Australia has been a breeding ground for great new psychedelic music for a while. The likes of Tame Impala, KGLW, The Murlocs, and The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets all come from Down Under – and I’m sure I’m missing a few others.
A new Australian psych-rock outfit that’s been brought to my attention recently is Arugula, a five-piece group from Meanjin/Brisbane. Arugula specializes in capturing the essence of Sixties-era psych and garage beat bands with their very own vintage tone and songwriting.
The group’s treble-heavy, lo-fi quality of 50-plus-year-old organs and guitars helps them emulate the sound of The Troggs, The Byrds, and 13th Floor Elevators. Arugula also draws influences from modern psych masters like The Black Angels, Goat, and Bananagun.
“Be Open Now!” is Arugula’s new self-recorded single, which sees the band venturing deep into their love for Afro-beat and Zamrock while also staying true to their regular Sixties psych-garage style. The new single features reverse reverb guitars, tremolo rolled vocals, percussion-heavy verses, and even a garage beat-driven bridge. It’s a fun, danceable tune that was mixed by Sam Harding (Delivery, Mug) and mastered by Mikey Young.
Arugula has had some success thus far, sharing the stage with Bananagun, Surprise Chef, These New South Whales, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. They released a seven-track EP, Rocket Club, over the summer, and you can also check out a smattering of singles and another 2022 EP, Roquette ‘n’ Roll.
Arugula has a cool garage/psych sound that reminds me quite a bit of their fellow Australians, The Murlocs. Check out “Be Open Now!” and follow the band on Bandcamp and socials – it’s good stuff. Enjoy!
Support Arugula on Bandcamp, find them on Instagram, or see all of their links here.
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