GOOD MORNING SHARE NEW SINGLE 'DEPENDS ON WHAT I KNOW' + VIDEO DIRECTED BY AIDAN MCDONALD + BARNYARD LP OUT OCT 22

Good Morning today share 'Depends On What I Know', continuing to feed heavy anticipation for their forthcoming album Barnyard, out Oct 22. 

~LISTEN/WATCH 'DEPENDS ON WHAT I KNOW' HERE~

Presenting another snapshot of the meditative and considered nature of Good Morning's Barnyard is their latest single, 'Depends On What I Know' built exclusively on a series of power chords. Like its predecessors 'Burning' and 'Country', the release too reconciles with those single instances, memories and experiences that continue to play over in your own life movie - in this case, tales of epochs lifted from the lives of duo Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair. However 'Depends On What I Know' sees the band refrain from spilling their guts across a bedroom floor, leaving interpretation of "what I know, depends on what I know" open to all. Stefan reveals "I usually try to bury the words in some level of abstraction so that they can be interpreted in different ways, but I suppose the overarching idea is that you can only do what you do, and make the decisions you make, based on the information you have at your disposal."

~WATCH THE 'DEPENDS ON WHAT I KNOW' VIDEO HERE~

Visually, the band continue to reference the sass-infused humour they have inbred on records past, taking shape in 'Depends On What I Know's music video - a gentle cheekiness whose endearing quality has become synonymous with Good Morning as a band amongst listeners and fans. Folk music plays gently in the background of super zoomed, peep-hole sized, reels of a farm voyage, complete with sheep and ducks and horses oh my! Stefan continues, "We’ve really outdone ourselves with the video for this one, pure finesse and class I’d say. I dunno that much needs to be said about it, just watch it for yourself if you feel like it, if not, huge loss for you I guess."

With their triptych of releases in tow, ahead of Barnyard's official release, Good Morning have accumulated international acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, NME, Stereogum, The Line Of Best Fit, Consequence, Alt Press, Paste, DIY Mag, Music Feeds, The Music, Northern Transmissions, KCRW, 6Music and many more, including a warm embrace across local community radio stations Triple R, PBS, FBi Radio, 2SER, Edge Radio and SYN, together with New Music playlist support upon release across DSPs, alongside tastemaker editorial.

Barnyard is a world-weary record, concerned with the state of things in a loose, unfocused sort of way. In other words, like we all are — frustrated both with the way things are and with everyone’s general inability to fix any of the many issues endemic to our society. Although those seeking grand reinvention or earth-shaking hubris in Barnyard will come up short. This is an album of good, well-made, finely-written songs, notable for its purity and coherence of vision, but not by any means a concept album; it is a record significant in Good Morning’s history, but not one with such self-importance that it would consider itself historically significant for all. That is likely what those drawn to it will love about it. Not too little and not too much, it’s just right – just Good Morning.

Barnyard is out October 22, pre-order it HERE.
'Depends On What I Know' is out now, buy/stream it HERE.

GOOD MORNING SHARE NEW SINGLE 'BURNING' + VIDEO DIRECTED BY CAROLYN HAWKINS + BARNYARD LP OUT OCT 22

Following their rousing emotive return with 'Country', Naarm / Melbourne indie-folk duo Good Morning share new single 'Burning', taken from their forthcoming album Barnyard, out this Oct 22 via Polyvinyl.

~LISTEN TO 'BURNING' HERE~
 

A part Tweedy part 'Taxman' leaning jaunt, 'Burning' sees Good Morning capture the sense of dread felt by many across the nation and beyond, that in spite of the rising significance of taking action in activism, how draining that fight can be in the face of the blissful ignorance of world leaders. Over steady lounge piano chords, Liam and Stefan ruminate on existentialism, markers of success and purpose, to the climate crisis, before reaching its pensive pre-chorus "Some folks will swim and some folks will drown / Me I just hold onto to whatever I’ve found."

Lifting the veil on 'Burning's meaning, Liam shares "The lyrics for the song were written in the middle of recording at the end of 2019. We had been touring America for a month and a bit and then were doing a little recording in Chicago. The whole time we’d been looking back at Australia and you could just tell that the upcoming summer was going to be fucked. It was only September/October and already the fire season had begun and heat records were being broken all the time. There was an impending sense of doom that within a matter of weeks was completely justified.

In Australia, there is this prevailing rhetoric coming from Scott Morrison and the like that in the midst of a crisis isn’t the time to be talking about climate change or our country’s coal addiction, and that to do so would somehow be opportunistic or shallow. So when is the right time when the crisis is never-ending? When can we talk about it when both sides of our federal politics live in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry, their silence and compliance bought while the clock ticks? There’s a necessary numbness that sets in as an occasional coping mechanism for being alive in this present moment. If you felt it all, all the time, you’d be crushed. This song isn’t an endorsement of complacency, but rather an admission that sometimes you need to disassociate for a minute before you can face up to the moment."
 

~WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'BURNING' HERE~

With 'Burning's release comes an animated collage video, created and directed by Carolyn Hawkins. Of the process, she reveals "I stuck with a washed out colour palette - I was thinking about the 2020 bushfires and all the smog and hot concrete. The song also got me thinking about how we try to make sense of the world and cobble together meaning in such confusing, chaotic and troubling times. I wanted to play with images of deconstruction and reconstruction to explore how humans build all these systems - whether it's politics or the built environment or our own personal worldview - but at the end of the day it's all so fragile and can so easily be dismantled. I had to be resourceful as it wasn't easy to go out and get materials with shops shut, but this forced me to think outside the box and look to other methods of creating source material. I printed out a lot of images of Brutalist architecture, people, and textures using my crappy printer, and then created a few hand-drawn textures using whatever I had lying around."

Lifted from their forthcoming record Barnyard, 'Burning' follows 'Country', the band’s appeal to return to a simpler, easier way of being, that has garnered support from Rolling Stone, NME, Stereogum, Alt Press, Paste, DIY Mag, Music Feeds, The Music and many more, including a warm embrace across community radio nationally, via Triple R, PBS, FBi Radio, 2SER, Edge Radio and SYN. Plus New Music playlist support on Spotify and Apple Music upon release alongside tastemaker editorial.
 

Barnyard is out October 22, pre-order it HERE.
'Burning' is out now, buy/stream it HERE.

GOOD MORNING SHARE NEW SINGLE 'COUNTRY' + ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM BARNYARD OUT OCT 22 + INK PUBLISHING DEAL WITH SUB POP

Today Naarm / Melbourne based duo Good Morning announce their forthcoming record Barnyard via Polyvinyl out this October 22, with their latest single 'Country'.

~ Listen / Watch 'Country' HERE ~

If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from Good Morning's output, it’s their staggered, separate but only possible with the help of the other, approach to songwriting between members Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair. Written and sung by Liam, new release 'Country' persists in spite of its appeal to return to a simpler, easier way of being. Introduced with a polyrhythmic melody, guitar, synth and percussive elements enter slowly, layered and growing gently almost like a battery on charge. What the duo establish here, without a lyric yet sung, is a stirring emotive force that distils the impressions, analyses and impact of pivotal life moments into a string of chords, as immediately transportative to their memory and moment in time, as a single pinprick.

'Country's pensive refrain sees Liam reflect on his younger desires, wants and needs, and how they panned out into adulthood. He explains, "I’m still not sure if I’m singing to old friends, an old lover or my old self. I think probably all three. At the time, I was having a rough one reconciling my life with what I had expected adult life to be. I knew that my younger self - a more virtuous, kind-hearted and patient person - would be perplexed by how I had turned out, and I felt a kind of second-hand embarrassment for myself looking over the last few years of false starts and dead ends. This song is an attempt from me to reconnect with my younger self as well as some key ghosts from my past and to move forward by looking back - pretty futile stuff really."

It’s a feeling as universal as it is instantly understood, with lines such as "You know that I’m incapable of changing / Some people just get stuck in their ways / Never thought it’d be me like this / I was meant to be brave," that see Parsons deliver a vocal performance comparable to Brandon Flowers and Dave Le’aupepe, with lyrics just as authentic and meditative. Visually, 'Country' is brought to life against a recurring backdrop of Liam’s childhood, the 1st Eltham Scouts Hall. "I was always too embarrassed to admit that I was a scout to my school friends, the same way I was too embarrassed to admit that I got piano lessons. Both of those things are ridiculous. Scouts is cool and so are piano lessons" he shares. Directed and produced by Aidan McDonald, 'Country's music video sees Good Morning joined on stage by a swag of friends and peers that bring the two-piece into full band mode; with members of local outfits, Cool Sounds and Skydeck, to arts and culture writers Shaad D'Souza and Greer Clemens trading pens for instruments, and more.

Of its making, Aidan McDonald reveals "Besides the performance itself, a ton of meticulous detail can go into a music video, though it’s not so often people get to see what’s happening behind the camera. We wanted to embrace the contrivance of performance music videos in general. Here we are with a bunch of lights, cameras, food and crew that we’re spending money on, why not place all of that on display rather than just the band playing." Completing 'Country's release and the reveal of Barnyard today, Good Morning also share the news of their signing to Sub Pop Publishing. “We’re so happy to be working with Sub Pop publishing going forward," says Liam. "Over the course of several Zooms and even a few rounds of beers in Seattle, Gareth and the crew have proven themselves to be kind, enthusiastic music lovers and we’re thrilled to know that our lil’ songs are in safe hands.” Gareth Smith, Vice President/General Manager of Sub Pop Publishing continues, "We love Good Morning and we couldn't be more stoked to be working with them!''

Good Morning are rulebreakers. Not in a sexy, flamboyant way - more in a casual, resigned kind of way. Accidental and incidental rulebreakers. The creation and release of their sixth album, Barnyard, is the result of a process of patient refinement and the breaking of a couple of self-imposed rules. Thoughtful, catchy, idiosyncratic, and nearly twice the average length of their back catalogue, it’s all the things one might love about Good Morning, this time around presented with the fat trimmed and the edges sharpened. Recorded at Wilco’s famed studio The Loft, for the first time in a long time the record was made with the help of an outside engineer and will see an international release on a record label not operated by a friend, but instead, Polyvinyl, joining the likes of Alvvays, Julia Jacklin, STRFKR, Kero Kero Bonito and more. A milestone in the history of the band it’s also their most meditative record, thoughtful and careful in its evocations. Not too little and not too much, it’s just right - just Good Morning

BONNIE KNIGHT SIGNS TO OUR GOLDEN FRIEND FOR MANAGEMENT

Today we are so excited to announce that Bonnie Knight has joined the Our Golden Friend Management roster. Bonnie is the first producer on the Our Golden Friend lineup and we can't wait to work with them on their studio endeavours alongside current management acts Chitra, Elizabeth, Georgia Maq, Good Morning and RVG.

On signing Bonnie Our Golden Friend's owner / director Lorrae McKenna says “We’re super excited to welcome Bonnie to the OGF family today. Bonnie has an astounding musical brain and I am completely in awe of the incredibly high level of production, technical skills and industry experience that Bonnie  has amassed at such a young age. I feel very excited to get to work with an extremely talented non-male producer and sound engineer who has been proudly forging their way through the very heavily male dominated spaces of studio production and live sound.” 

Keeping it simple and to the point Bonnie adds "Hello! Very excited to join the OGF family!" and the feeling is mutual.

Bonnie Knight is a sound engineer, producer and songwriter, with a depth of experience across all aspects of sound. Having honed their skills as a live engineer through expansive touring across Australia, New Zealand and North America they've found a home in the studio, recording and producing tracks for beloved bands and rising stars. 

A background in sound design has given Bonnie a passion for unique sounds that allows them to challenge pop conventions and work across genres. Channeling their live sound experience with acts such as Julia Jacklin, Stella Donnelly, Good Morning, Simona Castricum, Divide & Dissolve, Pinch Points and Horrorshow has given Bonnie a unique perspective, letting their creativity roam as they works closely with artists in the studio. 

Bonnie has most recently engineered Amyl and the Sniffers soon to be released album Comfort To Me and produced songs for artists Willing, Ali Jef, Punko and Mohini. This year sees Bonnie taking full command of the producer's chair, working with artists across the country and cementing themself as a sought after creative force in the studio.  

For all producer booking enquires and quote please contact lorrae@ourgoldenfriend.com

Our Golden Friend are stoked to welcome Bonnie Knight to the family and are so excited for all the great music ahead!

GEORGIA MAQ AND ALICE IVY TEAM UP ON NEW SINGLE 'SOMEONE STRANGER'

Naarm / Melbourne’s Georgia Maq and Alice Ivy today share their collaborative single, 'Someone Stranger', a natural coming together for two of Australia’s most prominent and tireless advocates for non-male representation in the conventionally male dominated spaces of punk and electronic music, respectively. The track was premiered yesterday afternoon on triple j Drive.

~ Listen to 'Someone Stranger' HERE ~

Since debuting with 2019’s Pleaser LP, Georgia Maq has chased a more genuine form of pop music in her solo career, a vision in the vein of that pioneered by the likes of Robyn, Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen and others, that retains all of the glamour and universality but feels unburdened from capitalist underpinnings. Full of DIY electro-pop that mined evergreen themes of romantic, sexual and self-love, Maq’s solo debut was not so much a transformation as it was a revelation, opening up on her vulnerabilities and heartbreaks, finding strength in this self-exposure and revealing the multitudes to herself beyond the Camp Cope project.

If Pleaser was a left-of-field toe dip, 'Someone Stranger' is a full, unencumbered immersion: the chrysalis. Linking with Alice Ivy, 'Someone Stranger' continues the revelation of Georgia Maq, musing on loneliness, desire, the need for connection and the therapeutic potential of dancefloors, whilst proving once again her penchant for a surprise that rewards. Of the single, Maq shares: "Annika and I knew we wanted to make a song together so we made the time and in about three hours we had pretty much finished 'Someone Stranger'. I write lyrics really quickly when I feel I have to and Annika creates amazing melodies so it just worked really well together. The song is very much open to interpretation, but personally it’s about purging romance through movement."

For producer and songwriter Alice Ivy, 'Someone Stranger' builds on the refined curatorial efforts of her recently released second LP, the Australian Music Prize-shortlisted Don’t Sleep, while tapping into the emotionally-charged elation of singles such as 'Don’t Sleep (feat. imbi & BOI)' and 'In My Mind (feat. Ecca Vandal)'. Boasting collaborations with Odette, Montaigne, Ngaiire, Thelma Plum, Bertie Blackman and more, Don’t Sleep demonstrated Ivy’s adroit ability as a producer, collaborator and tastemaker in not only platforming new voices and artists but also uncovering new dimensions to artists thought to be well established entities, working to diversify the sound and look of the traditionally male-dominated studio space in the process. Ivy’s modus operandi of collaborating with a deliberating broad range of artists now leads her to working with Georgia Maq on 'Someone Stranger', another thread in an abundant tapestry of underrepresented voices and stories that runs across her entire discography.

Alice Ivy says of the single: "I feel like Georgia and I have always been destined to write together, so I was super excited when we finally got the chance last year. I played her a little demo I had kicking around and she immediately started writing lyrics for it. I loved how fast-paced the whole experience was! I think we were both thinking, "Let's make this a song we'd wanna hear in a club!". Georgia's voice is so incredible, it was cool just being able to just write a massive pop banga with her. Very excited to have this one out in the world!"

Ivy's production lends a big-room sheen and sense of scale to Maq's songwriting, with resounding four on the floor drums, sweeping chords, strummed acoustic guitar in the background and immense synth lines that rise from the bottom of the mix, reaching ever and ever higher towards a ceiling that, seemingly, doesn’t exist. "Touch my body, I feel something," Maq soars as the chorus, barely able to contain itself for much longer, bursts forth from the restrained verses, her vocals sounding smoother, sleeker and more sure of themselves than ever, pushing further into rapturous euphoria. Later this year, Georgia Maq will be performing live at the Sydney Opera House as part of the city's annual VIVID LIVE festival - stay tuned for the announcement of new show dates coming soon.
 

'Someone Stranger' is out now, buy/stream it HERE.

ALICE SKYE + ELIZABETH NEW RESCHEDULED AUSTRALIAN EAST COAST CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES

Today sees Elizabeth and Alice Skye announce the third round of rescheduled dates for their much anticipated co-headline East Coast Tour. While the tour was originally slated to conclude early this month these new dates see the duo making their way along the coast until November. Coinciding with the spring blooms the bands will be bringing an abundance of sweet music to drive away the winter blues, stirring up the biggest, best and most cathartic feelings amongst the crowd.

After missing out on an album tour and a slot at SXSW between them the pair spent the latter half of 2020 creating and releasing music. Namely Elizabeth’s deluxe edition of The Wonderful World of Nature released after her signing to US based label AntiFragile, and the four searing singles Alice released ahead of her sophomore album I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good out this Friday July 23.

The return of live music early this year saw Alice play a headline show at The Corner, support Avalanches at Sidney Myer Music Bowl and go on tour with Midnight Oil as a part of the Makarrata Project. Elizabeth played Brunswick Music Festival and spent the first half of the year playing Meadow Festival, Inward Goods Festival and STBS.

With the first national headline tour for both of them finally going ahead, the duo will be sharing the stage across several dates including shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Castlemaine and Ballarat. Full tour dates and ticket information can be found below.

Penney & Logan, Our Golden Friend, Collective Artists & Select Music present:

Alice Skye & Elizabeth  - Australian East Coast Co-Headline Tour

WED 01 SEP - VOLTA, BALLARAT TICKETS

THU 02 SEP - THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE TICKETS

FRI 03 SEP (EARLY SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

FRI 03 SEP (LATE SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

THU 07 OCT - THE VANGUARD, SYDNEY TICKETS

SAT 30 OCT - GRACE EMILY, ADELAIDE TICKETS

THU 11 NOV - BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE TICKETS

ALICE SKYE + ELIZABETH NEW RESCHEDULED AUSTRALIAN EAST COAST CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES

In true 2021 fashion today Alice Skye and Elizabeth announce another round of rescheduled tour dates for their Australian East-Coast Co-Headline Tour. It's not a real tour without a few bumps in the road, even if the car hasn't started yet, but the wait is sure to make these shows all the sweeter. The world may seem like it's conspiring against them but nothing can stop Elizabeth and Alice, along with their bands, from traversing the country, embracing the stage and stirring up the biggest, best and most cathartic feelings amongst the crowd. 

While their 2020 plans to tour were put on hold, including an album launch tour for Elizabeth, and a slot at SXSW for Alice, the pair did not sit idly by. Last year was a big one for both Elizabeth and Alice, the former releasing a deluxe edition of her debut album The Wonderful World of Nature, and the latter four searing singles from her own soon to be released sophomore album I Feel Better But I Don't Feel Good. 

The return of live music saw Alice play a headline show at The Corner, support Avalanches at Myer Music Bowl and go on tour with Midnight Oil as a part of the Makarrata Project. Elizabeth has played Brunswick Music Festival and has spent the first half of the year playing Meadow Festival, Inward Goods Festival and STBS. With some forced time away from the stage the pair have never been more ready to join forces and head out on the road together.

With the first national headline tour for both of them finally going ahead, the duo will be sharing the stage across several dates including shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Melbourne, Castlemaine and Ballarat. Full tour dates and ticket information can be found below.

Alice Skye & Elizabeth  - Australian East Coast Co-Headline Tour

THU 22 JUL - GRACE EMILY, ADELAIDE TICKETS

FRI 30 JUL - THE VANGUARD, SYDNEY TICKETS

SAT 31 JUL - SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE TICKETS

SUN 01 AUG - BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE TICKETS

WED 01 SEP - VOLTA, BALLARAT TICKETS

THU 02 SEP - THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE TICKETS

FRI 03 SEP (EARLY SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

FRI 03 SEP (LATE SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

RVG ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF SECOND ALBUM 'FERAL'

Today RVG announce their long awaited Feral Australian Album Tour. Now over a year since it's release, and with plenty of time for the band and fans alike to ruminate on it's themes in isolation RVG are bringing the album to life across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Fremantle and Castlemaine.

Starting the tour with a bang RVG are playing at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Live before heading around the country throughout August and September.

This marks the first interstate shows since the release of second album Feral last year. Recorded at Head Gap studios with producer Victor Van Vugt (PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Beth Orton), Feral was RVG’s first full-length release in three years, coming just as the world went into hibernation.

To Romy Vager, RVG’s lead singer and lyricist, to feel feral is to feel outside of everything. Throughout the album that feeling of isolation is incited, but it never feels hopeless: these songs channel the raw energy of despair and frustration into melodies that often feel victorious, perhaps only because they so aptly supply a soundtrack to the end of days.

Following a recent collaboration with Julia Jacklin covering Björk's 'Army of Me' and a handful of Melbourne based shows earlier this year, including a slot at Boogie Festival, RVG are set for their return to shows across the border. Tickets are on sale now.

RVG live is Romy Vager, Reuben Bloxham, Marc Nolte and Isabele Wallace.

RVG ‘FERAL’ AUSTRALIAN ALBUM TOUR

Wed 25th Aug - Sydney Opera House, Sydney TICKETS

Thursday 26th Aug - Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane - TICKETS

Sat 28th Aug - Corner Hotel, Melbourne  -  TICKETS

Friday 3rd Sept - The Lab, Adelaide  - TICKETS

Sat 4th Sept - The Bird, Perth - Tickets on the door

Sun 5th Sept - Aardvark, Fremantle - TICKETS

Sat 11th Sept - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine  - TICKETS

ALICE SKYE + ELIZABETH RESCHEDULED AUSTRALIAN EAST COAST CO-HEADLINE TOUR DATES

Nothing can stop the dreamiest tour of the year going ahead. Today Alice Skye and Elizabeth announce rescheduled tour dates for their Australian East-Coast Co-Headline Tour. While their Victorian dates stay the same the rest of the tour moves to late July. After a year of solitude and isolation, and now a few weeks more, Elizabeth and Alice, along with their bands, are set to traverse the country, embrace the stage and stir up the biggest, best and most cathartic feelings amongst the crowd. 

While their 2020 plans to tour were put on hold, including an album launch tour for Elizabeth, and a slot at SXSW for Alice, the pair did not sit idly by. Last year was a big one for both Elizabeth and Alice, the former releasing a deluxe edition of her debut album The Wonderful World of Nature, and the latter four searing singles from her own soon to be released sophomore album I Feel Better But I Don't Feel Good. 

The return of live music saw Alice play a headline show at The Corner, support Avalanches at Myer Music Bowl and go on tour with Midnight Oil as a part of the Makarrata Project. Elizabeth has played Brunswick Music Festival and has spent the first half of the year playing Meadow Festival, Inward Goods Festival and STBS. With some forced time away from the stage the pair have never been more ready to join forces and head out on the road together.

With the first national headline tour for both of them finally going ahead, the duo will be sharing the stage across several dates including shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Melbourne, Castlemaine and Ballarat. Full tour dates and ticket information can be found below.

Alice Skye & Elizabeth  - Australian East Coast Co-Headline Tour

FRI 02 JUL (EARLY SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

FRI 02 JUL (LATE SHOW) – THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE TICKETS

SAT 03 JUL - THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE TICKETS

SUN 04 JUL - VOLTA, BALLARAT TICKETS

THU 22 JUL - GRACE EMILY, ADELAIDE TICKETS

FRI 30 JUL - THE VANGUARD, SYDNEY TICKETS

SAT 31 JUL - SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE TICKETS

SUN 01 AUG - BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE TICKETS

Photo by Nick McKk

Stepping into her sound like a silk robe, Elizabeth is the patron saint of sad girls. With her latest release The Wonderful World of Nature Deluxe Edition, she stakes her claim as a glamorous tragic, a queer pop anti-heroine holding a curtain of glittering melodies over ugly truths. Casting herself as the antagonist wielding pop songs as weapons, she wipes away her running mascara and escapes a destruction of her own making.

Alice Skye is a Wergaia/Wemba Wemba person living and writing music in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Since her first album, the  critically acclaimed 'Friends with Feelings' she has signed with Bad Apples, the Indigenous-driven label that celebrates and prioritises' blak excellence. Alice's upcoming sophomore album 'I Feel Better but I Don't Feel Good' to be released on July 23 was produced by local artist Jen Cloher. The latest single from the album, Party Tricks, was released on 7th May. Her work continues to look inwards and explores finding staunchness in softness.

RVG & JULIA JACKLIN JOIN FORCES TO COVER BJORK'S 'ARMY OF ME' AS A PART OF RISING SINGLES CLUB + RVG PLAYING THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE FOR VIVID LIVE

Today RVG and Julia Jacklin share their version of Bjork's 'Army of Me' as part of Rising Singles Club monthly full-moon releases. Teaming up to take on the inimitable Bjork the group spent a day in the studio working together and perfecting their 90s Icelandic rock sensibilities.

With Julia and Romy Vager taking on shared vocal responsibilities the track is a powerful rework, combining the intensity and frenetic energy of the classic with Julia and RVG's own distinctive sound, a wild ride, and a true love letter to Bjork.

~Stream/Download the song HERE~

Speaking of the inspiration for the track Julia said "I just love Bjork and I love RVG. I was running on a treadmill which I don't do very often, and I was listening to 'Army of Me' over and over again to make me feel stronger than I am. Then I thought why not try and cover this song with another artist that makes me feel stronger than I am and I did! Was a good musical punch in the face to wake me up from a year of living a very small quiet life. RVG are one of my favourite bands in the whole world and it was just a real blessing to spend some time with them making music."

Likewise RVG added "We adore Julia's music and were thrilled when she asked us to do a precious Bjork song with her. I think we all wanted to challenge ourselves to be as intuitive as possible."

The track premiered last night on Triple R's Breaking and Entering with Julia and Romy joining Simon to chat through the creative process. You can listen back to the interview HERE.

In even more good news RVG are joining the Vivid LIVE 2021 lineup. Playing their first interstate show since 2019 the band will be taking command of the Sydney Opera House stage in August, a much welcome return to non-Victorian shores.

Tickets for Vivid LIVE are on sale now, you can get yours HERE.

This also marks their first Sydney show since the release of second album Feral last year. Recorded at Head Gap studios with producer Victor Van Vugt (PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Beth Orton), Feral was RVG’s first full-length release in three years, coming just as the world went into hibernation.

To Romy Vager, RVG’s lead singer and lyricist, to feel feral is to feel outside of everything. Throughout the album that feeling of isolation is incited, but it never feels hopeless: these songs channel the raw energy of despair and frustration into melodies that often feel victorious, perhaps only because they so aptly supply a soundtrack to the end of days.

RVG live is Romy Vager, Reuben Bloxham, Marc Nolte and Isabele Wallace.