Premiere: Brisbane's Sweater Curse eye a darker return with their new single, No Tax

Header image by Casey Garnsey.

Even amongst the turbulence of this time last year, Sweater Curse were a band hitting their prime. The Brisbane-based trio were relishing in the success of the September-released Push//Pull EP, which in the space of its four tracks, captured the exciting trajectory of growth and continued evolution that the band had paved out in the time since their debut EP See You the year prior, a release which officially placed Sweater Curse on the Australian indie-rock map and made them a burst of brilliance to watch.

Over the last eleven months, however, things have been a touch quieter, with the band continuing to navigate the constant peaks and valleys of Australia's live touring circuit in the pandemic, focusing on pushing their sound and songwriting even further forwards with new material. They wrote some new work with Ball Park Music's Sam Cromack at their Prawn Studios, and started collaborating alongside engineers such as Paul McKercher (Midnight Oil, Hoodoo Gurus, Spiderbait, You Am I) to bring out newfound sides to the band, as they track their evolution and showcase their versatility with new music beginning to come to life.

Now, over a year after their defining Push//Pull EP, Sweater Curse make a return with a new single titled No Tax, which premieres on Pilerats today ahead of its official public release tomorrow, November 17th. No Tax welcomed a darker and more reflective edge to the classic Sweater Curse sound, as the rollercoastering last two years seemingly force the band into this state of reflection, as they begin to write more political music driven by the experiences and values of the band's three members.

Sonically, it's something that gives No Tax this rushing sense of urgency, as engineer Paul McKercher and producer Sam Cromackencourages this aggressive energy to No Tax, moving beyond the indie-rock conventions in favour of something a little more punk-inspired, with a touch more rough-around-the-edges grit thrown in for good measure. 

"No Tax is about the ills of Australian society," the band say on the single. "A church that operates like a business yet pays no tax and controls the lives of every day people. A corrupt police force that gets away with murder. A colonial system that enforces a system of white supremacy. It's about how the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the cycle continues."

No Tax arrives ahead of Sweater Curse's return to the live stage for the Super Fun Day mini-festival in March 2022, but before then, take a dive into the new single as it premieres below, and stay tuned for hopefully more to come on the horizon:

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