“…The DK Effect are an eight-piece funk-soul monster… saucy, delectable helping of groove-licious, horn-rich rhythms and melodies plus fierce vocals” – Gareth Bryant
‘Somebody’ embodies all of our ‘heathen gospel’ values in a funky romp, pitting delusion against critical thinking. It looks at how multi-national faith corporations control and coerce the vulnerable and gullible with threats and extortion. When performed live, this track has been mistaken for a real gospel song, so perhaps we should issue an ‘advisory warning’ to listen carefully to the lyrics.
The recording features lovely B3 by Ruby and a fabulous sax solo by Mitch which leads us perfectly into the final chorus where the vocals absolutely soar. It is one of our early songs and has been through various incarnations, with this ‘final’ version being the closest to our original vision.
The DK Effect are an original 9-piece soul, funk and RnB band known for their four powerhouse vocalists, rich storytelling, melodic harmonies, and the passionate, polyrhythmic ‘call and response’ vocal synchronicity inspired by gospel music.
Their debut album, ‘Moving Time’, showcased their diverse repertoire. The album spent two months in the TOP 10 of the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts.
Recording at the iconic Frying Pan Studio was a unique and amazing experience for the band. The studio offers stunning views of Berriedale Bay and Kunanyi (Mount Wellington), creating a relaxing and inspiring environment. There is a viewing window into the studio, allowing museum visitors to watch and listen (via headphones) to the recording process. For the band, it was fun being an ‘exhibition / performance artist’ during the recording process – almost like a live recording.
The band has performed at numerous Tasmanian venues such as MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), Altar, The Moonah Arts Centre, Kickstart Arts, Salamanca Arts Centre, The Clarence Jazz Festival, The Playhouse Theatre, The Taste of Tasmania Festival, Rektango, the Uni Bar, Street Eats Franko, and the Republic Bar.
“Rock driven essence with a touch of blues. I really love the powerful, raw vocals paired with gritty, mesmerizing guitars along with a drum performance full of punch.“ – NoEs FM Radio
‘She Won’t Fall’ is a strong, motivated, defiant song written about a strong, motivated, defiant woman.
Guitar, Piano, Drums and Bass. 4 to the floor. Straight down the line.
The band’s recent releases on Foghorn/MGM have lifted them to a new level and live shows have been coming thick and fast. And now they have an entire album in the final stages, the first single is ‘She Won’t Fall’.
After surfing together for over a decade , Matt Ayliffe and Peter Cunnington started jamming in 2020. The click was immediate.
Coming from different musical backgrounds seems to help, not hinder the writing process. From Blues, Alternative, Punk and Rock’n’Roll the songs dictate themselves. Demographics and egos, all checked at the door.
Dirty Suits is creativity for its own sake.
And as of Feb 2023, Luke Brooks has joined the ‘Dirty Suits’ family on drums and any out there suitable piece of equipment he can whack a sound out of to get this trio rockin’ any venue down.
Ever keen to break out new tracks each year, Kalen Hogan headed back into the studio to create “Gone” as his latest single release for 2026. “Gone” is a track that delves into the complexity of love, distance, and the struggle to move on. The song has a laid-back, cruisy feel and introduces a female backing vocal to the chorus, adding a richness to the track.
“This song is about that impossible moment when you know someone has to go, and life will go on regardless of how you feel,” Kalen shares. “It’s honest, raw, and something I think a lot of people have experienced—trying to protect yourself from heartbreak, even as you hope for more time together.” Each verse captures a guy’s attempt to talk himself out of loving his partner, even as he wishes she would stay just a little longer.
Recorded over a couple of days at Damien Gerard Studios, Kalen was inspired to add in some female vocal backing in the pre-chorus and chorus. Not pre-planned and with no one around to call, he asked his younger sister, a talented vocalist in her own right, to help. With only that afternoon left in the studio, his sister came straight after school. “Normally, opera is her jam, but my sister is a versatile singer and great at harmonies. Time is money when recording, and given the short notice, I was super grateful she was able to put down the vocals like a pro.”
Kalen debuted onto the local Central Coast music scene in late 2022. He quickly captivated audiences through his evocative songwriting and unique sound. Kalen’s beginnings reached an early milestone with the release of his first album, Isolation, in May 2023, at just 17 years of age. Exploring themes of introspection and the human experience, Isolation embodies the solitude experienced during its creation amidst pandemic lockdowns. Songs such as “It’s you” and “Stoned and Cold” highlight Kalen’s talent for merging melancholic lyrics with engaging melodies. His pure vocal quality has drawn parallels to Thom Yorke of Radiohead and the late Jeff Buckley, while his musical style pays tribute to the 1990s grunge era, reflecting influences from bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains.
In 2024, Kalen continued to expand his music, releasing three singles that solidified his reputation as creative songwriter. “On the Phone,” released in April, singing of a culture engrossed in dating apps and disconnected individuals. The June 2024 release, “Right There,” contemplates the transient nature of time and the human inclination to take the present for granted until it has passed. Following this, November 2024’s “Mindless” courageously delves into the complexities of mental illness. In 2025, Kalen released the two new upbeat singles “Love is Out” and “Ratio”, adding a more lively spin on his usual songwriting process.
Coupled with his growing live presence, this prolific young songwriter is an emerging talent that is certainly worth watching out for. You can catch Kalen performing live at varying venues and events across Australia in 2026.
VINYL available in an Australian exclusive 180g splatter pressing of 150 with insert and stickers – RRP $50
CDs also for sale in a jewel-case -?RRP $20
“The album feels almost less like a collection of songs than a lingering emotional state. It’s immersive, transportive and remarkably cohesive from beginning to end. This is Kilbey and Kennedy at their very best. Where on earth they go to from here, who knows.” – Arun Kendall, Backseat Mafia review here
Steve Kilbey will be Featured on Alive 90.5 fm Australian Spectrum Radio Show 19th May
In 1981 a teenage Martin Kennedy watched Steve Kilbey and The Church play at a strange hippie festival in Australia. They were outliers at this festival and he fell in love with their look and sound. He recorded their set on a walkman, and the songs helped spark the beginning of his music career. Just a year before, an equally fresh-faced Steve Kilbey formed The Church in Sydney, the very beginning of their public life as accidental hit makers.?
Forty five years later Martin and Steve find themselves working together on their ninth (add a bunch of side projects to this epic side project and they’re about 20 albums in) studio album ‘Things We Did On Earth.’
It’s always so simple: Steve calls Martin: Hey we’re touring Tassie got a few spare days to record an album? Martin: Heck yes.?
And that’s it. Martin writes the music and Steve rocks ups to write and sings the words. No argument, no egos, just a matter of pressing record.
They live in their own bubble, lost in a reverie, heads in the clouds. Martin doesn’t listen to any new music but his own. Steve enters his dream state and writes like there’s no tomorrow. ‘Things We Did On Earth’ is the culmination of everything that has lead up to this moment. It tells of mortality, dreams, other worlds, whatever you damn like. It could be their last album, but then they’ve been saying that for the last fifteen years.
Indeed these are the things Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy do on earth.
Bio
Kilbey Kennedy is the long-standing collaborative project between Steve Kilbey (The Church – “Forty some years into their existence, these Aussie psych legends are making some of the most vital music of their careers” – Brooklyn Vegan) and Martin Kennedy (All India Radio – “Like Pink Floyd & The Flaming Lips at their most ethereal” – The Needle Drop).
Since their first release in 2009, the duo has forged a singular sound – an “ultimate convergence of influences, that shimmers with a strange beauty accentuated by its dark and haunting undercurrents.” – The Music
Drawing on Kilbey’s evocative lyrics and Kennedy’s atmospheric production, Kilbey Kennedy moves through ambient, psychedelic, and experimental spaces, favouring mood and emotional resonance over fixed genre lines. “Neo-prog epic” – Prog magazine “Completely envelopes you, drawing you deep into its cosmic womb” – allmusic “For those of us who never really expected Kilbey/Kennedy to be much more than a one-off side project, their continued collaboration is a gift to all fans and one that keeps on giving.” – Volt & Volume
Steve’s Blurb for the Album
The end of a century of wonders Each glorious life engulfed by the Reverie Foundation A million memories at once All available to loved ones And for sale to strangers As things fell apart my daughter Serafina hiding forever in an imaginary darkened house in the woods Exotic holidays in Beautiful Places An encounter with an eel The wheel and whirl of karma The shadows of our lives in these songs Mornings of despair and evenings of deceit And lovely spirit from the otherworld she shines on a fragile flame An argument A marvellous view over a seaside city The machines that came to life And the plants that were harvested for cogs and filaments All the love and loathing All the bustle And the stillness of a Dawn Lake Thus are the things we did on earth
‘Prepare to Fight’ is an upbeat rocker bounding with the energy of defiance the times call for. The QuiXotic’s latest dynamic offering is a response to rising global tensions facing the everyday populace amidst authoritarian threats on communities that we witness daily via disturbing media coverage. This song harnesses our collective frustrations and paranoia propelling them into a fitting anthem of resistance. The QuiXotics have returned to their favourite studio while in a song writing purple patch to keep delivering the goods for QuiXotics fans far and wide in the year ahead.
The QuiXotics are a band dedicated to enthralling song writing, recording and live performance. Impossible to pigeonhole, they deliver a diverse range of dynamic sounds that traverse terrain from driving Indi rock n roll with catchy pop overtures and bluesy guitar riffing always complemented by engaging lyrics. After a series of well attended launches in Perth and Fremantle’s best original venues to celebrate their 2025 vinyl album ‘New World State of Mind,’ The QuiXotics have now been signed to Foghorn records in Sydney and recently released the first two singles from their follow up album nearing completion and due for release 2026.
Formerly a three piece featuring lead singer Michael Gabriel on guitar with his son Gabe Francas on drums together with Hannah Smillie on bass and magical harmonies, The QuiXotics have now added Aaron Powell on second guitar providing another layer to emphasise the guitar driven nature of The QuiXotic sound full of riffs and surprising melodic invention. Now in a purple patch of song writing while garnering national Airplay, The QuiXotics are excited to continue captivating audiences into the future with their live performances and album releases.
‘Serafina’ is classic Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Martin Kennedy (All India Radio), a timeless indie-rock track, driven by chiming guitars and melodic atmosphere in the spirit of R.E.M. and Kilbey’s legendary band The Church. Blending classic guitar jangle with modern cinematic production, the song delivers poetic vocals and dream-pop appeal for listeners drawn to nostalgic, guitar-led music.
NEW SCENESTR MUSIC VIDEO PREMIEREBELOW
‘Serafina’ is the first single from their ninth album ‘Things We Did On Earth’.
Kilbey Kennedy is the long-standing collaborative project between Steve Kilbey (The Church – “Forty some years into their existence, these Aussie psych legends are making some of the most vital music of their careers” – Brooklyn Vegan) and Martin Kennedy (All India Radio – “Like Pink Floyd & The Flaming Lips at their most ethereal” – The Needle Drop).
Since their first release in 2009, the duo has forged a singular sound – an “ultimate convergence of influences, that shimmers with a strange beauty accentuated by its dark and haunting undercurrents.” – The Music
Drawing on Kilbey’s evocative lyrics and Kennedy’s atmospheric production, Kilbey Kennedy moves through ambient, psychedelic, and experimental spaces, favouring mood and emotional resonance over fixed genre lines “Neo-prog epic” – Prog magazine “Completely envelopes you, drawing you deep into its cosmic womb” – allmusic “For those of us who never really expected Kilbey/Kennedy to be much more than a one-off side project, their continued collaboration is a gift to all fans and one that keeps on giving.” – Volt & Volume
