A fresh sound is now available to your ears as two of South Australia’s up-and-coming artists, Apollo Blue and Openfire, unveil their new tunes.

An ode to self-empowerment, Apollo Blue’s ‘Moonchild’ draws on the classic inspiration of artists such as The Rolling Stones and David Bowie, but maintains a unique, modern twist similar to the likes of The 1975 and Cub Sport.

Apollo Blue explains that the track unfolded in his head as he walked home in the middle of the night from a grungy gig, feeling free and powerful, full of excitement from the show he had just been at.

“I developed this [feeling] into an ominous character, the Moonchild, who only emerges at night and lives off of rain clouds and stormy skies … the Moonchild is a metaphor for the powerful, confident force that we all possess inside of us,” he says.

Raised in country South Australia, Apollo’s life completely changed at the age of 17 when his musical idol Lady Gaga read a letter he wrote her in front of thousands and invited him backstage to meet her.

Her message of self-love and equality became the foundation of Apollo’s musical journey, inspiring him to pursue music and drama in Year 12, and cementing his love for art.

Openfire’s ‘Wonderland’ is a captivating track that just won’t leave your head.

It’s a piece reminiscent of Paramore and Tame Impala – another Australian artist whose hit single, ‘The Less I Know The Better’ was recently voted as Triple J’s best song of the decade.

The love and care put into ‘Wonderland’ feels intimate, thoughtful, and close to home, having been recorded in their Adelaide home studio.

‘Wonderland’ raises some pretty big questions about life, careers, and the cost of success.

As lead singer Luka Sandeo puts it, “‘Wonderland’ both embodies the smoky, mysterious struggle in the dark of the rabbit hole and the victory or triumph over fear in leaping headfirst into the wildest adventure of your life.”

Luka explains that there is a strong, fiery message at the core of the band.

“We started out as four lost boys that had burned out looking for a spark, and we found it here in creating together. In being vulnerable, transparent and unashamed in our song-writing and identity, our greatest hope is to wage war on loneliness and isolation; to inspire bravery and to show that we are all the same in our human experience,” he says.

Both of these local offerings are available for your listening pleasure on all major streaming platforms right now!

Give ‘Moonchild‘ and ‘Wonderland’ a listen today.