Angus & Julia Stone · Peking Duk · Alison Wonderland
The Jungle Giants · Methyl Ethel · Ocean Alley · Hockey Dad · D.D Dumbo Middle Kids · Cub Sport · Alex the Astronaut · Alice Ivy · Big White · Boy Toy · Clews Dear Seattle · Destroyer · Didirri · E^st · Fritz · Hellions · Jack River · Jess Locke Johnny Hunter Liars · Listener · Luca Brasi · Maddy Jane · Mallrat · Mere Women Mezko Moaning Lisa · Nyxen · Obscura Hail · Pist Idiots · Polaris · Press Club
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets · Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever · Step-Panther Stonefield · The Vanns · Tiny Little Houses · Touch Sensitive · Tropical Fuck Storm Tumbleweed · Yahtzel (Live) · You Beauty
+ Additional Stages
DAS SCHMELTHAUS STAGE
ADI TOOHEY · AYEBATONYE · CARLA URIATE · CHELSEYDAGGER ·
DELICIOUS CITRUS & AL GORES RHYTHM · JEALOUSING · LANCELOT · LEX DELUXE · PARKSIDE · ROZA TERENZI · THE DOLLAR BIN DARLINGS · TONI YOTZI
TORNADO WALLACE · UNKNOWN ASSOCIATES
THE LOCAL
ASTROPHYSICAL MASER · BIKE PARK GALLERY · CORTEX JOURNAL · DUZI CUATRO
ENOUGH SAID SLAM POETRY · HIDDEN HARVEST · JACUZZI STU · OVUHM · PRIDE TIDE
QUEER SPACE · SANDWICH PRESS ZONE · STRAWBERRY VISIONS
As the sun set on last year’s monumental Yours & Owls Festival, with an all-star line-up and largest sold-out crowd to date, fans and music-lovers nationwide have been waiting with anticipation to see if 2018 will deliver yet another weekend filled with bangin’ tunes and dance floor vibes.….and the good people behind Y & O’s have not disappointed!
Across Sept 29 & Sept 30, the coastal town of Wollongong will play host to some of the most exciting artists to explode on to their hometown stage. This year the festival organisers have thrown their support behind Aussie music with a homegrown-heavy line-up, so raise those owl heads, get those vocal chords ready and prepare for one mammoth weekend.
Angus & Julia Stone will be making their way to the ‘gong fresh off the back of touring the US, Europe and a sold-out Australian tour, performing at some of the world’s biggest music festivals including Coachella and Splendour in the Grass, and releasing ARIA No. 2 album SNOW. Just when you thought 2018 couldn’t get any better for the sibling duo, the Angus & Julia Stone juggernaut continues to build, with their hit single ‘Chateau’ hitting Platinum, blasted its way to No. 3 on triple j’s Hottest 100, reached top 25 on Spotify and top 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Truly loved for their intoxicating melodies and gorgeous song craft, you won’t want to miss this unforgettable performance.
Sweat, booze, good vibes and great music – whip it all together and you’ve got Peking Duk. Bonafide legends Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles have been creating certified bangers since inception and it’s been a wild ride ever since. 2017 saw them take out Apple Music Song of the Year award at the 2017 ARIA Awards for single ‘Stranger’ with Swedish cool girl Elliphant, clocking up over 30 million plays on Spotify, going triple platinum, reaching high rotation at every major radio station in the country and cracking the top ten of the 2016 Hottest 100. They’ve also sold out no less than three separate Australian headline tours and played at North American festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, HARD Summer, Electric Zoo and TomorrowWorld. Their live show will leave you sweat-soaked, champagne-sprayed and picking bits of confetti out of your hair for days, a deliriously fun spectacle.
Alison Wonderland is back with her brand new album, Awake, which has shot straight to #1 on Dance Billboard. A mix of digital-pop and incendiary beats, her second album sees the Sydney-born, L.A.-based singer, producer and DJ blaze new territory -sonically, vocally, emotionally, with lead single ‘Church’ clocking up over 9 million Spotify streams and over 1.5 million views on YouTube. 2017 saw Alison crowned ‘Best New Artist’ at the inaugural Electronic Music Awards and her remix of Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ went #1 on the Billboard Dance charts. Playing headline shows and festival slots all over the world, including Coachella, EDC, Lollapalooza, this year may be Alison Wonderland’s largest yet, as she returned to Coachella as the highest billed female DJ in the history of the festival. Known for her explosive stage-show, it’s going to get sweaty all up in Wollongong this September.
The Jungle Giants returned in 2017 with the highly anticipated follow up album to Speakerzoid and one thing became very clear: they have found their sound. Quiet Ferocity, featuring hit singles ‘Feel The Way I Do’, ‘Used To Be In Love’ and ‘Bad Dream’, catapulted across the airwaves and earned them a triple j feature album, as well as four nominations from the public in the coveted triple j’s Hottest 100. Quietly and diligently The Jungle Giants have become one of Australia’s best pop bands, playing to packed out rooms and festivals all around Australia, these guys know how to put the ‘festive’ in festival.
Perth’s uninhibited alt-pop project Methyl Ethel employ a heavy blend of breezy dream pop and soaring psych-rock that lands them somewhere between Tame Impala, Pink Floyd and MGMT. A band steeped in innovation and quicksilver melodies, they have blossomed into one of the most critically revered and publicly embraced acts coming out of Western Australia in some time. With the release of their second album, featuring lead singles ‘Ubu’ and ‘Drink Wine’, they have honed in on their own brand of musical mysticism. After years of relentless touring, sharing stages with the likes of San Cisco, Holy Holy, Sunbeam Sound Machine and Courtney Barnett, Methyl Ethel are now a headliner in their own right playing sold-out headline shows, performing to audiences worldwide and playing at some of the largest festivals both here and overseas including SXSW, CMJ and Splendour in the Grass. Be warned, the unforgettable lyrical hook of “why’d you have to go and cut your hair” will be stuck in your head for days!
Ocean Alley continue to solidify their place as one of Australia’s most exciting independent artists, with the release of their sophomore album and triple j approved Chiaroscuro. Featuring hits ‘The Comedown’, ‘Overgrown’ and ‘Confidence’, the debut album is a melting pot of pure groove. 2017 was a massive year for Ocean Alley, touring the country with Tash Sultana, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd, before selling out their own headline shows across Australia and New Zealand. They went on to round out the year with huge festival sets at Falls Festival Lorne, Rhythm & Alps and Bay Dreams, before getting 2018 off to a flyer with ‘The Comedown’ charting at #48 in the triple j Hottest 100. With multiple tours across the world in support of the album this year, Ocean Alley are set to rapidly build on the incredible DIY growth of their eclectic music and emphatic live show.
Wollongong’s Hockey Dad have just been going from strength to strength with the release of this year’s sophomore album Blend Inn. The triple j featured album includes foot stomping, catchy-as-hell lead singles ‘Homely Feeling’ and ‘I Wanna Be Everybody’, and cements the childhood friends as a force to be reckoned with. The globe-trotting duo are performing their latest release all across Europe and the US, including a couple of performances at the UK’s Great Escape Festival, before they hit their home turf just in time Yours & Owls.
A unique and distinctive voice in Australian music today, D.D Dumbo (aka Oliver Hugh Perry) found inspiration for his award-winning debut album Utopia Defeated in the solace of his bedroom, attached to old horse stables in the outskirts of regional Victoria. Featuring irrepressible tunes like ‘Satan’ and ‘Walrus’, the album saw him crowned as the J Award recipient in 2016. Performing solo with a 12-string electric guitar, two drums and a bunch of effect pedals, D.D Dumbo made an impression, which led him to support the likes of Warpaint, Tune-Yards, St Vincent, Jungle, Iron & Wine, and perform on live sessions for NPR, Daytrotter and BBC Radio 1. Despite the ever-increasing stages, Perry plays as a one-man-band, expertly building his hypnotic tracks with loops created on the fly.
Bursting on to the music scene in 2015, three-piece alt-indie rock band from Sydney, Middle Kids, have been setting it alight ever since. With the release of their debut album Lost Friends, including hits ‘Mistake’, ‘Edge of Town’ and ‘Never Start’, out earlier this year they have showed no sign of slowing down with sold-out tours across Australia, performances in the US and Europe and a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Showcasing their new album for the very first time to Wollongong audiences and making their Yours & Owls debut, you won’t want to miss this performance!
Brisbane’s Cub Sport will be delivering their critically acclaimed sophomore album BATS to adoring Y & O’s fans for the very first time since its release. The beautifully emotive lead singles ‘Chasin’ and ‘Oh Lord’ demonstrates their unique brand of emotionally charged pop and has made heads turn internationally. 2018 sees Cub Sport embark on their biggest world tour to date, with Australian and UK shows selling out months in advance. Musical successes aside, Cub Sport are passionate about empowering the queer community and encouraging an inclusive environment across social media channels and at shows.
Alex the Astronaut has packed a lot of life into her 22 years. Never more so than in 2017 with the release of her debut EP, To Whom it May Concern, and follow up EP See You Soon. With lead singles ‘Already Home’ & ‘Not Worth Hiding’ amassing over 2 million & 1.5 million streams on Spotify consecutively, the young songwriters signature stream-of-consciousness lyrics resonate with audiences all over Australia. After a double headline tour with Stella Donnelly and a performance at this year’s Splendour in the Grass Festival and Spin Off Festival, she will be making her way in to Wollongong’s heart at this year’s festival.
Genre-defying Melbourne based beat-maker and electrifying musical force, Alice Ivy is has officially made her mark with debut album I’m Dreaming, featuring lead singles ‘Get Me a Drink’ and ‘Be Friends’. In the space of two years Alice Ivy has performed more than 80 shows in 4 continents including main supports for Oh Wonder, Billie Eilish, Remi and E^ST plus two sold-out Australian headline tours, toured the US and Singapore, Canadian Music Week and Australian festivals including Splendour In The Grass, Listen Out, Strawberry Fields, Pitch, Groovin’ The Moo and VIVID. Now armed with brand-new material she is poised to take her powerful, infectious and energetic live show straight to the Yours & Owls stage.
On the heels of a whirlwind stint in the US for SXSW and headline shows across the country, Sydney five-piece Big White have released their impressive sophomore album Street Talk, thirty-five minutes of energetic and muscular indie pop rock tunes evoking the best of 80s English post-punk, new wave and Australian rock with a distinctly modern voice. They will be heading to Yours & Owls off the back of a headline album tour along the east coast.
New York’s Boy Toy is a summer-time strut down a New York City sidewalk as the sun slips behind the horizon where cement meets the shore and waves crash on pavement. Their debut album Night Leaf, features lead singles ‘Mary Anne’ and ‘It’s Alright’ and were deemed as “ones to watch” at this year’s SXSW. Spending the last three years touring extensively across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK and Europe, as well as hitting the festival circuit including SXSW, Growlers Six Festival, Northside Festival, they have also toured with Gooch Palms and with our very own Midnight Oil.
CLEWS is the fresh new project from sisters Lily and Grace Richardson. Both raised on the anthemic ballads of the ‘90s, the Sydney-based siblings are singing big choruses and writing songs that will make your heart explode. After honing their skills on the live circuit and in the studio over the last year, CLEWS have released their brand-new hook rollercoaster ‘Museum’. Upon releasing their first song without any expectation of what it might do, they received an unexpected amount of love online and from triple j. With big choruses and sweeping harmonies be prepared for a heart explosion as this heavenly duo take to the stage.
Dear Seattle are the melodic, sing along, beer-in-the-air, headbanging-with-heart punk rock band you’ve been waiting for. One part mosh pit, and one part love letter – with a dash of VB – the band have created a truly unique and powerful style of song writing that’s connecting with fans across Australia and the rest of the world. The Sydney four-piece have spent the last couple of years honing their signature sound. Having now evolved their style into something truly distinctive and powerful, the band are seeing incredible traction following the release of their sophomore self-titled EP Dear Seattle, featuring break out single ‘The Meadows’. No strangers to the live scene, Dear Seattle have shared the stage with the likes of Citizen (US), Emarosa (US), Trophy Eyes (AUS), and Balance and Composure (US), Tired Lion, as well as supporting Columbus on their national tour, and recently completing a massive 30+ date national tour with KINGSWOOD – all of which has led to their ability to deliver an impressive and energetic live performance.
Canada’s Dan Bejar started Destroyer as a solo project in 1995 and has since gone on to create 12 studio albums, receiving early comparisons to Bowie that were certain to follow his particular vocal style. Destroyer songs are characterized by abstract, poetic lyrics and idiosyncratic vocals, with the band’s discography drawing on a variety of musical influences, resulting in albums that sound markedly distinct from one another. Performing on a global scale, playing at international festivals and headlining shows across Europe and the US, Destroyer will be bringing their most recent offering Ken to Wollongong this September.
Melbourne’s Didirri has been mesmerising people all year. His challenging and thoughtful writing, combined with on-stage charisma and relatable depth has continually won over listeners around the world. With crowds singing along word for word, it’s evident that audiences are listening. After wowing at BIGSOUND with his dynamic live show, Didirri went on to sell out two headline tours in 2017 off the back of the release of his breakout single ‘Blind You’ and beloved follow up ‘Jude’. After playing SXSW in March, The Great Escape Festival, and Splendour In The Grass, as well as selling out multiple shows on his April Australian headline tour off the back of his latest single ‘Formaldehyde’, Didirri has lots in store for the rest of 2018 – including new music, more shows around the world, and supporting Vance Joy on his upcoming September arena tour.
Australian songwriter and artist E^ST (a.k.a Mel Bester) has always moved to the beat of her own drum. With her signature pop hooks and moody indie-electronica, she has recently blessed the airwaves with hits ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘Blowjob’. Blending urgent beats with nostalgic electro-pop, E^ST has crafted a unique sound perfectly complemented by her stunning, soulful vocals. Above the pop hooks and moody indie-electronica and her mastery of sad words and happy music, it’s Bester’s voice that arrests the attention. There’s a weightiness and resonance to it; and a space in which pain can percolate. She put that to good use in her cover of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony for triple j’s Like A Version.
Newcastle’s 18-year-old Tilly Murphy aka FRITZ is a self-proclaimed creator of ‘space cadet noise-pop’. She quietly announced her self-titled debut album last year, landing herself Independent Artist of the Week at Fbi Radio. Only a few days later her single ‘Yuk!’ was picked up by Dom Alessio at triple j, and the Tilly train took off. Welcoming in the full band, things have not slowed down since, joining the stage with Fazerdaze, WAAX, Jess Locke, Cub Sport, Middle Kids, RAAVE Tapes, Bleeding Knees Club, The Belligerents plus more. She has also taken to the stage at Australian festivals including Sounds of the Suburbs and Secret Garden.
Sydney five-piece Hellions have wasted little time in establishing themselves as a force in innovative heavy music. With rock, punk, metal and pop all blended and emboldened by relentless melody and frenetic guitar-work, Hellions have formed a progressive anthemic sound that they can proudly call their own. Their third album Opera Oblivia, debuted at #4 on the ARIA Album Chart and was nominated for ‘Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album’ at the 2016 ARIA Awards. Touring extensively across Australia, both headlining and in support of mates The Amity Affliction and Northlane among others, they have also appeared at several Australian festivals including Vans Warped Tour and The Plot Festival. Selling out the majority of their recent Australian Opera Oblivia headline tour they have also headlined packed clubs across the UK. With the release of recent single ‘X (Mwah)’, there could be potential for a brand new album in the works just in time for Yours & Owls Festival.
Making her debut Yours & Owls performance, Jack River (aka Holly Rankin) will be heading to ‘gong off the back of her much-anticipated debut album release Sugar Mountain. Naming the album after Neil Young’s bittersweet ode to youth and the loss of innocence, Rankin has already offered us the first couple of bites with ‘Fault Line’ and ‘Ballroom’. Aside from being a powerhouse musician and advocate for equality, her company Hopeless Utopian, is responsible for the all-women Electric Lady tours and also the annual Grow Your Own festival in her hometown of Forster. Drawing inspiration from gritty guitars from the early 2000s, the “candy chorus vocals” of Gwen Stefani, and the almost parental influences of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, this is a performance not to be missed!
Growing up on the Central Coast of NSW, Jess Locke taught herself to play guitar as a teenager and has been playing and writing songs ever since. Releasing her sophomore album Universe in 2017, featuring title track ‘Universe’ and ‘Better-Bitter’, the album was long listed for the Australian Music Prize and was a triple j feature album. Locke has supported the likes of Paul Dempsey, The Smith Street Band, Julia Jacklin, Tiger’s Jaw (USA) and Into It. Over It. (USA), as well as embarked on headline international and national tours and finished off last year by playing a set at Falls Festival in Lorne.
Drawing influences from Stone Roses and Joy Division, post-punk band Johnny Hunter released their debut single ‘One Of A Kind’ earlier this year. Johnny Hunter is seeking absolution for the terminal millennialism of the past decade. Deciding on a sound that bounces between 80’s pop and melancholic chorus fascination, Johnny Hunter consolidates on what talent they have left to bring soul to the stage – nothing quite like what you’ve seen before. Low vocal stumbles and belting, anthemic chorus lines match off with thrashing guitars, rhythmic shimmer and a lot of bravado. Undoubtedly an act to see in the flesh before you toss them on the pile…….
Originally conceived in New York, Liars is currently made up of sole remaining member Andrew Angus who now resides in a remote part of his native Australia. The sound is reminiscent of U.K. groups, like A Certain Ratio, Gang of Four the Slits, that embraced dance music during the late 70’s/early 80’s and are all well known for insidiously adding danceable rhythms to punk. Compared to the locations where previous Liars’ albums have been recorded – Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Berlin, bustling metropolises all – Angus’ current base of operations marks something of a left-turn. Liars recent single ‘Liquorice’ is the first release since their eighth album TFCF.
If your best friend were a band, who would they be? I think they might be something like Listener, because Listener is a band of best friends, who have experienced the best and worst of times, and have survived on songs. Beginning in 2002 as a solo act, the band has evolved over the years into a full-fledged rock and roll band, and has toured the world over playing their brand of Talk Music. Based out of Kansas City Missouri, they released their latest album Being Emptied Being Filled in February this year, featuring ‘There’s Money in the Walls’ . With thought provoking stage banter, music that keeps your mind busy, and words that quickly take hold of your heart, Listener is a near perfect balance of what words and music are supposed to be.
Whether it’s because of their from-the-heart lyrics, their warm and welcoming stage presence, or their undying support for the local music scene, Luca Brasi truly are the brothers we all wish we had. 2017 saw the band hit the road to play the biggest shows of their career; multiple sold out headlining runs, as well as doing the festival circuit with Laneway, Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, and their very own Tasmanian based festival ’Til The Wheels Fall Off. With the promise of their brand new album Stay out just in time for Yours & Owls Festival, they have given us a taste of what to expect with single ‘Let It Slip’. If you’re lucky they may even slip in their Like a Version cover of Paul Kelly’s ‘How To Make Gravy’.
Releasing her debut EP Not Human At All earlier this year, talented young artist Maddy Jane is writing songs far beyond her years on a beat up guitar her mum gave her in high school. It’s been a massive 12 months for Maddy with break out singles ‘Thank You and Sorry’, ‘No Other Way’ and ‘Drown It Out’ getting high rotation on triple j. Plus, a string of supports around Australia with the likes of Tash Sultana, Polish Club, Kingswood and Luca Brasi, showcasing at Bigsound, The Plot and festival appearances at Festival of The Sun, Falls Festival (Marion Bay) and New Years on The Hill. To top it all off Maddy was chosen to support superstar Harry Styles Australia / New Zealand tour. Be sure to catch this budding superstar in the flesh at Yours & Owls.
The “Hannah Montana of the rap game” aka Mallrat will be making her way to Yours & Owls this year for her debut performance at the festival. Whether it’s her music, her effervescent stage shows, her bold and striking fashion choices, or her seriously witty and funny online presence (with strong cameos from her dog/co-star on the rise Charlie), it’s all combined to amass a huge audience from Melbourne to Mexico City. Her debut EP Uninvited would go on to fetch millions of streams and launch her career. With stand out tracks ‘Uninvited,’ and the dreamy jam ‘For Real’ – saw her stocks seriously take off. Since then she’s played pretty much every Australian festival you can think of – Splendour, Falls, The Plot, Listen Out, Beyond The Valley, Come Together, St Kilda, Live At The Steps – and supported some of the biggest names in music, including Post Malone, Allday, Peking Duk, and Maggie Rogers.
Sydney based four-piece Mere Women’s brand of unique post punk makes them one of the most exciting acts currently releasing music in Australia. Three albums in, the band have continually explored new song structures in greater depth using a collaborative writing process, with the aim to find new ways of expressing and writing popular music through post-punk. Their most recent release, ‘Big Skies’, explores themes of women’s experiences over generations and the simultaneous isolation and confinement felt by many women living in regional communities. Well known for their fierce live show, their performance is not to be missed!
Sydney-based multi-instrumentalist duo MEZKO have together crafted their own foundational sound; the collide of futurist pop and electronica whilst casting one eye backwards at post-punk and krautrock. The actualisation of this sound was cumulated in their first EP Polychronic out late last year. With the release of new single ‘Come & Go’ earlier this year, they are currently in the midst of a national single tour. Garnering support from triple j and a regular fixture across local radio stations around the country for their singles ‘Trust’ and ‘Everyone’, MEZKO have grown a diverse, energetic fan base through memorable live shows alongside King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Emma Louise, Mosquito Coast, Running Touch, Miami Horror, World Champion and Gold Class. Also picking up festival credit, with performances at Volumes, Blurst of Times, Purple Sneakers x Vivid and Perth’s Disconnect Festival.
Canberra-based music grads Moaning Lisa, is the product of four women finding purpose in making loud noises together. Their music operates on the edge of the grunge genre: somewhere between composed restraint and fuzzed-out, life-affirming alternative rock. ‘Carrie (I Want A Girl)’ has been smashed on the radio and is a taste of their second EP due later this year. Creating an atmosphere entirely of their own, during their raucous live shows has seen them consistently pack out venues across the country.
Crafting a relationship between a passion and a love for music, births the rise of grounded Sydney-sider Nyxen, who has made strong waves from the beginning of her music career in 2015 with her adoption to the Unknown Records family. Incorporating influences by Tycho, Miike Snow and Bag Raiders, Nyxen’s creative mind brings enjoyable sounds, which form a high-vibe atmosphere for all her listeners.
Conceived on NSW’s South Coast in 2006, and now buried alive in Melbourne’s North, Obscura Hail is a testament to the indie dream; writing, recording and releasing self-contained albums from an ad-hoc bedroom studio. His live performances are cross sections of this decade long process, baring the motifs of galloping finger work and a politely quiet vocal delivery. The ensemble has evolved from a solo expression, through a barbershop quarter, now resting as a three-piece outfit with a fittingly obscure Nintendo DS drum machine, so to translate the recent high energy the project has outputted (‘ALARM’ EP, ‘Pizza’ EP) and present a grander reinterpretation of previous works.
Fiery boys from South West Sydney, Pist Idiots were four childhood mates who after being signed up for a battle of the bands as a gag, decided to form as a rock band. Fast-forward and they’re four guys fiddling with a little bit of suburban drunk rock. Their beloved lead single ‘Fuck Off’ received triple j play on Home and Hosed, with the music video receiving a spotlight in Triple J Unearthed’s Best New Videos. Wrapping up the Holiday Food Tour with Skegss as one of the main supports, they are about to embark on an Aussie tour supporting Gooch Palms, and also have plans to release a fresh new single just in time for Yours & Owls.
Fresh off a sold out national tour supporting seminal down-under heavy heroes Parkway Drive and a show-stealing appearance at their second Unify Gathering, Polaris have entered 2018 with the Australian metal core torch held high in their hands. One of 2017’s most anticipated heavy releases, Polaris’ debut LP The Mortal Coil, featuring ‘The Remedy’ and ‘Consume’, stunned audiences and critics upon its release in November, hitting #6 on the ARIA Album Charts and scoring a triple j Feature Album. Having embarked on their largest headline tour to date this April, with USA appearances and European touring on the horizon, Polaris will be hitting the ‘gong primed and ready to rock.
With the release of their highly anticipated debut album early this year, Melbourne’s Press Club is ready to set the Yours & Owls stage alight. From conception in a garage in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, Press Club are the musical embodiment of the attitude of a generation experiencing impermanence in every way. Frenetic and raw, the band’s long awaited debut album, Late Teens, was self produced, recorded, mixed and independently released. Lead singles ‘Headwreck’ and ‘Suburbia’ both received loyal attention from music lovers and radio alike, with both tracks landing additions at triple j and FBi. One of Australia’s truly independent bands, Press Club continue on their unsigned, unbridled romp supporting The Smith Street Band, WAAX, Tired Lion and DZ Deathrays. Not to mention gracing the stages at some of Australia’s finest festivals – Falls Festival, Festival of the Sun, NYE On The Hill, Pool House Party and Fairgrounds.
In only a couple of short years, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have already been through a well-storied existence. Coming off the blocks in 2015, the band immediately made big waves in their hometown of Perth, going on to release their debut album High Visceral (Part 1), featuring hard-hitting tracks ‘Cornflake’ and ‘Marmalade March’. Their 2017 follow-up album aptly named High Visceral (Part 2) saw them head out on their second national tour, where they played to sold out crowds. With the success of their two albums, PPC have been enlisted on support duties for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Dune Rats, Black Mountain and Skegss.
Born from late night jam sessions in singer/guitarist Fran Keaney’s bedroom and honed in the thrumming confines of Melbourne’s live music venues, Melbourne band Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever’s 2016 release Talk Tight put them on the map with glowing reviews from SPIN, Stereogum, and Pitchfork. Describing their formula as “tough pop/soft punk” RBCF churn out bright energetic rock & roll with lively guitar lines, pop hooks, and dry wit. The success of their 2017 French Press EP, featuring title track ‘French Press’, pushed their fandom globally, playing headline shows in the US, UK and Europe. RBCF will be heading to Yours & Owls off the back of performing at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Primavera and Splendour in the Grass.
Sydney’s irrepressible shred-rock ‘n’ garage-pop Step Panther will be heading to the ‘gong with new material under their belt including recent singles ‘Sophomore Shrug’ and ‘Nice Family’. With the release of their sophomore album Strange But Nice in 2014, the new tracks come after a much-anticipated wait. They’ve forged a fun and fast lie reputation by playing shows at home and in the UK with the likes of Yuck, Kurt Vile, Girls, Hunx & His Punx, Jeff The Brotherhood plus more. Coming off the back of headline east coast shows, they will be hitting the ‘gong before heading off to New York to perform at CMJ Festival.
Stonefield are making their way back to Yours & Owls Festival and they are bringing their electrifying new album Far From Earth with them. The Victorian four-piece are luminaries in the current wave of Australian psych rock, with lead single ‘Delusion’ demonstrating a shift from the hardened psych pop of earlier records toward more prog and heavy metal. For over a decade, the four Findlay sisters have seemingly existed within their own stellar nebula; unaffected by fleeting modern musical trends, their sound is a homage to the prog, metal and psych powerhouses of the 70’s whilst remaining completely their own. Kicking off 2018 with select shows in Sydney and Melbourne as well as a residency at LA’s Bootleg Theatre and an appearance at Austin’s renowned Levitation Festival, they are primed and ready to rock at this year’s Yours & Owls.
Wollongong locals The Vanns are no strangers to the Yours & Owls stage, but this year they will be bringing their latest EP Shake The Hand That Picks The Fight for the very first time. The EP features lead single Harder To Find, and put them on the radar of producer Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Ali Barter, Alex Lahey). Together they cleared the decks to put the new iteration of the band through its paces to record their debut album in early 2018. With the promise of a debut album in the works you may just catch a glimpse of it at Yours & Owls Festival. On the live front The Vanns have sold-out all ages tours in Sydney & Melbourne, supported Catfish & The Bottlemen, KINGSWOOD, Tired Lion and played slots at Party in the Paddock and hometown Yours & Owls Festival.
Having spent the last three years winning hearts and minds around Australia thanks to a succession of finely-crafted indie pop gems including ‘Milo Tin’, ‘Song Despite Apathy’, ‘Easy’ and ‘Soon We Won’t Exist’, Melbourne’s Tiny Little Houses are set to take to the stage at this year’s Yours & Owls Festival with their debut album Idiot Proverbs. As well as being the band’s most raucous collection of tunes so far, the album also highlights the discernible progress of Karvountzis as a songwriter. Idiot Proverbs presents wry reflections on growing up, finding your place amongst the chaos and falling short of your own (and others’) expectations. The album, featured as album of the week on triple j, and includes crowd favourites ‘Garbage Bin’ and ‘Short Hair’.
Touch Sensitive is the ultimate triple-threat; as a producer, in-demand live performer and DJ, he’s a treasured slashie for artists and audiences alike. Whether it’s remixing Rufus, collaborating with Flume or touring internationally with Flight Facilities, he’s become renowned as the man with an ear for hooks and impeccable taste. His debut album Visions released in 2017 features certified banger ‘Lay Down’ which has amassed over 9.8 million stream on Spotify. Playing shows all over the world he will be coming in hot from supporting RUFUS DU SOL in the states and a slot at Splendour in the Grass.
Melbourne’s Tropical F*ck Storm is the mad art-punk-psych-experimental-rock band formed by Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin (The Drones), and joined by Lauren Hammel (High Tension) on drums and Erica Dunn (Harmony, Palm Springs) on guitars, keys and other gadgets. The phantasmagorical debut album by Tropical F*ck Storm, ‘A Laughing Death in Meatspace’, features ‘Rubber Bullies’ and ‘You Let My Tyres Down’ and has been lauded nationally, picking up rave reviews and feature albums across major community radio stations. Live, Tropical F*ck Storm are a force of nature, conjuring chaos at every blistering performance, with zero shits to give for corporate music hegemony. “Kneel down by the advertising, don’t you make a single false move” calls out the female chorus of Fiona Kitschin and Erica Dunn echoing the dismay of our time as we bear witness to the sinister seductions which social media surveillance has entangled us.
Wollongong’s heavy psychedelic rockers Tumbleed mashed a set of acid-drenched, hippie influences with hard-rocking guitars straight out of the 70’s and it was the perfect blend to enable them to catch the grunge wave just in time to support Nirvana on their sole Australian tour. With a catalogue of hard hitting tracks that backdate to 1995, their three studio albums cracked the ARIA charts with singles ‘Sundial’, ‘Gyroscope’ and ‘Hang Around’ making it in to the Top 50 of the ARIA singles chart. 2018 sees them headlining shows all across the country, topping it off with a slot in their hometown at this year’s Yours & Owls.
With his infectious tunes it’s no wonder that Ulladulla’s Yahtzel (aka Max Armata) gained major hype within the Australian indie-dance space, so much that his remix of I’mpatient’s ‘Rule’ was featured in Flume’s BBC6 Radio Mix. Proving his success wasn’t by chance Yahtzel’s follow-up single ‘High With Me’ has harvested over 2.4 million streams on Spotify and his remix of Peking Duk’s ‘High’ has clocked over 6.2 million streams. Since then he has gone on to play massive Australian tours and along with sets at Aussie festivals Listen Out, Falls Festival and Your Paradise as well as international slots at Holy Ship and Electric Forest. He will be bringing his A-game at this year’s festival with a live set for the crowd to get sweaty to.
Sydney’s You Beauty are bringing their fair dinkum, boozed-up idiosyncrasies to the Yours & Owls crowd. Paying homage to Australian colloquialism, their debut EP Jersey Flegg conveyed the story of a disgraced rugby league star, featuring singles ‘Ann Maree’ and ‘Scent of My Youth’. While the follow-up EP Illywhacka, with singles ‘Illywhacka’ and ‘Same Damn Thing’, followed the story of an online scam artist who has set up a profile on a dating website, which is apt for the title of the EP, You Beauty drawing inspiration from an old colonial Australian term for someone that’s a bit of a trickster or a confidence man. This performance will be so Aussie it’ll hurt, so kick back with a tinnie and enjoy the chunes….
Yours & Owls Festival is an 18+ event
September 29 & 30 Stuart Park North Wollongong NSW
Pre-Release Tickets On Sale 9am AEST Thursday 31st of May
(available to Y&O mailing list subscribers)
moshtix & yoursandowlsfestival.com.au
GA Tickets On Sale 9am AEST Tuesday 5th of June
moshtix & yoursandowlsfestival.com.au