Australian post punk/alt band Johnny Hunter have premiered their new single “Frustration“, alongside a music video.
The song is out now through Hell Beach Records and marks the band’s first new music since their critically acclaimed debut album Want, released in 2022. Get it here.
Produced by Canadian producer Jesse F. Keeler (of Death From Above and MSTRKRFT), ‘Frustration’ is a synth-laden, pop-infused anthem with the authentic energy of 80s post-punk. Drawing comparisons to the brooding intensity of Joy Division and Bauhaus, the track also channels the glam and bravado of icons like Morrissey and Bowie.
Born out of the band’s utter distaste with a world driven by consumerism rather than genuine beliefs, the song juxtaposes its deep political and philosophical commentary against a buoyant, blistering goth rock soundscape that compels listeners to move. Fronted by Nick Hutt‘s bullish, baritone howls, Johnny Hunter weave together a tapestry of musical references and poetic, politically charged lyrics, encapsulating a sound best described as “Nick Cave on overdrive.”
Of the single, Nick Hutt said:
“I worked at a pub that had a piano. I would have about an hour of spare time a day before I had to open and wrote the verse lyrics then and there. Wrote a few songs on that piano…cheers BVH. Chorus lyrics came to me when I was running up a massive hill and I was trying not to give up. Xander (guitarist) came to the studio with the bassline and I sang over it. Dakota put his rat magic upon it, Mason guitars and Gerry drums, then we sent it off to Jesse from Death From Above 1979 and MSTRKRFT who turned up the BPM, invited a gospel keys mastermind to help with the chord phrasing in the bridge and made it into the heater you hear today.”
Watch the Roman Jody-directed video below.
So far this year, the band has evolved its lineup, signed with Hell Beach/Onelove Records and partnered with International Talent Booking in the UK (Editors, Biffy Clyro). Currently in the studio working on a new EP with Canadian producer Jesse F. Keeler (Death From Above, MSTRKRFT), Johnny Hunter is sharpening swords and readying their armour for a global quest in 2024.
Johnny Hunter Upcoming Live Dates
MAY 15 WED – The Great Escape 2024
The City Of Brighton And Hove, UK
MAY 18 SAT – The Great Escape 2024
The City Of Brighton And Hove, UK
Photo credit: Roman Jody
