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Rising Bassist Blu DeTiger Brings Her Powerful Sound to Australia – Backseat Mafia
Blu DeTiger is the kind of artist who doesn’t ask for permission to take centre stage—she just picks up her bass and commands it. For a long time, bassists were sidelined, the steady undercurrent beneath the flash of lead guitars and vocalists, but Blu rewrites that narrative with every slick groove. Her Australian debut tour, with stops at intimate venues and a spot at Changing Tides Festival, feels less like a formal introduction and more like a homecoming to those who’ve already felt the pulse of her sound. Born and raised in New York City, Blu has the kind of grit that only comes from playing your first gig at…
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Leon Bridges returns to Australia in January 2025 for his biggest headline dates yet! – Backseat Mafia
Leon Bridges is set to return to Australia in January 2025, a soulful arrival that feels less like a tour and more like an overdue reunion. After a three-year absence, the Texan singer-songwriter brings with him not just the smooth R&B that made him a name, but the weight of a career that has grown more nuanced, more reflective since his first foray into the spotlight. His sound—rooted in old-school soul but evolved through years of navigating his place in modern music—invites audiences to step inside the stories, the ache, and the quiet moments that pulse beneath each song. Leon’s all-ages tour will take him to two of Australia’s most…
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Fleshwater’s Gritty Grungegaze Finally Hits Australia This November – Backseat Mafia
Fleshwater’s long-awaited arrival in Australia has finally become reality. After a false start earlier this year when they had to pull out of the New Bloom Festival, the American grungegaze band will make good on their promise this November. The band, which started as a side project for members of Vein.fm, will kick off their debut Australian tour on November 13 in Brisbane, moving through Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide, and wrapping up in Perth on November 22. Born in 2017, Fleshwater’s origins are gritty and unpolished, much like their sound. Their 2020 debut, demo2020, hit the scene like a punch in the gut, with the single “Linda Claire” amassing…
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Love As Fiction Records announces re-release of the final glorious album from the iconic Big Heavy Stuff – Backseat Mafia
Love As Fiction Records have announced that iconic Sydney band Big Heavy Stuff‘s final 2004 album is available for pre-order today. The 20th Anniversary Edition of the album will be released on Vinyl, CD and Cassette in limited editions. For the first time it also includes a previously unreleased version of the album, titled ‘Naked Friends and Enemies’ which is an earlier raw version of the album mixed by the legendary Wayne Connolly. The album has been remastered by Chris Hanzsek and artwork refreshed and re-designed by Matt W Bayes. It has been curated directly with the band in collaboration with Nick Kennedy. There will be a Double Vinyl LP,…
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Beijing Bikini unveil double singles ‘Big Cheese’ and ‘Allegro’ ahead of album and live dates – Backseat Mafia
Beijing Bikini are undoubtedly members of an elite club that I call the Marrickville Sound – bands that are more experienced, often in their second or third iteration after a long career in the industry, exercising their undimmed creative muscles and producing great, often guitar-driven music. Named after an inner city suburb of Sydney that seems to excel in this type of music, it has seen a resurgence in brilliant music from older musicians, proving the old adage that creativity has no use by date. Beijing Bikini consists of alumni from various bands from the past (The Bacchantes, MoMos, The Baddies) and they have just release a dynamic pair of…
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Crash & the Crapenters Twist Nostalgia into Something Dark and Modern on ‘Depression’ – Backseat Mafia
Crash & the Crapenters aren’t interested in nostalgia—they’re here to dissect it, bend it, and spit it back at you in the form of their latest single ‘Depression.’ Sydney’s punk-rock veterans have always worn their influences on their sleeves, pulling from punk, ska, reggae, and whatever else has kept them grounded in rock’s wild, rebellious spirit since their debut in 2016. But this? This is something different. After three albums of gritty, genre-hopping anthems, they’ve hit a grunge-psych crossroads with ‘Depression,’ a song that leans into its own existential weight. The bass throbs in a druggy haze, the vocals stretch out like a sermon delivered in slow motion, and the…
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Grace VanderWaal Releases New Single ‘What’s Left Of Me’, Following Her Star Role in Francis Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ (Out Now) – Backseat Mafia
Grace VanderWaal has come a long way from her days as the ukulele-toting 12-year-old who captured hearts on America’s Got Talent. Now 20, she’s pushing her music into more mature, emotionally charged territory. Her latest track, ‘What’s Left of Me‘ (out now via Pulse Records), reflects growth, diving deeper into raw emotions and complex storytelling. This new single follows her recent release ‘Call It What You Want‘. While that track explored the murky back-and-forth of a situationship, ‘What’s Left of Me’ deals with facing the aftermath. The song starts with a delicate piano melody, breathy and fragile, before evolving into a dynamic, heartfelt anthem. VanderWaal’s airy, pop-tinged vocals float effortlessly…
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jibing, jiving joy to be found in this slacker pop gem. – Backseat Mafia
There’s something actually refreshing about a singer/songwriter who describes their ‘creative process’ as “…something makes me frustrated, and then I turn it into a little passive-aggressive song…just obsessing about stuff that’s not that important, actually!” So said Berlin based, indie pop realist Anna Erhard when asked about how her latest album ‘Botanical Garden’ which is emerging now via Basel’s favourite label, Radicalis Music. It’s a soundbite which reveals why her music gets so deliciously intoxicating. Honest, understated, sometimes sneery and oozingly ironic, Erhard’s songs are there to help you bounce back from the bad day you’ve had. She’s been sharpening that focus for a while now, starting to write solo…
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Bonneville Share Vibrant New Single ‘Over Breakin’’ – Backseat Mafia
Southern retro-soul band Bonneville is release ‘Over Breakin’‘, the sixth single from their upcoming second album Flying Machine. Building a reputation for their soul, funk and R&B exploits, the new single showcases more of the band’s ability to bring together vintage soul with a modern flair. Co-written by singer Wes McGee and guitarist Jeff Hayashi, the song offers a hopeful message. “It’s about overcoming pain and moving forward,” says McGee. Hayashi adds, “We wanted it to be empathetic and uplifting, with a classic soul vibe but modern production.” GRAMMY®-recognized producer Starita collaborated on the track, recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals. With echoes of Motown through its…
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PULARS Announce First Ever Digital Release Of Debut Album, Share First Three Tracks On ‘Trilogy’ – Backseat Mafia
Chicago-based cult band Pulsars have announced the long-awaited digital release of their self-titled debut album, PULSARS, set to arrive on streaming platforms on November 15th. Today, the band has released the 3 track single ‘Trilogy’, comprising the first three tracks from the album. The digital release is more than just a reissue—it represents the culmination of a journey fraught with missed opportunities and what-ifs. Pulsars were on the verge of breaking out after signing a multi-million, three-album deal with Almo Sounds in the late 90s, alongside the critical success of their debut LP. However, their momentum stalled when Almo Sounds’ deal with Geffen Records fell apart, leaving the band without…
