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CATHOLIC GUILT (Melbourne, AUS) Return With Blissful New Single + Video “Live For The Rush” |
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“I want to create and destroy at the same time, I want to laugh and cry at once, I want to change the world but not impact mine, I want to feel everything, all at once, I want to live for the rush” |
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Melbourne alt-rockers Catholic Guilt mark their return with the new banger “Live For The Rush,” off their upcoming sophomore LP due out later this year on Wiretap Records. The single is the band’s first to feature new full-time guitarist/vocalist Megan Sidwell. Stream “Live For The Rush” on Spotify: https://distrokid.com/ Produced by Ash Daws and Evan Lee at The Loud Noise Estate Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? Video Credit: @LUSE Media Vocalist Brenton Harris says, ‘Live For The Rush’ is a song about wanting to feel truly ‘alive’ again, after a prolonged period of emotional paralysis. It is about holding an insatiable desire to experience the sensation of life, yet at the same time living in fear of the risks and changes that might be required to do so. It is a very human thing to want to feel everything, all at once, to want to explore all that this finite existence can offer, yet it is also a very human thing to want to protect the status quo because the status quo offers the safety and the surety of knowing, even if what we know isn’t providing fulfilment. ’Live For The Rush’ is an anthem about rediscovering the joy of the unknown and in the process learning to feel again. Guitarist Dean Gordon adds, “Being a kid of the 90s the word ‘Rush’ has strong ties to extreme sports like surfing & skateboarding, taking me back to my adolescence and the excitement and freedom of the summer holidays. An escape from the responsibilities of everyday life, and the opportunity to get out into the world, take risks and make new connections. It seemed fitting that musically ‘Live For The Rush‘ should look to conjure those same nostalgic feelings for the listener. Attempting to mirror the contemplative internal dialogue of fear, tension and ultimately bliss, when you decide to get up, get out there and experience everything life has to offer.” The video depicts a day of activity for a Sauce bottle character which turns into an uplifting jam with their friends who need a bit of spark. The clip’s director Sophia Van Doorn says “The premise of this video at first glance is silly, funny and kinda weird. But when you delve into the bright, shiny world that Sauce lives in, there’s a whole lot more to it. Given that Sauce is depicted in an overly saturated, orange-hued world, their life is a vibrant, action-packed and fulfilling existence. Its stark contrast to the initial band shots of gloomy, lackluster monotony creates a juxtaposition of light and dark. The band’s jubilant facial expressions upon Sauce’s arrival are the hero of this video and really tie back to the incredible lyrics, uplifting the viewer. It was hilarious running around town shooting the Sauce scenes and the band nailed all their shots in every aspect – the fun and ridiculousness shines through in the video. As a first-time director of a music video, I’m thrilled with the outcome, it looks awesome. Awesomesauce.” Catholic Guilt combines elements of punk, alt, folk and rock, resulting in a sound they describe as ‘honest music.’ Following the success of 2018’s independently released debut EP Hymnbook Vol. 1 which saw the band sellout Melbourne’s iconic Reverence Hotel, secure Spotify editorial playlisting and receive national radio airplay via triple j for singles “Counterfeit Guitars” and “Paper & Ink,” the band released a critically acclaimed follow-up This Is What Honesty Sounds Like via the Californian label Wiretap Records in August 2020. A musical exploration of five very different human experiences, isolation, frustration, love, anger, and loss, This Is What Honesty Sounds Like earned the band national and international airplay via over 130 stations and received widespread acclaim from outlets including Alternative Press, Music Feeds, Brooklyn Vegan and Pop Matters. The band also achieved the rare feat of having all five songs on the release secure triple j ‘first plays’ and a coveted triple j unearthed feature artist spot. The release also saw Spotify editorial playlisting support via New Punk Tracks (“Song Of The Renter”, “The Awful Truth”, “A Boutique Affair”, “Life In Three Part Harmony”) and The Scene (“The Awful Truth”). The band built off the success of the release by signing with booking agency Destroy All Lines and playing a run of shows in Australia, including multiple sold-out shows in their hometown of Melbourne. Catholic Guilt has since gone on to appear on major Australian festivals Full Tilt and Knight and Day as well as stage a successful tour of the East Coast of Australia and secured the main support with Pure Noise Records act Real Friends and most recently landing a slot opening slot for Switchfoot. Off the back of the success of This Is What Honesty Sounds Like, they were invited to perform at the iconic Gainesville punk festival FEST in October. The band also contributed a cover of Saves The Day’s “At Your Funeral” to the Vagrant Records 25th Anniversary compilation Undercover On The Streets put out by Wiretap Records and Friend Club Records. This cover received Apple Music editorial playlisting on New In Rock. The quintet recently welcomed guitarist/vocalist Megan Sidwell into the fold and released the single “Talking Fake.” A slow-burning, emotive rock song about the communication breakdown that occurs within fractured relationships, the song saw Catholic Guilt expand their sonic palette, incorporating a Hammond organ, a string section, congos and glockenspiel. The single was accompanied by an award-winning cinematic short, co-produced by Soft Focus Media and Taymaynari Productions, the film tells the story of a couple who are drifting apart, thrown into a fantasy-stylized world of the night they first met. +++ Catholic Guilt is Brenton Harris (Vocals), Dean Gordon (Guitar/Vocals) Megan Sidwell (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Caruana (Bass), Michael Condello (drums) Upcoming show: Saturday March 3, 2023 Catholic Guilt w/Jurassic & special guests. The Last Chance Rock N Roll Bar, Melbourne. Tix on sale, 9 am February 6 at https://thelastchance.oztix. |
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Praise for Catholic Guilt: |
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“…a casually genre-defying fusion of punk, emo, indie rock, folk…”- Brooklynvegan ” A beacon of light for anyone who finds themselves at the crossroads of pop punk and folk, Australian outfit Catholic Guilt blend the two seamlessly. Add prominent influences by bands as diverse as Against Me!, Thrice and the Menzingers and you’ve got sounds and styles that are as beautiful as they are varied.”- Alternative Press |
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“…many moments that remind you of other bands/artists like Frank Turner, Pompeii, Against Me and The Menzingers…hugely melodic uplifting Rock n Roll, you are immediately aware that this is a band that will not leave you feeling flat, even when the subject matter cover such things as the feeling of isolation and social distance, they seem to be able to add an emotional uplift to it.” (4.5 out of 5 stars)- ThePunkSite “On the surface, their songs draw you in with catchy hooks and a welcoming Pop/Punk energy, however a closer listen will reveal a deeper emotional vulnerability hidden within their lyricism. ‘This is What Honesty Sounds Like’ is a triumph in songwriting from an up-and-coming band that revels in blazing a path that is clearly their own, all the while inviting us to walk alongside them.”- Hunnypot “Melbourne’s Catholic Guilt describe their sound as ‘honest music’ and on their latest EP we get to find out what that sounds like. Turns out honesty sounds like pop punk with folky undertones, thick with gorgeous melodies and slick hooks.”- Punk Rock Theory “…(the) tracks mix both pop-punk with the bonfire-style folk, an interesting but wonderful combo. The quintet is definitely a group to be watching for the rest of the year…” (Rating: 4.5/5)- Musiqtone.com “Catholic Guilt’s “A Boutique Affair” taps into the zeitgeist of distance, isolation, while adding a spirit of uplift and community…deeply melodic, highly energetic rock ‘n’ roll…”- PopMatters “Catholic Guilt do that thing where they help you pick apart the seams of your barely held-together self worth but make it sound like a right fun time along the way.”- triple J “The group looks at the world with a mix of dismay and hope, as if they recognize that life is difficult but we don’t have to let it kill us.”- Dusted Magazine “Australian group of rockers delivering raw, emotional lyrics amid pounding drums, jangling guitars and sophisticated arrangement.”- Artistic Echoes |
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