Australia – Melbourne in particular – is spoiled for choice when it comes to wiry and angular punk bands. So what makes Gut Health stand out?
Put on their debut album Stiletto for just three minutes and you’ll understand. That’s roughly how long it takes to play the thrilling opener “Uh oh”, which begins as Gut Health mean to go on: all explosive energy, excitable sprechgesang, and some of the best dance-punk hooks since the mid-2000s.
In Athina Uh Oh, they have a seriously formidable frontperson, one who recalls Life Without Building’s lively lead vocalist Sue Tompkins.
Stiletto is the type of debut album that won’t just break Gut Health out of Melbourne – it should also catapult the sextet to global renown in rock and punk circles.
Gut Health were nominated not once but twice at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, including for Best New Artist. Expect to see the band’s name among the 2025 ARIA Awards nominees, particularly in the Breakthrough Artist category. —Conor Lochrie
Read an exclusive interview with Gut Health below. Check out the full Future of Music 2025 list here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How was 2024 for you? What were your biggest achievements and favourite moments?
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Gut Health: 2024 was busy with highlights for us. Releasing our first record and touring overseas in Europe were two big bucket list items we’re super proud to have achieved.
Music is an increasingly crowded and competitive field. What’s one thing that makes you stand out from other artists?
There’s nothing crowded or competitive about music. Neoliberal society has us believe we’re fighting each other for space as a distraction for corporations to continue stealing the profits of our labour. There’s plenty of opportunity and resources for artists if only the wealth was distributed fairly. Music is no different to any other labour sector getting squeezed by an unregulated profit motive.
What’s coming up for you in 2025 and beyond? Any big shows, notable releases?
We’re currently enjoying getting back to writing for our next release and looking forward to taking new material on the road as we head back to Europe later this year.
