Unbridled emotion and ferocious riffs meet tender introspection and addictive melodies on Bukowski’s long-awaited debut album ‘I Don’t Wanna Live, I Don’t Wanna Die.’, out today independently. Featuring acclaimed singles Superweak, Sow, and What Do You Want Me To Be – all of which landed extensive support from the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and triple j – the Melbourne emo/punk outfit’s nostalgic first full-length record has undeniably been worth the wait.
Having teamed up with friend and acclaimed producer Jack Newlyn (Paradise Club) to bring the album to life, the eleven track record is packed with highlights – from relentless opener I DON’T WANNA LIVE and the reimagined live set staple TIL I’M DEAD, to the heart-wrenching yet hopeful closer I DON’T WANNA DIE. Talking about the record, the band share: “This is one for the quiet little whispers of desperation. The tiny fractures in the quiet that only you can feel. A deep perilous gasp caught, as it tries to implore for the sweet relief of life’s unrelenting cycle. The whispered pleas falling on deaf ears. The battle between holding on or letting go. We stand at the crossroads; I don’t wanna live, I don’t wanna die.”
Bukowski ended their three year creative hiatus in April 2024 with the short and sharp belter one hundred seconds, which was supported by triple j’s Mornings and Short.Fast.Loud, and covered by Wall of Sound, Pilerats, HEAVY Mag, Happy Mag, The Rock Pit and more. Their restrained yet commanding June release Superweak has clocked over 160k streams on Spotify, and their fan-favourite follow up Sow saw them featured on the cover of Spotify’s All New Rock playlist, land playlisting support across the globe including Japan’s Rock The World and France’s Balec!, plus airplay on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show and triple j. Their most recent single, What Do You Want Me To Be (WDYWMTB) made its debut on triple j’s Home & Hosed with Ash McGregor, and landed the band their second Spotify playlist cover, this time with Local Noise.
Bukowski’s return is just the beginning. The four mates (James Karagiozis – vocals/guitar, Benji Malkin-Adby – guitar, Gerard Dowling – drums, Jamie Rolfe – bass) haven’t lost their bite since their 2017 debut EP ‘Grow Up. Give Up. Let Go.’, releasing a steady stream of gutsy, emotive and rough-around-the-edges singles leading into 2021’s elevator song and sharing the stage with the likes of Knuckle Puck, Trophy Eyes, and Deaf Havana to name a few. After taking a couple of years to work on new music and focus on their personal lives, the self-proclaimed ‘complaint rock n roll’ band have finally found their groove, and are ready to hit the ground running.
With thanks to Crowd Favourite
