Premiere: Second Idol emerge as alt-rockers to watch with their debut song, White Noise

11 February 2021 | 10:00 pm | Hayden Davies
Originally Appeared In

Coming from the dust of their past project Bruise Pristine, Second Idol will launch themselves on the live stage with two shows over the next few months..

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It's always an exciting day when a fresh face emerges amongst the Australian music space, and no different is Second Idol. The trio - consisting of Kate Olivia, Theia Joyeaux and Maxine Gillon - have been floating around the Sydney alt-rock/punk spaces for a while now, perhaps best known from their last project Bruise Pristine (which yes, is based on the Placebo song we reckon), but in the last year, have re-energised themselves with a new project emerging just a few weeks into 2021; Second Idol being the product of that.

It's a group that aim to spotlight and emphasise important topics in a space where they're often out-shined by overt masculinity (take anything from trans rights and representation through to misogyny and sexism), doing so through charged bursts of captivating alt-rock-meets-punk-pop that sits in-line with long-time influences from Sonic Youth and Savages, two acts whose everlasting imprint is still felt in alt-rock decades later thanks to bands like Second Idol.

White Noise is their introductory moment; their debut single that premieres on Pilerats today ahead of its greater release tomorrow, February 12th - and what a moment it is. It encapsulates everything Second Idol aim to bring in their work brilliantly, with sharp and focused lyricism moving amongst a washed-out backdrop of guitar and percussion that feels plucked from that late-90s esque nostalgia, albeit worked within a more modern-like timeframe.

As for those lyrics, they really go deep into the group's experiences both in and outside of music, as lead vocalist Kate explains: "White Noise is a contemplation of body politics, women's bodies and misogyny," they say on the single. "It emerged out of my observations of comments often made by cis men on social media regarding the policing of women and gender non-conforming bodies. The lyrics are written in a way that I'm been having a conversation with someone in a bar, and I’m calling them out on their misinformed views and telling them that ‘we need to take this conversation outside’, then they just get sledgehammered with a barrage of guitars."

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There's also a pair of tour dates to launch everything off too, with Second Idol making their debut at Sydney institution Frankies on February 27th, before playing Queer As Fvck's Mardi Gras event in Sydney on March 6th.

Until then, take a dive into White Noise below, and keep an eye on Second Idol as they promise to make their mark in the year ahead.

Tour Dates: 

FRI 27 FEB | FRANKIES PIZZA, SYDNEY NSW
SAT 6 MAR | QUEER AS FVCK MARDI GRAS, SYDNEY NSW

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