The inimitable A. Swayze & The Ghosts reveal another tempting morsel in ‘Tell You All The Time’ from their forthcoming album ‘Let’s Live A Life Better Than This’ and announce live dates. – Backseat Mafia

As the dying corpse of winter makes a final desperate grab for our ankles in the wintry, cold and stormy antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia, a heartwarming ray of sunshine is blown our way by the radiant A. Swayze & The Ghosts with their new single ‘Tell You All The Time’. It arrives ahead of their highly anticipated album ‘Let’s Live A Life Better Than This’, due out October 25, 2024.

‘Tell You All The Time’ is the third single from the album and irrefutable proof that this Lutruwuta/Tasmanian outfit is one of the most exciting bands to come out of the great southern land. It continues the band’s evolution beyond the harshness of punk into something more subtle – a synth-based glam stomp with a pulsating beat and a grin. Of course, what makes A. Swayze and the Ghosts so special remains intact: the swagger with a swing wider than the tread of a sailing ship caught in stormy seas.

Andrew Swayze’s voice is filled with audacity and poise, urgent and expressive as he sings about his isolated experiences during the pandemic, which ultimately had a positive effect:

I felt like we were becoming a product, controlled, and I was no longer enjoying the fast-paced drinking and drug-fueled lifestyle we had created. It wasn’t long before I stopped drinking and was forced to retreat as the world shut down. I found some peace and quiet and learned that that was what I needed to function and be happy and experience love.

The expression is sober and lyrical:

I’m just fed up with it
With constant company
Now I’m sitting alone
Everything is messed up, but I feel at home
Free yourself
So beautiful
Come together hand in hand
Being in love and not feeling in control

Indeed, on the evidence of this and the two preceding singles, A. Swayze and the Ghosts have found a vital voice and delivery mechanism through which their artistry and creativity can shine: an endless horizon that suggests growth and expansion into something greater than their constituents. They join the ranks of compatriots Johnny Hunter (now based in the UK), Radio Free Alice and Charvez Cartel in producing some of the most exciting post-punk music around.

‘Tell You All The Time’ is out today and you can download and stream it here.

‘Let’s Live a Life Better Than This’ is set for release on October 25, 2024. The guitar-heavy, dance-focused album was four years in the making and was written in Naarm/Melbourne and remote locations in Lutruwita/Tasmania. It was recorded at Sunset Pig Studios. The band produced it themselves for the first time and was mixed by Andy Savours (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rina Sawayama, Arctic Monkeys). Swayze recorded most of his vocals in his spare toilet/homemade sound booth.

A. Swayze and the Ghosts will perform at Sydney’s SXSW in October. Details of their upcoming live dates are as follows:

October 5 – Chopped Festival – Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Carisbrook VIC
October 16-19 – SXSW Sydney – Gadigal Country, Eora/Sydney NSW

You can already order the album here.

Main photo: Rick Clifford

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