Press Club Announce Debut LP, 'Late Teens'

Press Club's upcoming debut LP is easily one of my most anticipated releases from an Australian band in 2018.

After 60 live shows in 2017, Press Club’s first year as a band was by no means a small one, and 2018 is guaranteed to be an even bigger 12 months for this up and coming Aussie act. What with a massive list of live dates coming from the Melbourne rockers over the next few months as well as some very exciting news that I've been personally hanging out for since last year - the reveal of their debut LP, 'Late Teens'.

Okay, so first things first. The group have just announced a 30+ date Aussie-wide tour supporting The Smith Street Band, as well as recent support slots under Cloud Nothings (USA), Iron Chic (USA), Dream Wife (UK), their local peers in Polish Club (which hopefully shouldn't confuse too many punters), as well as slots at The Grampians Music Festival and the upcoming Pool House Record’s Pool House Party. Taking the touring bull by the restless horns, and with so much road work, there is no excuse to miss Press Club live this year.

Secondly, and in what I'm really most pumped about, is the band's imminent debut album 'Late Teens' (due out Friday, March 16th) and it's newly released third single, 'Suburbia'.

After first being conceived in a garage in Brunswick, the moodier ‘Suburbia’ was recorded live in one day during the DIY band's writing sessions at The Aviary Studios in Melbourne. (Linking into their hometown is the single’s artwork, which is an early 1960’s photograph of bassist Ian MacRae’s home where the quartet actually spent a considerable amount of time building and refining these new tunes prior to cutting them all to tape for 'Late Teens'). Like all of their other works, 'Suburbia' was completely self-produced by the band and engineered by guitarist Greg Rietwyk, hence why it contains that endearingly raw, no-bullshit punk attitude and stripped-back sound; a perfect sonic bed for this new single's theme of that adolescent and life-long need to to belong despite physical and emotional isolation.

Whereas their debut single 'Headwreck' was a fast, catchy and punchy piece about the dramas of cheating lovers, and while the bitter follow-up 'My Body's Changing' was littered with buzz-sawing riffs and melodic hooks over singer Natalie Foster’s lyrics about cutting out toxic people from your life, this fresh song from Press Club sees them at their most emotionally introspective and dynamic yet. It takes on a far more contemplative approach, which is great to see but please don't be fooled into thinking they've gone soft. The four-piece still finds plenty of time to reignite the bursting energy and massive hooks that their previous two singles also expertly displayed. This really is a best of both worlds situation, proving that Press Club have vast song-writing talents beyond their actual years, regardless of how they decide to offer up their equally real, raw and honest punk rock sound.

I implore everyone to check out 'Suburbia' below, as it's living proof as to why I confidently put Press Club's next release in our most anticipated 2018 releases. Be sure to save the date for the release of the band's 12-track debut record - Friday, March 16th. Fingers crossed that it delivers!

Catch Press Club live on the following dates if you know what's good for ya: 

FRIDAY 16 MARCH @ THE GRACE DARLING PRESS CLUB WITH SPECIAL GUESTS A. SWAYZE & THE GHOST, & PUBLIC HIGH

Saturday, February 24 - Max Watts, Melbourne - w/ Cloud Nothings 

Saturday, March 17 - Pool House Party, Coburg Velodrome, Melbourne w/ Ceres, Jess Locke, Tropical Fuck Storm, Tired Lion and many more

(Supporting The Smith Street Band):

Wednesday, March 21 - Bar On The Hill, Newcastle

Thursday, March 22 - Wollongong Uni, Wollongong

Friday, March 23 - UC Refectory, Canberra

Saturday, March 24 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney (AA)

Sunday, March 25 - Long Jetty Hotel, Central Coast

Thursday, March 29 - Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough

Saturday, March 31 - Astor Theatre, Perth

Sunday, April 1 - Mojos, Fremantle (U18)

Thursday, April 5 - Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool

Friday, April 6 - Shadows, Mount Gambier

Saturday, April 7 - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (AA)

Wednesday, April 11 - The Northern, Byron Bay

Thursday, April 12 - The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba

Friday, April 13 - The Tivoli, Brisbane

Saturday, April 14 - The Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

Wednesday, April 18 -  Giddy Goat Hotel, Rockhampton

Thursday, April 19 - Magnums Hotel, Airlie Beach

Friday, April 20 - Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville

Saturday, April 21 - Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns

Friday, April 27 - Discovery, Darwin

Saturday, April 28 - Gap View Hotel, Alice Springs

Friday, May 4 - Saloon Bar, Launceston

Saturday, May 5 - Odeon Theatre, Hobart (AA)

Wednesday, May 9 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat

Thursday, May 10 - Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave

Friday, May 11 - Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights

Saturday, May 12 - Hawthorne Arts Centre, Hawthorn (U18)

Sunday, May 13 - Theatre Royale, Castlemaine