Sunnyboys were one of the great unfulfilled promises of Australian rock when they broke up in 1984, but surprise new recordings point to a future for the power-pop quartet with a tumultuous history.

Nearly four decades since fatigue and the mental illness of singer and chief songwriter Jeremy Oxley spelt a sudden end for Sunnyboys first time round, and seven years since they re-formed for sporadic gigs, the band released four newly recorded songs on Friday.