Felicity Urquhart, much-loved and awarded Australian country artist, and Josh Cunningham, founding member of renown folk rock outfit The Waifs, have joined forces to release an album together.

These two exceptional singer-songwriter-musicians were invited to join Song Club, a creative collective that tasked members with writing a song a week – a challenge the two took on and have taken one step further to release as their debut album. Written, performed, recorded and produced by Felicity and Josh, this is a heartfelt collection of uplifting and hope-driven songs about new beginnings and new journeys.

Stream The Song Club here.

Australian singer/songwriter and producer, KUČKA, has established herself as a standout artist over the last few years, having previously co-written and collaborated with artists like Flume, A$AP Rocky, Vince Staples, and SOPHIE. She has shown her ability to experiment with various genres and styles and now she’s finally ready to share her debut album, Wrestling, with the world.

Wrestling features additional production by Flume, Nosaj Thing, and Vegyn and is as diverse as they come. Flaunting a unique self-described brand of “digital soul,” KUČKA creates her soundscapes and infuses them with hypnotic rhythms in a captivating way.

This album illustrates that journey, processed, celebrated and soothed through dance driven electronica, ethereal vocals and glitchy textures.

The project of Laura Jane Lowther, the artist shares of today’s release: “Wrestling is a deeply personal album and releasing it feels like I’m passing around my diary for everyone to read –liberating and vulnerable at the same time. It’s introspective but with a little bit of party along the way and really touches the full spectrum of emotions that come with so much change. My hope is that as people immerse themselves in the world, they connect not only to the music and lyrics, but also themselves.”

Stream Wrestling here.

Today one of Aotearoa’s most prolific songwriters releases her debut solo album. The arrival of The War On Peace Of Mind by Dianne Swann (The Bads) marks a well fought career decades in the making.

Coming in at a concise eight songs, and produced by Swann, she wanted the album to be short, sharp, and focussed. The War On Peace Of Mind showcases Swann’s presence with hints of vulnerability to her voice.

The eight songs shift between cautious optimism and stark truths. An album that finds itself commanding your attention and an album that is surely to be one of 2021’s best.

Listen to The War On Peace Of Mind here.

On his new album Infinite Youth, New Zealand artist Merk examines the blurry line between adolescence and adulthood, and all the clarity and mess that accompanies that blurring. This is a record that thrives on a certain simplicity of rhythm, melody, and lyric, and is compelled by contrast: pop songs influenced by art music, an album about adulthood that reflects heavily on what it is to be young, and a sonic world that is both expansive and deeply intimate.

Infinite Youth is an album that is on its most basic level homemade: iPhone voice memos abound, Perkins’ aunt’s voice lingers in the background of one track, a crappy USB interface and borrowed gear make up so much of the work’s foundation.

An album that will capture you on first listen and then reward your every repetition, Infinite Youth reintroduces Merk and invites you, warmly, into his orbit.

In celebration of his new album, Merk is heading out on tour in New Zealand.

Saturday 1 May –  Jam Factory, Tauranga
Saturday 15 May –  Cassette No. 9, Auckland
Thursday 20 May – Meow,  Wellington
Saturday 22 May –  Loons Theatre, Christchurch
Sunday 23 May – Dive,  Dunedin

Stream Infinite Youth on Spotify now.

We are pleased to see Lastlings and Tia Gostelow among the finalists for the 2021 Queensland Music Awards.

Lastlings are up for Best Electronic/Dance Act for ‘No Time’ and Best Music Video for ‘Out of Touch’.

Tia Gostelow is up for Best Regional Act for ‘PSYCHO’.

Winners announced on May 5th at The Fortitude Music Hall.

Check out the full list of finalists here.