TROPHY Eyes unveiled their new guitarist Josh Campiao, of melodic hardcore band Hellions, on Saturday at the Supercars concert and they've quickly followed with a new single.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Blue Eyed Boy was released on Wednesday and is the lead single from the Newcastle punk band's forthcoming fourth album.
Frontman John Floreani said the track was inspired by a trip back to his hometown of Mudgee and where he was reacquainted with a troubled old friend.
"I'd mourned the death of this friend long ago, as did the rest of us in our small social circle," he said. "To see him again brought me great childhood joy yet simultaneously an overwhelming sense of dread.
"I was reminded of something my mother told me as a young boy when my grandmother died, 'If you see her now, like this, it's the only way you'll remember her. Best hold on to the good times, you'll always have those'."
Trophy Eyes travel to the US next month to support American alternative band Against The Current through April and May, before performing at Slam Dunk Festival in the UK and Italy.
.
DUSTING IT OFF
WHEN you speak to knowledgeable minds in the Newcastle music scene about "ones to watch" there's a common word on their lips - Dust.
The post-punk rockers have built a stellar live reputation. As we've reported before, Gabriel Stove (vocals, guitar), Justin Teale (lead guitar), Kye Cherry (drums), Adam Ridgway (guitar/sax) and Liam Smith (bass) are off to Europe in April to support Wollongong's Hockey Dad.
Before that tour Dust are warming up with a support slot with Adam Newling on March 24 at the Hamilton Station Hotel, and then they're playing a "dust-raiser" on March 26 at the Lass O'Gowrie Hotel for their debut EP et cetera, etc, out on March 29.
Last month Dust released their second single Ward 52, to further whet the appetite.
JAMES POPS IN
AUCKLAND has proven quite the breeding ground for modern pop artists in recent years, take for example, Lorde and Benee.
There's also a lot of hype surrounding Kiwi singer-songwriter Mitch James.
The 27-year-old released his second album Patience in November, which followed his self-titled debut in 2018. His sound is often compared to Ed Sheeran and he supported the English superstar in front of 100,000 fans across three nights in Dunedin.
In June James headlines his own Australian tour. You can see if he's worth the hype when he plays the Cambridge Hotel on June 16.
LESS IS ANYMORE
CESSNOCK country star Travis Collins has announced his eighth album Any Less Anymore will be released on June 2.
The new record has huge expectations to match as Collins' last three albums Hard Light (2016), Brave & The Broken (2018) and Wreck Me (2020) have won eight Golden Guitars.
Any Less Anymore features the singles One Of Them Nights and Just The Way and collaborations with Australian country-rock powerhouse The Wolfe Brothers and Canadian-American country-pop star Lindsay Ell.
