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Monthly Music Crush: Mermaid Island, Mastodon, Marmozets, Ecca Vandal + More!
- Tiana Speter
- 47 minutes ago
- 7 min read
It's been a hot minute since I've publicly frothed on some new music here, but the last month and a bit has been truly STACKED with incredible new releases.
Of late we've all been relentlessly gifted with a horde of new material from some stellar Aussies, some insanely amazing international acts, new favourites and evergreen icons. And today, I'm rounding up six of my faves that have been burning a hole in my speakers over the past month (or so). Read on, listen up, and you can also catch all these songs and more over at The Soundcheck's official Mixtape as well xx
Photo Credit: Jeff Antons
MERMAID ISLAND
Single: Panic Button
(No Dad Records, Anxious and Angry)
I recently visited LA for a week and got whisked away on my first night there to a gig at Bar Sinister. As luck would have it, I would stumble upon a brand new musical crush: magnetic punk purveyors Mermaid Island.
A powder keg of melodies, garage punk, pop hues and folk injections, Mermaid Island are a fun and ferocious collective who can simultaneously hit you in the feels while tearing down the walls around you (metaphorically and literally).
As of this week the quartet just unleashed a brand new single and video Panic Button, a folk-laced ballad that erupts with emphatic choruses, and marking yet another glimpse into their upcoming self-titled debut album due out June 12.
“On the surface, this song is about being cryogenically frozen yet still conscious. Watching your loved ones grow old, wither away, and die without being able to communicate. At its core, it’s about feeling trapped, the desperate need for connection, and the painful realization of mortality and loss.” - Alex MacDonald, vocalist
A bonus (somewhat) Australian-related fact: if you recently tuned into Frank Turner's Double J Short.Fast.Loud takeover with host Josh Merriel while he was in town for a co-headline tour with Bowling For Soup, he opened his playlist with none other than Mermaid Island's Ice Cream (also a killer track that you can check out here).
Photo Credit: Deathcats
MASTODON
Single: Your Ghost Again
(Loma Vista Recordings)
Following the untimely loss of their brother Brent Hinds in 2025, GRAMMY Award-winning heavies Mastodon emerged this week armed with a brand new single Your Ghost Again. And, as the name suggests, it pays homage to their fallen bandmate, along with other personal heartaches for the group, including the passing of Brann Dailor's mother.
Your Ghost Again is quintessential Mastodon, with bassist Troy Sanders and Dailor trading vocals over the alternately bombastic and moody guitars of Bill Kelliher and new guitarist Nick Johnston amid atmospheric flourishes from keyboardist João Nogueira. Equal parts crushing and poignant, the band channel profound grief into one of the most emotionally charged compositions of their storied career, weaving intersecting themes of memory, resilience, and raw vulnerability. Produced by Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou and mixed by Andrew Scheps, Your Ghost Again offers a preview of what’s to come in the group’s next chapter as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming full length.
“For me, ‘Your Ghost Again’ is about when you lose somebody that’s close to you that you existed with for most of your life—or your whole life. It’s those moments when you’re in those familiar places that you’ve always been with that person, and then, after they’re gone, you see them out of the corner of your eye, and it makes you sad because they’re not there. When we were in the studio recording, I kept seeing Brent. I’d see him on my right holding the guitar because that’s where he’d usually be. It’s the same with my mom: I keep seeing her. And you get a little jolt of excitement because you think you’re actually seeing them, but then you remember they’re not here and it takes you down a notch. So, it’s these big relationships for me that became the subject matter of the song. I was just singing about what I was seeing, and I was seeing ghosts.” - Brann Dailor, drummer & vocals
North American fans can catch Mastodon's The Poisonous Weapons Tour later this year, with support from Deafheaven and Alcest, and the group will also appear at Sick New World in October.
Photo Credit: Travis Shinn
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
Single: Paralyzed
(Rise Records)
Entering sharp new sonic terrain as they approach the release of their eighth studio album, emo-metalcore icons Sleeping With Sirens have stunned fans with a surprise drop of a brand new single Paralyzed, releasing the fresh track ahead of their upcoming new record An Ending In Itself, due out on June 12 via Rise Records.
Produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Circa Survive, Movements), Paralyzed hints further at what lies in wait on album #8 for Sleeping With Sirens, with the new record set act as both a homecoming and a reckoning for the five-piece, reviving the restless spirit of their classic sound with the nuanced experience of recent years, and also marking their first album to be released with Rise Records since 2013’s Feel.
“Paralyzed is one of the heaviest songs on the new record. We had a blast making it and really leaned into the bands that shaped and inspired us growing up - artists like Thrice, The Used, and Haste The Day. It’s aggressive, emotional, and captures a side of us we’ve always loved exploring.” - Kellin Quinn, lead vocalist
The release of Paralyzed is a resounding declaration of sonically transcending the past, present and future in a way only a band like Sleeping With Sirens can. A haymaker coated with raw emotion and oscillating dynamics, Paralyzed is a confessional portal and instantly dares to become an fan-favourite.
Photo Credit: Micala Austin
SUBLIME
Single: Gangstalker
(Atlantic Records)
In 2026, the sun will set on the Sublime name when the California reggae-punk/alternative rock act release Until the Sun Explodes on June 12; an epilogue to the group's self-titled 1996 album, with the 2026 collection featuring Jakob Nowell on vocals honouring his late father, Bradley Nowell.
In the lead-up to the release of Until the Sun Explodes, Sublime have released another glimpse into the upcoming end result via Gangstalker; a rollicking slice that more than nods to 90s California skate punk while also bringing some boisterous charm and energetic ska.
“Gangstalker is pure chaos. I was so proud when the drum and guitar parts came together the way that they did in the studio. Sometimes you have this idea for how a song should sound in your head and it becomes impossible to translate that into reality. ‘Gangstalker’ is not one of those songs. It is a frenetic, California tweaker, punk anthem that I fully endorse with my life.” - Jakob Nowell, vocalist
Sublime also recently performed two special headline Aussie shows back in April, gifting Aussie fans the first ever chance to catch the band performing as Sublime (rather than Sublime With Rome).
Photo Credit: Yoshitaka Kono
MARMOZETS
Single: Like Last Night
(Nettwerk Music Group)
Releasing their new (and extremely anticipated) album CO.WAR.DICE in late May, UK rockers Marmozets once again declared their infectious ferocity with their first new LP since 2018.
Balancing sharp melodies with sonic suckerpunch moments, CO.WAR.DICE is a fresh and frenetic entry that also showcases the group's progression over the years since the release of Knowing What You Know Now eight years ago. And one of the standout moments that truly shines a spotlight on the band's evolution is Like Last Night; a festival-ready stomper that flits between stripped-back verses and an earworm chorus.
“CO.WAR.DICE. is an album reflecting on the state of our world and a vow to ourselves to leave this world in a better place. We may never make a huge impact, but we can only try. Like any story there’s a beginning, middle and end and we’ve chosen for a happy ending.” - Becca Bottomley, lead vocalist
Marmozets are currently on the road touring a huge UK headline run, and will also hit the stage at Download Festival this month, and perform as guests for Biffy Clyro at their 45,000 capacity Finsbury Park show on July 3.
Photo Credit: Sean McDonald
ECCA VANDAL
Single: VERTICAL WORLDS
(Loma Vista Recordings)
Unless you've been living under a rock'n'roll rock in Australia of late, chances are you've seen or heard Ecca Vandal. Recently opening for Deftones on their huge Aussie headline run and also releasing her sophomore album LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO UNFOLLOW last month, this talented artist channels her kaleidoscope of influences (namely jazz, 90s alt-rock, hip hop and more) into something truly unique and engaging on this latest endeavour; and it's not just fans at home that are loving Ecca Vandal's output, previously supporting Limp Bizkit, performing at Coachella and so much more.
LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO UNFOLLOW spotlights some staggering star power from Ecca Vandal, with sharpened punk, rock anthems and more lying in wait throughout the album. And it's on one of the record's standout tracks, VERTICAL WORLDS, that we barrel deep into the raw intensity of Ecca Vandal (and also via the accompanying music video that we see how many drum kits Ecca can fit into one room).
“Pulling this video together for VERTICAL was honestly insane and probably way too ambitious for the timeframe but somehow we made it happen. We pulled the whole thing together in three days and invited some amazing drummers who made drum covers to my songs to be part of the video. After filming with a local team in LA, we edited most of the footage in dressing rooms and the back of the van while we were on tour with Deftones...” - Ecca Vandal
Continuing to take over the world, Ecca Vandal will appear at a horde of international festivals over the next few months, including Rock im Park, Rock For People, Outbreak Festival and many, many more.
