 APR | DRIFTERS WHARF, CENTRAL COAST NSW | 18+
THU 11 APR | ROYAL OAK HOTEL , LAUNCESTON TAS | 18+
FRI 12 APR | PUB ROCK DINER, DEVONPORT TAS | 18+
SAT 13 APR | REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
THU 18 APR | LEISURE INN, ROCKINGHAM WA | 18+
FRI 19 APR | THE CARINE, DUNCRAIG WA | 18+
SAT 20 APR | THE DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN, DUNSBOROUGH WA | 18+
HERE COMES THE SUN ANNOUNCES VIC INSTALMENT FOR 2024, ALONGSIDE FLAGSHIP WA FESTIVAL FEAT. OCEAN ALLEY, BALL PARK MUSIC, RUBY FIELDS, JACK BOTTS, SOUTH SUMMIT, CLEWS & MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED, SET TO RIDE IN TO TORQUAY MARCH 30 & MARGARET RIVER APRIL 13
WA’s beloved Here Comes The Sun festival is receiving a major upgrade in 2024, with the inclusion of an east coast instalment set to delight Victorian music lovers in March. Additional to the festival’s flagship Margaret River 3 Oceans (WA) event on Saturday 13 April, the acclaimed festival will also swing through Torquay Common (VIC) on Saturday 30 March. The coastal festivals will see a haul of Aussie faves take to the stage, including Ocean Alley, Ball Park Music, Ruby Fields, Jack Botts, South Summit, and Clews, with more to be announced.
Tickets go on sale on Friday 8 December at 10am local time from www.hctsfest.com
Heading into its fifth year, Here Comes The Sun has become an institution in WA with seven successful events under its belt. The expansion into Torquay is massive, but not surprising, given the laid-back coastal vibe the festival is famous for. Fittingly, both dates will coincide with two of Australia’s most important surfing competitions: the World Surf League Margaret River Pro, and the Bells Pro in Torquay.
Here Comes The Sun is one of the leading events programmed by Macro Music – the team responsible for Out Of The Woods, Good Day Sunshine and Sugarloaf Rock, as well as over a decade of high profile artist management. Filling the need for a world-class event in the Margaret River region, Here Comes The Sun was born, delivering artists like Tame Impala, Amy Shark, Crooked Colours, ShockOne, and more to the south west.
There is no more fitting a headliner for Here Comes The Sun 2024 than Australia’s beloved psychedelic-surf-rockers, Ocean Alley. For the last decade they have sold out shows across Australia, North America, Europe, UK, and New Zealand – headlining to over 75,000 people globally in 2023 alone – including spots at Splendour In The Grass, Reading & Leeds (UK), and BottleRock (USA).
The winner of 2018’s Hottest 100 for their anthem Confidence (now certified quadruple-platinum), Ocean Alley released their fourth album Low Altitude Living last year, captivating audiences with their psychedelic beauty. Citing their love for the ocean as their biggest inspiration, there couldn’t be a more apt musical accompaniment to Australia’s best surfing competitions.
Melancholic masters, Ball Park Music are one of Australia’s most successful acts, producing six incredible albums in nine years (five of which debuted in the ARIA Top 10). Festival veterans, the beloved Brisbane five-piece have made sold-out appearances at Summer Sounds and Neck Of The Woods, as well as recently joining icon Paul Kelly’s Making Gravy concert series.
When Ruby Fields’ aptly-titled debut album Been Doin’ It For A Bit debuted at #1 on the ARIA Charts, it confirmed that Australia absolutely loves the silky-voiced singer-songwriter. Shortly after, the world followed suit. One of the most talented and emotionally-moving artists in the country, Ruby Fields switches from a haunting solo delivery to a cyclonic full-band attack in the blink of an eye.
The image of Jack Botts surfing at sunset is one of the most perfect depictions of his aura as a human. His debut album Sucker For Sunsets is a genre-bending masterpiece that delves deep into his soul, displaying personal lyrics that run the gamut from pain to elation. Laid-back and blissfully breezy, his music is summer incarnate; filled with the highs, lows and in-betweens of real life.
WA’s five-piece indie reggae band South Summit are the perfect soundtrack to summer on the coast. Melding the diverse sounds of Aboriginal, Māori and Western culture; South Summit have taken off since forming during lockdown – surpassing over two million streams, earning a nomination for Triple J Unearthed ‘Artist Of The Year’, and impressing crowds at Groovin The Moo, Falls, and Rolling Sets.
Clews are one of the most exciting new artists in Australia, fronted by the sibling power of Lily and Grace Richardson, whose love for ’90s anthems shows in their incredible songwriting and lush dual vocals. Amassing fans all over the globe, Clews are well on their way to becoming a festival staple, wielding grungy melodic power that sits somewhere between PJ Harvey and Warpaint.
TICKETS FOR HERE COME THE SUN FESTIVAL 2024 GO ON SALE ON FRIDAY 8 DECEMBER AT 10AM LOCAL TIME FROM WWW.HCTSFEST.COM
HERE COMES THE SUN FESTIVAL
SATURDAY 30 MARCH | TORQUAY COMMON | TORQUAY, VIC
SATURDAY 13 APRIL | 3 OCEANS WINERY | MARGARET RIVER, WA