With countless EPs and singles to their name, Sydney’s own The Buoys today announce their debut album, ‘Lustre’, coming July 12. In celebration of the album announcement they have shared their new single and video for Check Mate.
Drenched with lyrical vulnerability against their signature indie rock sound and a belt out loud chorus, Check Mate sees The Buoys at their absolute best. Co-written with Alex Lahey, the latest single packs a punch, as heard in the band’s debut triple j Like A Version this morning. Directed by Tas Wilson, the accompanying video both visually and emotionally emulates the energy of a road trip with friends, mirroring the yearning for connection that pours out of the track from start to finish.
The Buoys on the single: “Check Mate was inspired by my mates checking up on me when I was really burnt out (hence the title Check Mate rather than Checkmate). I think a lot of people can relate to the pressures of always being contactable by phone, little red notifications that used to be a hit of dopamine are now a source of pressure to always be on and available. I have some amazingly supportive friends, and this song is about feeling guilty for not being there for my friends in the same ways that they’re there for me because I was dealing with serious burn out. I love the idea of ‘home’ being where your friends and family are and not necessarily a place. This song is definitely about yearning to be in the presence of your loved ones in hard times.”
Alongside the release of Check Mate, The Buoys have delighted fans with the news of their debut album ‘Lustre’, coming July 12. Recorded with Chris Collins in NSW’s Northern Rivers region, ‘Lustre’ is a celebration of The Buoys as one of the nation’s hardest working live acts, with the entire album recorded live together. Featuring previous singles Subject A, Guard My Heart and Settle Petal, the record thoughtfully unpacks a spectrum of emotions, life experiences and influences across a rich sonic landscape that spans indie, rock, punk, alternative and more.
The Buoys say of their debut album: “Lustre is the way in which light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral. Derived from the Latin word lux (meaning “light”), Lustre implies the radiance or brilliance of a materials coating. Think of light, in this sense, as experience – both good and bad – and yourself as the mineral, with an enamel shaped for the most part by your life experiences, but also your choice to decide how much light you let in and put out into the world. Your ‘Lustre’ informs your inner workings… it determines how you refract or interpret new experiences, and influences the ways in which you connect with others and their Lustre. Every song on this album is open to interpretation, so that the darkness and light can be absorbed and refracted subject to your Lustre. So whether you’re a glossy rock or a piece of charcoal, we hope you love this album as much as we do.”
Check Mate marks the third from The Buoys in 2024, following on from Subject A and Guard My Heart. Prior to this, the band released singles, I Want You and Settle Petal, as well as a collaboration with Norway’s Sløtface in Fight Back Time. One of the country’s most hard-working touring acts, The Buoys squeezed in extensive touring between releases, including shows with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, DMAs, IDLES and Royal Blood. Most recently, The Buoys played Party In The Paddock, the Melbourne leg of Laneway Festival and Great Southern Nights.
The Buoys blasted out of the local punk rock scene, and in just a few short years, released three EPs together, playing sold-out shows across the country that have earned them a devoted following and engrained this Sydney based rock band into Australian music culture. From coming in at #85 on triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2021 with Lie To Me Again to touring and supporting the likes of The Dandy Warhols, Soccer Mommy, Wet Leg and Ball Park Music, The Buoys themselves are devoted to playing high-octane shows, and as a result have cemented their place as an unmissable live show experience.
Currently supporting Vacations on their UK tour dates, The Buoys will make their debut at The Great Escape in Brighton on May 16th and 17th, before heading home to support Luke Hemmings in Sydney this June.
Check Mate IS OUT NOW
Debut album ‘Lustre’ will be released on July 12
With thanks to Sony Music Australia
