Happy to be back on home turf

SOME of the Hobart music scene’s former favourite sons and daughters are coming home for a live celebration of Tasmanian musicians past and present on Saturday night.

Presented by Hobart + Music = Yeah!, Homecoming will be headlined by Hobart noise-pop darlings Heart Beach, who are now based in Canada but have returned to tour Australia to launch their highly anticipated third album, Haircut.

After signing to leading label Spunk Records for the release of their second album, Kiss My Face, late last year, two-thirds of Heart Beach — guitarist Jonathon McCarthy and singer/bassist Claire McCarthy — packed up and moved to Montreal.

Teaming up with Scottish-born drummer Jaq Inglis, the McCarthys played a series of shows across North America and recorded Haircut at Montreal studio Hotel2Tango with acclaimed engineer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

Heart Beach will unveil some new material at Homecoming, which will also feature performances by Melbourne post-punk band Stationary Suns — featuring ex-Sea Scout/Love of Diagrams member Monika Fikerle on drums — plus Melbourne-based former Hobart “jangle pop” group Quivers and another Tassie expat, drone guitarist K Mason.

Local favourites Carl Renshaw, Slag Queens, The Native Cats and Saul Latham will also all be on the bill when Hobart + Music = Yeah! presents Homecoming at the Brisbane Hotel from 8pm on Saturday.

The bands will be followed by late-night DJs. Tickets are $15 pre-sale from www.oztix.com.au, or $20 at the door.