Melbourne's five-piece enigma, Great ~ Falls, have burst back onto the scene, shattering their two-year silence with the potent new single, ‘Radioinactive’. Far from simply returning to form, the band have dialled up the immediacy, delivering a track that is as magical as it is melancholic, seamlessly weaving their signature moody soundscape into a grittier, more urgent territory.
The track’s foundation is built around a single, insistent guitar line that, rather than fading into the background, drives the composition forward. This unrelenting core gives way to a gloriously heavy breakdown, demonstrating the band’s readiness to embrace new sonic avenues while staying true to the dark, textured atmosphere their fans adore.
Addressing this evolution, the band explained the track's inception: “It’s a bit of a departure from our usual sound - heavier, more immediate, and built around this one guitar riff that flat-out refused to leave the room. That riff became the foundation for something concise, punchy, and unapologetically to the point.”
The spark for ‘Radioinactive’ came from an unusual source: an evening trip to the emergency room. An offhand medical comment about "stitches tend to pop" became a surprisingly poignant lyrical jumping-off point. This real-life moment then merged with a playful philosophical wrestling match involving the comic book character Radioactive Man, leading the band to conceive of an imagined opposite: RadioINactive Man. The resulting lyrics are a pointed exploration of the modern pressure for "constant productivity," and a contemplation of what it means to deliberately not want to be 'Radioactive.'
Significantly, the recording process for ‘Radioinactive’ marked a powerful new chapter for Great ~ Falls. With members often split between two states, the band had the rare opportunity to record together in one space for the first time. Working at A Secret Location Sound Recorders with their long-time engineer, Paul Maybury (known for his work with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Cable Ties), they opted to play live to tape rather than the usual remote part-swapping.
This collaborative environment—mastered by the legendary Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Witch Hats)—allowed the five musicians to feed directly off one another's energy, resulting in a performance that captures a fresh, cohesive drive. ‘Radioinactive’ is more than just a welcome return; it’s a bold, unified step into a more immediate and punchy future for the Melbourne outfit.
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