March in WA Music: Listen to new BOAT SHOW, MALi JO$E, Supathick + more

The West Australian music scene has well and truly been shining in a lane of its own and its time we shed some light on the talented artists, making their name in and around Perth. Take a look at a few artists we are loving at the moment that are creating sounds that are cleverly defining WA’s music scene (in addition to the others we've talked about throughout the month too, from Kodi Cunningham and Angus Dawson to Ursula and Wesley Black). 

BOAT SHOW - Cheap Red 

It's been a while between drinks for BOAT SHOW, with the Fremantle-based favourites being relatively quiet since the release of their Unbelievable record back in 2018. Since then, the group have shifted around for a bit - lead vocalist Ali Flintoff moving to Melbourne and launching her Denise Le Menice solo alias, for example - all while keeping a bit of a presence on the live stage in both the IRL and URL worlds, playing a couple of live streams amongst the coronavirus madness, before making a proper return with gigs across Melbourne and Perth in the last six months.

The most recent of those shows was a launch show for their new single Cheap Red, a long-overdue return that marks their first track in three years and thus, welcoming the eventual comeback of a staple to West Australian indie-punk. It's a single that does what BOAT SHOW does best, launching with a ruckus-inducing pace that matches the rough-around-the-edges embrace of their past work, which in true BOAT SHOW fashion, will earworm its way into your brain and not leave it for months. It's a whole lot of fun, and more importantly, BOAT SHOW ARE BACK!

MALi JO$E - Portals 

Perth rapper MALi JO$E has been on our ones to watch list for a while now, emerging as an exciting addition to West Australia's multi-faceted hip-hop space who brings the edge and experimentalism that keeps the scene moving forward. It was something present on each of the morsels of new music we got from MALi last year - all four singles - with the final one of those, Ladybird, being an adventurous leap into dancier, hard-edged hip-hop that felt like one of the most exciting things he's done, setting his space up nicely for 2021 ahead.

Portals is his first glimpse of new music for 2021, and what a brilliant time it is. It features a production that sways between heavy-hitting 808s and softer melodies that dance around it (once again, expertly crafted by OJC43), with MALi JO$E matching the single's changing energies with vocals that swerve amongst the production, yet again showing the collaborative strengths of him and his long-time production partner. "I’m ready to start giving you music that is a complete reflection of myself," he says in a quote accompanying the single's release, and it well and truly feels like we're seeing it now.

Supathick - July feat. Adrian Dzvuke

Supathick were one of our favourite newcoming acts of last year, launching as an ensemble of talented names from some of West Australia's best acts - Demon Days, Almond Soy, Wooly Mammoth and Grace Armstrong included - coming together with a shared interest in this hazy-esque, lo-fi funk/disco-pop sound. Their four-track debut EP Dinner and a Film showcased that sound brilliantly, enlisting guests including Hyclass, Your Girl Pho and Saskia Brittain to bring their vision to life in both recording and on the live stage.

If 2020 was a bit of an introductory year to the super group, then 2021 is the year where they expand on that, and showcase exactly why they're an act so worth paying attention to in the year ahead. Their new one July is a strong argument, enlisting Adrian Dzvuke for a glitzy, late-night blend of funk, disco and R&B that really excels with their esteemed craft and skill, with Supathick - as always - going above and beyond to bring out the best of their collaborator. July with Adrian Dzvuke is no different, and what a success it is.

People Taking Pictures - The Ultimate Nothing feat. Cruz Patterson 

Launching back in 2019, People Taking Pictures is the solo project of Psychadelic Porn Crumpet's Luke Parish, welcoming an opportunity for him to fuse the charm he injects into the Perth favourites with a wider and more personal range of sounds, one that springs his own project into worlds beyond the typical Porn Crumpets umbrella. In the work he's shared throughout 2020, for example, People Taking Pictures has explored the intersection between indie, electronic, psych and beyond; each track swelling with its forward-thinking experimentalism and everything that contains.

With The Ultimate Nothing, Luke Parish moves into 2021 with yet another sound in his repertoire. The song enlists Cruz Patterson, who as you could maybe expect, adds a rush of hip-hop to the People Taking Pictures sound, bringing more depth into his work but in a way that Luke is able to morph himself around without losing the signature charm and energy that makes the project what it is. It's a sign of really authentic versatility, and you get the sense that with The Ultimate Nothing, this is just the start.

Joan & The Giants - Young In Love / Mother 

Perth-based indie-pop outfit Joan & The Giants were one of our favourite introductions from the last year, capturing our attention with Bloodstream last year. It was a charming and intimate exploration of the group, with Grace Newton-Wordsworth leading the way amongst a wash of stripped-back and subtle melodies that perfectly fell into place, creating a kind of Angel Olsen-meets-Florence Welch-meets-something else entirely; full of the warm comfort and grace that you'd expect from those acts.

After a year of heads-down work furthering their sound, they made a comeback last month with two new singles Young In Love / Mother, which showcase new facets of their sound while doubling down on the charm that makes Joan & The Giants what they are. It shows two different sides of the group, the first - Young In Love  - centring itself on this more adventurous and anthemic sound rooted in alt-pop nostalgia, while Mother is more solemn and subdued, highlighting the beauty of the group at their most them. They're both incredible, and there's plenty more on the way too - make sure Joan & The Giants are on your to-watch lists this year.