The Moving Stills are entering a busy new chapter.
The Darkinjung Country band released “Rock Band” last week, an autobiographical new single that reflects on friendship, ambition, and the decision to keep backing the people around you.
Written during a trip to Los Angeles with collaborator Henry Nowhere, the song pairs the band’s melodic guitar sound with some of their most personal lyrics yet.
“’Rock Band’ is based around our story,” they explain. “It’s for anyone who has pursued something, when there’s pressure to opt for something more reliable. We’re very privileged to be able to pursue music. We hope the song can be a way to encourage people to follow their dreams, and maybe start a rock band?”
The release follows a strong run for The Moving Stills.
Last year, they toured Australia with Spacey Jane and supported Mt. Joy at their Laneway sideshows. Their EP Half Moon Bay and single “Running Out” also featured in our Best Australian Music of the week roundups.
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More recently, the band sold out launch screenings for their new documentary, being in a band, a fly-on-the-wall look at life on the road, created by guitarist Mike Drennan.
Next month, the band will tick off another milestone when they head to the UK for their first overseas shows. Dates are locked in for Manchester, London, and Bristol, alongside a London screening of being in a band.
Before they pack their bags, we caught up with The Moving Stills for the latest edition of our Up-And-Coming Australian Artists series.
The Moving Stills’ “Rock Band” is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
The Moving Stills: Music was always around when we were young through our parents CD and record collections. We picked up our instruments during school, and went onto playing in bands through high school, spending our lunch breaks in the music rooms. It became a big part of us.
What artists influenced you growing up?
In the very early days, it was the Australia blues and roots scene — Angus & Julia Stone, John Butler and The Waifs. When we reached high school we gravitated to Australian indie bands like The Preatures, DMA’s and San Cisco.
What are some career highlights so far?
Our Australian headline tour last year was a really special one. We had just come off the back of an incredible run of shows with Spacey Jane, and the shows just felt electric. Lots of being in a band is working on things behind the scenes, a bit isolated and removed from the people who are listening to the music. So when we tour, and connect with those people, it is the best recharge and reminder of why we do it.
Tell us about your latest release.
We wrote and recorded “Rock Band” on a holiday/writing trip in California last year. It came out of a week of writing with our friend Henry Nowhere in LA. We struck a great chemistry very early on, which allowed for us to try a bunch of new things; slowing songs down a little and having fun with the lyrics and instrumentation. It started with a guitar riff and vocal melody that had been in the voice memos for a few years. We jammed on it and fleshed it out into a full track.
What themes are you exploring on this release?
“Rock Band” is based around our story. It’s for anyone who has pursued something, when there’s pressure to opt for something more reliable. We’re very privileged to be able to pursue music. We hope the song can be a way to encourage people to follow their dreams, and maybe start a rock band?
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
We are still working it out, but kindness is important. It’s a challenging industry, and everyone is trying to strive and survive. There can be a lot of work, so being prepared to lock in but also take breaks.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
Plant-based alternative indie rock.
Are you looking forward to your overseas shows?
Very much so. These shows in the UK are our first international shows apart from shows in NZ. It’s been in the plans for a couple of years, so it’s super exciting. We are also doing a screening of our new doco, being in a band, in London. The doco was made by Mike over the last couple of years. It’s a fly-on-the-wall-style film, giving insight into our world.
What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
We’ve got a bunch of new music in the bag, and will be releasing that over the coming months. We’re also looking forward to playing a bunch of shows and festivals in Australia and overseas. Exciting times.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source au.rollingstone.com ’
