Tag Archives: centralcoastmusician

CB Ghost Releases Single ‘All Good Things Take Time’

With All Good Things Take Time, CB Ghost leans into the art of patience — a lesson carved from love, life, and the long road of chasing dreams. Written from a place of self-realisation, the track reminds us that the things worth having rarely arrive on command; sometimes the waiting is part of the becoming. 

At the core of CB’s songwriting is a simple pursuit: make bodies move, make minds wander, and tell the truth without compromise. All Good Things Take Time delivers all three. On the surface, it’s a foot-stomping celebration, driven by thunderous drums, rhythmic guitars, and a blues-soaked organ that carries the song like smoke through the air. 

But beneath the energy lies something sharper. Some of the lyrics act as a brutal mirror — reflecting our own failings, flaws, and the uncomfortable truths we often avoid. While the chorus offers a positive affirmation, there’s depth hidden in its poetic turns, leading listeners toward a take-it-or-leave-it mantra: accept yourself, own your path, and keep moving. 

It’s a song that challenges both character and consequence — your own, and those around you — asking for reflection while never losing its pulse. Surf folk rock pop with grit, soul, and a hard-earned wisdom stitched into every note. 

CB Ghost is an Australian singer-songwriter and frontman forging his own sound in the space where surf, folk, rock, and pop collide. Born from the sunburnt coastline of Forresters Beach, his music carries the pulse of the ocean — warm, wild, and restless — blending catchy melodies with raw, poetic storytelling. 

Described as “Oasis meets Jack Johnson with Chris Cornell feels,” CB Ghost has quickly carved a reputation as a unique voice in Australia’s independent music scene. His songs balance laid-back coastal grooves with emotional weight, drawing listeners into stories of love, loss, chaos, and redemption. There’s a barefoot honesty to his writing — songs that feel lived in, weathered by saltwater and time. 

At the heart of CB Ghost’s sound is a fusion of surf folk rock pop: shimmering acoustic and now electric guitars, driving rhythms, soaring choruses, and lyrics that hit like waves — sometimes gentle, sometimes crashing. His debut album Mayhemic introduced that signature style, with standout tracks like Hollywood HillsHold Down Hymn, and One Wave at a Time building a loyal and growing audience. 

Backing him is his band of merry Ghosts: the incomparable award-winning Gem on keys, Glenn ‘Ginger’ Baker on drums, Archie Petrie on violin and 19-year-old bass prodigy Halen Ryan. A lineup that brings diversity, power, and unpredictability to the music. Together they create a sound that moves between intimate and explosive, polished and primal. 

CB Ghost live is where the songs truly breathe — a mix of singalong hooks, emotional depth, and high-energy connection. It’s surf-soaked soul for the thinkers, the drifters, and the beautifully untamed.

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CB Ghost On Tour and Video

NEW TOUR DATES

TOUR DATES

Friday January 23 – Avoca Beach Theatre – Avoca Beach, NSW

Thursday January 29 – The Tote – Collingwood, VIC

Friday January 30 – Humdinger – Frankston, VIC

Saturday January 31 – Barwon Club Hotel – South Geelong, VIC

Friday February 6 – Avoca Beach Theatre – Avoca Beach, NSW

Friday February 13 – Fun Time Pony – Canberra, ACT

Friday February 20 – La La La’s – Wollongong, NSW

Saturday February 21 – The 1880 Hotel – Bathurst, NSW

 

LINK TO SHOW INFO AND TICKETS

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Originally recorded as a stripped-back demo inspired by Gerry Cinnamon with CB on guitar (capo on the third fret) and a foot stomp, the song first took shape in its simplest form. That early version carried the backbeat but lacked the now-signature drum build that had become a standout moment in live shows.

So, it was back to Damien Gerard’s studio to start again. Born as a sunset, balcony, surf-side tune, the released single captures exactly what the band has grown into as a unit. While the original had charm, this full-band version—driven by bass, drums, and soaring violin—arrives as a fully realised, big-hearted band banger.

“One Wave at a Time” is a reflective yet uplifting ode to living in the here and now. Written from the idea that when life feels overwhelming, the only way forward is day by day — or for surfers, one wave at a time — the song captures the quiet healing of the ocean and the clarity it brings to a restless mind.

Penned in the aftermath of a breakup that left CB questioning identity and priorities, the track balances light and shade, sadness and joy. Defying conventional structure, it eases into a restrained pre-chorus that creates a false sense of calm before opening into an expansive, emotionally charged release. Beneath the melancholic reflections of loss lies an unwavering optimism — a reminder to keep moving forward.

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Described by Scenestr as “Oasis meets Jack Johnson with Chris Cornell feels,” CB Ghost is no genre experiment — he’s a full-bodied apparition with a pulse.

An original solo artist backed by his band of merry Ghosts, CB Ghost has been carving out a reputation for raucous, emotion-soaked, good-time live shows that leave rooms louder than they found them. His debut album Mayhemic, released June 5, 2025 via Foghorn Records (MGM Distribution), features fan-favourite singles “Hollywood Hills,” “Beautiful Middle Finger,” and breakout track “Hold Down Hymn,” now past 100,000 streams and still climbing.

The band is a beautiful anomaly.

On drums and backing vocals: Glenn B, seasoned, formidable, and relentless.

On bass: Dean Sinclair — Rock Lord, delivering thunder, groove, and low-end authority like it’s written in stone.

On keys: Gem — incomparable, award-winning, and effortlessly elevating every song with colour, soul, and cinematic lift.

On violin: Archie P, hailed as “the best rock violinist in Australia,” arriving via Bonnie Scotland with strings on fire.

Together, they deliver moving high-energy shows — part sing-along, part catharsis, part dancefloor sermon. Add their powerful and original ballads – and it’s a roller coaster of emotions. As CB Ghost declares in “Beautiful Middle Finger”: “Ghosts don’t want to live forever.”

Sonically, CB Ghost blends alternative-rock, folk warmth, and surf-rock-country swagger, with pop hooks riding a riptide of feel-good drumbeats. Lyrically, it’s ocean-salted, streetwise, and emotionally honest — songs that make you move your hips, then check your heart.

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Kalen Hogan Releases Single ‘Love Is Out’

Love is Out, is an emotive track that explores feelings that bite in the aftermath of a relationship gone south. The song dives into emotions like feeling frustrated and vulnerable when you try to give your heart to someone only to be left questioning everything when they break your trust. It’s about that moment when love stops feeling like a dream and starts to feel more like a game. The track is for anyone who has ever felt burned out by love and left wondering if they’ll ever believe in it again. It’s a punchy track that’s up in tempo and the catchy melody keeps you wanting more.

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Kalen Hogan debuted onto the local Central Coast music scene in late 2022. Kalen 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.

Kalen is set to release two new singles in September and October 2025. The singles “Love is Out” and “Ratio: promise to further investigate the intricacies of human relationships. 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 2025.

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Kaijin Solo Releases Single ‘Lightning Hit The City’

First written in the late 1980’s sometime after Black Friday ’87, finally released in 2023, the song is a snapshot of various random events that seemed to be hitting the headlines with monotonous regularity at the time and has a curious resonance even today….

A rocking tune from the Central Coast’s Kaijin Solo. This one comes right out with full band in this up-tempo guitar based rock song, plenty of guitar riffs and solos as well as a catchy chorus and good vibes all around.

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Kaijin Solo is a contemporary singer/songwriter based on the NSW Central Coast with a blues rock influence.

He has been working and honing his craft for many years with various band line-ups and the plentiful bread and butter busking jobs and pub/club gigs around the Coast (most recently at Link & Pin in Woy Woy). With the advent of Covid, Kaijin spent the downtime working on new material which resulted in the recording and release of a number of tracks last year.

Kaijin has begun to work live again as Kaijin Solo and The Backbeats featuring Ash Fedder on Drums and Rhys Myer on Keys.

                                             They are currently planning for a late Spring/early Summer Tour.

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Vanleer & Co. Release Single ‘I Still Think Of You’

“I Still Think Of You” is a song that pulls at the heart strings of anyone having any kind of dysfunctional relationship. Whether it is with a spouse, a child, a sibling or even a long term friendship. “I Still Think Of You” was inspired by one of my children and the events surrounding the life choices they were making.  This composition is my expression of my love and perhaps they will hear it and come to realise how much I have loved them all along.

The second single from Vanleer & Co features full Americana style band backing and lush female backing vocals. Duncan Toombs on guitar, Kayne Butler on drums, Andrew Beck on bass and engineer. The song is mid-tempo and along with the sentiment in the lyric has some catchy and tasteful electric guitar which lifts the tune perfectly.

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William is a singer/songwriter based on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW. Originally from rural NSW, he was born the son of a coal miner who also played in a country band. His passion for music began early with his father teaching him to play guitar.

Since then he has performed for a variety of charity events held by the NSWRFS and Land Care organisations, as well as countless open mics along with band support roles in and around the Central Coast.

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Jessie-May K Releases Album ‘Rising Sun’

Jessie explains below how this first full length album is a triumph over childhood hardship – 

Since escaping, recovering and healing from some childhood traumas, I’m finally experiencing a life where I’m free to live & not just survive. My whole world has opened up! The sun has finally shone through, I can explore people and places freely and breathe life in! Something I never had the chance to do as a child.

The first 18 years of my life were focused on surviving constant anxiety. It bubbled in my chest and body, it was like I hadn’t a second to take a breath. After escaping this situation, my brain and body shut down for a year like never before. My mental health had never been worse. The physicality of my depression & trauma hit me like a tonne of bricks. My mind and body were completely and rightfully exhausted.

I’ve grown the most, tried the most and felt the most free than ever in my life. I’ve met friends who have shown me levels of kindness and support I’d never experienced before and who help me remember life is worth living. I’m at a stage in my life where I’m younger now, a phoenix, regenerated, a Rising Sun. I’m still eclectic as a creator, but with this album I feel like I’ve really found my sound and one that expresses who I am inside.

There are so many people I couldn’t have made this album without! Artists I’ve collaborated with such as Brandon Macmillan, Jordan Ellery and the extraordinarily talented Dave Hunt. My wonderful sound engineers who do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to these projects: Andrew Beck, Olivia RA, Murray Dilger & Russell Pilling and my Vocal Coach Joanne McMahon.

Jessie-May K is a young Singer, Songwriter, Director, Actor & Artist. Most successful as an internet personality, Jessie has released four singles and a collection of episodic works that accompanied their 5 track EP Zone Out (2020).

Originally trained in Musical Theatre, Jessie transferred to music when they were 16, teaching themselves guitar from YouTube to elevate their musical career, as they had been writing songs with lyrics and melody since they were 5 years old.

Jessie is passionate about social justice and activism, often releasing music about movements that are important to them, raising awareness and sharing donation links in the hopes it will make a difference. Jessie is Neurodivergent and was born with ASD, ADHD, OCD and developed PTSD as a result of their early hardships and extreme childhood trauma. Jessie believes that the world thrives on diversity and that benign individuality is something to be celebrated and not feared.

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Kalen Hogan Releases Debut Album ‘Isolation’

17-year-old Central Coast local, Kalen Hogan, releases his debut album ‘Isolation’.

Recorded at Damien Gerard Studios with producer Andrew Beck and Kayne Butler on drums, the album highlights this young musician’s talent for creating catchy melodies. Still in his last year at school the album has a youthful appeal. The thoughtful and sometimes melancholy lyrics highlight Kalen’s sensitivity to everyday events and life’s universal themes.

From the initial single born from the pandemic lockdowns, the songs transition through: relationships left behind; feeling alienated or lost; realising the finite time you have with those you love; and understanding your outlook is only relevant to your perspective.

The album ‘Isolation’ was initially created in a time of forced introspective thinking. Skilfully, the tracks are matched with some soul-searching guitar solos that echo the intensity of the lyrics.  Tracks like ‘Beliefs’ and ‘Not Even A Friend’ are songs that fight back with some big drums and up beat spicy guitar chords.

The dissonant harmonies and chord progressions on the album are a subtle nod to Kalen’s respect for the 1990’s Seattle Grunge scene. The album is alternative rock and with the purposeful lack of heavy distortion, the sound stays true to its indie roots.

Song Descriptions

It’s You

Kalen’s signature acoustic guitar and vocals begin this heartfelt mid-tempo tune which captivates the listener even more as the drums and bass kick in. The Aussie Jeff Buckley we think!!

Be With You

Electric guitar starts this Radiohead-ish tune from Kalen Hogan. The deceptively simple arrangement of guitar, drums and bass mask an excellent and highly coherent piece of song writing. Mid-tempo, hooky and engaging.

 Lost

A happy and more poppy number from Kalen on this mid-tempo tune. Hollow Coves spring to mind on this one and the bouncy rhythm track keeps everything moving along. Kalen’s falsetto comes to the fore on some backing vocals.

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About

Kalen Hogan debuted onto the local Central Coast music scene in late 2022. Having watched his musical uncle write and perform, Kalen started writing his own material at fifteen. Now in his final year of high school, Kalen is proudly launching his debut album ‘Isolation’ in May 2023.

Kalen says he is inspired by the 1990’s grunge movement, with a real reverence for bands like Nirvana, but describes himself as an alternative indie rock singer-songwriter. Kalen sings about the complexities of everyday life, with an open heart and keen observing eye. His pure vocal tone and moderately high pitch may reflect why some tracks have been compared to Thom Yorke from Radiohead and the late Jeff Buckley. Many of Kalen’s lyrical melodies build up to a decent falsetto and although still young, the emotion he brings to each song gives his music a youthful appeal.  Musically, Kalen incorporates a lot of dissonant harmonies into his spicy chord mix and in songs like ‘Be with You’ he produces some sweet but heart-breaking guitar solos.

Currently, Kalen is enjoying finalising a film clip for his recently released single ‘Stoned and Cold’ that previews on this album. Kalen says he enjoys all the creative aspects that come with releasing new music, including designing his singles and album cover.

Kalen has started to play at local venues like the Ocean View Beach Club, Sunken Monkey and Sounds on West, as well as a few private shows. Though focused on finishing Year 12 and showcasing his debut album, Kalen continues to write new material. Towards the end of the year, Kalen plans to start recording, once again at Damien Gerard Studios with producer Andrew Beck, for his 2024 projects.

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Vanleer and Co Releases Single ‘Time Machine’

Central Coast artist William Vanleer AKA ‘Vanleer and Co’ release the debut single …..

This song was written as William’s way of honouring the loss of two close friends. As the song unfolded, it took William on a very personal journey, reminding him of things unsaid and always an unfulfilled desire to spend more time with a loved one or someone who has a special place in your life.

‘Time Machine was to be the song I needed to write and always wanted to write. It was to be the song I had been long since searching for from the very depths of my emotions; a song that would connect me with my past, my present and my future. A song that commemorates all those I have ever lost without being able to see them again or getting the chance to say goodbye along with those I am sure to lose in the near future.’ – William Vanleer

A mid-tempo Nashville sounding americana cut from William Vanleer. Electric guitar layers, bass, drums and a lyrical story everyone can relate to. This debut release sets the tone for many more to come from Vanleer & Co. Memories of the days of Kris Kristofferson and more recently Sturgill Simpson.

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About William Vanleer

William is a singer/songwriter based on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW. Originally from rural NSW, he was born the son of a coal miner who also played in a country band. His passion for music began early with his father teaching him to play guitar.

He would spend much of his younger years harbouring a burning desire for his father to teach him to play, but wouldn’t pick up his first guitar until the age of 14 after being placed into foster care.  While in care, William met his foster brother, Terry, who taught him to play Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Written for a Walt Disney Mickey Mouse cartoon.

In the mid 80’s William began composing, but it was not until he found a collaborator/friend and poet, Frank, that he was able to complete compositions that he was happy with. In 1989/1990 they entered two compositions into the steel city songwriter’s competition that ran Australia & New Zealand wide, both pieces making it into the final.

Since then he has performed for a variety of charity events held by the NSW RFS and Land Care organisations, as well as countless open mics along with band support roles in and around the Central Coast.

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Jessie-May K with Miguel Cullen-Green Releases Single ‘My Type’

Jessie-May K has never been one to follow the crowd, so it’s no surprise that conventional beauty standards hadn’t been implanted into their psyche, the same way they have affected the masses through media consumption and cliquish social paradigms.

My Type was inspired by the beauty Jessie sees in the unconventional and in support of the underdogs and nerdish types. They find themselves often discarded by society and labelled as unattractive and inadequate, when it comes to mankind’s idealisation of relationship partners and cultural paradigms.

The song was written in collaboration with Miguel Cullen-Green who is an excellent artist himself and a friend of Jessie’s. Although My Type is their first musical project together, Miguel is an actor as well as musician and has been featured in some of Jessie’s music videos.

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Jessie-May K is a young Singer, Songwriter, Director, Actor & Artist. Most successful as an internet personality, Jessie has released 4 Singles (2018-2021) & a collection of episodic works that accompany a 5 track EP titled ‘Zone Out’ in 2020.

Originally trained in Musical Theatre, Jessie transferred to music when they were 16. As they had been writing songs with lyrics and melody since they were 5 years old they taught themselves guitar off YouTube to elevate their musical ambitions.

Jessie is passionate about social justice and activism, often releasing music about movements that are important to them, raising awareness and sharing donation links in the hopes it will make a difference. Jessie is Neurodivergent & was born with ASD, ADHD, OCD and developed PTSD as a result of their early hardships and extreme childhood trauma. Jessie believes that the world thrives on diversity and that benign individuality is something to be celebrated and not feared.

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