It is hard not to be touched by the indie rock of DMA’s. From their iconic anthem ‘Delete’ to their now legendary cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’ on triple j, the legendary three-piece have become renowned for their soothing anthems, with one foot firmly set in the styles of Nineties Brit-pop and another set within the modern sounds of Aussie indie-rock.
Their sound has gone on to inspire many other great up-and-coming Aussie artists. So many, in fact, that this list barely scratches the surface...
Gangz
Based in the leafy city of Ballarat, Gangz describe their style as swoony urban cowboy surf rock dream pop vibes. Pulling from the likes of The Strokes, The Kooks and Beach House, the four-piece are straight up rock’n’roll, and find beauty in simplicity. They’re about to start turning a lot more heads with a debut EP set to drop in January, so be sure to get on whatever these boys are cooking up.
Good Starting Tracks: ‘3350’, ‘Call Me Up’, ‘Beach Slang’, ‘Midweek’
Click here for their Spotify playlist.
Death by Denim
A four-piece from the suburbia across the Nullarbor, Death by Denim are a much more easy-going outfit. Bringing an Arctic Monkeys blend of rock, R’n’B and funk to their style, they have produced many groove-focused tracks that are guaranteed to weedle their way into your brain. Fresh off their debut EP, the band have featured at Southbound Music Festival, had regular play on triple j, and look set for bigger and better things in 2020.
Good Starting Tracks: ‘Cigarettes and Honey’, ‘Wiggy’, ‘Plane from Amsterdam’, ‘Take Me Far Away Sometime’
Click here for their Spotify playlist.
Jess Day
From the South Australian town of Roxby Downs, up-and-coming singer/songwriter Jess Day brings an old-school style of songwriting talent, combined with impeccable production and musical soundscapes. Basing her music heavily around the guitar, her secret comes in her versatility, combined with sublimely executed lyrical themes filled with vivid imagery and a sense of freedom. With upcoming shows in February 2020, she is set to be turning a lot more heads soon.
Good Starting Tracks: ‘Affection’, ‘Why is She So Beautiful’, ‘Rabbit Hole’, ‘Waiting’
Click here for her Spotify playlist.
murmurmur
Psychedelic, urgent, and trippy are the best way to describe the workings of Inner Sydney five-piece murmurmur. Delivering tracks with a sense of confusion and intoxication, but colourful overwhelming production that you’d expect from the likes of Kevin Parker and company, murmurmur have been recently really starting to pick up steam, having dropped an EP that saw them collaborate with Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson.
Good Starting Tracks: ‘I Can’t Stop Thinking About All The Time It’s Taken From You’, ‘Cable Car’, Everything’s Still Changing’, ‘Marmalade’
Click here for their Spotify playlist.
we build spaceships
One of the youngest outfits on our list, Queensland three-piece we build spaceships pull from the likes of fellow Australian artists The Jungle Giants, as well as Brit-pop legends The Strokes. Don’t let their age fool you: they’ve achieved notable acclaim, including winning The Darren Middleton Songwriting Competition for school musicians and making it as QMusic finalists with their debut single. With increasing success following them with airplay on triple j, these guys have got some serious music-writing chops and a lot to say.
Good Starting Tracks: ‘Jenny is a Nightmare,’ ‘Better Life’, ‘Not at My Best’
Click here for their Spotify playlist.
