MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT
THEY ARE
four emphatically industrious Sydneysiders gearing up to grab Australia’s rock scene by the throat with their sharp and spontaneous, one-of-a-kind intensity.
THEY SOUND LIKE
a kinetic blend of belting ‘00s pop-punk and sizzling country – like if the current trend of Southern fried emo was flipped on its head and given a cheery makeover. There’s a little bit of a twang to the guitars and a warbly spark to vocalist Carla Gates’ harmonies; coupled with the convulsive energy the four-piece revel in, it’s one hell of a winning formula.
YOU’LL DIG THEM IF YOU LIKE
Pinegrove, The Academy Is... and the self-titled Paramore album. They wield a lighthearted and lively sound that Australia’s underground rock scene is sorely missing; once the live music scene bursts back to life, expect to start seeing their name pop up everywhere.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT
their latest single “Seeing Red”, with its roaring hooks and bombastic breakdown so inescapably huge that one spin is all it takes to have the chorus involuntarily tattooed into your memory. There’s a piercingly powerful chemistry at play between guitarists Max Russell and Fred Roberts, with Gates whipping vocal magic over them like a gymnast busting out backflips on a whim. Also peep the ripping guitar solo on debut single “Icy Shoulders”, which is just goddamn jaw-dropping.