Genre: Pop
If you love… Taylor Swift, circa 2008
You’ll like… Gretta Ray
The 19-year-old singer-songwriter continues to rise from strength to strength. Her insightful lyrics exhort a maturity beyond her teenage years, while the substantial nature of her guitar-pop style is a testament to her wealth of experience. One to keep an eye on in 2018, her starry-eyed ballads will win you over if you’ve been pining about the death of the ‘old Taylor’.
In a word: Lyrical
Favourite song: Drive
Genre: Electronica
If you love… Flume
You’ll like… Ninajirachi
‘Dance music made in an ice cave’? 18-year-old DJ Nina Wilson’s style may have been described as such, but her eclectic dance tunes will leave you anything but cold. As she steadily adds shows such as Falls Festival in Lorne to her repertoire, she continues to wow us with her enveloping, playful dance music. She tends to err on the friendlier side of the electronic scene; if you loved Flume’s more accessible hits like Never Be Like You, Say It and Holdin On, rather than his obscure or experimental tracks, then Ninajirachi is sure to electrify your senses.
In a word: Sparkly
Favourite song: Pure Luck (feat. Freya Staer)
Genre: Acoustic
If you love… Ed Sheeran
You’ll like… Dean Lewis
Craving more downtempo beats like Ed’s ballads Perfect, Photograph and Drunk? Look no further than Dean Lewis, whose seductive vocal cords and guitar strings landed him a number 12 spot on the ARIA Charts with his first single, ‘Waves’. His influences – which include Oasis, the Kooks, and Catfish and the Bottlemen – bleed into his songwriting, creating a kind of wistful magic that has to be heard to be believed.
In a word: Bittersweet
Favourite song: Waves
Genre: Folk-punk
If you love… Camp Cope
You’ll like… Antonia and the Lazy Susans
Camp Cope are arguably one of the most influential, game-changing and divisive acts of the current Australian music scene (seriously, I encourage you to read more about their outstanding actions toward social change). Antonia and the Lazy Susans sound like they could be Camp Cope’s sweeter younger sister; while mellow, they remain honest and tackle important ideas such as mental health and relationship breakdown. The band’s debut EP Closure is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, compelling from the first spin. Antonia and the Lazy Susans are playing at Pool House Party in March alongside punk heavyweights The Smith Street Band, Tired Lion, and the Bennies.
