When The Belair Lip Bombs hopped an ocean to do South By Southwest in Austin last year, the Melbourne quartet were definitely looking for a record deal. But they didn’t expect to become the first Australian band signed to Third Man, the label founded by Jack White.

Six months later, Third Man re-released their 2023 debut, Lush Life, for a proper international audience. 

“They’re super supportive, and just leave the creative stuff to the band,” says drummer Daniel Devlin, who joined The Lip Bombs in the back half of 2024 – just as they were starting to write their second album. Talking over Zoom, Devlin cites the DIY ethos of labelmates like Sheer Mag and Snõõper as added enticement for the high-profile record deal.

Third Man’s global marketing muscle sets the table nicely for Again, which has already become one of the year’s most acclaimed Australian albums. 

The punchy follow-up sees the band – Devlin, singer/guitarist Maisie Everett, guitarist Mike Bradvica and bassist Jimmy Droughton – pull together the more disparate threads of their debut and turn in an ultra-focused effort. 

Everett has downplayed their strain of emotional indie rock as “yearn-core”, but it’s much more accessible and classic-sounding than offbeat or esoteric.

“There wasn’t a through line for what we wanted the record to sound like,” Devlin explains. “For each track, we had very specific ideas [and] clear reference tracks. But as we were chugging along with it, [we thought] it was cool that it does have that classic rock ‘n’ roll vibe. 

“We did lean into that a bit, but there are other songs that are more indie sleazy or pop-friendly … It’s definitely different to Lush Life.”

Striking Indie Gold

Again has some heartland rock and indie country peeking through too, especially on the opening Again And Again – featuring lively fiddle from guest Kat Mear – and the single Back Of My Hand. 

Devlin cites the indirect influence of indie-friendly Americana acts like Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, as well as some more left-field touchstones. 

The band looked to the hangdog Rolling Stones classic Beast Of Burden while working on If You’ve Got The Time, and the quasi-piano ballad Burning Up started as a homage to late-1990s hit-makers like Sugar Ray and Third Eye Blind but instead wound up taking atmospheric cues from New Jersey multi-hyphenate Mk.gee.

Devlin also credits the influence of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever singer/guitarist Joe White, who co-produced the album with them at Soundpark in Northcote while Lush Life engineer Nao Anzai returned in that same valuable role. White advised the band on what became the album’s crucial forward drive and thrilling sense of urgency.

“We obviously want the songs to be upbeat,” Devlin says. “But Joe was really helpful with ironing things out. We didn’t want to overcomplicate the rhythms. A lot of the focus with this band is the melodies and the vocals, with two great guitarists. 

“The rhythms are important, but it’s just the backbone. Rolling Blackouts are such a good example of a band that have that really strong driving rhythm beneath all this crazy guitar playing, so his influence definitely seeped in there.”

The album nails some essential emotional beats as well, with Everett breaking out more vocally and really selling the lived-in truth behind lines like “I need you to hold me/I need you to care” on Don’t Let Them Tell You (It’s Fair) and “Movin’ to your rhythm like a tambourine” on Another World. 

As the plentiful hooks thrive throughout, the songwriting puts us squarely in the headspace of romantic longing and frustration.

(Re)joining The Fold

Before he came aboard The Lip Bombs, Devlin drummed for Delivery, another guitar-driven Melbourne band who have earned a growing audience outside of Australia. 

He still plays in the lesser-known Polly And The Pockets too, but most importantly he grew up with the other Lip Bombs in the Mornington Peninsula suburb of Frankston – even playing in previous bands with Bradvica and original drummer Liam De Bruin.

“It was a pretty seamless transition,” he notes. “I joined and we went straight into writing this record, so it was quite a whirlwind.”

For a fairly cruisy beachside suburb, Frankston has produced some impressive bands. Eddy Current Suppression Ring emerged from there, and their guitarist Mikey Young (also a revered mixing and mastering engineer) now lives in nearby Rye. 

And the hotly tipped young mod/garage band The Gnomes are known for playing rambunctious gigs in Melbourne that attract many of their equally enthusiastic Frankston cohort.

“Frankston’s great,” says Devlin. “Like any small town, there are always issues with finding a creative outlet when you’re young – and yearning for playing shows and being part of something that feels a bit niche for where you are.”

He singles out Singing Bird Studios as a venue and recording studio known for nurturing young bands. Singing Bird may host gigs featuring bigger names like Zeke and Cosmic Psychos, but it will also put bands with disparate styles on a single bill together, as Devlin describes. 

So while Lip Bombs didn’t initially find many other indie rock bands to play with in Melbourne – compared to so many punk and post-punk acts – they always had a home at Singing Bird. They still rehearse there quite a bit today. 

And Devlin has put his own mark on his chosen instrument in the band, as heard all over Again. “I’m a very different drummer to Liam,” he admits, “so it’s tricky to play exactly how he plays. I’m more of a groove drummer and try to really lock into the bass. Liam’s background is more jazzy, whereas my upbringing was more punk and rock.”

From Here, The World

In the lead-up to their new album, The Belair Lip Bombs did a 25-date North American tour supporting Spacey Jane. Not only did that let them see the US properly for the first time, but they were able to road-test the more recent material. 

And thanks to Spacey Jane’s considerable popularity, they mostly played to full rooms at sizeable theatres. “It couldn’t have gone much better,” beams Devlin.

So what’s next? The band embark on a solid month of headline tour dates in Europe and the UK during November, and then do the Laneway Festival in early February. That’s followed by six-date album launch tour in Australia, before a 21-date North American jaunt co-headlining with Newcastle post-punk band dust. 

Unlike the run with Spacey Jane, The Lip Bombs will get to play longer sets and break out the keyboards and other embellishments more often, reflecting the new album’s expansive breadth.

Of course, that newfound upscaling will mean some tinkering along the way. “We’re pretty excited,” Devlin says, “but we’ll definitely be nutting it out a bit – and figuring it out as we go. So by the time we play in Australia, I’m sure we’ll be a well-oiled machine.” After a cautious pause, he adds: “Hopefully.”

The Belair Lip Bombs’ Again is out now, with tickets to their Australian tour on sale now.

The Belair Lip Bombs – Again Album Tour

Friday, February 27th – Corner Hotel, Naarm/Melbourne, VIC
Friday, March 6th – Altar, nipaluna/Hobart, TAS
Friday, March 13th – Lion Arts Factory, tarntanya/Adelaide, SA
Saturday, March 14th – Freo.Social, Boorloo/Perth, WA
Friday, March 20th – Oxford Art Factory, Eora/Sydney, NSW
Saturday, March 21st – Crowbar, Meanjin/Brisbane, QLD