Polish Club‘s new single “Manila” marks a significant new chapter for the Sydney rock duo.
After parting ways with a major label, they’ve taken on self-management, celebrated marriages, and supported singer David Novak through open heart surgery. Their upcoming live show on May 23rd at Sydney Spiegeltent will only add to this whirlwind period.
“Manila” departs from the ARIA-nominated band’s usual brash garage style, offering a more dreamy and reflective tone. Inspired by Novak’s family roots in Manila, the capital of the Philippines holds a wealth of personal memories and emotions.
Co-written by Robby De Sa (MAY-A, Vera Blue, grentperez) and produced at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studio by Simon Berckelman, “Manila” features a reserved vocal delivery not previously explored by Polish Club. The release hints at new territory for the duo, with an upcoming record teased but without a set release date just yet.
“There’s a reservation in the vocal to ‘Manila’ that we haven’t really explored in our previous music,” explains Novak, who’s joined in the band by John-Henry Pajak. “It feels like a more earned climax towards the end of the song, when you really take your time with building a crescendo in a song.”
The accompanying music video has a fittingly homemade feel, blending Novak’s camcorder footage from his last trip to his maternal homeland (watch below).
Polish Club’s upcoming one-off show at Sydney’s Spiegeltent feels both daunting and exciting for the band. “We’ve never released a single completely by ourselves, let alone a big live show, so we really feel like we’re almost a new band just starting off fresh,” adds Novak.
Joining them on the night is Canberran indie-pop act Sesame Girl, Eora/Sydney’s own Jet City Sports Club and Rat Public. Tickets are available here.
“Manila” marks Polish Club’s return to new music after a three-year hiatus since their last album, Now We’re Cookin’ in Hell (2021). The album featured hit tracks “Stop for a Minute” and “Just Talking”, both of which reached #8 on the ARIA Charts. Throughout their career, Polish Club have showcased their versatility across genres with memorable triple j Like A Version performances, including covers of Flume’s “Never Be Like You” in 2017 and Doja Cat’s “Say So” in 2021.
Polish Club’s “Manila” is out now.
