PerthZine

Tag: perth music

  • Single Review – Sascha Ion and the Elements: Lilliana

    Single Review – Sascha Ion and the Elements: Lilliana

    Sascha Ion has picked up the acoustic guitar for her latest single Lilliana. The song explores the sense of displacement that can comes with making a big move.

    Stripped back compared to previous single The Groove, the track allows the vocal performance and visual lyrics to take centre stage. Ion repeats the chorus hook “what does your heart ache for”, her voice almost breaking at times, it suits the pang perfectly. The harmonies when she sings “should I stop now, or is it too late” work wonderfully.

    The song builds from acoustic guitar and shaker to a driving pop song that wouldn’t be out of place in ’60s Kinks era. Credit to the band for their restraint early on, letting the song breathe before expanding into its finale. Andrew Lippiatt’s drumming is tight and economical, opening up as bassist Liam Coffey joins Sascha with some lovely backing harmonies for the strong ending.

    Another nice one from Sascha Ion and the Elements, looking forward to their next show at Milk Bar on April 17.

  • Gig Review – Bribes Album Launch with Parclo and Symmetrical Dogs

    Gig Review – Bribes Album Launch with Parclo and Symmetrical Dogs

    The Bird, Friday March 13, 2026

    Friday night at The Bird once again delivered a great night of bands and fans, this time it was Bribes launching their excellent second album Caught in the Corners, with support from Symmetrical Dogs and Parclo.

    First up Symmetrical Dogs with a very enthusiastic crowd relishing the banter from frontwoman Claire Stanwix and the band. Stanwix is one of those rare performers who ooze charisma and confidence, seemingly without trying. Pair this with some great guitar work on the acoustic from Michael Wooldridge and Boyd Jarvis’ tight drum work, and you can see immediately why they have established such a solid fanbase. The set was short and sweet and effective in warming up the packed house.

    Parclo arrived on stage next, bringing post-rock vibes with a bit of that wonderful genre of shoegaze. Zoe Koong front and centre on bass and vocals was a revelation, showing plenty of power from such a small package. Sharing lead vocal duties while blasting out synth, Izzy French stood in stark contrast to Koong, but it worked well alongside the tight, high-quality playing from the rest of the group. Some moments went to the stratosphere with shoegazing jam-out goodness, and by now the venue was well and truly full, and ready for the headline act.

    And so came Bribes, who pulled out all the stops for the launch of their latest record. The atmosphere was warm, the crowd were packed to the rafters (I don’t like to use the term literally but given the side benches and low ceilings in the place, there were literally people up to the rafters), and the band were keen to show off their hard work.

    Playing the album through (a nice touch), Head was the obvious choice for opener anyway, and it made for a big start. The crowd were onboard and on for the ride, which was extra special with guests joining in to play the string and wind instrument sections live. If the lovely violin on Pale Blue Bowl was not enough, by Gidge Ridge things had escalated with flute accompanying the strings. Ange’s voice has a fragility to it that came across really nicely with the backing.

    The bands experience came through with all members playing tight and clearly enjoying themselves up there. One of the best guitar parts, that riff in Carnage ringing through the venue was a real high point. Danyon, on synth and vocals, had plenty of great moments – Don’t Let It End being one in particular where the catchy synth shines through. We even got a bonus track for the encore, with the band going back to BBB, one of their first tracks released, and a great choice to reward the crowd’s enthusiastic response.

    So once again, Friday night at The Bird delivered, and reminded everyone there that the Perth/Boorloo scene is thriving. Let’s hope these bands can continue growing and putting out material of this calibre, and nothing beats the challenge of backing it up live.

  • Single Review – Clare Perrott: Philadelphia (2025)

    Single Review – Clare Perrott: Philadelphia (2025)

    Philadelphia is the debut single from Perth songwriter Clare Perrott, and she delves into that feeling many of us can relate to, when a relationship needs to move on.

    Backed by a great band and equally good production, the guitar work sets the standard. The fingerpicking sound is excellent with some nylon twang riffs thrown in for good measure. It rises as the song builds and the band comes in and don’t get the wrong idea from the softer start; the song works its way to a rocking peak.

    Once Clare’s vocals kick in it gives off an instant Laurel Canyon Americana feel that the likes of Joni Mitchell made famous in the 60s and 70s. The best part is it doesn’t get stuck in the canyon and the song keeps moving and has its own personality. On occasions it sounds like Perth (the last breath, I can hear it!), other moments could be compared to the 90s folksinger sound, it’s a good mix of influences.

    It’s also nice to hear a chorus that extends out and isn’t just dependent on a couple of lines, with Perrott singing “you had to go” being the closest to the hook but being delivered in a variety of ways.

    A strong start, Philadelphia marks Clare Perrott as another quality singer-songwriter emerging out of this remote little city.

    Be sure to catch Clare playing live at Kadidjiny Park this Saturday 21/03 in Melville. It’s a free outdoor all ages show 🙂

  • EP Review – Symmetrical Dogs: Birthday Rabbit Foot Wish (2025)

    EP Review – Symmetrical Dogs: Birthday Rabbit Foot Wish (2025)

    Woof

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    The debut EP from Symmetrical Dogs is here and the creative three piece deliver a hell of a first look at what’s going on in their heads. When a live show and studio sound can be different while still displaying the personality of a band, you know there is something special going on.

    The tone is set from opener James, with singer Claire Stanwix going spoken word. It seems sparse but over the duration the synth sounds build from sweet chords to outer space in a gorgeous minor melody. The backing spoken vocals are a nice touch.

    With Americana we get a chance to hear the guitar drums and vocal songwriting, and the band keep it minimal but intense. Is laid back punk rock a thing? Think a nineties Big Thief (I’ll refrain from any more comparisons as the sound is very original). Hang around until the end for a great little guitar lick from Michael Wooldridge – is there anything finer than a riff played just a couple of times at the end of a track?

    Bossanova follows the sound, and the simple stripped production suits Stanwix’ laid back, confident vocals perfectly. It’s another example of the engaging acoustic guitar work from Wooldridge. Boyd Jarvis’ percussive chops should not be discounted either, especially when we hit the short soundscape that is Birthday Rabbit Foot Wish. Nice choice for the title track.

    Apologies and Grapes is a great song name, and Stanwix shows off she can do more than laid back. It may be a hint only, but I suspect she’s got a pretty serious range. She sings “I’m so sorry I’m too much, I am so sorry I’m not enough” in some of the starkest and best lyrics of the record.

    I suspect closing track 2000 is the sound this band will keep producing more of, finding themselves somewhere between nineties acoustic grunge and modern alt rock (no direct comparisons this time :). The synthscape behind the drums and acoustic guitar is another world, and there is a great vocal back and forth between multiple Claire’s. By the end of the song/EP they get as close to the rock-out sound that makes the live show so energetic.

    The EP is a great first effort from Symmetrical Dogs. Imagine what will happen when they get hold of even catchier hooks. I say when, not if, for a reason.

  • Gig Review – Stella Donnelly with Ullah and Anna Schneider

    Gig Review – Stella Donnelly with Ullah and Anna Schneider

    The Rechabite, Friday, March 6, 2026

    The Rechabite was heaving with good vibes all round as Stella Donnelly returned to her hometown for the last show touring her latest and greatest album Love and Fortune. Stella captivated the packed room with many singalong moments throughout her now well-stocked catalogue of songs.

    Opening the night was Anna Schneider and her band playing some beautiful ambient, dreamy pop. The four-piece warmed up the crowd nicely with a soundscape centred around Anna’s acoustic guitar and vocals, backed by a tight rhythm section and excellent synth work. The crowd were onboard and won over by the time the set finished.

    Time for Ullah and the packed room to really get going. With an ever-growing list of quality tunes coming from the Perth songwriter and band, you could really get a sense that big things are coming. Mixing the very catchy, radio friendly pop songs like What Nightmares Are Made Of (the softer acoustic breakdown in the middle of the song is a gorgeous masterclass in songwriting, and another level live) and I Want It All (with a brilliant, crowd-ready singalong chorus, and the crowd obliged) with the more introspective songs like latest single Shoulder To Shoulder. The performance showed confidence and a bit of cheek, and the crown-wearing singer showed she can handle the big stage.

    With the room buzzing and everyone feeling the love, Stella Donnelly arrived on stage and didn’t stop smiling. From the early cuts like Standing Ovation, Stella set a standard that kept up through the night. Synthy sounds to set the mood, then kicking into the guitar driven indie pop she is so good at. The maturity on the album came through in the live show, with Donnelly beaming and looking like she and the band were really enjoying being up there. This was absolutely reciprocated by the crowd, with plenty of singalong moments coming from songs new and old.

    Other set highlights included the wonderful album title-track Love and Fortune, Mosquito and Baths. Stella kept it interesting by moving between the full band, just her and guitar, and a tight keyboard group; a great way to keep the crowd interested and guessing how she will present the songs. Boys Will Be Boys was particularly stark and emotional, one of the moments where the room took on a more sombre tone. Good art is about taking any subject matter, be it difficult or easy, and turning it into something people can absorb, think about, enjoy, hate, whatever emotions come out. The other side is being able to present it amongst a variety of other topics and moving from serious to lighter themes without losing the room. In Donnelly’s case, she has mastered the art perfectly, and the whole set blended because of this.

    A great evening of music all up, and it is wonderful to see these extremely talented songwriters continuing to release high quality music and back it up with engrossing live performances.

  • Single Review – Ullah: Shoulder To Shoulder (2025)

    Single Review – Ullah: Shoulder To Shoulder (2025)

    With Ullah’s debut EP arriving later this month, we thought we’d take a look at her last single. Released a last year, Shoulder To Shoulder is Ullah at her most stripped back and really shows off the depth of her songwriting.

    “I’m honest”, Ullah sings in the opening line, before revealing “yet I tell myself white lies, porky pies”. It summarises the song as an introspective look at how the inner voice speaks within, and the way a lack of self-confidence can eat at that voice. The “I wear it” line that echoes throughout the tune gives us hope, it seems to say – yes this is inside me, this is how I feel, and it is part of my internal dialogue, but I’m not going to fight it, I’m going to “wear it” like a badge of honour and get on with it.

    Musically the song starts stripped back with a very nice, Something in The Way-esque sounding acoustic guitar accompanying the vocals, perfect for the intimate nature of the song. The music then builds to match the lyrics, starting with some simple vocal harmonies and lifting to a subdued crescendo. It’s a build-up but the song maintains that initial intimacy, a nice effort on the production front.

    Very much looking forward to what comes next from Ullah.

  • Gig Review – The Off Set Single Launch with The Mellotrons and The Quixotics

    Gig Review – The Off Set Single Launch with The Mellotrons and The Quixotics

    four5nine, Saturday, February 28, 2026

    The Off Set brought their catchy, melody rich sound to the four5nine bar for the launch of their ultra long titled single The Places She Only Wished That She Could Go. The classic long and narrow venue layout suited the indie lineup nicely.

    Kicking things off were The Quixotics playing some lovely jangly tunes. The four-piece made a poppy start to the set before building towards a more rocking, riff based back end. Fronted by Michael Gabriel, the songs were full of nice harmonies, and a particular shout out to the lefty, Hofner playing bass playing Hannah Smillie for excellent pop backing vocals and lead work. Good quality Aussie style indie pop rock.

    Time for The Off Set, and with a rotating roster between the three songwriters up front they really showed off a range of styles, all moulding together seamlessly due to the catchy hooks. With each member who took up duties came something different, and no real weaknesses to be completely honest. Dave Wallace’s lead guitar work stood out in the early stages of the set. Zack Yusof’s move from bass to guitar / frontman duties brought a welcome change to the middle of the show. Barry Divola bookended the set with his contributions, including the launched single – a jangly, melodic tune with a great chorus vocal hook (and yes, they managed to create a hook out of the long title, nice work fellas).

    It was up to The Mellotrons to close out the night, and they brought a heavier sound to the stage. With plenty of energy and a nice touch of synth, the five-piece played hard and fast while keeping a hold of some good, solid melody-based rock. A nice way to end the night and a great venue for packing in this kind of sound.

    Overall, this was a great gig with plenty of catchy hooks flying round to get stuck in one’s head for days to follow. Looking forward to seeing what the next single from The Off Set sounds like, and further releases from them. Also mentioning the night was a benefit for a friend of the bands – props, and all the best to Caitlin.

    And one more pic because I took more than just front on wide shots of the band…

  • Single Review – Sascha Ion and The Elements: The Groove

    Single Review – Sascha Ion and The Elements: The Groove

    Sascha Ion and the band really bring it for this latest single from the Perth based three-piece. Grooving (sorry) hard around an insistent psych riff, they create quite a racket, and all the little nuances in the background just ice the cake.

    Everything is done in quick bursts, and it works well. Ion’s vocal lines are short and sweet, with Liam Coffee harmonising alongside. Between these we get plenty of noisy guitar licks and even a little keys in the distance. The guitar solos are short but filthy and fantastic, getting dirtier as the song progresses.

    For anyone into bluesy, psychy, dirty rock n roll and beyond, The Groove is highly recommended.

  • Single Review – Lake Mammoth: Sink In

    Single Review – Lake Mammoth: Sink In

    Sink In is the latest single from psych rockers Lake Mammoth and the instrumental track is full of little nuggets of goodness.

    The vibe is already on its way with some proper surf reverb guitar chiming over synth to kick things off, but the song takes on another dimension when the band comes in and things start to groove. The funk wah lead guitar and conga rhythm really turn it into something to move to. It ebbs between breakdowns and heavier parts before a freak-out climax.

    The sound is somewhere between surf/psych and western sci-fi and there are plenty of things floating around in the background to keep it interesting; well worth a listen and a great band to see jamming it out on stage.

  • Album Review – Stella Donnelly: Love and Fortune

    Album Review – Stella Donnelly: Love and Fortune

    Stella

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Stella Donnelly is back with more polish and songwriting maturity on Love and Fortune. From the outset the album sets a standard and doesn’t flinch, nor does Donnelly with her candid, confessional storytelling.

    Backed by an excellent band, the album is tight, well produced and navigates the full range of Stella’s arsenal – from catchy guitar pop to electronic synth driven exploration, often in the same song.

    Opening track Standing Ovation shows this in full force. Honest lyrics about teen love over a ‘verby synth hook, starting out slow dance before suddenly kicking into the jangly pop Stella is known for.

    The album continues the balance of guitar driven, synthy introspect throughout. Being Nice, clocking in at 1:41, is short, sweet, poppy, and full of lyrical sharpness. Feel It Change pangs with relationship problems (“I love you baby, but I’m scared to be near ya”) backed by catchy guitar licks.

    Folky a cappella follows with Baths, another short one at 1:48. Memories of family life, with the smallest hint of synth swirling in the background.

    In Please Everyone she sings “I offered up my shoulder you could lean upon, but you climb right on”, then takes a turn reversing who’s leaning on who; it’s quality, soul open songwriting.

    The best part of the album comes in the gentle but still catchy combination of Ghosts and Love and Fortune. Ghosts is a gorgeous drifting tune with Stella’s vocals backed by an infectious piano lick.

    I can imagine a crowd singing along to the title track. It creeps up on you and once she starts singing “Love and fortune, wait in the hallway to greet you” you are hooked. It’s a soft track so we’re not talking anthem singalong, more like everyone swaying along and singing with all their hearts.

    The album closer, Laying Low, is a highlight of Donnelly’s juxtaposition of sweetness and slightly unstable melodies. A synth riff driving the verses creates that tension, but Donnelly’s vocals ground the song and lead into her classic style of chorus.

    Love and Fortune is an excellent record and a sign of an evolving artist, letting it all out as she has always done, while also allowing us all in to share the catharsis in great, catchy indie pop music.