One of Australia’s leading post-punk outfits, dust share their latest offering New High, ahead of their appearance at London’s Alexandra Palace supporting Interpol.
New High is an iceberg of bliss and struggle, maximising the divergent corners of solitude. Momentarily breaking dust’s typical songwriting form, a speedy bass line demo penned by Justin Teale continued to linger, uncertain of its final form and left in the background. Looking away from his own experiences as previously with Trust U See, Justin looked to the more abstract, where his subconscious would guide him to a swinging chorus melody and the dis/comfort of loneliness – a motif extension of Mount Kimbie‘s Empty And Silent.
Of the single, Justin explains, “It’s about those nights spent lying in a room illuminated by fairy lights, listening to dreamy music like Beach House, or watching the movie Her and feeling a deep sense of melancholy. Shifting between the warmth of solitude and the desire to move past the more painful aspects of isolation, it’s a reflection of both the comfort and complexity that come with being alone.”
New High reconciles that duality, acknowledging isolation as something both sought after and evaded. With moodiness amplifying a misty breakdown, it’s a musical rush as quickly felt as it is evaporative, leaving a quiet sense of resolution. Canvassed further with a music video by Nikola Jokanovic, filmed on Awabakal Land in their Newcastle hometown, the five piece revel in the nostalgia and introspection that night time provides. Biking through their all too familiar steel city landmarks shrouded in dusk, New High’s visuals straddle sorrow and contentment.
From formative influence to tour mates, dust join Interpol on tour once again, currently supporting the group across the UK and Europe in celebration of their seminal record ‘Antics’ 20th Anniversary. This follows their prior joint tour run across Australia with Bloc Party in 2023, where crowds and media alike lauded dust as “an exciting live act” (Double J), instantly captivating and able to get “the wind-frozen crowd moving early in the night” (Scenestr); “definitely ones to watch” (Beat Magazine). This sentiment continues to follow the group, with ought after appearances across BIGSOUND, consistently listed as a “must-see” act, to a riotous SXSW Austin debut that saw Monster Children claim “we will never be the same.”
Making clear that dust delivers above and beyond on all fronts, earlier this year they repurposed their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘et etcetera, etc’ with remixes of Joy (Guilt), Ward 52 and The Gutter reimagined by Soul Wun, Godriguez, 700 Feel, GAUCI and others. More recently their magnetic live show took to a covert performance at Mary’s Underground during SXSW Sydney, with crowds lining up from 7pm on a Tuesday evening eager to send off the group on the eve of their current European run. Championed by the underground as they captivate the industry, look no further than the Newcastle outfit for Australia’s most sought after band – dust are poised to never settle.
New High IS OUT NOW – LISTEN HERE
Thanks to Twnty Three
