Revealed: 20 rising star bands dominating Adelaide live music scene including The Tullamarines, Down and Out
From indi and classic Aussie rock to heavy metal and pop, meet the young gun musos behind the bands breathing life into Adelaide’s live music scene.
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A night out with mates at the pub is always good fun, but there’s something quite special about adding in a few notes of live music.
Adelaide has a rich, iconic history of pub bands and live music which many up-and-comers have used as inspiration.
Whether it’s more of that classic Aussie style, taking things back to the early noughties with some pop punk, or even flare pant party rock, here are the South Australian bands making moves in the music scene.
Exit Plan
Handle: @exitplan_band
This young outfit from Murray Bridge doesn’t take the gig too seriously, but is in it for the right reason — sharing art, having fun, and building a strong musical community.
It all started 11 years ago, Seth Clark — now 19 — picking up a guitar and encouraging his brother, Cooper — now 18 — to pick up a pair of drumsticks.
The duo would jam out at home, but it was when they connected with Exit Plan’s future bassist Nick Tarasenko, 17, and rising star guitarist Jayden Waterman, 16, that things really kicked off.
Seth said the band took inspirations from classical Aussie pub rock, given that’s what their parents would often listen to.
“We play all sorts of genres, it’s all about how we feel and want to express ourselves in the songwriting process, but we anchor our style in alternative rock,” the lead singer said.
“All four of us have heaps and heaps of different influences, both musical and not, but we share a few bands that we all think are gold like Silverchair, Geese and Powderfinger — who doesn’t love a bit of Bernard.”
The quadrio, which have played at places around the state, though mostly in and around their hometown of Murray Bridge, said playing live music was important.
Though, Seth said things were tough for small musicians and groups trying to get out there.
“We love how easygoing and friendly everyone has been in the South Oz music scene,” he said.
“I think it’s changing in the difficulty of supporting one another, like showing up to live shows and buying merch due to the cost of living.
“We’re seeing less people come to live shows and buy early bird tickets and stuff like that, but the community is really great with online support through Instagram and other social media platforms.”
The Fuss
Handle: @thefussadl
Brought together through friendship, The Fuss combines a broad variety of sounds in its arsenal of alternative, indie rock tracks.
The band is made up of members Sammy Gilchrist, 23, Liam Taylor, 24, Oliver Fuss, 22, Callum Stephen, 24 and Cobie Polman-Short, 26.
Aiming at career-sized goals, the sextuple employ inspirations from bands like Fontaines DC, The Cranberries, Spacey Jane and Ball Park Music to name a few.
Playing live music is seen by the band as a privilege, being able to connect with the audience in an incredible, unique way.
ANTICS ROADSHOW
Handle: @antics.roadshow.band
Making people bop their heads without really knowing why is the aim of Mount Gambier band ANTICS ROADSHOW.
Callum, 29, James (Jimbus), 28, and Rory (Roz), 28 have been “making noise” since high school, but after a house party jam session a couple of years ago went “wildly too well”, Braden, 27, joined the fold.
Labelling their tune something like a weird jazz baby between Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers, throwing in an odd time signature or a “melodic side quest” brings something funky, heavy, and occasionally confusing in a good way to SA’s music scene.
Liquid Mercury
Handle: @liquidmercuryband
Duo Owen and Alex, both 21, share a special musical chemistry and have for the last three years or so been playing as Liquid Mercury.
As a small band, playing live gigs is second to none for the high school friends, who both share dreams of playing alongside some of their inspirations, like Hockey Dad.
For the young duo, slapping a label on their style is tricky, but taking the vibe of their inspirations, they tend to fall somewhere between indie, surf rock with a splash of punk for fun.
Down and Out
Handle: @downandoutaus
Luke and Alec Ganeo, Blake-Lee Danher, Henry Armstrong, and Bradley Billing make up pop punk outfit Down and Out.
The quintet take inspiration from bands like All Time Low and Stand Atlantic — an iconic Australian pop punk group that Down and Out recently opened for in Adelaide.
Opening also for popular band Short Stack, its also worked with Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens, and Emmy Mack, lead singer from Sydney group RedHook.
After Dark
Handle: @after.dark.band
Combining a classical violinist with a metal guitarist and three other musical students makes a sound similar to that of Paramore or Maneskin for Adelaide band After Dark.
A mix of pop, rock and alternative indie, the group of five have just released their first album titled Lights Out, achieving one of their longtime aspirations.
Charlotte, Cody, Jake, Sam, and Darcy, adore the “incredibly powerful and transcendent” vibe of performing live, and hope to one day tour nationally, and even internationally.
Larsen
Handle: @larsen.music
Larsen has been in the game for a little while, celebrating its 10 year anniversary in February — and the members still love every bit of it.
High school friends Sam Massaci and Liam Christensen found drummer Alex Andrews online, and when Sam’s cousin, Steve Massaci jumped on the bass, the rest was history.
Playing under the post-grunge category, the Foo Fighters, Deftones-esque inspired music has helped Larsen define itself as an original artist.
Building a community with the audience, engaging in the energy is a form of vindication and satisfaction for the band.
State Library
Handle: @state.library.band
State Library brings together an interesting sound, akin to that of the Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, playing a genre somewhere along the lines of melodic indie rock.
Nik, Lachie, Zoe, Troy, Kenny, make up the five piece from Adelaide.
The Tullamarines
Handle: @thetullamarines
Keep aspiring for bigger and better, taking things as far as they can go is one of the mantras The Tullamarines live by.
Angus, Benny, Josh and Lucinda, were all part of separate bands, but just under four years ago they came together for a jam and ended up forming their own indie pop/indie rock group in line with Australian independent artists from the 2010s like the Jungle Giants and San Cisco.
Hoping to one day maybe explore across the pond and around the world, The Tullamarines like to keep track of long and short term goals.
Lickity Split
Handle: @lickitysplitofficial
Jamie Selway, Zak Stuart, Bianca Hendy and Miles Sly use the classic vibes of the early 2000s punk era to create their own form of skate pop punk.
With three successful EPs and a cover of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way under their belt, the gang’s most recent release, Play Skool, is a fun take on an Aussie classic.
Take Me Time Machine
Handle: @takemetimemachine
Fresh on the scene, Take Me Time Machine first formed last year when a couple of TAFE friends, Jack and Jaydn, came together.
But when Sam joined this year, and soon after drummer Zak, the young band, heavily influenced by the golden age of pop-punk – the early noughties – were set.
Recording and set to release some new music in the near future, this passion project has the foundational goal of turning it into a career.
For Take Me Time Machine, each gig is another step closer to a new chapter for the band.
The Sundials
Handle: @the.sundials
Taking a leaf out of the 70s, The Sundials, a band of six, aptly named their first release Flare Pant Party Rock.
Inspired by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the band of Dieter Horvat, Toby Johnson, Will Healey, Katalina T, Daisy Davidson and Paddy Maddern, have been playing since 2022, and with three singers, love a three piece harmony.
Already making a name for themselves, The Sundials hopes to be a nationally touring band, and who knows “maybe one day we can buy The Sundials party mansion”.
Birds are Spies
Handle: @birdsarespiesband
Psychedelic rock and modern jazz is mashed together in the form of Birds are Spies, which also takes a strong influence from Australian rock.
Gallery One
Handle: @galleryoneband
A collaborative and experimental band, weaving together the strengths of all its members, Gallery One brings something special and unique to Adelaide’s music scene.
The group formed in 2022, and last year released its first EP, God I Hope Chivalry Is Not Dead.
Jupiter Saloon
Handle: @jupitersaloonmusic
Eloise Addams and Nick Pipe crossed paths at the Exeter – a well loved live music venue – one night and got stuck into discussing songwriting and how they were both keen to put pen to paper and make their own music.
In August last year, the pair played their first gig together, disseminating their indie-soul music to a crowd at the same place they’d first met, the Exeter, as Jupiter Saloon.
The pair play with a band that features Matteo Grilli, Conor Deery and a revolving cast of keyboard players, and are heavily influenced by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Irma Thomas, Amy Winehouse and Saskwatch.
House of Pillars
Handle: @houseofpillars_band
Audrey Tredrea, Alex Synott and Simon Jones joined Aden Quinn while he was a student at Adelaide University in 2023, and the quartet soon decided music was something it wanted to pursue under the band name House of Pillars.
While international artists like Maroon 5 and Jon Bellion have influenced the group, South Aussie talent like Teresa Di Fava and Lizzie Hosking have also played a part in developing the sound.
House of Pillars has already released two songs with plans to release an EP before the end of this year.
Pushing life’s stresses to the back of their mind, playing in front of a live crowd creates an escape for the band like no other.
Indiago
Handle: @indiagoofficial
Indiago first started as a group of high school friends entering a talent show and 15 years later has developed into a unique sound that is something along the lines of Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Gang of Youths and Jeff Buckley if they had a child on the heavier side.
Will Solomon, Shane Cox, James Fishers, Harry Townsend, and Matt Cooper are a group of perfectionists that take their music quite seriously, especially when it comes to playing live. While they have families and homes these days, Indigo still loves jumping in a van, going on tour as a gang of mates is quite special for the group, and all they want to do is keep growing the “Indiago Family” for decades to come.
Dirty Pagans
Handle: @dirtypagans
Dirty Pagans wear their inspirations on their sleeve; Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Deep Purple oozing into their heavy metal, stoner doom rock vibe.
With one of the band members, Matty Dee, living interstate for five of the 10 years the band has been together, and then the pandemic hitting, live shows were few and far between for the Pagans.
But now, Matty, James Russo, Greg Challis and Gareth Briggs have hit the ground running and aren’t stopping, with plans to tour their new album Forever High nationally next year, and hopefully one day take their music internationally.
All The King’s Men
Handle: @allthekingsmen_band
There’s nothing quite like playing live, original music, and that’s just why All The King’s Men love it.
Audrey, Elijah, Ethan and Janya want to write the coolest possible songs, inspired by the likes of Nothing But Thieves, Karnivool and Royal Blood, in their alternative rock sound.
All The King’s Men have been playing together for the last two years, but have some exciting projects on the horizon, including the release of their debut single, and talks of perhaps touring interstate too.
Mum Friends
Handle: @mum.friends
A fun, indie pop rock vibe, Katie and Mia are Adelaide duo Mum Friends.
The pair played their first show together in 2019, and while there were a few years between tracks, last year they dropped Clean, taking inspiration from groups like The Beths, Camp Cope and boygenius.
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