From house to post-punk, these four Aussie acts are shaking up the scene right now
First up, Melbourne’s Glass Fountain is doing their thing with a mix of house, jazz, and electronica that’ll get stuck in your head. Their live session is something you won’t want to miss.
Sydney’s Shady Nasty are bringing the heat with their new track CAREDBRAH—a raw and in-your-face post-punk anthem that doesn’t hold back on telling you how it is.
Julia Why? are back with Smoke Machine, a fuzzed-out track that’s perfect for anyone who loves a good shoegaze moment, alongside Blossom Rot label mate Tired Girl, with right4me, a bittersweet look at love that’s equal parts dreamy and sharp.
From hypnotic live sets to blistering social commentary, these artists are redefining the Aussie music scene.
Glass Fountain
Hailing from Melbourne/Naarm, Glass Fountain are redefining electronic music with their texture-heavy, live-instrument approach. The duo, made up of Benjamin Graham and James O’Brien, eschews laptops for meticulously synced analogue hardware, modular synths, and samplers—all while keeping a live drum kit and bass guitar at the forefront.
Their sound fuses ambient, house, pop, and jazz influences, delivering improvisational sets that effortlessly glide between thumping house tracks and brooding electronica. Their latest release, Forget It, is a breezy, house-infused track that feels tailor-made for sunlit rooftops and warm summer nights. Accompanied by a stunning live video filmed at The Belfry in Richmond, it’s the perfect introduction to the duo’s dynamic production and live chops.
Tired Girl
Tired Girl’s latest single, right4me, is a wistful, shimmering ode to the messy contradictions of modern dating. After years spent honing her craft in projects like Tees and Grease Arrestor, Liz is stepping into the spotlight with her debut album, TIRED, arriving February 7 via Blossom Rot Records.
“right4me” perfectly captures the self-destructive tendency to romanticize red-flag-filled relationships. Liz’s gentle vocals float over silky rhythms and lush textures, creating a soundscape that feels soothing despite its raw emotional core. She explains, “This one’s just about dating self absorbed dickheads really. Feeling annoyed at yourself for liking them, cos they’re just talking about themselves all the time, not asking any questions, no interest in you or your life. Knowing that it’s pretty pointless, but having some self destructive part of ourselves that just daydreams about the good times, and ignore all the red flags.”
If her haunting cover of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren” hinted at what was to come, right4me proves Tired Girl’s debut will be nothing short of stunning.
Shady Nasty
Sydney’s Shady Nasty have been carving out a niche in Australia’s post-punk scene, and their upcoming debut album, TREK (out February 21, 2025), solidifies their reputation. Produced by Kim Moyes of The Presets, TREK channels themes of friendship, suburban nostalgia, and existential musings, all wrapped in the band’s signature digital-filtered sheen.
Their latest single, CAREDBRAH, is a heartfelt ode to enduring friendships despite divergent paths. The accompanying music video, directed by drummer Luca Watson and Harry Welsh, showcases hypnotic vignettes of Sydney life, blending raw suburban rituals with dreamlike introspection.
Catch Shady Nasty’s transformative post-punk live this summer at the inaugural Hazard Festival and other soon-to-be-announced dates.
Julia Why?
Sydney shoegaze trio Julia Why? return with Smoke Machine, a track that radiates raw energy and cathartic anger. Led by Julia Wylie, with Kat Harley (Mezko, The Laurels) on guitar and Frank Salt (Sports Bra) on drums, the band’s sound is sharper and bolder than ever.
Propelled by sleazy, fuzz-drenched guitar lines and driving percussion, Smoke Machine packs both attitude and substance. Written spontaneously during a rehearsal, the song takes aim at entitled male strangers. Julia recalls, “I wrote the lyrics after this man came up to me and my girlfriend at a gig and launched into comparing our body parts at us. It was dehumanizing and enraging and I wanted to take power back through this song.”
Channeling the ethos of shoegaze greats like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, Julia Why? infuses the genre with razor-sharp lyricism and a quintessential raw emotional Aussie punch.
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