This week’s new music drop brings standout sounds from both sides of the ditch.
Whether you’re into layered storytelling or just a solid beat to get lost in, there’s plenty worth a spin.
Here are nine fresh releases from rising voices here and across the pond that should be on your radar.
RISSA – ‘FOREVER’
Campbelltown R&B artist RISSA returns with ‘FOREVER’, a silky-smooth, emotionally raw gem that leans into the thrill and fear of new love. Her vocals float over intimate basslines and lush harmonies, channeling the soul of Mahalia and Cleo Sol with the polish of a seasoned storyteller.
Co-produced by Edy Liu and Sam V, the track’s gentle vulnerability proves RISSA is more than a rising voice — she’s one with staying power.
Jessica Mauboy – ‘While I Got Time’
Australia’s queen of pop-soul, Jessica Mauboy, dials things right back on the intimate and deeply personal ‘While I Got Time’. Built around reflection and letting go, the stripped-back track sees Mauboy at her rawest and most resonant.
It’s also the first taste from her new label, Jamally — a bold step toward creative independence. Consider this her reset moment: tender, unfiltered, and unmistakably Jess.
Jamaica Moana – BUD & DENI
Sydney rapper and ballroom icon Jamaica Moana unleashes her debut EP BUD & DENI, an electrifying six-track odyssey across identity, grief, power and queer joy. With collaborators like Milan Ring and Kevin Jz Prodigy, she stitches together Māori spirituality and raw club energy, pushing the envelope sonically and emotionally.
It’s maximalist, defiant, deeply personal — and totally unmissable. A landmark debut from one of the most vital new voices in Australian music.
NO CIGAR – Under The Surface
Aotearoa’s NO CIGAR come into full bloom on Under The Surface, their expansive and emotionally rich third album. Indie-rock with heart, it captures the ache of youth and connection through shimmering guitars and earnest lyricism.
With tracks like ‘Clean’ and ‘Best Behaviour’, the five-piece deliver a record that’s as ready for festival stages as it is for bedroom repeat listens. Honest, cathartic, and beautifully crafted — this is NO CIGAR at their best.
Pickle Darling – ‘Violence Voyager’
Pickle Darling (aka Lukas Mayo) returns with ‘Violence Voyager’, a whimsical and quietly devastating glimpse into upcoming album Battlebots. With its lo-fi textures and tender musings, the track reads like an existential dreamscape — part PS1 cutscene, part love note to everyday magic.
It’s loopy, lovely, and loaded with feeling. If you’re after music that lets you escape while still hitting home, Pickle Darling has built your next emotional safe zone.
Sycco – Home Is Where The Zorb Is (Part 1)
Sycco’s new EP Home Is Where The Zorb Is (Part 1) finds the Naarm-based artist doubling down on psych-pop brilliance. With its warped beats, euphoric hooks, and introspective lyricism, it’s a dazzling follow-up to 2023’s Zorb.
Co-produced with Chrome Sparks, this project leans into joy, regret, overthinking, and chaotic club energy — sometimes all at once. The spring tour promises to be as kaleidoscopic as the EP itself. Strap in.
Harry Hayes – Before It Goes
Genre-fusing prodigy Harry Hayes levels up with Before It Goes, a six-track EP that threads jungle, club, and indie into something truly his own. Singles like ‘Hol’ Up’ and ‘More Of You’ radiate emotional clarity while dodging easy categorisation.
Caribou’s a fan, BBC Radio 1 is spinning it, and Hayes is proving he’s more than a producer — he’s a full-blown shapeshifter. If you’re chasing the future of electronic pop, this is it.
Jasmine Golden – ‘Sweet Perfection’
Emerging indie-pop artist Jasmine Golden makes one hell of a first impression with ‘Sweet Perfection’. Orchestral, expansive, and deeply personal, the debut single blends folk-pop vulnerability with Arcade Fire-style grandeur — complete with choirs, horns, and glockenspiels.
Written during her time in regional NSW, the track captures queer joy and longing in a technicolour wash of sound. It’s ambitious as hell and full of heart. Keep both eyes on this one.
MISHAYLA – ‘Silver Line’
Newcastle’s MISHAYLA delivers her sharpest cut yet with ‘Silver Line’ — a simmering, emotionally raw pop track full of tension and clarity. Think Billie Eilish moodiness meets the confessional punch of Tate McRae, all tied up in sleek production from Gracie May.
It’s the sound of picking through relationship wreckage and owning your part in it. Unflinching and lyrically direct, ‘Silver Line’ marks a major evolution for MISHAYLA. This one lingers.
Fore more New Music Friday stay tuned to Happy’s Mixtape.
