Browsing Tag

Australian Music

Amber Farnan sustained the devastation of healing in her chamber-string indie folk confessional, Empty

Posted on 23 July 2026

Through vocal inflections capable of opening new chambers in your soul, Empty by Amber Farnan became one of the most disarming singles of the year. The Queensland Music Award-winning artist has already built a reputation for turning vulnerability into hooks, yet this chamber-string-decorated indie-folk confessional reaches a deeper level of raw etherealism.

As the gentle progressions prise more intimacy out of the lyrics, you realise how refreshing it is to hear someone speak without artifice or inhibition. Farnan grew up in Cooktown, a remote town in Cape York, and that distance from the usual music-scene machinery seems to have sharpened her emotional focus rather than limited it. Her writing carries the weight of restless curiosity and a rare willingness to let pain remain unvarnished.

It seems bizarre to find consolation in the pain of another, but Farnan lays it all out on the line in this stunningly sombre release as she strips the Instagram-worthy moments from healing; you see what it really means to be human. The reprise declaring the hatred of emptiness, loneliness and bitterness is crushing in the most devastatingly beautiful way.

After opening for Missy Higgins, Ben Lee, Stella Donnelly and The Jezabels, touring nationally and performing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Farnan is more than ready for wider recognition.

Empty is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Modern Classical Piano with a Bruised Sky Above It: Melany Thompson’s Bittersweet Skies

Posted on 29 June 2026

Melany Thompson possesses listeners through pensive poignancy in her latest piano score, Bittersweet Skies. Capturing the heartbreaking law of reality, that there can be no beauty without sorrow, grief without love, or joy without hard-won sacrifice, the classical piano composition bleeds evocations across the emotional spectrum under the deftly melodious touch of Thompson.

Every phrase feels guided by a pianist who understands restraint as deeply as release. Her hands never overcrowd the feeling; they let the notes fall, hover and sting with a natural elegance that only comes from years of classical discipline meeting profound emotional receptivity. The grace in her motifs speaks volumes about how she feels too deeply for words, allowing her keys to become a conduit for feelings aching for expressive catharsis.

The Sydney pianist and composer has already amassed more than 14 million streams, released music through respected modern-classical labels and expanded her reach into screen composition, including APRA Screen Music Award recognition for her work on Murder Down Under.

Bittersweet Skies, taken from her recent album Mood Blue, was recorded on a Kawai grand piano at Electric Avenue Studios, where subtle ambient textures deepen the intimacy without diluting the purity of her playing. Featured on Apple Music’s Piano Chill playlist, the piece confirms Thompson as a modern classical artist with rare emotional command.

Bittersweet Skies is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

High Like Heaven Leaves Liliana de la Rosa Suspended in Seduction, Sublimity and Full-Force Atmosphere

Posted on 5 April 2026

Ribcage-quaking reverberation tears through the moody indie RnB pop tour de force, High Like Heaven by the visionary of soul, Liliana de la Rosa, whose sound sets a transcendentally high bar in production quality. Based in Sydney, de la Rosa brings a fully formed cinematic sensibility to her music, shaped by her work across film, theatre, photography and creative direction, and that command over atmosphere runs right through this release. The cinematic depth of the track, featuring Corrj, lands with full force; its intensity meets atmospheric sublimity in a way that demands full mind, body and soul attention, leaving you transfixed by her femme fatale aura drifting around salaciously siren-esque old-school chanteuse vocals.

That magnetic pull deepens through Corrj, whose equally seductive, indie-cool vocals add another current of heat to the track. Bringing him into the mix was an act of pure genius, sharpening the sensual voltage and giving the arrangement even greater dimensionality. de la Rosa already introduced a darker, unapologetically feminine presence through her debut Haunted by Roses, and High Like Heaven pushes further into that world of dangerous romance and emotionally charged alt-pop. She has the kind of presence that could send a track flying across platforms, then keep it lodged in the hearts of listeners who want their pop wicked and voracious.

High Like Heaven is now available on all major streaming platforms via this link. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Psychedelic sadness and soft revolt: July Morning lifted indie folk into the ether on Beacon

Posted on 20 October 2025

July Morning approaches indie folk as a respected art form. In their latest transcendently proggy single, Beacon, the Australian breakthrough band tantalises through instrumental and harmonic timbre, creating a rhythmic lullaby for the disenfranchised who don’t frequently see the end of many olive branches.

From the soft inflexions in the vocals to the way the instrumentals pour as though they’ve never felt the string of restraint, to the seamless emotive expression, Beacon is a single that finds a plateau above shadow and invites listeners there; to a space where sadness and psychedelia combine, creating a tonally masterful escape from the void. Genuinely, it’s one of those rare singles that makes you feel mournful when the outro delivers you back to material reality.

Formed in Eora/Sydney, July Morning occupies a liminal space between prog rock, folk, art rock, and the kind of emotionally literate indie that prioritises poetic provocation over surface-level sensibility. With roots in British dad-rock royalty and a deep affinity for experimental arrangements, they channel everything from post-punk freak-outs to epically composed dirges and aching ballads. But rather than splitting the seams between their eclectic influences, they stitch them together with a rare sincerity that never overstates itself. Beacon marks their continued re-emergence following time away from the scene; they’ve re-entered with something rarer than hype: purpose.

Beacon is now available on all major streaming platforms via this link. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shani Weiss swayed vulnerability into vintage jazz-pop triumph with Feel Alright

Posted on 20 August 2025

Swanky, vivacious, and luminous with vocal charisma, Shani Weiss has delivered a single that could quite easily sway the world into world peace if her proclamation were given a stage large enough. Feel Alright shimmers with upbeat piano progressions, care-free ecstasy, and a vocal timbre that carries both ease and conviction. The track is an articulation of resilience set to vintage jazz-tinted pop, reminding listeners that even when life feels tangled, connection has the power to restore equilibrium.

Written during a turbulent period of loneliness and uncertainty, Feel Alright was born out of chaos but radiates gratitude. Weiss’ ability to translate vulnerability into a celebration of being seen ensures the single resonates beyond surface level. It’s a thank you to the people who arrive when you’re at your lowest, the ones who remind you of your worth when the world feels out of tune. The musicality mirrors that phoenix-esque emotional renewal, allowing the sentiment to expand beyond the personal into the universal.

Melbourne-based Weiss is already a celebrated voice in Australia’s indie scene. With previous singles All About Life and What’s Left earning international airplay, sold-out shows, and multiple awards, her ascent has been steady and striking. Alongside her recording career, she continues to champion local talent through her radio show, Indie Spotlight Melbourne. With her debut EP due later this year, Weiss has set herself up to carry her expressive light to bigger stages, allowing wider audience to swim in the serotonin that ebbs and flows in sonic sync with her harmonies.

Feel Alright is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abi Muir Swapped Heartbreak for Neo-RnB Empowerment in the Soul-Soaked Pop Single, ‘On One Knee’

Posted on 30 June 2025

When Abi Muir unveiled On One Knee, she did more than just shake up the neo-RnB scene, she served a power-laden anthem that swaggers with sultry confidence and unapologetic command. The staccato guitars undulate like the tide behind Abi’s velvet-soft yet iron-strong vocals, bringing cinematic nostalgia and a new sense of freedom to a genre so often lost in shallow games and sugar-coating. Here, romanticism reclaims its rightful place in the mainstream, with Muir taking a sledgehammer to the concept of being anybody’s second choice.

There’s a subtle groove pulsing through every beat, with each lyric dripping in bold, feminine fire; a battle cry for anyone who’s been left picking up the pieces. Forget shrinking to fit someone else’s mould, Abi’s vocals flicker with vulnerability one minute and burn with savage self-worth the next.

If you’re craving a post-heartbreak soundtrack that doesn’t wallow in regret but flips the whole narrative, this is it. The real beauty of On One Knee lies in the way it transforms heartbreak into a statement of intent; it’s the sound of a woman reclaiming her worth, putting herself first, and demanding the world rise to meet her.

Abi Muir’s ascent in the new wave of emotionally charged pop has seen her take the stage across Australia and abroad, with her music racking up accolades, radio chart success, and streaming numbers that speak volumes. Her voice, described as a tropical breeze in the music world, now carries the weight of an anthem that every girl’s night out deserves to have on repeat.

On One Knee is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Discover more about Abi Muir via her official website. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

I Miss You Now: Perth’s Boy On A Hill impress on organic heartfelt love story with ‘Pretty Thing’

Posted on 31 March 2021

Bringing us a wholesome song all about those sweet intentions, Boy On A Hill only give us romantic energy with lots of spine-tingling harmonica to heal our broken dreams on ‘Pretty Thing‘.

Perth, Western Australia-based indie-folk/pop duo Boy On A Hill, fuse that magnetically alluring music that grabs you by the heart and quickens your breath to a state of intoxicating levels of enjoyment.

This is their story about missing that special soul who you truly care about and want to be with so badly. You feel your stomach knot up, as you think about all the memories that you cherish forever, and only hope that more can be made.

You hear the uncontaminated waterfall of captivating sounds in the mind, as you imagine holding their hand in yours. Your skipping hearts beating so fast as you run in the fields full of flowers, as the world slows down and everything you have dreamed of, falls into place right then and there.

‘Pretty Thing‘ from Perth’s indie-folk gem in the barn legends Boy On A Hill, affectionately sooth our worries away gushingly, on a superb track with so much care and tenderness, you might need a long hug after listening here. Their pure authenticity is a joy to behold and the mellow energy washes all those silly concerns away for good.

Hear this terrifically crafted single on Spotify and see their adventures down under on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

‘Me and You’ is story about love from the fresh new talent Samara

Posted on 7 October 2020

‘Me and You‘ is story about love from the fresh new talent Samara and she is absolutely incredible here. Released on her birthday (Happy Birthday Samara), the young artist shines so bright.

Australian born passionate, this motivated 27 year old urban-pop singer Samantha Demmler aka Samara, grew up with music in her veins and is the oldest of four girls. In 2014, Samara started to really make a commitment and dedicate herself to her music career due to the sad loss of her Mother. This incredible loss took a huge toll on her but through music and those close, she has risen again to express herself, through music. With big dreams, you can feel that Samara is on a mission to use what she has learnt and use these memories to do what she loves.

Working with producer Eric Erickson alongside Daniel Williams, Excel Beats, Tezz Morgan and Ryan Streeter paid off here as with there touching vocals that guide her through each note effortlessly. This is a indie buzz full of lovely vocals. You feel like she can do any genre, her sound so classy and silky smooth. ‘Me and You‘ from Samara is a pop journey of sweet sounds that wins our hearts.

Click here for the Spotify link.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Ian Chamberlain works wonders on ‘Too Many Wires’ (Remix)

Posted on 6 September 2020

Musician Ian Chamberlain is back with the very intriguing new instrumental single called ‘Too Many Wires‘ (Remix).

Ian is a composer and musician living and working in Adelaide, Australia. He is inspired by musical genres past and present, mechanical sounds, and the world of nature.

The energy is dark here, moody almost and you imagine a late night out. Suddenly the energy changes and we are catapulted into a bouncy, almost indie back-beat of a song with the occasional sprinkle of a different sound to keep your brain wondering. This is a truly remarkable song from Ian and he navigated all over with so much gusto and experience.

Ian Chamberlain is absolutely on smashing form here on ‘Too Many Wires‘. This remix is one of pure quality and we are treated to a quite marvelous effort from the Australian artist.

Click here for the Spotify link.

Head through to the Facebook link.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen