"I think the tackling of those ideas is not what I do as some kind of social commentary or some project where I'm intending to use my voice to converse about these ideas. It's more about how in the world we live in, things are crazy and it’s on my mind all the time. And this is me processing stuff."

A Q&A with Stella Donnelly

"Creativity is my way of understanding myself, and it's my way of engaging with the world, interacting with the world."

Territory and intensity are prioritised within GODSPEED, leaning into new sounds, genres and influences, leaving no stone unturned. TNSW has always made music to respond to something, as the best art does. GODSPEED dives deeper into the same topics that characterise TNSW: criticism against conservative society, self-development and honest storytelling.

As guitars return to the forefront of rock in the form of clean, bite-sized sketches for the age of playlists, it may come as no surprise that indie’s internet darlings Car Seat Headrest have opted out of this cultural chapter and written a high-concept rock opera.

Now that we are on the other side of 2024, we wanted to make a list of records not to forget about from the year that was.

Meanjin's Platonic Sex recently took a trip to the United Kingdom and played 7 shows between London and Brighton.

With so many interviews under their belt for “Stumpwork”, the trio are copacetic to beginning our chat in a more trivial direction.

“It has become a depressing world right now; the climate is shit and everybody’s fighting and shooting other people. There was a mass shooting in Denmark this week…it all starts to feel like a Cave World . Everyone is starting to act like monkeys.” Tor Sjödén is on the other side of the line talking about Viagra Boys new LP released last week. Instead of being on the tour bus with the rest of the band he is on parental leave and taking in the slower life at his home in Sweden

Spiritualized's "Everything was beautiful" treads on the familiar territory of comfort and solace.

GRAIN session: Slumlord - Baxter Dury. Live from Felons Barrel Hall, June 5th, 2022.

"It was like building Paris with your toenails. It was the hardest thing I've ever done"

Crywank bundle together modern feelings of anxiety and isolation, tying it with a bow of anti-folk.

Ahead of Lucy Dacus' first Australian tour we spoke about tarot cards, middle school and collaborating with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers

You haven’t experienced true honest and relatable lyricism until you’ve listened to Phoebe Bridgers.

There are some times in life where things just seem to fall in place, for me, that moment came in 2014 when I found Foxing.

Indie big-band icons Beirut are coming out with their first record since 2015’s No No No, their sixth full length effort so far.

Written by Spencer White Combat Sports is the fourth studio album by beloved London five piece, The Vaccines. Sighting as much nostalgia as it does, the distinctive sound they’ve worked tirelessly to develop over the past 10 years is shown off on the new record. Lead guitarist Freddie Cowan tells of how proud he is of their latest feat, more difficult times surrounding Coming of Age & English Graffiti and how there is now harmony following the addition of two new members.

If you haven't heard of Interpol, maybe it's time to take a long hard look at yourself, your workplace, friendship groups and dare I say family just to consider what is going on within your social circle. Interpol aren't just another band from New York City, as far as I'm concerned they are the band from New York City. Since their inception in 1997 and with the release of one of the most important indie, post-punk albums of all time, Turn On The Bright Lights in 2002, the ba

Peter Bibby's second album Grand Champion came out last Friday. If you haven't heard it yet, save yourself the bother of reading the rest of this paragraph and head straight to your favourite music streaming platform. After you have made yourself comfortable, hover your mouse over the "play" button and don't look back. ​ Hailed by many as Australia's favourite maverick poet, Bibby's lyrics have the rare ability to drive you to rock bottom and then proceed to offer you an EMU

Lush is the debut record from Baltimore based artist Snail Mail who we caught up with recently for a chat.

Written by Brodie Popple The last time we saw Loose Tooth was BIGSOUND 2016, which was a special year for us as it was our first BIGSOUND as GRAIN. It was truly a great week of discovery and firsts; first time seeing bands like Totally Mild, These New South Whales, Hideous Sun Demon and of course, Loose Tooth. Since my first interview with Etta and Nelly, the girls as well as Bassist/Guitarist/Keys player and vocalist Luc Dawson, have been on one hell of a journey. After the

Wide Awake is certainly already my favourite album of the year, a statement I'm sure many will follow once it's released May 18.

Flowertruck recently released their debut album Mostly Sunny, an incredible and widely anticipated follow up from their dreamy debut EP 'DIRT'. Since the release of DIRT, the band have been bouncing all around the nation forging themselves as a staple act in Australia's alternative music scene. After the release of the first single off the album Dying to Hear this time last year, Flowertuck have garnered support from music lovers around the country as well as overseas, with

Jen Cloher's recent release (which is self-titled) is filled with her personal experiences and honest reflections. We recently caught up with Jen Cloher to talk about her 4th studio album. You studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), which is a very competitive school to apply for what drove you to instead go with music? When I was in University I lived in a share house with several other people who were musicians which is when I bought my first second

Foundation Sounds is in its second month and I couldn’t be more chuffed to have Perth's golden child Stella Donnelly involved.

Photograph by Joe Agius Now nine months on, she’s released her second single ‘Sure’, signed with US based Double Double Whammy, UK label Heavenly Records and A signing with Ivy League back home. On top of this all, she’s been chosen as the Brisbane Triple J Unearthed winner for the opening slot tomorrow at Laneway tomorrow. Playing alongside some huge names, Hatchie is starting her year on such a high and we’re bound to only see bigger things from here on out. I was lucky eno

The Creases are an integral part of the Brisbane music scene, aside from crafting some of the best pop music to come out of Australia in the past decade, they've also been a huge part of curating fantastic shows and supporting the scene. Joe Agius, Aimon Clark, Gabe Webster, Jarrod Mahon (and recently joined live member) Steve Kempnich have left a huge impression on this town as not only The Creases but as; Rinse, Emerson Snowe, Ciggy Pop, and part of Morning Harvey. 2017 w

Our photographer Robbie Atkin-Robertson went down South to Lorne to accompany Brisbane favourites, Good Boy, for their biggest show to date at Falls Festival. Here is the full gallery from their trip and some words from the band. ​ Top 3 performances? Rian : Parquet Courts, Dumb Punts and The Avalanches Tom/Stu : Parquet Courts, Pond and Bernard Fanning ​ Highlights? Rian : Biggest highlight was the miso soup from the gyoza stand every morning when it was freezing and I was h

Horror My Friend are hands down my favourite band in Australia and it seems I'm not the only one.

Photography by Kitty Callaghan Body Type is one of the most talked about bands to flourish out of the Sydney scene over the past year and a bit and for good reason. Their distinct flavour of pop music is matched with an incredible stage presence and charm that makes them an unmissable act. Unless you've been under a rock this year, you'd know that they've been kicking goals all over the country playing the likes of; Blurst of Times Festival, BIGSOUND, King Street Crawl, Volu

Anyone paying attention to Australian alternative music lately will have noticed a resurrection of eighties inspired sounds, particularly those reminiscent of early years in that pivotal decade when bands walked a fine line between the socially supported ‘New Wave’ and more rebellious ‘Punk’ labels (most notably among them Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure and Joy Division). As a massive fan of this golden-era revival, I was as excited as any to sit down and listen to Sydne

Photo by Robbie Atkin-Robertson Morning Harvey dominated the Brightside Car Park stage with a charisma and energy that rivalled anything else produced on the night. Joined on stage by the vocalists behind the dazzling Nice Biscuit and the musical stylings of Aimon Clark of The Creases, Morning Harvey sounded and looked great. Spencer had the crowd rapped around his finger performing as a veteran of the Brisbane scene. Their new track Holy Gun was received well by the audienc

After the release of The Drones ' critically acclaimed Feeling Kinda Free , Gareth Liddiard has set out across Australia touring as a solo musician. Since the release of Liddiard's solo release Strange Tourist in 07' The Drones have been hard at work with no sign of stopping. Bringing forth a sounds that belongs to no genre or fashion, Gareth will be treating Brisbane to an undoubtedly eclectic set this Friday the 21st of April at The Brightside. It’s been seven years sinc

Photographed for GRAIN by Robbie Atkin It’s been 3 years since LA based quartet Warpaint set foot in Australia. Now with their recently released album Heads Up, they are back to embark on the Australian leg of their oncoming world tour. Over the last 13 years the girls have made a highly reputable mark throughout the world with their high-energy performances and a discography that varies from dreamy warm minimalistic songs to highly contagious pop-infused dance tracks. I wa

Photography by Robbie Atkin-Robertson After releasing an album a year for three years under his moniker GUM , Jay Watson of Spinning Top Records (I don't have to tell you who), has refined his sound to put on a show packed with more bangers than a Butcher. A man who is no stranger to playing sell out shows around the world, blessed The Foundry on Friday night bringing with him a dazzling set that had the whole room electrified. Accompanied by Scarlett Stevens ( San Cisco ), A

Melbourne based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jess Locke has been releasing music and playing shows for 8 years and has a knack of performing in unconventional spaces including water parks, cemeteries, roundabouts, bookshops and back porches. Along with this, she has also played with the likes of The Smith Street Band on their sold out Australian tour, Tigers Jaw , Into It. Over It and Julia Jacklin to name a few. The last time Jess and her band were in Brisbane was

While Chastity Belt were here we thought it would be a fun idea to say "hey what's up?" and to give them a disposable camera to take on tour

You Beauty are a special type of band, not only does lead man Will carry an astoundingly eccentric stage persona, but he matches it with lyricism that fabricates a story in your head that many of us can relate to. The story of heart break, sport prospects and new love, we've all been there. After playing to an electric Foundry crowd earlier this year, the boys from Sydney are back for Deadlam to bring their unique style of NRL POP. I was lucky enough to have a chat with the

Photography by Max Orchard-Fox So, BIGSOUND ended last Thursday. What a time!!! We met up with Melbourne band Totally Mild for an interview and to shoot some photos on a rooftop . So you guys are back for BIGSOUND, is it a particularly well known event outside of Brisbane? Liz : I didn’t know about it before last year (when we played) or really know what it was when I got here, but I think people definitely know about it. There aren’t really any other events in Australia like

What were you doing on this day three months ago? I bet I can rightfully assume that the answer to that question is not something along the lines of “selling out venues across the country six months after I released my debut album”. Unless of course you are a member of City Calm Down, in which case you would answer that question with exactly those words. 2016 has already been a massive year for the Melbourne four-piece, and it is about to get bigger. They play Splendour In th

Camp Cope is absolutely killing it at the moment. The Melbourne trio recently finished a tour for their debut self-titled album; which saw them play mostly to sold-out rooms. It has been a crazy old time for the 3 girls who are sure to have a busy rest of the year. We gave Camp Cope a disposable camera for the tour and had a quick chat with drummer, Sarah Thompson. So, you recently released your debut album which has been received really well on triple J and from everyone I

Often described as Brisbane’s surfer-pop-rock, four-piece band, Major Leagues has been making waves in the music scene. The band have recently performed across the east coast on their three-show tour supported by FLOWERTRUCK. I was able to catch up with the up and coming musicians during their show at The Foundry last weekend. With a casual mix of saccharine vocals, hazy guitar riffs and catchy-as-hell tunes, it’s easy to see how the band has come to be such a success. This

Alike many of our favourite locals, Good Boy began as an idea at a house party with the hopes of making good music and supporting their mates. From the hazy rooms and rickety floors of Taringa to an incredibly toe tapping EP and an impressive East Coast tour, Good Boy has firmly cemented themselves in the hearts of many around Australia. Their EP titled No Love For Back Home is an absolute cracker with this trio, consisting of Rian King (Vocals/Bass), Tom Lindeman (Guitar)

Bad//Dreems have been making their way into Australian music and Australian hearts since the release of their EP in 2013. There’s no denying the force of the familiar accents, grit and catchiness to their musical style. Just have a look at their unearthed bio to get a sense of the atmosphere they were coming out of from Adelaide’s sleepy city. With a sound that pays tribute to the music of the Saints, the Go Betweens and Paul Kelly, I’m glad to see them gaining more and mor

Well, well, well… If it isn’t Brisbane’s favourite neo-psych rock, pop, happy dream fairies Moses Gunn Collective.

Many of you may know of a crazy New Yorker who answers to the name Jeff Rosenstock . Jeff has released more records than years I have been alive. He also has a tattoo of a slice of pizza on his left arm. Fuck yeah. His authenticity and passion for music is admirable, as is his ability to play such energetic back-to-back sets on a Sunday afternoon. We caught up with him for a chat after the final show of the Australian leg of his 'Last Minute World Tour' held at Foundry Record

Tasmanian legends Luca Brasi are fast becoming one of Australia's more recognisable bands within the punk scene.