Australian alt-country standout Bud Rokesky is stepping back into the light—or perhaps more accurately, the fading glow of day—with the announcement of his second studio album, 'Dusk'. Set for release on Friday, 8th of April via Rainbow Valley Records and Warner Music Australia, the record promises to be a sprawling, 14-track journey through the shadows of the human experience.
Following the trail blazed by his 2023 debut, 'Outsider', which earned him comparisons to the likes of Springsteen and Marlon Williams, Rokesky has once again leant into the world-building storytelling that has made him a festival favourite. While 'Outsider' was a product of long nights driving road trains across the Queensland outback, 'Dusk' shifts its gaze toward the finality of things.
“The album is called 'Dusk' because it’s about endings,” Rokesky explains. “There are so many endings that happen throughout it.” These aren't just narrow stories of heartbreak; the record explores the conclusion of lives, the shifting of environments, and the fates of the fictional characters Rokesky inhabits. It is an album populated by ghosts—some metaphorical, some literal—capturing those seismic, everyday moments that ultimately lead to bittersweet growth.
To celebrate the announcement, Rokesky has dropped his latest single, '45', accompanied by a striking music video directed by Marcus Coblyn. The track is a fascinating musical contradiction: built on a rhythmic pulse of claps, stomps, and a communal whistle, it mimics the upbeat energy of a pop anthem before subverting it with lyrical weight.
Discussing the track’s deeper meaning, Rokesky says, “45 is a compact little manifesto—equal parts resignation and dare. On the surface it reads as a simple question: whose life are you living? But there’s a deeper clock ticking in the background: the idea that if you don’t start choosing for yourself now, you might only realise it decades from now—when it’s too late to matter.”
Fans won't have to wait long to see the new material live. Rokesky is hitting the road this May for the Dusk Tour, kicking off at Bootleggers in Sydney on 1 May, followed by a high-energy set at Meatstock Sydney. The run will weave through Buttai Valley, Melbourne, Cornella, and Birregurra before wrapping up in Brisbane.
'Dusk' is available for pre-order now. For more, be sure to connect with Bud today on Instagram and Facebook.
