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Song You Need to Know: Party Dozen, ‘The Worker’

The first track from the duo since the release of their Pray For Party Dozen album, ‘The Worker’ is a blistering example of what makes Party Dozen a true force of Australian music.

Entropico

They’ve received widespread acclaim since they first appeared on the scene a few years ago, but with their new single “The Worker”, it appears as though Henry Rollins might have been right when he called Party Dozen “the coolest band”.

Having released their second album, Pray For Party Dozen, back in 2020, the duo – made up of saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and percussionist Jonathan Boulet – spent much of the year trying in vain to bring their record to the people. Ultimately, a world on hold made such an undertaking near impossible, with a limited amount of performances taking place since then.

Determined to turn their situational lemons into musical lemonade, the pair turned their focus onto new material, finding the time to write and record their latest single, “The Worker”. In true form, the new single featuring the blistering drumwork of Boulet, while the mesmerising saxophone and intriguing vocals of Tickle take centre stage against a groove-laden bass riff.

Not content to let the song stand by itself, the group were invited to record a performance in Phoenix Central Park as part of their Space / Action series. Allowing contemporary musicians and dance groups to be paired with top Sydney production outfits, Party Dozen decided to use the opportunity to showcase their new track.

The result is a truly immersive video clip that utilises the stellar talents of award-winning production company Entropico.

“We wanted this track to feel like something you could start your day to. A sonic salutation for the bored and sanitised,” the band explained.

“And after postponing our Pray For Party Dozen album tour for almost 12 months, ‘The Worker’ felt like part-cathartic outlay of locked-down frustrations, and part-jubilation… finally picking up our tools and getting back to work.”

Though a handful of Sydney shows have managed to take place recently, it remains to be seen just when Party Dozen will be able to hit the road as planned to bring their music to the people. In the meantime, tracks like “The Worker” ought to help tide fans over, and serve as an example of what’s to come in the future.

Party Dozen’s “The Worker” is out now.