Premiere: DROVES soundtrack a year of growth with new single, Retribution

Header image by High Voltage Photography.

Since we were first introduced to then-Wollongong-based group DROVES, a lot has changed. Their 2018 debut single Time - where we first met the group - has since been joined by their debut EP Bloodline, which arrived earlier this year as an introductory package of sorts: a three-track display of DROVES' brilliance, and the many realms in can move between in a short, succinct package. Bloodline, for example, explores an 80s-esque synth-pop shading on their charming new-wave sound, with the track - also premiered by Pilerats - proving their versatility and teasing a bright future ahead.

Nowadays, the group have left Wollongong in favour of the quick-paced and cultural-rich surrounds of Sydney, and with it, have expanded their musical craft to the live realm too, supporting everyone from RAAVE TAPES to Johnny Hunter amongst their own headline, east-coast run of dates. It's been a big, chaotic year for the group thus far, with a strong few months of growth and evolution that on their new single, Retribution, is packaged together for the world to see, reflecting on their year and looking forward with a dizzying display of that DROVES charm.

Driven by a percussive backbone that keeps the single's energy in-check throughout, the song deepens their synth-washed new-wave sound that feels quite unlike anything else being offered from the Sydney indie scene at the moment, with chanting vocals and swirling melodies forming a current of sorts that washes you away and never quite lets you recover until that final chorus wraps up.

"Retribution is the first instalment of many songs to come that challenge the established concept of society through an ironic blend of pop-hooks and dark imagery," says the band's frontman, Phil Spiteri, pinpointing those strong, chanting hooks that seem to define the single's anthemic pace. "The song was inspired by the complete free reign that the rich are given to dig up and spit out the planet."

There's a couple of live dates coming up - their last for 2019 - but in the meantime, dive into Retribution below, and try to keep up:

Tour Dates: 

Saturday 26 October | Golden Age Cinema & Bar | Sydney, NSW
Sunday 3 November | The Old Bar | Melbourne, VIC

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