What started as a spontaneous side hustle has exploded into something truly unique. Indie-rock collective Satellite Train, a trans-Pacific powerhouse featuring musicians from Australian staples like Icehouse, Paul Kelly’s band, and The Black Sorrows, mixed with US heavyweights, are not content with just releasing a great album; they’re redefining what a record is.
The band’s core philosophy is one of raw, immediate honesty. They write and record with breakneck speed, embracing the grit and nuance of the first or second take. This approach culminated in their 2024 release, ‘The Melbourne Sessions’. Capturing an inspired weekend of recording, the album is a vivacious, ten-track exploration of musical and lyrical freedom, moving fluidly between indie-rock, gospel, jazz, and cinematic elements, all tied together by deeply human stories of isolation and voice.
Frontman Michael Paynter, a seasoned songwriter who has shared stages with Seal and Miley Cyrus, leads a true convergence of musical talent. This eclectic mix, including Shane O’Mara, Randy Jacobs, and Jamie Muhoberac, brings a melting pot of backgrounds that makes their sound an all-embracing tapestry. Their lead single, "Wings," perfectly embodies the album's central theme. The band explains the track:
‘The Melbourne Sessions’ album revolves around the theme of freedom, something highlight in tracks like ‘Wings’, ‘James Dean’, and of course, ‘Freedom’. They’re songs about individuality, breaking free, and soaring above the everyday noise.
However, the band’s ambition soared far beyond a standard release and streaming. Recently they introduced ‘The Melbourne Sessions Multiverse Experience’, an audacious new evolution for the recorded format. Drawing inspiration from comic book concepts, the project delivers alternate versions of the band's performance across different listening platforms. Every format offers a distinct mix, presenting the listener with the experience of hearing the group from a parallel universe. These alternate sonic worlds come sharply into focus, shifting space, tone, and emotion.
The ‘Multiverse’ was an international undertaking, beginning at Studios 301 in Sydney before moving to the Hollywood Hills, where Grammy-nominated Robert Adam Stevenson elevated the experimental boundaries to their final, captivating form. This rebellious lack of polish and the preference for raw, gut-gripping tracks over rehashed numbers is why Satellite Train is generating shockwaves in the indie scene. Their unique ability to project true feeling is cementing their place in the broader picture of Australian music.
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