The Australian Acts Worth Keeping Your Eyes On In 2017

As much as we all love Flume, we have interrupted our thrice-daily Skin listening session to muse on and recommend some Australian acts who we think deserve your attention in 2017.

Yes, they may suffer from a chronic case of not being Harley Streten, but all have nonetheless been doing good things of late, and appear set to continue crushing it into the future.

If we're wrong, we're wrong. But we have a strong feeling (well, hope) that these acts will prove us right instead when it comes to realising their obvious potential this year.

Of course, this isn't a perfect or truly complete list, but these things never are. Nonetheless, please tip your hat and attention towards...

Alice Ivy — melbourne, victoria

One of our breakout picks out of last year's BIGSOUND showcases, Alice Ivy has enjoyed an incredibly rewarding period these past several months, and if 2016 was her breakthrough moment, then 2017 is set to be the year where she well and truly solidifies herself as a key Australian artist.

Sure, her year ended with a broken leg, but before that slice of misfortune, Ivy spent her time racking up casual accomplishments like playing her debut US show at influential New York venue Pianos and scoring a spot as one of the Aussies headed to Toronto for this April's Canadian Music Week, a feat made possible after she was selected as a recipient of a $3000 'Quick Response' grant from Creative Victoria. Save some sense of achievement for the rest of us, eh?

Bec Stevens — Adelaide, south australia

Tasmania-bred, Adelaide-based singer-songwriter Bec Stevens has been building renown for the past few years, but especially so in recent months, garnering herself a growing, committed grassroots following around her excellent debut EP, which she released back in June.

Stevens has been a consistent performer since she was regularly gigging on the Apple Isle, but it's really been the last little while that has seen a significant uptick in her recognition. Blessed with a killer voice, a penchant for intelligent, introspective lyrics and an endearing, earnest attitude, Bec Stevens is in a prime position to keep building on her existing groundwork and assume her rightful place on everyone's radar.

Braille Face — Melbourne, Victoria

Another BIGSOUND breakout, Jordan White arguably delivered one of 2016's best local albums with his Braille Face debut, Kōya.

His year got off to an encouraging start when he was named as the first new signing to Spirit Level, the revived indie label launched by Double J's Tim Shiel and Wally 'Gotye' De Backer, the latter of whom he spent time with in the United States, recording a bunch of material "most likely" destined to land on his second album.

Upon his return, he knocked over a slew of well-received live outings — including his sublime showing at BIGSOUND — and ended the year riding high, hopefully safe in the knowledge that he'd created something really special along the way. We genuinely cannot wait to see what comes next.

Emily Wurramara — brisbane, queensland

Originally hailing from Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, adoptive Queenslander Emily Wurramara has seen a steady incline in renown over the past year. She was nominated at the 2016 Queensland Music Awards and released her debut EP, Black Smoke, to broad acclaim before setting off for a national tour mid-year.

With that sojourn lasting for a couple of months, Wurramara was a part of last year's BIGSOUND contingent (man, they really can pick 'em) and picked up triple j airplay on the strength of her existing catalogue. As she looks to develop her skills and sounds, and capitalise on the headway made last year, we'll be watching eagerly to see where the adventure takes her next.

Mallrat — Brisbane, Queensland

Already arguably one of the most buzzed-about young acts of the past 12 months, rising Queensland alt-pop luminary Mallrat has ticked off some big accomplishments in a relatively short time-frame, building a sizeable and dedicated fan base, and nabbing some high-profile spots at a variety of events, culminating with the recently wrapped Falls Festival over New Year's.

In the throes of a whole lot of hype, she's actually just about to go away (there's even a party this weekend) but is scheduled to be back in action in February, for the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, so you won't have to wait too long for the Mallrat show to resume course. And, if her current trajectory is any indication, we imagine things will only pick up further from there.

Man Made Mountain — Melbourne, Victoria

Comprised of ARIA-winning producer Billy Hoyle and vocalist Cazeaux O.S.L.O, Man Made Mountain dabble in ultra-fine, quirky electronic hip hop that draws on the pair's evident "spiritual connection" to the music of Brazil.

Another act that have actually been cutting their teeth around the traps for a few years now, Man Made Mountain released their debut EP Congo Square in April last year, which included collaborative efforts with the likes of Tom Scott, Remi and N'fa Jones, as well as a guest spot from Silent Jay. In other words, a whole bunch of respected and well-liked contemporaries put their faith in these dudes, so there's no good reason on Earth for you not to follow suit as we sit in anticipation of what's to come for the duo in 2017.

No Waves — Melbourne, Victoria

Well, presuming they're still active, that is. This troupe of lo-fi surf-rock-slinging weirdos haven't posted to their social media page since October last year, but the band turned our Melbourne editor's head at The Lost Lands festival back in that same month, and she doesn't get excited for just anyone.

Impressing with their visceral live show and frequently hypnotic tunes, No Waves (stylised "nO waves") have one EP to their name — 2015's Brand New Brain Cell — so we're keen to see what else they're able to cook up together in 2017.

Of course, if they've quietly wound down in the meantime: never mind and carry on. But, y'know, still spend some time anyway with their music because you can.

Oslow — Sydney, NSW

Having gained a solid following around themselves in DIY circles over the past few years, stalwart Sydney outfit Oslow have freshly announced that their debut full-length is due for release this February, priming them for a renewed burst of energy and activity over the next little while (one would hope).

The product of Sydney's vibrant indie/emo/pop-punk community, Oslow have shown themselves to be brilliant live performers over their time together, raucous but never ratty, and have assumed a position of respect among Oz's alternative circles for their professional demeanor, optimistic outlook and obvious work ethic. We'll be stoked to see how they capitalise on the buzz and momentum they've so meticulously built for themselves so far to take them to the next level this year.

POW Negro — Perth, WA

Multiple WAMAward-winning sextet POW Negro sure do know how to make an impact. Along with their gongs at the WAMAwards, the six-piece packed out their showcase at WAMFest, sold out shows at home and won last year's Big Splash competition, along with a cool $10,000.

Trading in layered, eclectic, ever-so-slightly-fucked-up, trip-hoppy, guitars'n'electronics extravaganzas, POW! Negro don't have time for musical laziness or boring soundscapes. Their tunes boast deep grooves, inherent funk, jazz linings and a whole mess of other sonic influences that all combine to create some super-smooth sets that deserve to carry them to the next level of renown and beyond. Get on board.

Tia Gostelow — Mackay, Qld

When an artist breaks through despite the added challenge of living in a regional area, you know they're probably something special. When they do it before their 18th birthday, you know they definitely are.

After nabbing a co-management deal with Footstomp Music and Kadence Group in September, up-and-coming Queenslander Tia Gostelow is certainly worth watching eagerly, having already claimed a win in the triple j Unearthed High Indigenous initiative in 2016 (for her excellent single State Of Art), and earning a finalist spot in the wider Unearthed High competition.

She's presently in the throes of her debut headline tour, enjoying some fresh buzz yielded by recent cut Vague Utopia. Freshly graduated from high school, 2017 could be the year that we see Gostelow follow up on those confident first steps and early acclaim to fully prove herself as an artist worth spending your energy and money on.