Luke Escombe – New Single – Whale Beach Road

May 27, 2022

Luke Escombe’s personal and professional life reached a high point in 2019, culminating in him moving into a new home with his young family in one of Australia’s most sought-after postcodes. Everything was going great. Then the world ended.

A giant cloud of bushfire smoke descended on his Northern Beaches paradise, and the excitement of 2019 was replaced by a creeping sense of anger and despair. “Whale Beach Road”, the first single from Luke’s upcoming album, his first in over five years, came at the start of an intense period of song writing and soul-searching fuelled by his desire to reclaim a sense of love and hope.

Recorded at Damien Gerard studios on the Central Coast in 2020 and then added to in stolen moments between lockdowns, the track features soaring strings and Luke’s fiery electric guitar over a tense rock-reggae groove laid down by some of Australia’s most acclaimed players, drummer Evan Mannell, bassist Zoe Hauptmann, guitarist Aaron Flower and organist Clayton Doley.

“Luke Escombe is a rock-soul singer, raconteur, blistering blues guitarist, comedian and songwriter, and very good at them all” – Sydney Morning Herald

Luke Escombe is an ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter who combines his blues, rock and soul influences with subversive humour, poetic lyrics and heartfelt storytelling. He is the creator of the internationally acclaimed one-man show “Chronic” and the writer and front man of multi award-winning Aussie kids band The Vegetable Plot.

Checkout The New Single OUT NOW on Foghorn/MGM

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Julie Anne Marshall – Let Go – New Addition to Playlist

May 26, 2022

The new single from Julie-Anne Marshall Let Go has just been added to the soundslikecafe digital espresso playlist

Julie-Anne says “I have learnt to embrace the fluidity of my songwriting and that I am a multifaceted artist…the song says to me, ‘ready’ and I say ‘yep, where are we going this time?’”

‘Let Go’ features slide guitar and piano matched with sassy earthy vocals. She has teamed up again with Matt Williams (from Adelaide) to record a song that is forlorn but also defiant in feel.

Though fluid in genre, her songs are still quintessentially Julie-Anne – lyric driven, with an openness and ease of listening, emotive vocals and a succinct and lucid poetic language.

Originally from Adelaide, Julie-Anne Marshall has spent the last two years in Melbourne in what she optimistically refers to as ‘strange, interesting and challenging times’.

Having come out the ‘other side’ she is now finding her feet and a renewed enthusiasm for her art and her sense of self as a singer-songwriter. In doing this Julie-Anne has given herself full permission to ‘sit’ comfortably wherever the song wanting to be expressed takes her.

This is evident in the movement from her last single release (Good Feeling) which had a California Pop vibe, to her current song release ‘Let Go’ which has bedded itself into a neo-Bluesy Rock Ballad.

Hear the song

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Kaiyah Mercedes – After Summer Ends single added to playlist

May 18, 2022

Soundslikecafe is proud to add this debut single from the highly talented Melbourne teenager Kaiyah Mercedes

Kaiyah Mercedes is a 15-year-old up-and-coming singer/songwriter based in Melbourne, whose lyrics are written with poetic influence with a focus on storytelling and emotions.

With Foo Fighters and Nirvana as two of her key influences and teaming up with Producer Chris Wilson they have been working together on this debut single ‘After Summer Ends’ and the follow up ‘I Don’t Know Who You Are Anymore’

Kaiyah began truly writing in 2020, during the pandemic, a difficult time for most people, including Kaiyah.

Self taught in guitar and piano, Kaiyah writes folk/pop inspired songs that are a representation of the world through her eyes. Kaiyah is inspired by the world around her, from musicians, to nature, to movies, with these influences very visible in her work.

Checkout the song

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Emma Bosworth – Summer(Official Video)

May 12, 2022

New Playlist Add- Brisbane Singer-Songwriter Emma Bosworth’s Single ‘Summer’

May 12, 2022

With the rain we are experiencing on the Aussie East Coast heres a nice reminder of the sunshine we are missing…

Emma cut her teeth from an early age playing in garage bands and howling with the rock’n’roll best of them. Her punk non-conformism mixed with her mature sound creates a blend of music not previously heard in the Australian scene. And if there is one trait all great artists share, it’s a sense of restlessness. It is a constant hard-wired drive to continually take their music in new directions – testing the waters, finding new sounds, creating music in new ways. And thus, for Emma, with every passing moment her style and sound is changing, adapting, evolving.

Emma’s commitment to the craft is seen through the numerous musical detours she continually takes. You can find her voice on the acclaimed Paddy McHugh album, ‘Trials and Cape Tribulations’, while her music has been featured on television series ‘Slide’ and 2014 feature film ‘Predestination’. More recently she has taken a major role with the unique songwriting project, ‘The Soldier’s Wife,’ which has included performances everywhere from regional Queensland to The Sydney Opera House. Her brainchild, mid-career songwriters retreat, “Wild Mountains Songs”, has seen her collaborate with some of Australia’s best. Emma also believes music can be instrumental in social change and leans into this ideology with her role as Project Manager at Green Music Australia.

Stream the single ‘Summer’ here:

Watch the official video here:

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John Kennedy Releases Raining Treasure Vol. 2

April 21, 2022

Volume 2 of Raining Treasure from John Kennedy – iconic Aussie Indie Covers from the golden age – Physco, Shivers, The Nips are Getting Bigger to name a few

John Kennedy’s 2019 album Raining Treasure Vol.1 celebrated the golden era of Australian independent music from the late ‘70’s and the 80’s. This album, Raining Treasure Vol.2, goes both deeper and wider into the world of Australian indie music. Kennedy compiled a list of classic indie songs (and some obscurities) from that era and with his band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special, has covered songs from Radio Birdman, The Riptides, The Cruel Sea and more.

Some selections covered are likely to create controversy with indie music diehards. The Sports and Mental As Anything? Indie? Really? The Mentals released their records on Regular Records, the Sports on Mushroom; both Australian independent labels. The Angels ?!?! They were on pioneering Australian independent label Albert Productions. Weddings, Parties, Anything (WPA) were on major label WEA. What defines these songs as indie for Kennedy is the independent spirit of the music and the bands who originally recorded them.

An enthusiastic young music journalist once described John Kennedy as a humble genius. Kennedy is neither a genius nor particularly humble. He is the writer and performer of many fine songs, some of which have found a place in the hearts of music fans of the golden era of Australian independent music. Kennedy started his music career in Brisbane in the ‘80’s with his band JFK and the Cuban Crisis. The band moved to Sydney and after establishing itself on the indie music scene, broke up, leaving Kennedy to pursue a solo career with his band vehicle, John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong.

Despite numerous indie hits, commercial crossover proved to be elusive leading to his decision to leave Australia. Kennedy spent the ‘90’s living and playing music in Berlin, Hong Kong and London before returning to Sydney’s Inner West in 2000. He formed a new band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special and continues to perform and produce independent releases.

Over the years Kennedy has shared stages with many of the acts covered on this new album. His band members have come from or gone on to The Triffids, the Go-Betweens, Pop Mechanix and the Lime Spiders. The current line up of the band boasts its own fine indie pedigree. Long time drummer, Peter Timmerman was an original Love Gone Wrong member before moving on to the Widdershins.

Bassist Phil Hall played with Sardine v and the Dropbears. Guitarist Murray Cook started out with indie hopefuls Finger Guns before going on to form what is probably Australia’s most successful independent band, the Wiggles. Together with Kennedy they have created versions of these Australian indie classics, reinterpreting some, expanding some and celebrating them all.

The tracklist is:

The Album Launch Show is on the 6th of May @8pm
At the Petersham Bowling Club

Raining Treasure (Australian Indie Gold Covers Vol.2) is out now 22 April 2022,
on Foghorn Records through MGM.

Stream or Download

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Jane Walker – Wondering Why(Official Video)

March 26, 2022

Jane Walker Releases New Single ‘Wondering Why’

March 26, 2022

One of our new artists just added to the playlist.

When a new batch of songs emerged for Sydney singer/songwriter Jane Walker, it was like some fresh wind blowing through everything, filling her with confidence.

“I thought this is me being honest, getting real, and I just got really excited,” says Walker, who suddenly found the sophisticated soul pop songs, with touches of jazz, coming in a rush. Deeply personal songs, like what would become the first single from her next album, Wondering Why.

“Wondering Why is about meeting my husband and feeling happy with him. It’s very close to the bone, it’s my story, [showing] I’ve got the intensity and the focus to go there and ask what’s my truth?”

The wind blew further, into her work co-creating Cockatoo Kids, a children’s music group whose songs emerged from the same burst of creativity that produced Wondering Why: “Songwriting these days feels liberating and fun and I’m just loving it.”

Backing her on the new recordings are typically classy contributions from cross genre specialists like the rhythm section of Hamish Stuart and James Haselwood, Stu Hunter on keyboards, and co-producer/mixer Neal Sutherland.

Having already written with Chris Difford of Squeeze and Adam Levy (Norah Jones) and worked with the likes of The Cruel Sea’s James Cruickshank, producers Steve James and Barbara Griffin, Indigenous group Street Warriors and Bobby Flynn on her debut, Walk Gently, Walker knows that “working with such talented musicians lifts my level and stimulates me as an artist and gives me that freedom to go for it.”

What also stimulates this ambassador for Ocean Recovery Alliance is connecting deeply with the water and the land of her native Australia – after beginning her career in London (where she joined Radiohead and Massive Attack on a new music album) and missing home.

“More and more I aim to live in the present moment, and find when I’m there, nature rushes in,” says Walker. “[Then] things start to flow and I can write a song.”

Stream Wondering Why here:

Official Video:

Link Tree:

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Luke Harrison – Free

March 17, 2022 Leave a comment

We welcome this new young Aussie talent to Soundslikecafe with his latest single – FREE

Luke has just released his original song he wrote called “Free” to encourage others to be free to be who they are and to be proud of that and always be true to yourself. Celebrate being you!

Luke is a 17 year old actor, singer and performer.

He has starred in several short films and commercials and is a show host and presenter with Channel 10 on 10Shake.

Luke is a triple threat and has starred as the lead role in many professional musical theatre productions. He sang live at the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and recorded the Queens Baton Relay Song for the Opening Ceremony. Luke was recently asked to perform the Australian National Anthem at the Qld Governor’s Swearing In Ceremony at Parliament House.

Listen

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Slide Milligan – Debut Single Scores Number 1 spot

March 1, 2022 Leave a comment

The new single from Slide Milligan has scored the number 1 spot on our soundslikecafe playlist this week

A perfect summer track from modern Americana/Bluesman Slide Milligan. The up-tempo “Australiana Classic” song rolls along with infectious melody and nostalgic production. Slide lives up to his name with guitars and his daughter stars on smooth and hooky backing vocals.

Slide Milligan’s musical journey has been half a life in the making but sounds as exciting as the latest Australian Rock & Roll export being paraded around the world. After years and years of playing in bands through the late 80’s/90s, Dave “Slide” Milligan gave up his musical dreams to pursue a trade in rural fencing and woodworking. To unwind after working all day in the paddocks of rural Australia and his sawmill Dave built himself a lap steel guitar.

Over the years he started to write a collection of exceptional songs that weren’t your usual “roots” music fare, mixing his hard rock background and his ability to tap into that authentic Australian sound. Despair and dread mixed with sunshine and water he caught the ear of local producers and with some help with production from Indie impresario Andy Clockwise (He was working on a fence on Clockwise’ farm when he was back from LA and the two lit a bonfire in the paddock) “Slide” has produced a psychedelic slide guitar masterpiece called “Blood Red River”. A pastiche of outlaw country, psychedelic post-punk & a different approach to the slide guitar. This music sounds familiar yet fresh in the current musical landscape. At the ripe old age of 52, this new artist is sure to make a splash in the country-indie-rock crossover here and abroad. Blood Red River will be released later this year.

Feelin’ Fine is Out Now on Foghorn/MGM

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