Premiere: Beans announce new record out this June, share new single Stride

Header image by Jamie Wdziekonski.

If you're a fan of the pysch-rock of someone like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (of course you are, who isn't?), then chances are you might've come across a band called Baked Beans. Dropping the 'baked' and now only known as Beans, the Geelong-raised group have become cult-up-and-coming favourites thanks to their surf-rock-meets-psych-rock sound; the group - fronted by The Murlocs' Matt Blach - becoming mainstays of the touring circuit thanks to their driving and engaging live shows (which in turn, has seen the group play festivals and shows galore).

Listening to their music, it becomes instantly clear why Beans have become such clear favourites of tomorrow. Their ten-track debut album Babble - released back in 2018 - brought slow-stomping psych-rock together with dizzying melodies and shifting pace, with the group's musical textures constantly changing as they veered between tempos and sub-genres that kept you on your toes. Throw in a couple of organ solos and pacing guitar riffs and you have a glimpse of what weird, wacky rock could look like in its future, something Beans are keen on delivering now.

With their new single Stride, it's clear this isn't slowing down in the year ahead. Released as their first song of the year and their first from their forthcoming sophomore album (which we'll talk about more in a second), Stride is a washed-out and nostalgic affair that brings Beans' versatility to the forefront. At times, it moves with the pace and rhythm of some of their label mates - Flightless Records, who are releasing the album, also hosts Tropical Fuck Storm, Amyl & The Sniffers and more - but otherwise, it feels almost like a modernised The Beach Boys cut; a ditzy combination of hazy melodies and echoing vocals feeling distinctive of the legendary group's less 'cliché' work (for the lack of better word).

As mentioned, Stride comes with a lot of news from the group, who are now split between Melbourne and their initial hometown of Geelong. It's the first single from their forthcoming second album All Together Now, which will arrive via Flightless Records on June 26th and bring with it - according to the label themselves - a "serve of organ driven garage psych," which is a promising hint for a band that's quickly become masters at this somewhat niche sound.

It's a nine-track record bound to further solidify Beans' place in the Australian rock canon while continuing to showcase their range and versatility as a group; this aforementioned nod to the 60s and 70s era of rock teasingly forming a backbone for the record's launch that, throughout the rest of the album, we hope to be expanded upon and worked in new ways (which we're sure it will be).

In the meantime, however, take a dive into Stride below with its official video clip (made by Willem Kingma), premiering today ahead of its greater release tomorrow, May 20th. Check it out below:

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