Rum Jungle

In the organizer's words:

Hailing from the steel town of Newcastle, New South Wales, Rum Jungle are one of Australia's up-and-coming bands with their blend of surf rock and alt-pop, in which pop melodies drift on psych guitars and chilled groove beats. With a wealth of sounds and styles, the band creates something distinctly their own, as their latest EP proves. After much exploration in their previous releases, 'Hold Me In The Water' shows across its seven tracks that the band have finally found their sound without being pinned down to anything in particular. The album takes us on a rollercoaster ride, with something new to look forward to with every single song. There are a few upbeat tracks and a few chillers that surprise side by side, but all have the typical Rum Jungle sound. "We're excited about every single one of these tracks and we've put more into each one than ever before to get them right," the band says of the mix, "just like with our last EPs, we want them to hit the gas from the start but finish with something you can just switch off to." From the colossal-sounding drums and intrusive vocals of opener "Electric Snowman" to the lethargic simplicity of final track "Nervous", there really is something for everyone. Thematically, "Hold Me In The Water" is inspired by the hurdles Rum Jungle have had to overcome over the past year or two. It covers everything from their rough patches to their crazy highs. It follows them on their experiences as a band and tells the story of the quartet in a very honest, raw and relatable way: "These songs are all unique. Some are very introspective thinking about the dynamics of relationships, while others are really just about having the best time in the world." The four musicians have built up a loyal fan base with their three EPs "Everything Is Easy", "Crazy Days" and "Sun & Smoke" and their sold-out shows across the country and festival appearances in their home country of Australia. They also had the honor of performing the currently most played track on the prestigious Triple J format "Like A Version".