News May 20, 2019

Babe Rainbow show their colours with new release, tour

Head of Content

There’s nothing garish about them, nothing too flashy. But Babe Rainbow are starting to shine in their homeland and further afield.

With a run of sold-out dates behind them in Perth and Adelaide, the four-piece from Byron Bay are working their warm, trippy vibes in venues around the country right now ahead of a new album release. Shows roll out Wednesday night in Wollongong, followed by Canberra, Sydney, and a finale Saturday at The Newy Hotel in Newcastle. In the months ahead, they’ll hit the U.S. and Europe in a big way.

The national run comes in support of ‘Something New,’ a homage to smurfs and mushrooms that feels like the groovy vintage leather jacket you scored for a bargain at an op-shop. ‘Something New’ has picked up key editorial markers with Spotify NMF and Apple Best of the Week and its Kristofski-shot music video has bolted past 119,000 views on YouTube in just two weeks, by some distance their fastest sprint on that platform.

Babe Rainbow, ‘Something New’:

Like a funky mushroom, ‘Something New’ is popping up all over the place. It premiered on KCRW Los Angeles, got selected by the Indie Shuffle blog, and is enjoying high rotation at 3FACH in Lucerne, Switzerland and WSKR at Jacksonville Florida.

U.S. college radio is a sucker for Babe Rainbow’s all-body-chill sound with the new track nabbing No. 14 last week on college radio’s NACC national singles chart.

Babe Rainbow and its bandmates, Jack, Lulu, Angus and Elliot, will get to work stateside next month, with 16 dates up and down the country booked through June. Europe will follow, where a late-summer stretch starts Aug. 29 with a slot at Indian Summer Festival in Glasgow and wraps up Sept 26 at IKSV Salon in Istanbul.

Everything is pointing to the release of a third studio album, the followup to 2018’s Double Rainbow. Expect ‘Something New’ to appear on the as-yet-unannounced new LP which will release locally through Flightless Records, the label home of another Aussie act smashing international borders right now, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

For international markets, the lads’ music will be released through Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records.

Babe Rainbow is managed by industry veteran Todd Wagstaff, who has worked with the likes of The Vines, Empire of the Sun, The Veronicas, You Am I, Pnau, Gypsy and the Cat, and Holly Valance and, through his management company Parker + Mr French, guides the career of Kirin J. Callinan, Jagwar Ma and others.

Watch this space.

Remaining Australian tour dates

May 22 UOW Unibar, Wollongong
May 23 UC Refectory, Canberra
May 24 The Metro Theatre, Sydney
May 25 The Newy Hotel, Newcastle

U.S. tour dates

June 3 Mississippi Studios, Portland
June 4 The High Dive, Seattle
June 7 Huichica Festival, Sonoma
June 8 The Chapel, San Francisco
June 9 Constellation Room, Santa Ana
June 11 Casbah, San Diego
June 12 Lodge Room, Los Angeles
June 14 Empty Bottle, Chicago
June 15 El Club, Detroit
June 16 Ace of Cups, Columbus
June 17 The Basement, East Nashville
June 18 Grey Eagle Tavern, Asheville
June 19 The Earl, Atlanta
June 22 Great Scott, Allston
June 23 Boots & Saddle, Philadelphia
June 24 DC9, Washington
June 26 Rough Trade, New York

Europe tour dates

August 29 Indian Summer Festival, Glasgow
August 30 Manchester Pysch Festival
August 31 Mosely Folk Festival, Birmingham
Sept 1 End of the Road Festival, Salisbury
Sept 4 The Old Bakery, Cornwall
Sept 5 Heartbreakers, Southampton
Sept 6 The Dome, London
Sept 7 The Haunt, Brighton
Sept 10 Molotow, Hamburg
Sept 11 Botanique, Brussels
Sept 12 Bitterzoet, Amsterdam
Sept 13 Ekko, Utrecht
Sept 14 Rowtown, Rotterdam
Sept 16 Bumann and Sohn, Cologne
Sept 17 Bi Nuu, Berlin
Sept 18 Cafe V Lese. Prague
Sept 19 Import / Export. Munich
Sept 21 Point Ephemere, Paris
Sept 24 tbc Rome, Italy
Sept 26 IKSV Salon, Istanbul