Bully

Joining one of the most critically acclaimed underground punk rock acts to roam the earth right now – Bully – on their debut Australian headline shows, alongside special guests Rolling Blackouts, is FLOWERTRUCK in Sydney, Darts in Melbourne & Tempura Nights in Brisbane. Frontier Touring is thrilled to add these incredible local acts to what is an already stellar line-up.

Freshly named in Stereogum’s Best New Bands of 2015 list, & securing the #23 spot in Spin’s 50 Best Rock Bands Right Now, Bully continue to dominate this year in music both with their debut album Feels Like and on stage.

‘Bognanno’s voice is what defines this band. It’s a huge, ragged, vulnerable roar, the type of thing that conveys complicated things about being young… and helps elevate her band’s revved-up fuzz-rock above just about all their 90s indie rocking peers.’ – Stereogum

‘The Nashville alt heroes’ all-killer debut LP, Feels Like, and is universally identifiable enough to be reason alone for the band’s placement here.’ - Spin

Sydney four-piece FLOWERTRUCK are a powerhouse of emotions. Having just finished a tour in support of their debut EP, Dirt, FLOWERTRUCK are set to release their debut full-length album in 2016. EP tracks include glorious upbeat jams ‘Sunshower’ and ‘Nail Gun’. Drawing influences from the likes of Talking Heads, The Smiths and The Go-Betweens, their honest melodies and song-writing is catchy and moving. FLOWERTRUCK’S massively successful first release ‘I Wanna Be With You’ won them FBI’s Unsigned Artist of the Week and Rage’s Indie of the Week.

‘This band rules’ – Ryansaar

‘Frontman Charles Rushforth lit up the stage, raining charisma like a watering can, projecting like a young Robert Smith, vibrating with enthusiasm’ – The Music

Melancholic indie rockers from Melbourne, Darts have had heads turning since the 2015 release of their album Below Empty & Westward Bound (out now through Rice Is Nice). Album tracks ‘Westward Bound’ and ‘Aeroplane’ are still getting airplay on triple j, while their performances at tastemaker conference, BIGSOUND, earned the Melbourne 5-piece some serious acclaim.

‘It’s one thing to release a striking, undeniably rollicking debut album, and another to back it up with a live performance that doesn’t miss a beat.’ – Aphra Mag

‘Aggressive beats and punchy yet melodic guitars set the tone -- it's fast and fun, raunchy and loud.’ – Indie Shuffle

Queensland quartet Tempura Nights are key players in the thriving garage rock/pop music scene in Brisbane. Their latest pop punk singles ‘Mr Tone’ and ‘Studville’, have voices in Australian music like Indie Shuffle and Pilerats raving. ‘R.I.P. CHIX’ lifted from their 2014 debut EP Whine, received some serious triple j airplay, and their killer live appearances make them a not to be missed addition on the line-up.

‘Australia’s answer to the re-emergance of college pop excellence happening in the USA.’ – Ryansaar

‘The production is supreme and perfect for this musical communication delving deep into the whole late night dream pop shtick.’ – Heavy and Weird

Melbourne residents Rolling Blackouts will be taking to the stage at three shows on Bully’s headline tour, playing their distinct, genre bending blend of soft punk/tough pop. They’ll be playing tracks from their brand new EP Talk Tight (out now through Ivy League) including triple j favourites ‘Wide Eyes’ and ‘Tender Is The Neck’.

Get in quick to catch the debut Aussie shows by one of 2015’s hottest bands, with a perfectly curated bunch of Australian acts, who continue to push the envelope of pop and punk rock.

Ryan Adams has labelled them “the best band in the world at this very moment” and they’ve just wrapped dates with Best Coast. Fuzzy guitars, raw drums and burly pop riffs: Nashville four-piece Bully bring their joyous pop-punk to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for three special summer headline shows in December 2015.  The band have also been announced on the line-up for The 25^th Annual Meredith Music Festival (December 11 - 13).

‘Exhilarating, fun pop-punk … Bully’s untamed punk should soundtrack windows-down freedom in rattling first cars’ – Pitchfork

‘Bully’s explorations of love and other mysteries feel fresh and visceral’ – SPIN

‘Bully are the real deal … There’s no extravagant movement; bells, whistles or unnecessary fluff – Bully simply carry themselves like a Very Important Band’ – DIY Mag

“Feels Like: a debut filled to the brim with snark, angst and the lightest touch of sweetness” – Rolling Stone’s Lollapalooza 2015: 20 Must-See Acts

Last year NME name-checked Bully as one of their ‘artists to watch’ in 2015 and it was a prediction of big things to come. Led by songwriter Alicia Bognanno (vocals/guitar), alongside band Stewart Copeland (drums), Clayton Parker (guitar), and Reece Lazarus (bass), Bully have delivered on the promise of their self-titled 2014 EP with the excellent Feels Like – their 10 track, self-produced and self-recorded debut album. Sounding alternately like a balled fist and a fresh bruise, Bully have won over fans across the US, UK and beyond thanks to killer tracks like ‘Trying’, ‘Trash’, ‘Milkman’ and ‘I Remember’ perfectly capturing youthful spirit and Bognanno’s euphoric screams, with praise from sites like Stereogum, Pitchfork and many more.

Recorded live at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio in Chicago (where Bully’s heroes like the Breeders, Liz Phair, Superchunk and the Stooges have recorded), Bognanno recorded and engineered the album, having previously worked at the studio as an intern. (“If everybody in the studio worked as hard as Alicia then everybody’s records would be number one hits,” Albini later told NME.) Bognanno’s other day jobs included a sound tech spot at cult Nashville club the Stone Fox – and the band’s formidable, frenetic live guitar power comes through bright and clear on record.

“Sometimes I wonder if people think I’m a complete mess,” Bognanno says of the album’s heart-on-sleeve openness, part of Bully’s charm. “It’s not easy to put yourself out there, but it’s true. Everyone goes through shit like that.”

Hailing from Melbourne and joining Bully on their Australian East Coast dates are the Rolling Blackouts - a soft punk/tough pop group influenced by golden age Australian guitar music.

With Bully having just played Lollapalooza followed by a full US tour, the next 12 months are going to be non-stop for this growing band. With vitality and boundless energy, these shows will set out fast. Get in quick to catch the debut Aussie shows by one of 2015’s hottest bands!