Townsville’s music scene has helped fuel the rise of Tropical Low, a three-piece blending indie, grunge, funk, and pop.
Frontman Adrian Holds says the city’s tight-knit community has been key to their momentum. “Townsville’s scene is small, but mighty. We may have more opportunities to play more regularly in Melbourne or Adelaide, but you don’t get lost in the noise here like you might in bigger cities. There’s a real sense of community in the scene here, everyone helps each other out.”
Formed in 2023, Tropical Low — made up of Holds, bassist Corey Aitken, and drummer Yeonjoo Lee — have quickly gone from Magnetic Island beach jams to high-profile stages. In just over a year, they’ve supported Custard and played the debut One Street One Day festival alongside Hilltop Hoods, Brad Cox, and DMA’S. “That was a total ‘what are we doing here?’ moment,” Holds recalls. “But then you meet these artists and they’re just legends. Suffa from Hilltop was lovely, and the Brad Cox band were some of the most down-to-earth humans we’ve met. It gave us a real boost — like, maybe we do belong here.”
Their debut EP, Superstar, dropped August 15th, produced by Adib Parker (Cheekbone) at Mountain Kauri Studio in the Far North Queensland Tablelands, owned by Mark Myers of The Middle East. “It’s our first proper body of work,” Holds explains. “We didn’t overthink it — just picked the songs that hit hardest live and felt the most ‘us’.”
The group’s singles include January debut “Picture Frames” and third single “All Kinds of Love”. The latter has been highlighted for its upbeat mix of funk and emotional tones, reflecting on reconnecting with love through friends, family, or oneself.
The track was accompanied by a Magnetic Island-set video directed by Townsville filmmaker Olivia Calder. Suffa from Hilltop Hoods described it as “something you’d hear in a ‘90s rom-com.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Tropical Low’s Superstar is out now.
