Backseat DownunderMusicMusic FestivalNews

The countdown is on as (we) punters prepare for the iconic 2025 Laneway Festival. With tickets already sold-out across Sydney and Melbourne, it’s a snatch-and-grab to catch some of the festivals biggest acts at their own headline shows. Handsome Tours and Laneway Presents are bringing Olivia Dean, Joey Valence & Brae, and julie to Australia …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Earlier this week, Eora/Sydney’s iconic Enmore Theatre hosted a celebration that was a decade in the making. The Amity Affliction hit the stage, marking ten years since ‘Let The Ocean Take Me’ first dropped, influencing a generation of lifelong fans. As the band asked who had been to their sold-out Hordern Pavilion show last week, …

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Backseat DownunderMusicNews

Fleshwater are finally bringing their gritty, American grunge-gaze to Australia this November! Originally slated to debut at New Bloom Festival earlier this year, Fleshwater had to pull out last minute, leaving their Aussie fanbase hungry for more. Now, the wait is nearly over. Kicking off at Meanjin/Brisbane’s Valley Loft on November 13, the band will …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Just moments before fans packed into the Hordern Pavilion to catch the iconic LA-Based pop duo LANY, news of the surprising American presidential election results had settled in, casting a creeping cloud of stunned silence across the city. But as the Pavilion lights dimmed and the first notes echoed, any heaviness gave way to a …

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Backseat DownunderMusicPremiereTrack / Video

Lutruwita/Tasmania-based singer-songwriter Rowan Smith shares an exclusive premiere with Backseat Mafia today for the release of his latest single, ‘Slow Clouds’. The track floats ahead of an upcoming show on November 9th, a special live band performance in Naarm/Melbourne. With ‘Slow Clouds’, Smith offers a taste of his 2024 album ‘In the Key of Kintsugi’, …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Fresh from the release of their (highly, highly anticipated) debut album ‘Stiletto’ and a recent stint supporting Hiatus Kaiyote (in which Deb Pelser covered beautifully), Gut Health brought their unique brand of dance-punk-driven fervour to the Lansdowne on Friday. The night began with G.U.N (Galvanic Unapologetic Noise), who set the tone with an immersive performance …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Closing out the monumental week of SXSW Sydney, Fest X Inner West transformed Enmore Road into a live music playground, offering a full day of free gigs across some of the area’s most iconic venues. From midday to late, we dove into an absolute whirlwind of performances, splitting time between the three stages at Factory …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Does anyone do darkness better? Friday night at Moshpit, the hole-in-the-wall dive on Eora/Sydney’s King Street, was the perfect place to find out. Velvet Parade, hailing from Naarm/Melbourne, were there to launch their debut, ‘Ghost’. The evening opened with Jo Meares, whose 2014 release, ‘King of the Crystal Mountain‘, set a brooding tone. His voice …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Day four of Sydney’s coveted SXSW meant many things. Firstly, everyone had become more aware and in tune with the layout, as I spotted the same faces while bouncing around the city to different venues—a rat race to catch the coolest acts, if you will. The highly anticipated Peking Duk show at The Commons had …

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Backseat DownunderGalleryLive ReviewMusic

Kicking off the third night of SXSW Sydney at The Rolling Stone House, the energy across the city was electric and spreading fast. The night opened with a serious dose of rock ‘n’ roll, courtesy of Full Flower Moon Band. Babyshakes Dillon stood at the centre, her vocals cutting through their dense wall of sound …

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