Tasmanian alt-pop band Kudu Joy, headed by lead vocalist and trumpet player Sabine Bester, have released their debut EP Premonition.

Featuring six tracks, the EP follows a narrative of how our relationships, whether romantic or platonic, shift and change throughout life.

“It’s basically a whole soap opera plot squished into 20 minutes of music,” Bester says. “Writing the EP was an arduous hike through my baffled head and heart, as I processed events that had passed. Musically, it was the most fun I’ve had to date. I spent long weekends in Launceston with Jack McLaine from Sumner, and Thomas Hann from Solar Controller developing the tracks, getting pumped over new sections emerging, and simply enjoying the fulfilment of making music with good friends.”

The EP covers a diverse soundscape, mixing multiple genres into a cohesive whole that always sparks your interest as the music makes unexpected sonic turns. The woozy, chilled R&B of ‘Dreaming’ explores the realisation you have mentally checked out of a relationship before it has even ended, and the guilt that ensues: “I tried to keep our love alive / I should be dreaming about my man".

‘Undoing’ brings funk and swagger into the mix and recounts the sensation of being irresistibly drawn to someone even when you know it is wrong. First single from the EP ‘Fallout’ follows a similarly funky path and lyrically examines the aftermath of the story told in ‘Undoing’ and the resulting collapse of a friendship.

New single ‘Clarity’ is an upbeat delight that leans into elements of electronica and synthpop while still remaining indiepop at its core. It is also the turning point of the EP where relationships are no longer falling apart and new friendships and relationships are formed in a new social circle. Final track ‘Sweetly’ is a guitar acoustic track that clocks in at just under one and a half minutes and from a place of reflection and acceptance brings the cycle of toxicity to a close: ‘Stepping out of the space of hate / Did you rest in the warmth of a memory?’

Also released alongside Premonition is the music video for ‘Clarity’. “I kind of created my own mantra to help me move forward, and embrace the new community I now have around me,” Bester says. “Lyrically, it expresses the weightlessness that comes from letting go of toxicity. Musically, it makes me dance, which is eternally good for your health. And visually, it shows a woman in a ridiculous two-piece metallic jacket and shorts (sewn by yours truly), fanging a dirt bike across the West coast of Tassie, then having a bit of a sand dune party with her stunning friends. It's a radiant expression of gratitude.”

Kudu Joy have been releasing music since 2019, and Premonition is in many ways their calling card, a statement to their ability to create truly great music. Eclectic, warm and in many ways hypnotic, what makes Premonition such a joy to listen to is its refusal to adhere to any particular sound or structure. There is music here for whatever suits your soul in any given moment and you are bound to walk away from it wanting more. If you haven’t tuned in to Kudu Joy yet, they are a band to have on your playlist now and also a name to remember. With music this good they have everything it takes to become bigger and bigger in the coming years.

Premonition is out now. You can download and stream here.

To keep up with all things Kudu Joy, you can follow them on Instagram and Facebook.