Adelaide’s best new music
We’ve rounded up Adelaide’s best new music from February including Eva Rundle, Georgia Oatley, Nathan Hui-Yi, Street Legal and more.
Blush – ‘boycott being sad’
When we heard the acoustic strums in the first 30 seconds of ‘boycott being sad’, we knew the song would pick up the pace eventually. Just like Billie Eilish’s 2021 track ‘Happier Than Ever’, there’s more to ‘boycott being sad’ than meets the eye.
After the first chorus, the intensity picks up. The anger in the vocalist Annita Vucic’s voice is heard loud and clear as they sing the lyrics: “I’m so tired of trying to figure you out / And I’m so tired of trying to get your attention”.
We actually listed Blush – the four-piece band behind this song – as ones to watch through our muso Class of 2025, which is in our latest print magazine that’s on streets now. Honourable mention to South Australian artist Aysh Field for painting the cover art. It’s adorable!
Eva Rundle – ‘A Fantasy Girl’
A pop princess! We love to see it here at CityMag! ‘Fantasy Girl’ – the latest single from artist Eva Rundle – is an upbeat, dance track that looks into childhood and compares it with the realities of adult life. Eva sings: “Is it ok if I go to bed? / To my fantasies up in my head…This reality / it ain’t for me”.
Eva’s inspired by the likes of CHVRCHES, Peach PRC, Grimes, and Tove Lo, and we can so hear the resemblance when the 70s glam theatrics and cosmic sound of ‘A Fantasy Girl’ play in our ears.
Georgia Oatley – ‘Weaving Online’
Georgia Oatley’s debut album A Pastoral was inspired by the word’s namesake: denoting works connected to country life. This is apparent in ‘Weaving Online’ – the final song on the seven-track album – which begins with the soft sounds of the outdoors, and quickly morphs into an online, digital lifestyle mix. Georgia doesn’t sing any lyrics on the two-minute and 55-second track, instead, she plays with sounds and rhythms, and we can’t get enough.
You can catch Georgia at WOMADelaide on Monday, March 10 on the NSS stage.
Nathan Hui-Yi – MAINFRAME MARIONETTE
‘MAINFRAME MARIONETTE’ is the latest single by Chinese-Australian rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Hui-Yi.
The mix of lo-fi textures and vinyl hiss creates a chill, mellow sound beneath lyrics about isolation in an increasingly connected world of algorithms changing our communication habits.
Relatable lyrics like “We used to really talk // Now it’s just emojis” and “Is it love with the real you or a blue screen?” in Nathan’s signature stream-of-consciousness flow makes ‘MAINFRAME MARIONETTE’ an easy listen.
PINES – GOLDEN (SINGLE)
‘Golden’ is the lead single from electronic duo PINES’ upcoming EP Sun which is due to release in April.
You might recognise PINES’ genre-defying, euphoric sounds from Laneway earlier this month, and the duo have been making waves overseas since their successful 2024 US headline tour, and they’re due back, kicking off their next international leg in LA this May.
Featuring summery sweet vocals from Amber Elle, pulsating drum beats and a distorted baseline, ‘Golden’ would fit right in on the soundtrack of an indie rom-com to create an emotional climax.
‘Golden’ sounds the way stretching out on the beach during golden hour on a long summer night feels, and sets an exciting tone for Sun.
Rebma Rose – ‘Heart Song’
‘Heart song’ is an indie-pop track about a one-sided crush written by 14-year-old Rebma Rose and is a snapshot of youthful innocence that could only be written by someone in the thick of it.
Rebma is an ambitious and passionate young artist, playing local gigs, getting community radio play and being nominated for SA Music Award’s People’s Choice Pop Award in 2024.
‘Heart Song’ is a sweet coming-of-age track that captures the all-consuming feelings of a teenager in a way that Rebma’s audience will relate to and that this CityMag reporter looks back at with nostalgia (and a healthy dose of cringe at my teenage self). The acoustic guitar building into an upbeat melody and cutesy lyrics are catchy and a promising intro to the emerging singer-songwriter’s early career.
Street Legal – ‘No Gods! No Masters! No Doorlists! No Bouncers!’
This ‘80s-inspired track features a funky synth bassline interlaid with various other synth sounds. A fast-paced drum machine establishes a steady groove throughout the song.
Lyrically, the song explores the downsides of online dating. “I swipe left/Yeah, I think I’m in love again,” sings Matt Hayward.
‘No Gods! No Masters! No Doorlists! No Bouncers!’ appears on Street Legal’s four-track debut EP, Bruxism. The band says bruxism derives from the medical term for teeth grinding.
“Over the past few years, I realised I’d been grinding my teeth in my sleep – a side effect of anxiety and the stress of the world around us. That restless energy worked its way into these songs,” explains singer Matt Hayward.
Street Legal will be touring Bruxism nationally this April, including a performance at Jive Bar on April 26.
Strict Face – ‘K-Hole Nostalgia’
This modular techno track is the first single off of producer Jon Santos’s debut LP, Severe Forward.
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The beat of this EDM song had us tapping our toes, while its strange electronic sounds had us intrigued.
This is the kind of song that would be best heard in a dingy nightclub somewhere late at night with strobe lighting.
We couldn’t put it better than the Bandcamp description of the song, which highlights “the malfunctioning robot squalls and rough-and-tumble kicks at the centre of ‘K-Hole Nostalgia’”.
Severe Forward will be released on April 3, 2025.
Sweeney – ‘Bald Faced Liar’
Best new music regular Sweeney has returned with his latest release, a synth goth-pop cover of local group Brave Mistakes’ 2023 single ‘Bald Faced Liar’.
This is not the first time Sweeney has collaborated with his close friend Garret R Cooper from Brave Mistakes, having previously worked together on Sweeney’s 2024 album Ageism.
CityMag readers will also remember our recent review of Sweeney’s collaboration with the band on their cover of Iggy Pop’s ‘Candy’ on their EP Some Good Songs… Done Badly.
Explaining why he chose to cover ‘Bald Faced Liar’, Sweeney says his version is “both an attempt to highlight the incredible songwriting force that is Garret R Cooper but also a personal act of love for the song itself”.
The Exhibits– ‘Fomenting The Foaming’
‘Fomenting The Foaming’ will appear on the debut album of jazz supergroup, The Exhibits.
The new quartet sees local jazz legends James Muller (guitar), Lyndon Gray (double and electric bass), Tom Noonan (sax) and Josh Baldwin (drums) present a masterpiece of jazz fusion.
‘Formenting The Foaming’ revolves around Noonan’s catchy sax riff and features complex time signatures and dynamic drum solos.
“The album’s repertoire spans a range of moods and textures, reflecting the unique South Australian landscape that inspired the cover art – a stark depiction of the saltbush at Wonoka along the Heysen Trail,” explains the group.
“Beneath its seemingly serene exterior lies an underlying intensity, mirrored by the music’s vibrant energy and darker, introspective corners.”
The Exhibits will be performing as part of COMA at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on March 17.
The Genevieves – ‘Parts’
The rambunctious track mixes everything from punk to math rock, with a distinct Aussie twang to the lead vocals.
The screaming lead guitar seems to have a mind of its own, contrasting with the funky bassline.
The catchy chorus, with its fast-paced, energetic drumming, is especially enjoyable.
‘Parts’ is the first track on local post-punk group The Genevieve’s debut EP, Dog Dreams.
CityMag reviewed ‘Keith’ – the band’s second single from their EP – in January’s best new music wrap-up, noting that: “It’s a melancholic track with a post-punk tinge we expect from the band who played an impressive 32 live shows in 2024, which clearly refined their sound and boosted their chemistry as performers”.