Adelaide’s best new music
We’ve rounded up Adelaide’s best new music for July, including aleksiah, Bidemi, JesseMelancholy, Lonelyspeck and more.
aleksiah – ‘Keep My Cool’
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again, aleksiah is the Adelaide version of Olivia Rodrigo and we are here for it! ‘Keep My Cool’ – the angsty, playful track that discusses the struggles of balancing expectations – embodies Olivia completely.
Like most songs of aleksiah’s, it has us headbanging in the office – it’s a pop girls’ anthem. ‘Keep My Cool’ is fresh off her five-track, sophomore EP cry about it, which also features previous Best new music listings like ‘Batsh*t’, ‘Clothes Off’ and ‘The Hit’.
You can catch aleksiah at the Lion Arts Factory on August 15 for her cry about it tour. Purchase tickets through the website.
Bidemi – ‘Be Yourself’
Although this song just missed the cut-off from our June Best new music column – it was released after we published it – we thought it was too good to hit skip. The song starts with a slow acoustic riff, then Bidemi’s soulful, smooth voice takes it up a notch as he sings: “If you’re feeling blue / If you’re feeling down / Just lay your head on my shoulder / It’s a safe space / I’m your safe place”.
Bidemi came into the music scene in 2014 with his signature sound, blending Afrobeats, Afro R&B, rap and soul. Earlier this year, Bidemi played at the NSS x WOMAD Academy stage, and this is now his first single since that festival.
Broken Waves – ‘The Chase’
The first Broken Waves single for 2025 is well worth the hype as ‘The Chase’ is the perfect indie, low-key, winter road trip song. But the band say this song draws inspiration from their “growing obsession with jazz house, electronic textures, and the kind of EDM that prioritises groove over spectacle”.
“We didn’t want to just experiment for the sake of it – the goal was to refine and tighten our approach to songwriting, to make something leaner and more intentional without losing the emotional weight,” they say.
“This track came out of a particularly collaborative and spontaneous period for us. Ideas were bouncing around constantly – chords, beats, lyrics – and for the first time in a while, it felt like we were all chasing the same instinct at the same time.
“We made a conscious decision to preserve that live energy in the final recording.”
JesseMelancholy – sanctuary
The latest single from the 21-year-old is a refreshing, upbeat track in his signature sad-boy style. The hyperpop track ‘Sanctuary’ is our first taste of his upcoming EP Bending Over Backwards, coming out later this year, and it’s off to a great start. The folksy intro and autumnal visuals in the lyric video set the tone: warm and nostalgic.
A coming-of-age romantic lesson is clear in the emotional and punchy vocals: “’I know that everything is temporary / I can’t be your sanctuary”. JesseMelancholy’s experimental genre blending of alternative pop with a techno tilt is worth a listen.
Kate Lewis – I Wish I Could Tell You
‘I Wish I Could Tell You’ is from Kate Lewis’ debut EP Same Heart, which has an acoustic, stripped-back feel fitting of the singer you might recognise from the Adelaide wedding circuit. The simple but effective track relies on keys and vocals, recalling influences of Sara Bareilles and Missy Higgins.
Kate says she wrote the tracks on this EP for different versions of her past self that she hopes listeners will connect to. ‘I Wish I Could Tell You’ is a ballad filled with longing, with relatable lyrics like “I think I love you but I’m afraid that you don’t feel the same way“. CityMag thinks the track will fit right in on your chill Sunday night playlist, best enjoyed with a crisp red wine in hand.
Lonelyspeck – Tether
‘Tether’ is a gritty electronic dance track off Lonelyspeck’s debut album Crown of My Spirit. It explores the invisible string binding us to reality, inspired by an out-of-body experience during sleep paralysis. Fitting, since the track evokes an out-of-body experience best felt after a few too many G&Ts pressed up against strangers during a set at Ancient World. The anticipated album cements Lonelyspeck as the most exciting electronic artist from Adelaide.
Rebma Rose – ‘Desperate’
When Rebma Rose first appeared in CityMag’s Best New Music back in July 2024 at the age of just 14, we noted at the time that she displays a mature songwriting ability and that her music “sits comfortably among the other songs on our list”.
The now 15-year-old singer-songwriter returns to the column this month with her latest track, ‘Desperate’, which blends indie-pop and rock sounds. ‘Desperate’ switches between gentler sections and more energetic interludes reminiscent of 2000s pop-punk.
As Rebma explains: “The song is a guitar-driven track about liking something too much and trying to play it cool – but failing”.
“It’s raw and emotional, like an unfiltered journal entry, with punchy guitars and gritty lyrics that capture a messy, intense spiral of emotions many can relate to,” says Rebma.
“The verses are introspective and heartfelt, leading into a vocal built in the pre-chorus, which then explodes into a punch chorus.
“The bridge is one of my favourites I’ve written – honest and deeply emotional, it brings the song to a compelling climax.”
RobT – ‘Glitterbug’
CityMag’s Best New Music regular RobT is back with his latest album, Glitterbug, which features a track by the same name. The nine-song album clocks a total of 36 minutes and 38 seconds and blends genres ranging from alternative to instrumental, electronic, beats and industrial. ‘Glitterbug’ is a quirky, mid-tempo instrumental dance track with an irresistible beat.
RobT is an Adelaide-based music producer whose eclectic musical style encompasses EDM, House, Chill and Retro New Wave, drawing inspiration from the likes of David Guetta, Tiesto, Hermitude and Calvin Harris.
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short snarl – ‘Year End Poem’
short snarl, a music project by Adelaide-based violinist Thea Martin, returns to CityMag’s Best New Music with ‘Year End Poem’.
The song is the first and only single to be released on short snarl’s upcoming EP, Self Noise, which will be released on August 10 by Hobbledehoy Records. The alternative folk tune has a quaint quality, with nonsensical lyrics adding to its whimsical nature.
“Lying blotto yearly/everything cracks/sun belched sheets/leaves pegs ash/an insect carcass/dires wings/sack bat,” sings Thea.
Thea says the album’s cover art, which features an image by photographer Stephen Gill, is particularly special for them. Thea says they happened to come across this image while visiting an exhibition in a Tokyo bookstore.
“I’d always had the image of a fawn in my head for this record, so to encounter this burst of movement, tenderness, distance, and colour in one image has been so exciting,” says Thea.
Alongside short snarl, Thea plays in local bands Twine, War Room, Cagefly, Any Young Mechanic and Eyrie.
The HYI – ‘I Know So Much About’
Created by alternative school Youth Inc., ‘I Know So Much About’ is a short electronic track featuring interviews with its students.
The sampled audio segments have been spliced into bizarre, playful sentences.
“I love to troll my homies/Likely so does everyone else/And I got swooped by a magpie/And I crashed a Segway into a fence,” says one of the students.
‘I Know So Much About’ is the debut single from The HYI, a student-led sound collective at Youth Inc.
“Ditching classrooms for creation, they sample unfiltered interviews, layer razor-sharp house beats and fuse hopepunk energy into anthems that move bodies and minds,” Youth Inc. said.
Violet Harlot – ‘Miracles’
Adelaide-based band Violet Harlot transcends one specific genre, blending punk and progressive rock, and the group’s latest single, ‘Miracles’, is no exception. Appearing as the lead single on their recently released concept album The War For the Red Hypergiant, ‘Miracles’ features a gritty punk vocal performance.
A long instrumental section featuring an epic guitar solo particularly stands out. Among the other instruments CityMag can hear are flutes, acoustic guitar and bass.
Violet Harlot will hold their album launch for The War For the Hypergiant at the UniBar on August 16.
Zara Chantelle – ‘Happiness’
Zara Chantelle’s ‘Happiness’ is a passionate breakup song about putting yourself first.
“Her low self-esteem is more than it seems/Her brown hair, her soft stare/The epitome of perfect/She don’t know we all care/It’s not fair/She thinks that she deserves this shit but/Soon she’s gonna realise/She’s better off with him not in her life, in her life/Wont’ have to get drunk to feel a bit of happiness, happiness,” sings Zara.
The 18-year-old Zara says she wrote the song to empower teenage girls “who are finally choosing themselves over toxic relationships”.
“Inspired by watching friends reclaim their happiness after toxic relationships, this song captures that post-heartbreak clarity when you realise leaving was the best thing you could’ve done,” says Zara.
“Channelling freedom, growth, and emotional rebellion – all wrapped in a catchy pop-rock vibe.”
Zara draws inspiration from the likes of Taylor Swift, Lizzy McAlpine, Gracie Abrams and Missy Higgins.
