Island Records Australia congratulate their incredible artists nominated today at the 2020 ARIA Awards Season Launch. The leading Australian music label would like to congratulate, Tame Impala, Baker Boy, Briggs, Hilltop Hoods, The McClymonts, Washington, Vera Blue and Adelaide trio Hilltop Hoods who were recognized with ARIA Award nominations over a cross section of categories.

It has been an astounding year for global sensation, Tame Impala.  Multi-instrumentalist and producer Kevin Parker is nominated for a staggering 7 awards for his album The Slow Rush. Nominations include Album of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Rock Album and Best Group, as well as Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year. With over 4 million views, fourth single ‘Is It True’ has been nominated for Best Video. The Slow Rush, written, produced, performed and mixed by Kevin Parker, was released in February to worldwide acclaim. Achieving Tame Impala’s second #1 in Australia and currently the highest selling Australian album in 2020, Parker’s fourth studio album is his highest charting album to date in both the US and UK. The Slow Rush achieved 14 x top 10 chart positions around the world and has amassed 800 million streams globally.

In 2019, across the globe, Tame Impala headlined festivals such as Coachella, Splendour In the Grass, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo plus back to back sold out headline shows at Maddison Square Garden. Shortly after the release of The Slow Rush, Tame Impala sold out 2 headline night’s at LA’s famous venue The Forum. Their ANZ Arena Tour is set to excite fans in December 2021.

Tame Impala 7 NOMINATIONS (Album of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Rock Album, Best Group, Best Video, Engineer Of The Year and Producer Of The Year) 

Upon his debut in 2017, Baker Boy struck the Australian music industry with his unashamed optimism and love for music, dance and his connection to his culture. With his debut album still on its way, Baker Boy is nominated for 3 ARIA Awards for his music and live performance.

Blazing a path rapping in his native language of Yolngu Matha as well as English, his single ‘Meditjin’ feat. JessB has been nominated for Best Hip Hop Release and its accompanying video filmed at Melbourne’s NGV, for Best Video. Known for his killer live performances, the Arnhem Land artist also scored a nomination for Best Live Act for Falls Festival. Achieving over 28 million global streams of his music, and notable music syncs for singles ‘Better Days’ (Tik Tok) and ‘Meditjin’ (AFL), the winner of Artist Of The Year at this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), is unstoppable.

Baker Boy 3 NOMINATIONS (Best Hip Hop Release, Best Video and Best Live Act)

Powerhouse rapper and Australian Hip Hop pioneer Briggs is nominated for Best Hip Hop Release for his Always Was EP. The 6-track EP is Briggs’ first solo body of work to be released since 2014’s ‘Sheplife’ and the acclaimed 2016 A.B. Original ‘Reclaim Australia’ album. The EP features lead single, ‘Go To War’ feat. Thelma Plum and the powerful official video featuring an almost entirely Aboriginal cast including the Muggera Dancers, Thelma Plum, Barkaa, Nooky, Kobie Dee, and Scottie Marsh.

Briggs 1 NOMINATION (Best Hip Hop Release)

Debuting #3 on the ARIA Album Chart and #1 on the ARIA Country Album, The McClymonts sixth studio album Mayhem To Madness is nominated for Best Country Album. Produced by Andy Mak, the album garnered singles ‘I Got This’ and ‘Free Fall’, with the latter becoming the country-pop group’s 18th number 1 single at Australian Country Radio, an incredible achievement.

The McClymonts 1 NOMINATION (Best Country Album)

Award winning singer-songwriter Megan Washington’s has taken out two nominations today. For her critically acclaimed album, Batflowers, WASHINGTON has been nominated for Best Cover Art. In addition, she also scored a nomination for Best Comedy Release for Just Jesus (feat. Chris Ryan) (ABC Music / Universal) lifted from her musical comedy podcast CrossBread.

WASHINGTON 1 NOMINATION (Best Cover Art for BATFLOWERS LP) plus Megan Washington 1 Nomination (Best Comedy Release for Just Jesus) 

Lifted from their #1 ARIA Album, The Great Expanse, Adelaide trio Hilltop Hoods have been nominated for Song Of The Year for their triple platinum single ‘Exit Sign’ feat Illy and Ecca Vandal. The 10 x ARIA Award Winners recently released a fund-raising song ‘I Am Good?’ with all proceeds going to Support Act’s ‘Roadies (Crew) Fund’.

Hilltop Hoods 1 NOMINATION (Song Of The Year for ‘Exit Sign.’ feat Illy and Ecca Vandal)

Also nominated for the prestigious Song Of The Year award is Flume’s track ‘Rushing Back’ (Future Classic) which features Island Records Artist Vera Blue on vocals. The song was voted #2 in this year’s triple j Hottest 100 and is also nominated for Best Dance Release.

Vera Blue features on Flume track ‘Rushing Back’ Nominated for 2 Awards (Song Of The Year + Best Dance Release

Island Records Australia and STG would also like to congratulate all nominated artists and labels distributed through Universal Music Australia.

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Fans of artists from the Australian label were invited to join their favourite artists’ socials for the live streaming series, Live from The Island.

This streaming series is unlike others, it allows fans to interact with the labels’ diverse roster of artists in unique ways. Viewers are able to participate in trivia nights (just like another Thursday night at the pub), paint and cook together with a wine in hand with an artist, and engage in fun Q&A sessions, as well as of course showcasing some of the best live performers in the country, in special acoustic sets.

Live From The Island takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and has already had some of Island Record’s best newcomers joining hundreds of fans through Instagram Live for the virtual gigs. Week 1 included Melbourne artists Eliott and Lakyn, Central Coast acts Tori Forsyth, The Million and Winterbourne, and Perth band COTERIE who recently had to postpone their single tour due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

After a successful first week, we are proud to announce another big line-up for week two including Aydan, Polish Club and tonight’s very special acoustic performance from the mesmerizing Vera Blue. Many more acts are to be announced so follow Island Records Australia below for more information.

Island artists have also been throwing their support behind Support Act’s COVID-19 Emergency Appeal. Donated funds will go towards supporting Aussie musicians and crews who are currently doing it tough through the corona virus pandemic.

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Alt-pop Yorke sets the music world a flutter with the release of her debut EP Liberosis released Friday March 27th, 2020.

Along with this great news, Yorke has also announced dates to her east coast tour, taking the Byron Bay artist to Melbourne on Thursday May 14th, 2020, Sydney Friday May 15th, 2020 and Brisbane Saturday May 16th, 2020.

On Liberosis, Yorke’s elegant and heartfelt debut EP,  21-year gets to the true emotional core of coming of age. The EP traces the turbulence of youth, with Yorke exploring the messiness of moving from adolescence into adulthood, and most crucially, the liberation found in discovering who you are and what you want. While bursting with moments of raw catharsis and vulnerability, Liberosis is also a work of sleek, sophisticated alt-pop that no doubt places Yorke in the league of pop ingenues such as Lorde, Clairo and Ruel.

Yorke crashed onto our radar in 2018, with her propulsive, break-through debut single ‘First Light’.  The Byron Bay local quickly followed it up in 2019 with soaring ‘Wake The City’ and the tender ‘Thought I Could’; the latter of which has amassed over a million streams and was added to triple j rotation. She recently scored support slots for British pop balladeer Lewis Capaldi and last year went on tour with teen pop legend Ruel, sold out her 2019 ‘Thought I Could’ tour, and featured as a guest vocalist for beloved EDM producers Paces (‘Vertigo’) and Kilter (‘Overdrive’).

Early online champions of  her current single ‘Treading Water’ include Purple Sneakers who noted Yorke’s “voice absolutely soars above the fray” and Pilerats calling it her “most powerful in message”.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Bon Jovi released a new single today, ‘Limitless,’ from their forthcoming album Bon Jovi 2020, set for release May 15th, 2020 from Island Records.

The band also recently announced the first leg of a major world tour, tickets on sale now at Live Nation.

Bon Jovi 2020 makes a wry reference to an election year with the title, and album art featuring an American flag in the reflection of a pensive Jon Bon Jovi’s sunglasses. The first single ‘Limitless’ is an upbeat anthem encouraging optimism in an uncertain world.

The May album release will feature a compelling breadth and depth of songwriting from Jon Bon Jovi where he tackles current tough topics such as gun control, veterans’ issues, politics, the meaning of family, and much more.

As Jon stated: “It encompasses life, love, and loss.”

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Following a mysterious countdown on their socials, multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated Fall Out Boy have released a new single “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)” ft. Wyclef Jean.

“Dear Future Self (Hands Up)” ft. Wyclef Jean will be featured on their forthcoming record Greatest Hits: Believers Never Die – Volume Two, out November 15th, 2019 via Island Records.

The song marks the band’s first new music since the August 2018 release of the three-song Lake Effect Kid EP, a love letter to their hometown city of Chicago that featured the full version of the band’s previously unreleased title track demo along with two new songs “City in A Garden” and “Super Fade” that followed the Grammy-nominated album M A  N   I    A.

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Leading up to the release of his debut EP ‘Up To You’, out on Friday April 12th, 2019 through Island Records Australia, KESMAR today, has revealed a fresh remix of his current single and EP title track.

The track was co-written with Tim Ayre and Tobias Priddle and plays between down-tempo verses and irresistible sing-a-long refrains, with touches of cow bell littered throughout.

The new take on the original was worked by the 20-year-old artist, who says of the remix, “I love remixing, theres something about not having to write lyrics and themes that can free up a lot of creativity for me, solely just thinking about the music and production. I’m also thinking about how it will translate it in my DJ sets as well, the instant feedback you can see in a crowd on what works and what doesn’t really helps when going back into the studio to make changes here and there.“

KESMAR is the chapter for Central Coast singer-songwriter, Nathan Hawes. Having first picked up a guitar in 2006, Hawes spent over a decade performing to audiences with his folk tunes with great success. Taking a major shine to learning production and vintage synthesizers, Nathan traded his acoustic guitar for swirling synths, introducing a more disco-oriented chapter of his career.

As a result, KESMAR is very much a project of collaboration and experimentation, and his latest sounds ooze with the brave ambition of an artist who’s treading through uncharted sonic waters.

The six-track EP ‘Up to You’, is filled with dance, disco and blissful moments of indie-pop.

Driven by slick basslines and throwback synths, the project revives the old soul of disco in a contemporary setting, tugging on influences from the past and present. There’s everything from the glitchy, off-kilter appeal of ‘Mistake’ to the mesmerizingly slow burn of ‘Coasting,’ with KESMAR treading confidently through his latest surroundings.

Having recently finished a tour with Vera Blue, KESMAR has also announced his headline EP tour to support the release of his debut EP ‘Up To You’.

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Island Records Australia officially kicked off 2019 showcasing an array of talent from their roster on Sydney Harbour.

With the Sydney skyline as a backdrop, Island recording artists Eliott, Winterbourne, Vera Blue, newly signed Briggs and headliner Dean Lewis premiered new tracks live to the VIP audience.

Hitting the stage first was rising Melbourne artist Eliott who performed ‘Calling’, lifted from her critically acclaimed debut EP Bold Enough, and new tune ‘Shaking My Hips’ which will be released next month. Her powerhouse vocals certainly warmed up the crowd leaving them taking note of the much touted ‘one to watch’ for the year ahead.

Winterborne – Island Records Australia

Newly signed Briggs (one half of ARIA & APRA award winning A.B. Original) teased the crowd with a promise of new music this year and performed new songs ‘Change The Game’, ‘Life Is Incredible’ and ‘Go To War’. The powerhouse rapper and founder of all indigenous record label Bad Apples has created music that has made him a pioneer of the new wave of Australian hip-hop. Island Records are thrilled to welcome Briggs to the label.

Central Coast duo Winterbourne, who are no stranger to the live stage having toured with the likes of the Rubens and Little May, held the audience in the palm of their hands. Kicking off their performance with their full band, they played a fresh new tune ‘Too Many’ the followed with current single ‘Take The Golden’; both songs from their forthcoming debut album.

Vera Blue on guitar and with her three-piece band, launched into her set with her summery song ‘All The Pretty Girls’ and then surprised the audience with a powerful performance of her new single ‘Like I Remember You’ which she announced will be released globally tomorrow. Currently touring the Summer Festival circuit, Vera Blue got the audience moving and singing with an energetic performance (now sans guitar) of her hits ‘Regular Touch’ and ‘Lady Powers’. With the release of her #6 ARIA charting debut album Perennial and follow-ups Lady Powers | Power Ladies Remix EP, and Lady Powers Live At The Forum LP, Vera Blue has proven herself to be an exciting, formidable recorded and live act who continues to garner acclaim across the globe.

Eliot – Island Records Australia

Closing the night, Dean Lewis proved why he is exploding all around the world. Captivating the audience with an explosive live performance with his band he showcased new material from his highly anticipated, soon to be released debut album. Opening his set with the song that launched him in 2016, ‘Waves’, he then wowed the crowd with a new track ‘Stay Awake’ and current single ‘7 Minutes’. With over a billion global online streams of his music, Dean then performed his international smash hit ‘Be Alright’ which was voted #6 on triple j’s Hottest 100 and recently performed live on The Ellen Show. Playing in his hometown, he then closed the night with ‘Hold Of Me’ another new song from his forthcoming debut album. Dean now heads to the US for his first headline shows with many shows now sold out.

Get ready for a big 2019 as Island Records Australia have a huge year ahead of them with new albums coming from Dean Lewis, Hilltop Hoods, Polish Club, Winterbourne, Boy & Bear, Jarryd James and more.

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Multi-platinum singer songwriter Hozier has today announced via his Facebook page his much-anticipated new album Wasteland, Baby! is set for release on March 1st, 2019 on Island Records UK.

The album also follows Hozier’s recent Nina Cried Power EP. The EP, which features Multi-Grammy award winning artist and performer Mavis Staples and instrumentation by renowned Grammy Life Time Achievement Award recipient Booker T. Jones, has been streamed over 26 million times since its release in September last year. The title track of the EP also opens Wasteland, Baby! and has already proved incredibly successful for Hozier. Barack Obama included the song in his favourite songs of 2018 playlist and the track was the subject of the Song Exploder podcast’s first episode of 2019, which you can listen to here.

Speaking about the release of Wasteland, Baby! Hozier said: “I’m thrilled to announce my new album Wasteland, Baby! The album has been over a year in the making and it’s a pleasure to finally turn out my pockets and share the work. I want to sincerely thank fans and listeners for their continued support in between the records. See you out on the road soon.”

Current single Movement is another key track on Wasteland, Baby! In just two months the track has been streamed over 20.8 million times and has fast become a firm fan favourite at Hozier’s live shows.

Following the success of his most recent UK tour, Hozier is set to announce the European leg of the upcoming global Wasteland, Baby! tour with dates scheduled throughout the rest of 2019.

Hozier first rose to prominence following the release of his globally successful, triple platinum single Take Me To Church. The track was nominated for ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 Grammy Awards, won ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 Ivor Novello Awards, won ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 BBC Music Awards and won ‘Top Rock Song’ at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, where Hozier also won ‘Top Rock Artist’. Take Me To Churchhas sold 2.23 million copies in the UK to date. Hozier also saw great success with Someone New, which went gold and Cherry Wine and From Eden both being certified silver.

Wasteland, Baby! is the follow up to Hozier’s critically acclaimed self–titled debut album, which has now amassed over 2.1 billion streams on Spotify alone, while his total, global Spotify Playlist reach currently sits at over 71 million. The album has sold over 850 thousand copies in the UK, going platinum in the process, while the record has sold 4 million copies worldwide. Hozier received a nomination for ‘Best International Male’ at the 2015 Brit Awards.

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