It’s been a little over a year since everyone’s favourite duo, Towns, have released new music, but today, they’re back with a bang with their single ‘Birthdays’. It marks a fresh chapter and the first taste of new music since their sophomore EP was put out in November of 2022. In true Towns fashion, they’ve released a riveting and ridiculous video clip to accompany the track, and the promise of more music on the horizon.
The Adelaide two-piece spent a lot of last year squirrelled away in various studios in Adelaide and Melbourne, recording their next body of work.. ‘Birthdays’ is their first offering of this collection of music, and is a blistering, high-energy, head-banger of a tune, something that perfectly encapsulates the duo themselves. Combining the powerful and dynamic drumming of Dan, alongside the thrashing, gritty guitar sounds and reflective lyrics from Aston, it showcases Towns back in fine form, and is yet another high-octane tune for us to mosh to and fall in love with. ‘Birthdays’ was produced by Tim Maxwell (LOSER), engineered by Greg Rietwyk (Press Club), and mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator Jarred Nettle (Teenage Joans).
Speaking of their latest release, Aston shares that “the theme of birthdays is nothing new, but it is a new way to make fun of us spending so much time worrying about growing up. I’m guilty of being fearful of where I sit generationally and it’s nice to remind myself that life really is stupidly short and you’re only as old as you feel.” He elaborates on the origins of the track, explaining that “this melody for the chorus came about as I was singing to Dan a joke improv song about party culture and getting drunk, but it turned out Dan loved the melody, so I decided to draw from the classic themes that we are known for, of early 2000’s punk rock, loud drums, and guitars, and the lyrical content that just reminds you that we are essentially still 13 year olds”.
The band have also shared the enthralling and creative video clip for ‘Birthdays’, and explain that it came about “from a few areas, that main line of ‘pushing away your birthday cake’ came out literally in the form of a birthday cake chasing us down to attack us, with that supervillain motive of ageing. But given the early 00’s sound we wanted to pay an ode to the days of MTV and jackass and decided to show that even when you look 80 you can still do dumb stuff and have a good time with your friends”.
The release of ‘Birthdays’ also comes fresh off the back of the announcement that Towns will be the main support for Between You & Me’s upcoming Australian national tour, taking place in May. They’ll be playing to audiences in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. Despite taking a sabbatical from releasing music in 2023, Towns were still wildly busy touring and supporting the likes of Kisschasy across Australia, playing shows with Slowly Slowly and Stand Atlantic, and winning over crowds at Yours & Owls Festival, before kicking off 2024 with a hometown support slot for Hot Mulligan. There’s plenty more music and shows on the horizon for Towns this year, with ‘Birthdays’ just getting the theoretical party started.
‘Birthdays’ is out now via Farmer & The Owl/BMG.
