Indie Rock

Australian indie rock band Vacations developed a following first at home and then around the world for their smooth-surfaced music built around the interplay of guitar and electronic keyboards and seasoned with the influences of lo-fi, indie pop, and 1980s alternative sounds. Led by guitarist and principal songwriter Campbell Burns, Vacations' early work, such as the 2015 Days EP, made an advantage of their low-budget production, with the music having a naturalistic, live feel. It wasn't long before they became more comfortable with studio craft, and 2018's Changes and 2020's Forever in Bloom revealed a greater sophistication. Released in 2023, their Terms & Conditions EP added a more emotional, personal tone to Burns' performances.

Vibes
Hailing from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Vacations were formed in 2015 by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Campbell Burns. Initially taking a D.I.Y. approach, Burns self-released the band's first EP, 2015's Days, which featured bassist Jake Johnson and drummer Harrison Chapman. By the time Vacations brought out their second EP, 2016's Vibes, the group had settled on a stable lineup, with Burns and Johnson joined by lead guitarist Nate Delizzotti and drummer Joseph Van Lier. Vibes included the song "Young," which became their breakthrough track after it went viral on social media, pushing the song's streaming numbers into nine figures. Extensive touring followed, and in 2017, the Days and Vibes EPs were given a two-fer reissue on compact disc. 2018 saw the release of Vacations' first full-length album, 2018's Changes. The album gave the group another massive hit with the song "Telephones," and the band was filling large venues at home and in the United Kingdom as well as making their United States debut at the South by Southwest festival. After issuing a stand-alone single in 2019, "On Your Own," the second LP from Vacations, Forever in Bloom, was issued in 2020, though the band's efforts to promote it were compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic, which made touring impossible. Burns retreated to his home and began writing new material while beginning work on building his own recording studio. Once the studio was complete, Vacations recorded a three-song EP, Terms & Conditions, which appeared in July 2023; along with the title track, it included two successful singles, "Midwest" and "Next Exit."

Imogen Clark is an Australian indie rock artist, hailing from the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Her music ranges from the intimate to the arena-ready, rock anthems with the soul of a confessional singer-songwriter.

Despite the myriad challenges that 2020 brought to the music industry, Imogen had a banner year - she released a critically acclaimed EP, played a sold-out livestream concert series, performed back-to-back sold-out Sydney launch shows in September, dropped a nostalgic Christmas single, and wrapped it all up with an epic First Annual Holiday Hootenanny gig with her musical mates – including Montaigne, Jack Moffitt (The Preatures), Lindsay McDougall (Frenzal Rhomb) and more.

The 26-year-old has lost none of her momentum in 2021, with her powerful new EP ‘Bastards’. The six-track collection, begun in person in LA with a cast of rock legends, then later finished remotely over Zoom during the pandemic, is the most raw and intense music Clark has released to date.

“If The Making of Me was about embracing all of who I am, this album is about me confronting and process the impact my relationships with the people in my life have had on me – family, lovers and friends, losing people, being betrayed and learning how and when to cut the cord,” says Imogen. “I really put my heart through the meat grinder and challenged myself to make this record, and I’m so proud to put this music out into the world”.

Reteaming with LA-based producer Mike Bloom (Julian Casablancas, Jenny Lewis), Imogen builds on the rich, dynamic sound of her last EP, taking everything to a new level – the drums hit harder, the guitars are louder, the emotions more intimate and transparent. Across the six songs, Imogen sings about betrayal in love (Forget About London), a couple too afraid to end a doomed relationship (Casualty), her family’s history of addiction (Never This Time), the loss of her mentor to suicide (First Class Man) and the men in the industry who refuse to see women as their equals (Bastards).

Amongst the murderer’s row of collaborators on the record include Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, Rilo Kiley’s Jason Boesel and Melbourne indie-pop artist Eilish Gilligan as co-writers, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and Elvis Costello and the Attractions drummer Pete Thomas lending their legendary chops to the recordings.

Cutting her teeth playing in local pubs in the Blue Mountains during her teen years before touring and recording around the world, from the US to Europe to the UK, Imogen brings the depth and confidence of a seasoned rocker to the stage despite her youth. Taking inspiration from legends like Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell as much as contemporary influences like Gang of Youths and Phoebe Bridgers, Imogen’s music continues to dissolve the barriers between her emotions and her audience, even as her music and shows get bigger in size and scope.

Released in August of last year, Imogen Clark’s The Making Of Me EP garnered widespread acclaim both in Australia and North America. Praised for its raw honesty by fans and critics, the six-track offering showcased Imogen’s powerful vocal and reflective lyrics.

The Making Of Me features a star-studded line-up with players from some of the world’s greatest rock bands, and local artists Alex Lahey, Clare Bowen, Emma Swift, Anita Lester and more can be found across EP singles ‘Found Me’, ‘My Own Worst Enemy’, ‘The Making Of Me’, and ‘Paper Boat’.

2021 has already been the biggest year of Imogen’s career to date, including a sold-out Sydney residency, a packed-out secret EP launch show streamed around the world, regional touring, rave reviews for Bastards and now the release of her first ever live record Not A Little Girl, a tantalising taste of what to expect when she takes the stage with her electrifying band for headline shows in November.

Royel Otis are an Australian guitar-pop group from Sydney. The name is a combination of the first names of its members.
History

Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic had known of each other around the Byron Bay area before Pavlovic sent Maddel some demos in 2019, with Pavlovic claiming this was "the collaboration he'd been chasing his whole life".

In October 2021, the duo released their debut EP Campus. This was followed in August 2022, with Bar & Grill. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in March 2023, peaked at number 43 on the ARIA Charts following its physical release in July 2023.

In October 2023, the group announced the release of their debut studio album Pratts & Pain, scheduled for release on 16 February 2024.[6][7] In January 2024, they received attention for a cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor's song "Murder on the Dancefloor" on Triple J.

Pale Waves are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. It was founded originally as Creek when lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester. The other members are guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood, completing the lineup.[1] Pale Waves's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop; their second and third albums, however, owe more to the pop-punk genre.

After signing a record deal with Dirty Hit in 2017, Pale Waves released their debut single, "There's a Honey", followed by "Television Romance". In 2018, the band were ranked fifth in the BBC Sound of 2018 poll and won the NME Under the Radar Award at the NME Awards. Pale Waves' debut EP, All the Things I Never Said, was released in February 2018, followed by their debut studio album, My Mind Makes Noises, on 14 September 2018. The band's second album, Who Am I?, was released on 12 February 2021, and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart; the record also hit number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. The band's third album, Unwanted, was released on 12 August 2022.

Pale Waves formed in 2014 when drummer Ciara Doran met Heather Baron-Gracie while attending BIMM Manchester.[2][3] The two originally named their group "Creek",[4] but they soon changed it to "Pale Waves", basing the name on a painting Baron-Gracie's grandmother had created.[5] Doran and Baron-Gracie initially enlisted second guitarist Ben Bateman and bassist Ryan Marsden to complete the lineup, but they departed from the band shortly thereafter, with current bassist Charlie Wood and second guitarist Hugo Silvani replacing them.[6] The band recorded early demos with production team Sugar House that were released in 2015. These tracks caught the attention of XFM radio broadcaster John Kennedy, who referred them to the independent record label Dirty Hit.[7] Pale Waves was subsequently signed to the label in 2017.[6]

The band's first single under Dirty Hit, "There's a Honey", was released on 21 April 2017 to widespread acclaim.[8] On 1 June 2017, the band played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden supporting The 1975 on their North American tour.[9] The band's second single, "Television Romance", was released on 16 August 2017,[10] with its music video directed by The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy.[11] Healy later appeared on the cover of NME with Baron-Gracie for the 20 October 2017 issue of the magazine.[12] Pale Waves embarked on their first North American headlining tour in November and December 2017, playing 21 shows over four weeks.[13]

The band headlined DIY magazine's Class of 2018 shortlist for its December/January issue.[14] On 7 November 2017, the band released the single "New Year's Eve",[13][15] followed by "My Obsession" on 13 December 2017.

Baron-Gracie announced on 4 January 2018 via Twitter that the band had started recording their debut album.[17] On 8 January, it was announced that the band had been placed fifth in the BBC Sound of 2018 poll.[18] Speaking to the BBC, Baron-Gracie talked about how the band's debut album is shaping up and its darker tone: "The songs we have out now are very influenced by romance. The album is me talking about a lot of my darker issues. I talk about a lot of things that go on in my mind rather than in my heart".[18] "The Tide", the first song written by the band, was released on 1 February 2018 as the third single from the band's then-upcoming debut extended play (EP), All the Things I Never Said.[19][20]

Pale Waves won the NME Under the Radar Award at the NME Awards 2018, and performed "There's a Honey" at the ceremony at London's O2 Academy Brixton on 14 February 2018.[21] The band also received a nomination for Best Video for "Television Romance",[22] but lost out to The Big Moon.[23]

Pale Waves' debut EP, All the Things I Never Said, was released digitally on 20 February 2018,[24][25] followed by a 12-inch vinyl release on 16 March 2018.[26] On 6 April 2018, it was announced that the band had signed to Interscope Records in a joint venture with Dirty Hit to release music in the United States.[27] The third single from the band's debut album, "Kiss", following "There's a Honey" and "Television Romance", was released on 15 May 2018. "Noises" was released as the fourth single on 28 June 2018.

In an interview with NME magazine in early September 2018 the band revealed they are working on a new EP following the debut album. Baron-Gracie discussed how the new EP will lean towards "pop punk and rock'n'roll" and will touch on themes such as politics, acceptance and sexuality.[28] The band's debut album, My Mind Makes Noises, was released on 14 September 2018 and reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.