Making a name for themselves with intense pub-rock and garage anthem performances in their home town of Melbourne, Coolabah Kings first began in 2019, a casual jam session steadily evolving into a serious project that has seen them garner critical acclaim. Their discography reflects their growth, capturing moments in the COVID lockdown amongst themes of modern disconnection and toxic masculinity.
With their latest single, ‘Bitter Pill’, Coolabah Kings boil over with punk energy. Even from the very first moment, the distorted vocal shout and charging opening riff are unbound by convention and gritty to their core. The band then deliver a tenacious performance, the vocals more a melodic spoken word than a truly tuneful piece. This doesn’t take away from the vast infectiousness of the track, ‘Bitter Pill’ calling out for a chanting audience in every way, the guitars roar and drums punch, sending a lightning bolt to your soul.
Harry Anderson, who was the lead songwriter for ‘Bitter Pill, shares, “Lyrically, ‘Bitter Pill’ delves into the brutal aftermath of trauma dumping emotional baggage on an unsuspecting loved one, only to realize that you may have fractured that relationship permanently and now you’ve got to dig yourself out of it if you want any hope of repairing it. Musically, we wanted to counteract that overwhelming negativity with a sludgy, QOTSA-inspired groove paired with uniquely sassy and cynical Australian vocals. It’s a crooked little ghoul that tries to be a lot happier than it actually is. Just like us.”
