The psych rock lovers in the office are getting their fix this week…

Well, what started off as a rainy as hell week has managed to end with a tonne of sun and shine. It seems fitting that as we start to move away from the fuck around of the past year that things start to look up, and naturally, we’ve got a bunch of Homegrown Fire to soundtrack you into hot vaxx summer.

Psych rock, EDM, pop and indie, we’ve got quite the bunch this week. And they’re all begging to be listened to.

So, without wasting any more time, here are five tracks by local artists we’re bumping on repeat.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (Perth/Mooro) – ‘Lava Lamp Pisco’

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets serve up another slice of madness in their latest thumper ‘Lave Lamp Pisco,’ the veteran five-piece marking their return to the music sphere on a tone of gritty mayhem.

The track sees the Crumpets fully immerse themselves in the crushing guitars they burst onto the scene with in 2014, Sabbath-like strums pulsating throughout as they collide with clattering drums. Singer Jack McEwan’s vocals manage to match their power with ease, mirroring the warbly soars and dives in pitch of the sonics as they roar with intensity. The overall musical journey of the track is rather striking, the various layers repeatedly converging and branching off as the Crumpets experiment with phrasing and space between layers.

To put it briefly, if you’re an OG fan of the crumpets and have lost a couple of brain cells in one of their moshes (shoutout to fellow attendees of their 2018 Lost Paradise set), you’re in for a ride with ‘Lava Lamp Pisco.’

COTERIE (Perth/Mooro) – ‘Good Morning’

Indie-Pop quartet COTERIE are a breath of fresh air in their latest offering ‘Good Morning,’ the brother-led band crafting a steadfast reminder to stay positive while the world falls apart around you (something we’ve all had to learn how to do).

The track starts off on a tone of waviness as tangy harmonies and acoustic guitars bounce beneath singer Tyler Fisher’s fuzzy vocals. It doesn’t beat around the bush texturally, the steady golden riff and Beach Boys-reminiscent harmonies providing a tone of consistency as Tyler sings about keeping your head amongst the madness. His tone really shines in this number, his tenor sensibilities injecting waves of breeziness on lines like “Take a sip of this lemonade/just keep smiling/ oh keep smiling too.” The outro of the track allows the melody to shine brightest, Fisher’s vocals accompanied by a lone piano as he urges the listener to keep hope in times of hardship.

It’s definitely a dose of good vibes that’ll put a spring in your step this Friday morning. Just keep smiling with Coteries new tune ‘Good Morning.’

Choomba (Brisbane/Meanjin) – ‘White Mercedes’ 

EDM duo Choomba are absolute menaces in their latest single ‘White Mercedes,’ the producer mates gathering all the filth at their disposal for a wonky groove that’ll bend your mind in two.

The dark offering sees the Brissy duo utilise all the dark and moody parts of the Choomba soundscape, meshing them for a crushing banger driven by chant-like vocals and horns. The 808s on display have just the right measure of stank as well, reminding you of all the seedy weekends that you’d rather forget. A highlight is the breakdown and build up around 2:00, the added harmonics enhancing the euphoria of the sonics all before plunging you back into the twisted world of ‘White Mercedes.’ As for the accompanying video, it’s just as cooked as the tune itself, playing like a trip gone wrong with numerous frenetic moments that play like a fever dream.

Long story short, if you’ve ever stayed at a kick ons far longer than you should’ve and things got way too weird, odds are you’ll get a couple of hazy flashbacks from ‘White Mercedes.’

Zhuli (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Ikea’ 

Zhuli makes a lighthearted entry into the Sydney music scene with her debut ‘Ikea,’ the longtime wedding singer stepping into the spotlight with equal measures of poise and breeze.

Written about reciprocity and frustration, the new offering utilises bubblegum synths and gentle drums for a bop that’s tinged with pop sensibilities. Vocally she’s especially versatile in this cut, utilising the various parts of her chest and head voice on the bridge while maintaining her signature tone that spurs the tune onward. Sonically it’s filled with plenty of quirkiness as well, the enveloping synths almost taking on a life of their own as they flutter and zoom through the pop soundscape at moments like 2:30.

It’s definitely a bop with a message, and we don’t doubt there’s plenty more on the way. Get familiar with Zhuli with her new debut ‘Ikea.’

The Laurels (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Ex-Sherpa’ 

Psych rock veterans The Laurels craft a thrilling return to form in their latest single ‘Ex-Sherpa,’ their first release since 2019’s ‘Sound System’ rife with all of the signature intricacies we’ve come to expect from the four-piece.

From the outset the psychonauts set a hazy scene to let loose in, bluesy piano chords beneath singer Piers’ ravenous vocals as they engage in a call and response. The voodoo levels are especially high in this number, the Eastern and Western musical hemispheres embodied through the funk-infused keys and turareg-reminiscient guitar lines, topped off with ambient ornamentation that ties it all together. The collage of sonics manage to find a solid synchronicity that keeps you dialled in for the tune’s five-and-a-half-minute runtime, driving home the tune’s affirmation of nurturing of the spirit and how any actions to the contrary can spell turmoil.

It’s a bit of psych-rock voodoo to pepper your Friday morning with. Dig in.