Premiere: Johnny Hunter release their new single Ashamed, announce east coast tour

If you've been paying any attention to the Sydney rock scene lately, chances are you've heard the buzz over Johnny Hunter already. If not, well consider this the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself. The vivacious five-piece have stepped forward as one of the local scene's most exciting, energetic and promising, holding a whole heap of potential with just three singles under their belt - the 2018 hat-trick of One Of A Kind / 1995 / Cult Classic; each single twisting and turning with another force and charm that basically everyone has been sucked up into the Johnny Hunter world. They're a band doing what really nobody else comparative to them would dare, finding influence in a wide array of sounds and artists - from David Bowie and Iggy Pop to Lorde and Body Type - to create this versatile genre-bending sound that no matter what form it takes, is done with this utmost polish and shine.

Their latest single and first for 2019, Ashamed, keeps the momentum going in the best possible way. It's only two-minutes-thirty, but it manages to pack a serious wallop in this time, with chanting, in-your-face (but still quite fun and light-hearted) vocals meeting their signature blend of thrashing guitar and crashing percussion, all joining together for this short, but sweet burst of power that'll most likely leave you floored. "[Ashamed is a] shamelessly hypocritical take on self-loathing and dysphoric hometown blues, taking aim at the ladder climbers, moneybags, and relentless dilettantes that are the lifeblood of local music (and taught us everything we know)," they say on the single, which arrives with an east-coast tour (more on that soon), and a video clip filmed at The Lansdowne's famous unisex bathroom, cramming forty close friends into a tiny space with some pretty hectic results. "[It's] an introspective attack on the budget-grade hedonism that is known all too well amongst the punters of a dying Sydney nightlife, Ashamed is the band’s admission of guilt, as well as a barking indictment of all those around them; a top-down testimony of Sydney’s slow decay. This city that once seemed to inspire the creative endeavours of so many, is now better known for testing artist’s mettle with political curveballs and erratic legislation that rarely makes sense to anyone affected. Disgruntled but with no sense of innocence, Johnny Hunter know that they should be ashamed."

It's fun and relaxed, but hosts a powerful message within, and for Johnny Hunter, it arrives in the midst of a national break-out, growing stronger and better with every release. Watch the single's video clip below, and catch them on tour through April and May - full run of dates below.

Tour Dates: 

19 APRIL - BAD FRIDAY, SYDNEY, NSW
21 APRIL - CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE, NSW
4 MAY - THE TOTE, MELBOURNE, VIC
10 MAY - GREASER BAR, BRISBANE, QLD
17 MAY - PARK HOUSE & LIQUOR, MANLY, NSW
18 MAY - UOW UNIBAR, WOLLONGONG, NSW
19 MAY - UPSTAIRS @ FREDS, CAMDEN, NSW

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