Survey the past fifty years of rock history, and you'll find no lack of era-defining hitmakers from Australia, like AC/DC, INXS, Silverchair and Jet. But where Aussie breakout bands have come in waves in decades past, they're now firmly entrenched in all levels of the international rock ecosystem-thanks to the internet bridging vast geographical distances in an instant.
At the forefront is Tame Impala. Once the guitar-charged rock project of Perth native Kevin Parker, the group has evolved into a lush, R&B-savvy art-pop juggernaut now set to headline Day Two at Coachella in April. Close behind is the furiously productive prog-punk septet King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, as well as grungy raconteur Courtney Barnett. These days, you can scan the roster of most popular indie labels and find an Aussie ambassador, be it Middle Kids on Domino, Methyl Ethel on 4AD, or Stella Donnelly on Secretly Canadian.
As Tame Impala prepares to take the stage this spring, here are five rising Australian acts who could one day join that band on the top line of festival posters. We asked them to give us their take on what it is about Australia that's producing such a high volume of trailblazing rock acts right now.
POND Hometown: Perth
Latest Release: Tasmania (2019) Top-Streamed Song on Spotify: Paint Me Silver (2017)
What You Need to Know: Pond's front man, Nick Allbrook, used to tour with Tame Impala, his partner Jay Watson still does, and their former ranks include Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker (who's still Pond's go-to producer). But while Pond has undergone a similar transformation from fuzzbox-fetishizing psych-rockers to synth-washed dream-pop visionaries, they're distinguished by a mischievous streak.
Recommended If You Like (RIYL): MGMT; Ariel Pink; The Flaming Lips; and, okay, Tame Impala.
Why Australia? Why Now? It's almost impossible to say what catalyzes good art. One idea could be isolation. The lack of precedent close to home in Perth-apart from Jebediah and The Sleepy Jackson-meant that making an impact in the global music industry was a dim unreality, so nobody really tried to fit into anything commercially viable. Get a mate and a synth and some drums and wing it. Keep doing that enough times without a single thought in your head of success, and you're probably gonna come out with something quite original.' -Nick Allbrook, singer/keyboardist
ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER
Hometown: Melbourne
Latest Release: In the Capital (2019) Top-Streamed Song on Spotify: French Press (2017)
What You Need to Know: With three singer/guitarists-Tony Russo, Joe White, Fran Keaney-leading the charge, the Rolling Blackouts have been steadily amassing fans on both sides of the Pacific with an infectious brand of literary jangle-punk that nostalgically nods to the golden era of '80s college rock but jitters with a restless energy and rickety locomotive momentum.
RIYL: The Go-Betweens; The Feelies; R.E.M. when Michael Stipe had long hair; high-speed drives down bumpy country roads in hot-wired vintage convertibles.
Why Australia? Why Now? I think there's always been great music coming out of Australia. Music has been a way for people to endure what is actually quite a conservative society. So being the weird ones has bred some really interesting and inventive music. It's been great that, over the past five years, the rest of the world is listening in and embracing it. I think Australian music has a certain honesty about it, and that's what makes it relatable. -Joe White, singer/guitarist
JULIA JACKLIN
Hometown: The Blue Mountains near Sydney
Latest Release: Crushing (2019) Top-Streamed Song on Spotify: Pool Party (2016)
What You Need to Know: After cutting her teeth with the folk duo Salta, Jacklin earned an ARIA (i.e., Australian Grammy) nomination for her 2016 solo debut, Don't Let the Kids Win, a mesmerizing collection of country-tinged indie rock and last-call slow dances that sounds like they're beaming out of the jukebox in some roadside saloon. After a couple of years of non-stop international touring and moonlighting in alt-pop trio Phantastic Ferniture, she returned with Crushing, a devastatingly raw post-breakup elegy.
RIYL: Sharon Van Etten; Liz Phair; Courtney Barnett's quieter moments.
Why Australia? Why Now? I think the internet has allowed us to be less isolated. Also, I think it's a case of seeing other Australians do well overseas and getting courage from that to try harder yourself. I can't speak for all of us, but a love of honesty and storytelling seems to be quite common [among Australian artists]. Plus, a good dose of self-deprecating humour, which everyone loves. And a willingness to work hard. -Julia Jacklin
GANG OF YOUTHS Hometown: Sydney
Latest Release: MTV Unplugged (2018) Top-Streamed Song on Spotify: Let Me Down Easy (2017)
What You Need to Know: With a name like Gang of Youths (pictured up top), you'd expect a certain passionate intensity and ideological fervor, and this quintet fully delivers on those fronts with their emotionally charged indie-rock anthems. Debuts don't get much more audacious than 2015's The Positions, a harrowing concept album where front man David Le'aupepe chronicled his wife's near-fatal cancer battle and his subsequent suicide attempt. But 2017's equally epic follow-up, Go Farther in Lightness, exuded a more defiant, triumphant spirit.
RIYL: The National; Bruce Springsteen; pre-disco Arcade Fire; raging against the dying of the light.
Why Australia? Why Now? Australia is a wonderfully diverse part of the world within which there are a wealth of stories, experiences, mistakes, tragedies, and triumphs. I mean, you have A.B. Original voicing their experience of oppression and marginalization as Indigenous Austra
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
20/01/2026
SVG Sit-Down: BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on the Future of Cloud, Remote, Softwar...
20/01/2026
From architecture to reality: What CBC's Milano Cortina 2026 workflows tell ...
20/01/2026
Milano Cortina 2026: Making the Winter Olympics and Paralympics workflow work fo...
20/01/2026
Countdown to Milano Cortina 2026: SVG Launches SportsTechLive Blog in Lead-up to...
20/01/2026
Grand finale: Rally Saudi Arabia pushes WRC to make the most of cameras and dron...
20/01/2026
State of Change: What's Happening in the Remote-Production Business?NEP Group, Game Creek Video, Dome Productions, Mobile TV Group, Program Productions exec...
20/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: A Look Back at SVG's Complete CoverageGo behind the scenes with ESPN, Game Creek Video, Van Wagner, and the champion Indiana...
20/01/2026
The Gotham, Film Independent, and Creators Coalition on AI Join Alliance
by Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director, Sundance Institute's Artist Programs...
20/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
20/01/2026
December, the first month of winter and the holiday season, has traditionally encouraged families to spend time together in front of the television. During this...
20/01/2026
During December, streaming's share of TV viewing in Mexico settled at 24.3%, an increase of 0.1 share points from the previous month.
Disclaimer: YUMI TV,...
20/01/2026
Christmas Day is Most-Streamed Day Ever with 55 Billion Viewing Minutes, led by...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Disguise and ASB GlassFloor today announced a strategic partnership that turns the arena floor into a fully customizable interactive digital surface. This will ...
20/01/2026
Last summer, ITV celebrated the tenth anniversary of its popular reality dating show, Love Island. To ramp up the excitement of series 12 (launched in the UK on...
20/01/2026
Berklee's Mark Ethier Named One of SPIN's Most Influential People in Mus...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Emergent, a provider of AI-powered media production solutions, today announced its presence at ISE 2026 in Barcelona, taking place February 3 6, where it will u...
20/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery Amend Agreement to All-Cash Transaction
Business
20 January 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
All-C...
20/01/2026
Back to All News
Now You Can Play a Role in Our Live Events With Real-Time Voting
Elmar Nubbemeyer
VP, Member Product
Product
20 January 2026
Global
Link...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Indiana Football's Digital Crew Generate Hyp...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Van Wagner Relies on Experience for Indiana-Miam...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Game Creek Video Fields Premiere IP Compound for...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: For a Slew of Studio Shows, ESPN Turns Hard Rock...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: ESPN's Sweeping Live Game Production Leverag...
19/01/2026
The new L3Harris NOVA binocular system is the every-soldier goggle' - and the beginning of a new era for night-vison capability....
19/01/2026
The Majority of Those Surveyed Prefer to Buy Brands Who Advertise in Content Tha...
19/01/2026
Back to All News
Straight to Hell' Sets April 27 Premiere: Teaser Trailer,...
19/01/2026
New Workflow Enhancements for All Broadcast Pix Systems, Plus 4-Channel ISO Recording for Hybrid and Roadie Tyngsboro, Mass. - January 2025 - Broadcast Pix ann...
19/01/2026
Monday 19 January 2026
Sky News reinvents News at Ten for the modern audience with The Wrap
Sky News today announces The Wrap, a bold evolution of its 10pm ou...
19/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces the Series Nights & Days, Directed by Kamila...
19/01/2026
DPA Microphones is striking a new chord in piano miking with the debut of its DPK2015 Piano Stereo Kit, an out-of-the-box, plug-and-play miking solution that ta...
19/01/2026
DPA Microphones will present its 4099 CORE Instrument Microphone and redesigned...
19/01/2026
Trianel relies on Arvato Systems for future-proof data center operations
Moving to the cloud: Arvato Systems implements extensive IT migration project
Migrat...
19/01/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
Irish Album of the Year 2025 - Shortlist Announce...
18/01/2026
January 18 2026, 21:30 (PST) Dolby Cinema Arrives in Bengaluru: Dolby Laborator...
17/01/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is helping to elevate the Google Meet experience with the introduction of an integration with Taurus UCX. Th...
17/01/2026
Clear-Com announced a strategic partnership with NETGEAR AV to offer four high-performance networking switches as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) solutio...
17/01/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, today announced a new U.S. distribution partnership wit...
17/01/2026
NUGEN Audio announces the latest evolution of MasterCheck, its industry-trusted optimization plug-in for cross-platform mastering and loudness verification. Des...
17/01/2026
BHV has announced that it will highlight its new SportsBox remote vision mixer and picture processor at ISE in Booth #4H900 marking its official introduction in...
17/01/2026
Clear-Com will return to ISE 2026 to demonstrate its latest intercom solutions for broadcast, live production, and AV professionals. Exhibiting at Stand #4P700...
17/01/2026
Grass Valley, a leading provider in live production solutions, will exhibit at ISE 2026 in Barcelona from February 3 6, presenting its vision for how modern Bro...
17/01/2026
Utelogy Corporation, the global leader in connected workplace management, monitoring, control, automation and analytics closes out a record-breaking 2025. The c...
Survey the past fifty years of rock history, and you'll find no lack of era-defining hitmakers from Australia, like AC/DC, INXS, Silverchair and Jet. But where Aussie breakout bands have come in waves in decades past, they're now firmly entrenched in all levels of the international rock ecosystem-thanks to the internet bridging vast geographical distances in an instant.
