Premiere: Flight To Dubai share new EP Strife and dissect it in an EP walkthrough

Sydney band Flight To Dubai have been around for a minute now, having stepped up as a fresh face of New South Wales' live circuit years and years ago now, but recently(-ish) they've been quick to step it up, and lock in their place amongst Sydney's rock/punk spaces. Since sharing their double-side release Graduation / Last Hue back in 2018, the four-piece have erupted into something special, both in recording - with a debut EP in 2019, and plenty of singles either side of it - and on the live stage, where they've played with everyone from Lime Cordiale to The Chats.

While things have been a little different this year with a distinct lack of live shows, that hasn't necessarily stopped Flight To Dubai from keeping their trajectory in-check and blossoming into something brilliant. Earlier this year, they shared their first single for the year in Firefighter Lady, which was followed up just a moment ago with their second track in Sparse Space; two songs that bring Flight To Dubai's brilliant charm into the forefront through their takes on nostalgic rock right through to punk and grunge - their sound being a simmering pot of-kinds that plucks nuances from each of these zones and unites it with others for something distinctly unique to them.

Now, as live shows begin to pick up once again (we'll talk more about this in a second), the group have their eyes set on their new EP Strife, and what a moment it is. It's a seven-track collection of songs that really encapsulate Flight To Dubai as they reach a new peak, showing their craft in this wide-ranging spread of sounds throughout the rock / punk umbrella and how they're able to unite this with reflective, versatile songwriting to really push forward and bring new edges into their work - something that Strife showcases brilliantly.

Premiering on Pilerats today, the EP seems to cover the group's multi-faceted songwriting and everything that goes into that. It veers between analyses of complex relationships through to moments of insecurity and self-reflection, all distilled through bursts of nostalgic punk and pacing rock'n'roll that captures this flurry of emotions at their most potent. It all comes together in a way where everything works perfectly; the instrumental backings elevating the songwriting that's driven by it, while the songwriting itself feeds back into the instrumentation, dictating its ferocity.

To celebrate the EP release, they're launching it with two shows that also brings Flight To Dubai back to the live stage for the first time in months; the group celebrating the EP with a show at Wollongong's La La La's and Sydney's Lansdowne Hotel throughout early-mid November. You can get more information and tickets to those shows here, but in the meantime, take a dive into Strife as it premieres on Pilerats below ahead of its release tomorrow, October 16th. It comes alongside a track-by-track EP walkthrough, dissecting the EP's inner themes, influences and creation too:

Firefighter Lady

Second single, Firefighter Lady looks at the highs of a relationship and the self-sacrificial nature of an anxiety-riddled dependency. This energetic and raw view of love highlights the ever-present fear of loss and the pain of replacement with passion and authority.

Crycentennial Man

Coming in at two and half minutes, the highly infectious first single Crycentennial Man comes groove prepared. Equipping Devo-esque riffs and their signature baritone vocals this song showcases the detriment of stoicism in the wake of heartbreak. This single carried a new sound for the band.

Sparse Space

Known for its distinct catchy hooks, early rock n roll like character and huge backing vocals. Sparse Space is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, tested live pre-lockdown. The unexpected pause (2:20) reflects the name of the track.

Lyrically this track highlights a romantic past connection during a time of isolation. Encapsulating a whirlwind of reanimated and dissociated uncertainty.

Hot Hot Hot!

A fast, powerful arsenal of self-reflection - this track burns through the all too relatable poor prioritisation of integrity and perception, with a sharp, hot riff and gang vocals reminiscent of the late 70s US punk scene.

Failure

A biased and insecure manifestation of a heart betrayed, this track opens with a spoken recollection of a graphic false memory. This track is driven by the tonal relationship between guitar and bass, as sonically strong as it is well connected.

Chest

This fast-paced crowd pleaser sits pleasantly as the penultimate song on this release. With a wild, proto-rock guitar riff and a slew of visceral, poisonous imagery driving this song, it ultimately sits in its lawless and flawless rhythm section - Nerve pain for the soul.

Cement

The cheating of death, a shot at redemption. This track combines our past post-punk influence to a refined garage-rock sound. Cement is a steady but fierce song with an almighty dynamic arc, infection vocal melody and booming guitar solo. Demonstrating the groups strength and talent in this perfect cap to the release.

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