New Year, New Albums: Here's What To Expect From Your Favourite Artists This Year

2018 is certainly shaping up to be a great year in music. Here's the artists you should be looking to for new tunes…

Tash Sultana (Sony)

Tash Sultana has conquered the world on the strength of one EP, a standalone single and a few covers. That's quality over quantity, friend, and this April there'll be HEAPS of it. That's when Sultana's "soulful" full-length debut is slated to drop on Sony, likely dashing everyone else's 'Album Of The Year' hopes.

Father John Misty (Inertia)

The "most self-important asshole on earth" is back at it again. Father John Misty has self-produced this latest album, his third in four years, and promises you can expect bass synth and "spritely BPMs". There's no solid release date from Inertia as yet, but since he was already mixing it in July it can't be too far off.

Kylie Minogue (Mushroom)

Rejoice! Kylie Minogue is releasing an album in 2018, her first since 2015's Kylie Christmas. Despite being a smidge inspired by her recent break-up, you can't keep Australia's Queen Of Pop down. Minogue's even said it'll be "super positive and inspiring". The first single drops this month on Mushroom. Photo by Dave Kan.
 

Sarah Blasko (EMI)

Mostly formed over two weeks during a residency at Western Sydney's Campbelltown Arts Centre in late-2016, Sarah Blasko's sixth album Depth Of Field (EMI) hits shelves this 23 Feb. If you're keen see the process behind the indie pioneer's latest, she actually made a doco dubbed Blasko at same time that you can watch on ABC's iview platform.

Thelma Plum (Warner)

After Thelma Plum wrapped her Monsters EP, she was kind enough to give us a taste of the debut album she was working on before disappearing to New York to get recording. That was in July 2016 and we've been hanging out ever since. We can't wait to finally throw the finished product on repeat in 2018.

Middle Kids (EMI)

Like Tash Sultana, Middle Kids made an astounding splash with their debut EP. They toured the world, conquered late-night television and even scored the thumbs up from blink-182's Mark Hoppus. Somewhere in all that they also found the time to get started on their first LP, which you can get your hands on later this year. Photo by Maclay Heriot.

The Goon Sax (Chapter)

Up To Anything was hands down one of the best albums of 2016, instantly proving The Goon Sax were much more than just one-third Robert Forster's kid. We don't know much about their follow-up, except that it's being produced by the band with James Cecil and Cameron Bird, of Architecture In Helsinki fame, and it's out this year. That'll do for now.
 

Alison Wonderland (EMI)

Alison Wonderland is set to release her long-awaited follow-up to Run this year, dropping an early taster with lead single Happy Place in November 2017. While release date details have been guarded, Wonderland revealed the forthcoming album will be called Awake and she has worked with QUIX, Lido and Lorde producer Joel Little.
 

Camp Cope (Poison City)

Melbourne trio Camp Cope will release their second album, How To Socialise & Make Friends, in March this year. Recorded in just a few days, the band have promised a stripped-back and raw release. Lead single The Opener captures the band at their fiery best, so you've been warned early not to take this release lightly. Image by Allison Nugent.
 

DZ Deathrays (Mushroom)

February can't come soon enough for fans of Queensland power duo DZ Deathrays. Bloody Lovely marks the band's third long-player, with Burke Reid returning behind the desk as the dance-punk duo get louder, brasher and catchier. Teaser Total Meltdown proved an instant earworm and promised big things for the much-loved noise makers.
 

The Presets (EMI)

Things have been heating up in the world of The Presets lately. The two-piece released new single Do What You Want last year featuring both DZ Deathrays frontman Shane Parsons and Kirin J Callinan on guitar. The punchy tune is a precursor to an album that The Presets' Julian Hamilton promises will feel like a party.
 

Joyride (Dew Process)

Sydney hip hop figure Joyride will release his highly anticipated debut, Sunrise Chaser, in early 2018 after wowing the local scene for years. With singles Kings & Queens and Aunty Tracey's Cookies already whipping up a frenzy, the muso, DJ and social media personality has already put the scene on notice.

Major Lazer (Warner)

Being a Major Lazer fan has taken some serious patience over recent years. With talk of a new album surfacing in 2015, the electro trio's fourth album, Music Is The Weapon, is expected to see the light of day in 2018. Four singles including collabs with Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott have already been released. Image by Thomas Graham.
 

Schoolboy Q (Universal)

Rapper Schoolboy Q has been a busy man of late, collaborating with Calvin Harris and RJ on their singles while working through his own fifth album. The LA-based artist says his new record will take a step away from previous releases, focusing on his life as a family man beyond the microphone.
 

Vampire Weekend (Remote)

Indie superstars Vampire Weekend are set to return with the amazingly titled, Mitsubishi Macchiato. The album will be the first without founding member and guitarist Rostam Batmanglij, but frontman Ezra Koenig revealed that previous collaborations with artists like Kanye West and listening to 'simple' folk songs inspired the songwriting process.
 

The Wombats (Warner)

With members of The Wombats living in Los Angeles, London and Oslo, work on their fourth album, Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, has been a labour of love. Main man Matthew 'Murph' Murphy revealed the new record is about escaping the party lifestyle and growing up. The David Lynch-inspired opening single Lemon To A Knife Fight dropped last November. 
 

The Rubens (Mushroom)

The pressure is on The Rubens to backup 2015's mega release, Hoops. Slated for release this year, The Rubens teased fans with the release of new bouncy single, Million Man in October 2017 after working with Run The Jewels collaborators Wilder Zoby and Little Shalimar while recording in New York City.
 

Vance Joy (Mushroom)

Aussie folkster Vance Joy has already made waves with his yet to be released Nation Of Two, dropping its first two songs Lay It on Me and the harmony-heavy Like Gold. Recorded in part with producer Dave Bassett, Joy travelled across the US while completing his second full-length.
 

Troye Sivan (EMI)

Pop idol Troye Sivan is not one to sit still. Between his acting and YouTube videos, the 22-year-old has been teasing out hints he's been working on his second album via his various social channels throughout 2017. Sivan has posted pics with songwriter Alex Hope, as well as producers Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat, so here's to hoping a collab is coming soon.
 

Travis Barker (Warner)

Travis Barker, blink-182's stickman, has been teasing his second solo album as he readies to return to his hip hop side-project. Barker has named Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Run The Jewels, Wiz Khalifa and The Game among his list of potential collaborators, with the music a major departure from his day job with the pop-punk superstars.
 

Arctic Monkeys (Domino)

Photographer Daniele Cavalli posted some photos on his Instagram account (April, 2017) that got us speculating as to whether Arctic Monkeys had started work on their sixth album. Bassist Nick O'Malley has since revealed during an interview with For The Ride that Arctic Monkeys began work on said album in a "secret location" in September of last year, adding it will be out in 2018. "If it isn't, we've got problems," he admitted to the motorcycle website.
 

Courtney Barnett (Milk! Records/Remote Control)

Her release of this year with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, amplified our anticipation for Barnett's upcoming second album. During an interview with Binaural (Spain), Barnett's partner Jen Cloher promised the follow-up to Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit will "definitely" drop in 2018. That's all we got, but it's on!

Jack White - Boarding House Reach (Sony)

The millisecond White's Servings And Portions From My Boarding House Reach teaser video dropped we collectively lost our shit. The man with the strongest colour palette in music always keeps us guessing and is continuing this trend: strings, fuzzed-out guitar, irate spoken word, jazzy piano - it's all within the clip. Words including 'Abulia', 'Papillon', 'Vache' and 'Real Hands' flash up onscreen - track names, perhaps? Just hurry up and release it, already!
 

Marlon Williams - Make Way For Love (Caroline)

The first taste from Williams' upcoming second album, his pessimistically titled duet with Aldous Harding, Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, is already out there, as is this album's full track listing. If you've attended one of his recent live shows around the country you will have already heard most of these tracks. It's definitely a departure from the country stylings of his self-titled debut album, and Williams plays keys as well now. Get excited!
 

Muse (Warner)

Back in August, we interviewed Dominic Howard ahead of the band's Australian tour announce and he said "...the ball's rolling as far as, like, getting more tracks together and releasing an album". If Dig Down, the single they released back in May, 2017 is anything to go by, the outfit are definitely leaning toward the electronic at present. Will it be thematic like Muse's last album Drones? We'll just have to wait and see.