Tales (formerly The Winter Gypsy) have just released their first single and video under their new name and will support Timberwolf at Crown and Anchor in September.
Having played around Adelaide for around three years, the band earned the title of Best Folk Artist at last year’s Music SA SAM Awards, so bassist Isaac Kerr, from the band popped in to give us his hot tips for this year’s winners (in no particular order).

Ollie plays an extremely moving blend of blues and neo-soul, and he does it skilfully and passionately. He recently built his ridiculously tight band up to include back-up vocals and all sorts of things, and released the first song that I think really captured his voice and song-writing ability, ‘How Many Times’. They’ve got a terrific live sound and energy too and he’s an all-round excellent dude.

The Neon boys are making some of the most fun, jammy, dance-y music in the Adelaide scene right now, blending elements of indie and psych rock with disco saxophone and soul and soaring vocals and I DIG it. They also absolutely pump out really, really good singles at a rate I’m very jealous of, and they’re all over the Adelaide radio waves to boot. Best of luck to them ❤

The Zennies are my favourite live band in Adelaide and also released an EP last year and single this year that I have very thoroughly thrashed. They play awesome surf/psych rock that they put through their special Zen-filter and mix with a bit of silliness and a bit of madness. The energy in their upbeat tracks is so good and colourful and exciting, but they’re also such talented songsters that their slower stuff (latest single ‘Can You See’) is just as moving. They all play big parts in the SA music scene in many other ways besides, and I think that’s very important too.

We all know how good brilliant these guys are. Bless.
We played with Blush Response at Rocket Bar about two years ago and I’ve followed them since. There is something very special and memorable about the spacey, dreamy shoegaze that they have been producing and I really, really like it. They released an album this year called Hearts Grow Dull and it’s a step up, production- and song-writing-wise, from their already very good earlier EPs. I’d love to see them do well in the awards.
SPECIAL MENTION to our old keys player Dave’s band Bromham who are up for the folk award. They are such fun, and so unique and energetic and them doing well here would make me very happy.
Vote now in the SA Music Award. Voting closes September 17. Head to the SAM Awards website for award categories and judges and get your tickets to the ceremony HERE.
And check out Tales’ new video for ‘So Blue’ here: