VIDEO PREMIERE: Local The Neighbour - ‘Cruise Control'

Naarm/Melbourne-based musician Local The Neighbour has unveiled the hazy, nostalgic video for his latest single, Cruise Control.

Officially releasing the single last week, Cruise Control is a beautifully-fuzzy, guitar-driven piece of music from the Darwin-raised, Melbourne-based artist, better known to friends as David Quested.

A former jazz drummer who found himself influenced by the likes of Alex G, Paramore, and Slow Pulp, Quested has toured internationally as a session musician, and performed with numerous artists in Melbourne's music scene, including Fan Girl, JIM ALXNDR, Fletcher Gull, and Garage Sale.

His most recent EP, HUME31 pt.1, was released in 2023, with recent single Noose arriving as the first taste of his forthcoming EP, VALLEY pt.2. For Quested, the creation of his latest single began as a standalone riff which eventually gave rise to the larger track – an experience he labels as one of the best in his recording career.

“During that time there were quite a few car themed songs being released by artists I liked, and my friend thought it’d be funny if I wrote another car themed song as a bit,” Quested explained.

“He threw around random humorous names for a solid five minutes over the phone, and that afternoon I locked myself in my room and wrote the whole song in 20min.”

Now, the track has been accompanied by a beautifully-shot music video, which also employs the talents of Armlock's Hamish Mitchell and provides a slightly voyeuristic throwback vibe for the song.

“The video was shot by my friend, Pat Coyle, in my old studio space – a building in Coburg that was once an old mushroom warehouse/factory,” Quested explains. “I’d always wanted to film a band video in there so I could kind of document the space, having rehearsed there for years with a variety of bands.

“The room was super hard and dark with all concrete walls and floor, so it felt super ‘90s/’00s grunge, which I loved. My friend, Hamish Mitchell, put the video together and really helped capture that band energy and excitement in the song.”

Alongside the release of Cruise Control, Local The Neighbour also has a couple more milestones in the works.

While VALLEY pt.2 EP will arrive on Friday, November 22nd, Melbourne fans will be able to catch him the week prior performing at St Kilda’s Prince Bandroom as the support for US outfit Real Estate on Friday, November 15th. Tickets to this performance are on sale now, while EP pre-saves are also available now.