Backseat Mafia

Premiere: Frankie Alpha Shares Emphatic New Single ‘Coma Toes’ Rising producer Frankie Alpha unveils the new single 'Coma Toes (Yay)' ahead of his debut EP Fragrances, needless to say we're very excited to be running the exclusive premiere! Building a soundscape comparable to the likes of Bonobo, Royksopp, Jamie XX and Caribou, the single brings a rich, experimental and immersive electronic soundscape which is at once reflective and melancholic, yet radiant, colourful and danceable. Centred around a lo-fi beat and sporadic swells of synth which dance around the soundscape with a sense of freedom, the tracks use of short, atmospheric vocal samples gives the track a sense of glitching, freedom as it stays tightly pinned to the punchy four to the flour beat throughout.

Premiere: @frankie_alpha_gram shines on 'Coma Toes (Yay)' from upcoming debut EP

bloodstock add even more bands for 2026 and weekend tickets are now officially sold out Bloodstock Open Air festival 2026 have just dropped some more names and just in time for Halloween Striding onto the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage on Sunday, will be the mighty Black Label Society Not ones to be intimidated by that hefty gut punch, Main Stage Friday sees prime Deathcore dealers Fit For An Autopsy join the bill Over on the Sophie Lancaster Stage.................... Thursday welcomes back Birmingham’s previous Metal 2 The Masses winners, boisterous lads Mantis Defeats Jaguar Friday confirms sanguine-soaked black metal squad Blood Countess Also on Friday party sludge noiseniks…

bloodstock add even more bands for 2026 and weekend tickets are now officially sold out

Bloodstock Open Air festival 2026 have just dropped some more names and just in time for Halloween Striding onto the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage on Sunday, will be the mighty Black Label Society Not ones to be…

News: Wet Leg Return for Laneway Festival 2026 with Two Exclusive Sideshows Laneway Festival favourites Wet Leg return to Australia this February — bringing their new album moisturizer and two exclusive sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne for a celebration of wit, riffs, and glorious chaos.

Wet Leg are back for Laneway 2026 — plus two unmissable sideshows in Sydney + Melbourne.
#WetLeg #Laneway2026 #Moisturizer #RhianTeasdale #HesterChambers #DominoRecords #BackseatMafia #IndieRock #PostPunkRevival #LiveMusicSydney #LiveMusicMelbourne
@lanewayfest @secretsounds @wetlegband

News: ALEX G AND LUCY DACUS TO MAKE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE DEBUTS THIS SUMMER Two of indie music’s most singular voices — Alex G and Lucy Dacus — will take over the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall this February, each bringing their distinct, emotional universes to one of the world’s most iconic stages.

Two nights. Two icons. Alex G and Lucy Dacus make their Sydney Opera House debut this February — raw emotion meets timeless craft.
#AlexG #LucyDacus #SydneyOperaHouse #boygenius #Headlights #ForeverIsAFeeling #HandsomeTours #LanewayPresents #IndieMusic #music
@lucydacus @sandyalexg @SydneyOperaHouse

News: LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2026 SIDESHOWS ANNOUNCED: FROM BENEE TO GEESE, THE PARTY CONTINUES OFF-FESTIVAL With Laneway Festival 2026 selling out faster than ever, the newly announced sideshows give fans a second chance to catch the lineup’s biggest names — from BENEE’s luminous alt-pop to Geese’s chaotic rock and Wisp’s new-wave shoegaze — in the kind of intimate rooms where magic happens.

Laneway 2026 keeps rolling — from BENEE’s bright pop glow to Geese’s raw chaos and Wisp’s dream haze. Limited tix, intimate rooms, massive energy.
#Laneway2026 #BENEE #Cavetown #Geese #GigiPerez #JensenMcRae #MalcolmTodd #MtJoy #Oklou #Wisp #HandsomeTours #LanewayPresents
@lanewayfest @handsometours

Premiere: ‘It’s All Been For Nothing’ – Take the Indian Pacific for a sparkling ride. We are very proud to premiere the sparkling single 'It's All Been For Nothing' from Sydney band Indian Pacific, a shimmering ride that is threaded throughout with a satisfying melancholia. Horns frame the sound, providing a golden burnish, and there is a pop dynamism that is redolent of The Saints, replete with jingle jangle guitars and a slight alt country twang. The band says of the track: 'It’s All Been for Nothing' is a song about doing the hard yards. The idea that things don't typically work out on their own.

Premiere: 'It's All Been For Nothing' - Take the Indian Pacific for another sparkling ride.
@indianpacificband
#indianpacific #premiere #backseatdownunder #themarrickvillesound #indie

Premiere: Lutruwita instrumental magicians follow release the epically beautiful and deeply personal elegy ‘Cherry Blossoms in the Front Yards, Forever’ I've always said that a good instrumental can evoke feeling and emotions without the need for words, and the instrumental band follow always manages this effortlessly. Their new single 'Cherry Blossoms in the Front Yards, Forever' has a power and impact that will leave you speechless, even from the poignant title alone. follow's style and delivery has always been laden with atmosphere and emotion - one that I have in past reviews linked with the geography and climate of the southern isle of Lutruwita/Tasmania: wild, raw and heart-breakingly beautiful (see my review of their 2023 debut album…

Premiere: Lutruwita instrumental magicians follow release the epically beautiful and deeply personal elegy 'Cherry Blossoms in the Front Yards, Forever'
@follow.tas_ @falsepeakrecords
#follow #premiere #falsepeakrecords #backseatdownunder #indie #instrumental #lutruwita #tasmania

Track: Maxine Gillon channels resilience through shimmering indie pop ‘The Last Time’ finds Maxine Gillon turning hardship into melody. With jangling guitars and an irresistible pop pulse, it’s a luminous reflection on fragility, healing, and gratitude — proof that her brightest work often comes from her darkest places.

@MaxineGillon finds beauty in change on her new single ‘The Last Time’ — a radiant, jangly pop moment that turns struggle into song. #MaxineGillon #TheLastTime #GirlSongs #IndiePop #MelbourneMusic #NewMusic #JanglePop #MentalHealthAwareness #AustralianIndie

News: We Came As Romans Return to Australia in 2026 with CASKETS and HEADWRECK We Came As Romans will return to Australia in February 2026, bringing their seventh album All Is Beautiful... Because We're Doomed to stages nationwide with support from UK outfit CASKETS and local heroes HEADWRECK.

We Came As Romans bring their All Is Beautiful... Because We’re Doomed tour to Australia this February with CASKETS and HEADWRECK. #WeCameAsRomans #Caskets #Headwreck #AllIsBeautifulBecauseWereDoomed #AustralianTour #Metalcore #Polaris #LifesABeach #HeavyMusicAus
@wecameasromans @destroyalllines

Track: The Last Dinner Party share new single ‘Second Best’ ahead of From The Pyre The Last Dinner Party return with ‘Second Best’, the third single from their forthcoming album From The Pyre. Inspired by Sparks and written by guitarist Emily Roberts, the track blends heartbreak, self-discovery, and art-pop ambition into one of their most striking releases yet.

The Last Dinner Party return with ‘Second Best’, a searing new single from their upcoming album From The Pyre, out 17 Oct.
@thelastdinnerparty @secretsounds #TheLastDinnerParty #SecondBest #FromThePyre #EmilyRoberts #NewMusic #UKBands #ArtPop #IndieRock

Album Review: Lophae –‘Imagine More’: Another instalment of lyrical, melodic, shape-shifting jazz from the London quartet. Now here’s something to hunker down with, ‘Imagine More’, a second instalment from new(ish) London jazz quartet Lophae. That’s a logical title for a follow up to the combo’s acclaimed debut ‘Perfect Strangers’, a set of subtly intense, melodic tunes which had listeners wondering about what might come next in the band’s catalogue. Well this new release won’t disappoint those devotees of Lophae’s debut and its vibrant directness is likely to draw others towards this quartet’s ever evolving soundscape. ‘Imagine More’ stands very much as a companion piece to ‘

Album Review : 'Imagine More' by Lophae @gregjosand

"‘Imagine More’ yet again emphasises that this is a quartet whose sonic interaction is uncannily alchemic and often overwhelmingly magical."
Words John Parry
Read more on the BSM website

#albumreview
#ukjazz
#worldjazz
#psychedelic
#jazzfusion

Katy Perry kicks off the UK leg of her Lifetimes tour Katy Perry kicks off the UK leg of her Lifetimes Tour this week, landing in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena on 7th October. Expect a career-spanning set with some fan favourites like I Kissed A Girl and Roar alongside tracks from her latest album 143. In addition to the pop spectacle, Perry will use this tour to give back to grassroots music venues. For every ticket sold on the UK dates, £1 will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, the charity dedicated to protecting and supporting independent venues across the UK - those stages (e.g.

Katy Perry kicks off the UK leg of her Lifetimes tour

Katy Perry kicks off the UK leg of her Lifetimes Tour this week, landing in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena on 7th October. Expect a career-spanning set with some fan favourites like I Kissed A Girl and Roar alongside tracks from her latest album…

Live Gallery: Tash Sultana Returns to Sydney: A Six-Year Wait Ends at the Enmore Theatre 3.10.2025 After six years away from Sydney stages, Tash Sultana’s Enmore Theatre comeback is nothing short of electric. With opening sets from rising stars Ben Swissa and South Summit, the night builds from soulful intimacy to full-blown communion, climaxing in Sultana’s kaleidoscopic, high-voltage performance.

Sydney’s Enmore lights up as Ben Swissa, South Summit, and Tash Sultana deliver a night of homegrown firepower. Six years in the making, Tash’s return feels less like a gig and more like a resurrection.
@TashSultanaofficial #EnmoreTheatre @SouthSummitband @BenSwissa #jungle #music
Photos @deb_pelser

Say Psych: Video Premiere: Rhys Bloodjoy – I Believe I Can Die Sister 9 Recordings have just announced pre-orders for Rhys Bloodjoy's upcoming Evils Highway EP with an exclusive Backseat Mafia Video Premiere of the lead single, 'I Believe I Can Die'! The EP will be Bloodjoy's first solo release since last year's album, The Chaos In Veins—and is set for release on 31 October. For the uninitiated, Bloodjoy is a one man noise machine, using sophisticated loops, echo drenched harmonies and reverb soaked melodies to create a sound described as "a stroke of genius that will haunt you long into the night.” A prolific and highly esteemed songwriter, Bloodjoy emerged on the underground scene in 2014 and has since gained in strength and stature, honing his sound to create truly electrifying live performances.

Say Psych Video Premiere: Rhys Bloodjoy is back! Check out his new track 'I Believe I Can Die' from his forthcoming EP Evils Highway

News: Akhil Sahni Unveils Debut EP Puzzle Following Breakthrough Single Singer-songwriter Akhil Sahni releases the debut EP, Puzzle. The five-track project blends contemporary pop introspection with Sahni’s signature piano-driven soulfulness, aiming to solidify his reputation as a rising creative force in modern music. Puzzle explores a wide range of sounds while staying rooted in Sahni’s trademark piano ballads. The EP delves into themes of romance, heartbreak, and the highs and lows of modern relationships, delivering moments that are both emotionally resonant and uplifting. Critics and listeners alike have noted Sahni’s songwriting displays a maturity well beyond his 22 years.

News: Akhil Sahni Unveils Debut EP Puzzle Following Breakthrough Single

Singer-songwriter Akhil Sahni releases the debut EP, Puzzle. The five-track project blends contemporary pop introspection with Sahni’s signature piano-driven soulfulness, aiming to solidify his reputation as a rising creative…

News: Marcus King Band release latest album, Darling Blue, their first in 7 years Marcus King Band’s highly anticipated 4th album, Darling Blue, is out now via American Recordings/Republic Records. Alongside the release, the band is sharing the new track ‘The Shadows’ featuring GRAMMY-nominated artist Noah Cyrus.  Ahead of the album, the band shared songs ‘Heartlands’ and ‘Here Today’ featuring Jamey Johnson and Kaitlin Butts. The band has also shared ‘Carry Me Home’, ‘Carolina Honey’ and ‘Honky Tonk Hell’, the latter of which became the fastest single of King’s career to hit one million streams. Darling Blue finds Grammy-nominated Marcus King reuniting with his longtime live band for their first studio album together since 2018’s Carolina Confessions.

News: Marcus King Band release latest album, Darling Blue, their first in 7 years
@marcuskingbandmusic @realmarcusking @americanrecordings @backseatmafia @republicrecords

Album Review: Dun-Dun Band -‘Pita Parka, Pt. II: Nim Egduf’: Minimal riff magic and warmly woven improv melodies from this exceptional ten-piece. Dun-Dun Band are a ten-piece ensemble from Toronto assembled by eclectic sound-maker and guitarist Craig Dunsmuir. An associate of the long song maestro Sandro Perri, check the Off World and Glissandro 70 projects from a while back, Dunsmuir has been diligently probing the possibilities of repetitive and juxtaposed rhythms in his work for well over two decades now. Search back to 2012 for his quirky solo release as Kanada 70 ‘Vamp Ire’ and you’ll catch the teasing beginnings of these explorations, brief cycles of tunes and tempos played by hand but resembling loops.

Album Review: 'Pita Parka, Pt. II: Nim Egduf' by Dun-Dun Band @craigfraid via @wearebusybodies

"Dun-Dun Band go beyond crafting an intriguing musical exercise, they shape exquisitely realised mood shifting experiences"
Words John Parry
Read more on BSM web

#albumreview
#experimental
#minimalmusic

Live Review: Flyte – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. 24.09.25 An intimate evening of the highest quality with Flyte in Leeds

Live Review: Flyte – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. 24.09.25

An intimate evening of the highest quality with Flyte in Leeds

EP Review: The legendary Sneeze return with visceral and louche EP ‘Bands Jobs and Girlfriends’. Sneeze are a legendary Australian pop rock band formed in 1991 by Nic Dalton (who runs the band's record label, Half a Cow and was in The Plunderers) on vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, and drums, and Tom Morgan (from Smudge) on vocals and guitar. Both now residing in the NSW rural town of Maitland, they have reformed and released a new EP 'Bands, Jobs and Girlfriends' with input from original drummer Lara Meyerratken and longtime Sneeze special guest Simon Day (RatCat). Six songs are delivered over eight minutes, gestated over a long period between 1998 and 2025.

EP Review: The legendary Sneeze return with visceral and louche EP 'Bands Jobs and Girlfriends'.
@halfacowrecords
#sneeze #halfacowrecords #backseatdowunder #indie #maitland #pop

Album Review: Supergroup SnarskiCircusLindyBand (with members from The Go-Betweens, Black-eyed Susans and The Triffids) unveils sparkling debut album ‘what’s said and what’s left unsaid’ ahead of launch dates. With founding members Lindy Morrison (legendary drummer from The Go-Betweens) and Rob Snarski (the iconic Black Eyed Susans) at the helm, and joined by ‘Evil’ Graham Lee (The Triffids, The Blackeyed Susans), Shane O’Mara (Rebecca’s Empire, Chris Wilson, The Silversound) and Dan Kelly (Paul Kelly, Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males), there was never any doubt something special would result from the supergroup SnarskiCircusLindyBand (SCLB). Their new album ‘what’s said and what’s left unsaid’ is a delicious blend of antipodean pop and sixties flavoured bubble gum with a hint of Australiana thanks to Lee's distinctive pedal guitars.

Album Review: Supergroup SnarskiCircusLindyBand (with members from The Go-Betweens, Black-eyed Susans and The Triffids) unveils sparkling debut album ‘what’s said and what’s left unsaid’ ahead of launch dates.
@robsnarski @lindymorrison7
#snarskicircuslindyband #backseatdownunder #albumreview #indie

News: Canadian troubadour, Ron Sexsmith announces Australia/New Zealand ‘Hangover Terrace Tour’ in 2026 Triple Juno Award winner, Ron Sexsmith, one of Canada’s most accomplished singer-songwriters, will make a more-than welcome return to tour NZ & Australia with his band in April 2026. The tour is presented by DRW Entertainment and Gaynor Crawford. Eleven years on from his last visit Down Under, his fans will once again be able to marvel at the sublime songcraft and vocal delivery he is famed for. Known for his insightful lyrics and distinctive voice, Sexsmith has collaborated with the likes of Daniel Lanois, Mitchell Froom, Ane Brun, Tchad Blake, and Bob Rock.

News: Canadian Ron Sexsmith announces Australia/New Zealand 'Hangover Terrace Tour' in 2026
@ronsexsmithmusic @backseat_mafia @drwentertainment @gaynorcrawfordpresents

Album Review: SANAM –‘Sametou Sawtan’: Absorbing, ambitious free rock fusion from the peerless Lebanese six-piece. It takes a singular vision to bring something new to the post rock table these days, loud/quiet trajectories and obtuse time signatures have long been overplayed, but Lebanese sextet SANAM definitely are a band that deliver that much needed fresh perspective. The group’s members (Sandy Chamoun /vocals, Antonio Hajj /bass, Farah Kaddour/buzuq, Anthony Sahyoun/ guitar + synth, Pascal Semerdjian/drums and Marwan Tohme /guitars) are all active in the intricate web of the Bierut underground scene although their coming together as an ensemble had short-lived intentions. Initially formed to play a one-off show at the 2021 Irtijal music festival, the performance lit a creative spark that the six musicians decided to keep alive.

Album Review: 'Sametou Sawtan' by @sanam.music_ via @cstrecords

"Absorbing, ambitious free rock fusion from the peerless Lebanese six-piece."
Words: John Parry
Read more on BSM website

#albumreview
#experrimentalrock
#freerock
#postfolk
#arabicmusic

News: DOGMA announce debut Australian tour for November 2025 talian collective DOGMA will make their Australian debut in November 2025 with the Time To Be Free tour, bringing their ritualistic live show to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

DOGMA announce their first-ever Australian shows this November with the Time To Be Free tour – hitting Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. #DOGMA #TimeToBeFreeTour #Australia2025 #LordOfTheLost #NewMusic
@officialdogma

incineration festival locks in its first batch of bands for its 2026 edition, and it is huge The first names of Incineration Festival 2026 have been revealed Incineration Festival have announced that BLOOD FIRE DEATH will headline the 2026 edition. More than twenty years have passed since the metal world lost one of its biggest icons, Thomas ‘Quorthon’ Forsberg of Bathory. Thomas ‘Quorthon’ Forsberg was instrumental in redefining metal as we knew it. With the seminal 1984 debut, “Bathory”, Quorthon single handedly laid the foundation of what has become the world-renowned phenomenon, that is black metal. There was Venom before him, but musically he laid out the blueprint for myriads of bands that followed, especially from Scandinavia, in the coming decades.

incineration festival locks in its first batch of bands for its 2026 edition, and it is huge

The first names of Incineration Festival 2026 have been revealed Incineration Festival have announced that BLOOD FIRE DEATH will headline the 2026 edition. More than twenty years have passed since the…

News: KT Tunstall brings Eye To The Telescope 20th anniversary tour to Australia and New Zealand KT Tunstall will return to Australia and New Zealand in May 2026 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her era-defining debut album Eye To The Telescope, performing the record in full at a run of exclusive headline shows.

KT Tunstall marks 20 years of Eye To The Telescope with a full-album tour across Australia and New Zealand in May 2026. A rare chance to relive one of the defining records of the 2000s. #KTTunstall #EyeToTheTelescope #SuddenlyISee #BlackHorseAndTheCherryTree @kttunstall @destroyalllines

Live Review & Gallery: 85 and Funking with George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic at Enmore Theatre – Gadigal Land, Sydney 21.09.25 At 85, George Clinton has earned the right to take things easy, but clearly no one told him that. Clad in gold, he launched the Enmore Theatre straight into the cosmic depths of funk. The stage was packed with musicians, which is exactly how P-Funk should be experienced. Horns blared, guitars criss-crossed, and voices piled up until the whole place swept into the same groove. It wasn’t neat or restrained and that’s exactly the point. Watching the generational handover unfold in real time was what stood out most. Veterans like Michael "Clip" Payne anchored the set, while others, especially Garrett "Starchild Jr" Shider and Scottie Clinton, brought a new energy.

85 and Funking with George Clinton (@yolikegeorge) & Parliament-Funkadelic at Enmore Theatre!

#backseatdownunder #funk

News: Nilüfer Yanya confirms first Australian shows in seven years Nilüfer Yanya will return to Australia in February 2026, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The tour marks her first visit since 2019 and promises material from My Method Actor, PAINLESS and Miss Universe, alongside her recent Dancing Shoes EP.

Nilüfer Yanya is bringing her spellbinding sound back to Australia in February 2026, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Festival. Don’t miss her first visit since 2019. @niluferyanyaaaaaa @handsometours #PAINLESS #MissUniverse #DancingShoesEP #LibertyHall #niluferyanya #nilűferyanya

Track: WHITEHORSE Surge Forward With New Single ‘Red Riptide’ Sheffield’s WHITEHORSE, led by Thomas Haywood (former frontman of The Blinders) are back with their electrifying second single, 'Red Riptide' out now. Bringing together a gritty yet melodic guitar led soundscape, the track captures both a gritty sense of drive and a melancholic, melodic undercurrent which gives the track both an evocative sense of energy and a tuneful flourish, ultimately sitting somewhere between Iggy Pop, Fontaines DC and The Strokes. Driven forward by its tight drums and unrelenting bassline, the track leaves space for the reverb drenched guitars to dance around the tracks backbone.

Sheffield risers @whitehorsebanduk surge forward with the new single 'Red Riptide'

the colossal volbeat hit the UK soon as part of their ‘greatest of all tours’ tour and it is going to be special Volbeat are currently in the middle of their Worldwide 'Greatest Of All Tours' tour and they are set to hit our coastline in November with Bush and Gel joining them With the U.S and Canada legs complete Volbeat have now crossed the Atlantic and are currently shredding up stages in mainland Europe and will be joining us for the UK leg of the tour in November. With headlining slots for some festivals next year already announced, this is a tour you most definitely do not want to miss. Grab your tickets now

the colossal volbeat hit the UK soon as part of their ‘greatest of all tours’ tour and it is going to be special

Volbeat are currently in the middle of their Worldwide 'Greatest Of All Tours' tour and they are set to hit our coastline in November with Bush and Gel joining them With the U.S and…

the mighty arch enemy tour launches next month and it’s going to be heavy Arch Enemy are hitting our shores next month and into November with their Blood Dynasty tour and this tour is going to be colossal. Joining Arch Enemy on the road will be the awesome Amorphis, the fantastic Eluveitie and the heavy Gatecreeper. This is one tour that will undoubtedly going down in metal history so it is one you don't want to miss

the mighty arch enemy tour launches next month and it’s going to be heavy

Arch Enemy are hitting our shores next month and into November with their Blood Dynasty tour and this tour is going to be colossal. Joining Arch Enemy on the road will be the awesome Amorphis, the fantastic Eluveitie and the…