From Motown-tinged rock to intimate indie concepts
Rolling Stone’s latest Australian and New Zealand music roundup spotlights a diverse slate of new releases, underscoring how busy the region’s scene has been in the run-up to summer. The feature leads with “Miss Okay” by Large Mirage, a track that blends the crunchy drive of mid-1960s Motown with the punch of ’70s rock, full of big riffs, stacked harmonies and an anthemic chorus built for festival stages. It also highlights “Fantasy Camera,” a dreamy alt-R&B collaboration between Chanel Loren and Forest Claudette, which the artists describe as a song about savoring small moments in a relationship and letting good memories carry people through tougher times. Singer-songwriter Emma Russack takes a more conceptual approach on an EP whose five songs are each built around Timothée Chalamet’s Instagram captions, using that social-media prompt to explore fandom, celebrity and the blurring line between stars and audiences in the online age. Together, the selections show how Australian acts are mixing vintage sounds, internet culture and personal storytelling into pop songs designed to travel well beyond local playlists.

Summer moods, nostalgia and confessional pop
The roundup also notes new work from Grace Cummings, whose holiday-season single “Times Like These,” featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, offers a slower, consoling counterpoint to the more upbeat tracks. Described as a song for anyone who needs comfort and love, it leans on Cummings’ powerful vocal delivery to speak to listeners who may feel lonely at the end of the year. Other picks include SoSo’s debut album, which uses pop-punk and alt-rock textures to chart the band’s journey through family ties, romantic relationships and the grind of the music industry, and Charley’s club-ready “Limerence,” a synth-driven song about the intoxicating early phase of attraction. Rising artist Effie Isobel’s “Higher Gear,” meanwhile, captures the chaos of a mid-gig crush with noisy guitars, gang vocals and an opening soundscape built from real voice notes recorded at a pub. For the local industry, the list doubles as both a listening guide and a reminder that the region’s artists are pushing stylistic boundaries while staying rooted in relatable emotions—something that can resonate strongly on streaming platforms, social media clips and live stages across the region.