Nine Aussie Singles That Killed At BIGSOUND

We’re not saying they’re definitively the best of BIGSOUND 2017 – with 130+ incredible emerging acts on the bill, it’s too tough a call to make. But here are nine tracks (and some killer photos by Zak Kaczmarek for TMN) that had the dusty industry delegates and media dropping superlatives over coffee the next morning.

Stella Donnelly – ‘Boys Will Be Boys’

Barely a muscle was moved or a peep made during Donnelly’s devastating, perfectly formed ballad about accountability and rape culture – a contender for the best Australian song of the year, and one of the most insightful songs written about a tough, fraught subject.

In an incredibly strong lineup of women and gender-diverse performers, Donnelly was not only a clear standout musically, but also a gracious, warm, funny and thoughtful presence, offering a content warning before the intense ‘Boys’, acknowledging her privilege as a white Australian as she accepted the inaugural Levi’s Music Prize on Friday.

Lupa J – ‘Keep Back’

A neon beam of weird charisma with shades of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Anderson in her vocals, Lupa J closed her Tuesday night set with this cut-glass banger.

Odette – ‘Watch Me Read You’

The hype is real, and the next single is too. There’s also a crowd-pleasing and perfectly on-brand cover that will likely come out in future sets from the 19-year-old artist, so we won’t spoil it.

Didirri – ‘Blind You’

Didirri Peters’ gambit of opening his Wednesday showcase with a cover of Joe Pug’s ‘Bury Me Far From My Uniform’ won over a slightly restless crowd, as did his wry request that punters consider refraining from ordering cocktails that required loud shaking. But it’s the Melbourne folk singer’s quietly soaring anthem of hope and grace, where his bell-clear vocals recall Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, that showed why audiences on both nights shut up for his set, and then couldn’t shut up about him after.

Miss Blanks – ‘Clap Clap’

Premium all-out filth from Brisbane’s fiercest emerging MC, who won herself a spot on this year’s Listen Out and has just been announced for Laneway 2018 as well.

Willaris K – ‘Dour Nights’

The TBC Club went off to this bubbling, wicked epic – released just a few days earlier – as A&Rs from multiple prominent indies eyed each other off warily across the room.

Two Steps – ‘Hold Me’

The unrelenting beauty of June Jones’ songwriting and performance hasn’t had a better showcase than this: a stark portrait of emotional anguish and physical intimacy that unfolds with aching patience.

Joyride – ‘Kings & Queens’

One of the most underrated Aussie singles of the year; despite everyone’s crammed schedules, industry types who have plenty of opportunities to see Joyride (or Boyride, as he and his band were christened for the night) still sneaked in to Ric’s to bask in the anti-lockouts anthem’s understated, blooming synths.

Baker Boy – ‘Marryuna’

Baker Boy’s follow-up single to his hit ‘Cloud 9’ floored the crowd so hard he played it twice – enough said. Watch for it on October 6.