Assteroid Lean Into '90s Alt Rock Nostalgia For New Single, 'Butterfly Hair Clip'

Naarm/Melbourne rock quartet Assteroid have leaned into the nostalgic bliss of alt rock from years gone by for their latest single, Butterfly Hair Clip.

The new song, which arrived on Friday, October 4th, is the first new track from the group in almost six months and underlines their penchant for capturing exuberant pop hooks and pairing them with a ‘90s-influenced approach to classic alt rock.

Full of the unique sensibilities that made the genre so beloved in its heyday (including its smooth vocals, slick riffs, and distortion-laced aesthetics), the group top it off with a series of inescapable pop melodies that make it hard to turn away from.

As per a press release, Butterfly Hair Clip is all about the nostalgic bliss of youthful innocence, with carefree days spent as a 13-year-old “schlepping around the cinema, calling your friends from a pay phone, and buying sparkly junk with your pocket money”.

Or, as the band themselves noted via Facebook, it’s “an ode to every lil ragamuffin who convalesced at the food court, in their loosely laced Etnies with their backpack slung low, ready to spend their 'I-did-the-dishes-that-one-time' money on apple-flavoured lipsmacker”.

Working with producer Alex Brittan (Kittling), the result is an anthemic crossover which feels reminiscent of iconic groups such as Veruca Salt and The Donnas, albeit with a much more relatable lean in the lyrics.

Butterfly Hair Clip also serves as the second track released from Assteroid’s upcoming EP, following the arrival of Hyundai Excel back in May. This single was itself the first new track from the band since their debut released back in early 2022.

In recent months, the group have found themselves playing relentlessly around Melbourne venues, performng alongside groups such as The Nation Two, Cat Crawl, Ze Wisenheimer, and more.

Assteroid’s Butterfly Hair Clip is out now on all streaming services.