TALENT ON TAP // NEW MUSIC FOR SEPTEMBER
Words by Emily Halloran | Cover: Kent Dustin
September is brimming with fresh sounds from the Gold Coast music community, from heartfelt country-folk storytelling to gritty rock debuts and atmospheric electronic soundscapes. With a couple of artists from groups taking on solo projects, and some releases which have been years and years in the making, there’s plenty of new to check out this month.
SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Country-folk singer-songwriter Kent Dustin has brought out a stunning six-track EP, Deeper Roots. It starts delicately and heartfelt with Back To The Coast – a song about coming home. Zephyr (track four) is more upbeat, while Lose Track of Time (Wedding Song) is a love ballad. It ends softly with a slow and emotional track, Heaven’s Looking Cozy. Deeper Roots is Kent Dustin’s first EP, following eight single releases since 2021. He’s built himself a solid fan base over the years, with an impressive average of 850 monthly Spotify listeners and some tracks clocking over 230,000 listens. This EP feels like a consolidation of those years of performing, a body of work that speaks to both where he’s been and where he’s heading.
Kent Dustin is a project by Gold Coaster Kent Tonscheck, who has been in the music industry for more than 10 years performing as an acoustic artist and DJ at weddings and events across Queensland, NSW and even in USA, Singapore and Philippines. Kent was selected as a featured vocalist for Channel 10’s Creative Generation QLD in 2011 and won Runner-Up Solo Vocalist at the Applause Rising Talent Showcase in Florida 2014.
NEW TRACKS
SMOLDERING DEBUT FROM NEW SOLO JOURNEY
Heavy saxophone, smooth, and deep storytelling; Firebreather is the debut release from new solo artist, Bardonian (Brien Hare). It’s a classic rock track filled with jazzy tones that tells a story about the 2020 East Coast bush fires, which came to fruition while Brein was travelling near Tenterfield NSW following the devastation. Brien has been on a 10-year musical journey of open mic nights and band projects before establishing this year as a solo artist under the name of Bardonian. Congratulations on your first track, Brien!
POP DREAMS FROM CHLOE STYLER
It’s bursting with pop, it’s super catchy and with a touch of country – it has to be Chloe Styler, who’s here with a new single, Push & Pull. In this new release, Chloe steps a little behind her signature soft pop-country roots and takes on a more boppy, brighter and fun pop track. In Push & Pull, Chloe explores the ups and downs, the hot and cold, the push and pull of a relationship and all the overthinking and arguments that come with it. “I wrote this in the aftermath of one of those situationships that truly messes with your head. The kind where they reel you in just to push you away again. I knew I didn’t want them back, but couldn’t help wondering why I was still so wrecked? This song was me being brutally honest about the emotional whiplash and saying, ‘Yeah, this sucks. And it’s not love, it’s just toxic,” Chloe says.
BRAND NEW COLD GOLD
It’s been well over a year since we’ve had new Cold Ghost with the incredible 11-track album Red Gold, but Fletch is back with a couple of upcoming releases. Headphones is one of them, a mesmerising and introspective track about wearing headphones when you only have one working ear. It’s a true story for Cold Ghost who lost his hearing in one ear at just age two. Headphones takes you on a psychedelic trip back to his teenage years listening to cassette tapes, swapping the headphones over from left to right to get two versions of each song. “Hold on, have I got the right tape playing…or have I put the wrong headphone on?” Even now he says, “sometimes I even forget which ear I am deaf in, it takes me a second to think about it.” Stay tuned, there’s more Cold Ghost on the way with the forthcoming track titled Lip Reading.
Headphones will be released on all streaming platforms on 5 September.
JADE SOUL’S HOME
It’s been four years since we’ve heard from Jade Soul, but she’s back with a soulful, hearty and raw track, Coming Home. It’s a stunning track that feels like a declaration of clarity for Jade. The production is stripped back enough to keep her voice front and centre, giving the song an intimacy that draws you in. Living a gypsy life, Jade Soul is from the Gold Coast who started singing-songwriting in 2020. Coming Home is soulful and poetic.
INTRODUCING RUST SAFARI
There’s nothing subtle about the arrival of Rust Safari, a newcomer on the scene who this month has dropped their debut track, Your Enabler. It’s grungy, raw and heavy-hitting. Sound familiar? Rust Safari is a solo project from pre-post punk and nu metal band Head1st. We’re looking forward to seeing what else is to come!
A RISING GOLD COASTER
At just 15, Noah Robertson is proving himself to be one of the most exciting young musicians on the Gold Coast. His latest single Summer Rain rounds out a run of three original releases this year, following Silver Sky and Green Lights. It’s a shimmering, guitar-driven track that balances youthful energy with impressive musicianship. Noah is already endorsed by PRS Guitars as a Pulse Artist, proudly playing their ‘Silver Sky’ electric model – a fitting name for his debut single. Earlier this year, he was invited to play at the PRS 40th Anniversary Celebration in Anaheim, California, sharing the stage with none other than John Mayer, his musical hero. That’s the kind of opportunity most artists dream of in their entire career, and Noah has ticked it off before finishing high school.
ON REPEAT FOR HOURS AND HOURS…
Izzy Day describes her new single Hours as capturing “those rare, euphoric moments when love feels almost otherworldly.” Listening to it, you understand exactly what she means. With its smooth blend of indie soul and nu-jazz, the track glides effortlessly, pulling you into its dreamy soundscape. Written, recorded, and produced in her Gold Coast home studio, Hours is the first taste of Izzy’s upcoming EP. It’s the fourth release to come from Izzy who launched as an artist five-years ago in 2020.
AN EP THAT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
Mr Rascal has released their brand-new EP Clean Break, a four-track project that captures the band’s sharp sound and evolving style. Christian Duell, the creative force between Mr Rascal, has used Clean Break to explore themes of change, resilience, and moving forward. Each track adds a different layer to the record – it’s soft, indie-folk that’s gentle and speaks to the heart. It’s been 16-years since we’ve had an album from Mr Racal. The EP highlights not only their growth as musicians but also their focus on creating music that connects. “The entire EP embodies transformation and the gift of finishing what once felt lost,” said frontman Christian Duell.
GIRLHOOD & FRIENDSHIP
Country princess Lily Grace returns with an uber fun and catchy track to say thanks to her best gal pals in her life, Wingwoman. It’s an empowering track about female friendship and always having someone in your concern. Musically, it blends upbeat country with pop and is full of Lily’s signature cheeky personality.
OLLIE SAYS IT’S TIME TO CHANGE
Capturing the rawness of modern anxieties, Crisis is the punchy and bold new track from Ollie Twohill. It’s an anthem that takes on the weight of the world… rising living costs, pressure to succeed, disconnection between people, and channels it into an urgent, fast-paced release with changing soundscapes. It starts immediately with bold lyrics, before being joined with rift-y guitars and relentless drumming, before adding in sharp electric guitar. There’s a noisy guitar solo moment and even some roaring screaming and ends with one simple line: it’s time to change.
CINEMATIC AND AMBIENT
Award-winning composer Jim Ottaway has released Cosmic Odyssey, a 10-track album that spans two decades of recordings. Built from material dating back to 2005 and completed in 2025, the album pulls listeners into vast electronic/ambient soundscapes inspired by the mysteries of the cosmos. Ottaway, based at the foothills of Springbrook Mountain, is known for his improvised live studio recordings, and this album carries that same spontaneity while weaving in more structured moments. Tracks range from space ambient to neo-classical and Berlin School, recalling his acclaimed releases Deep Space Blue (2017) and Beyond the Purple Sun (2019).
The new album its deeply cinematic, immersive, contemplative, and expansive, and ambient like staring into the night sky.
IN OUR THOUGHTS
Built on layered textures and a strong melodic core, Sometimes is the new release by One Will Price. It’s an alterative soundscape-y track that’s immersive and carries an introspective energy, inviting the listener to sit with their own thoughts. It has an atmospheric sound that feels both intimate and expansive
REG IS BACK
Long-time musician Reg Keyworth finally unveils River, a track that’s been years in the making. Written on an acoustic guitar and slowly built into a soaring blues-rock number, River is both raw and refined, telling stories of hardship, resilience, and redemption. With vocals from Bess-Serena (of Savage Garden notability) and contributions from Malcolm Foster (The Pretenders), Jules Keshan, Benny D Williams and Dylan James, it’s a collaboration rich in experience and talent. What began as a simple blues ditty has grown into a dynamic, layered track that swells like its namesake, carrying the listener on a journey through struggle and back to hope. Reg admits the song’s production was a long and sometimes frustrating process, but the result is worth it: a release that feels both organic and triumphant, grounded in authenticity.
ARE YOU A GOLD COAST ARTIST WITH NEW MUSIC ON THE HORIZON? WE WANT TO HEAR IT!
If you’ve released new music or have something due for release in September or October, shoot us the details for the chance to be considered for the next ‘Talent On Tap’ column. Send us an email on newmusic@gcmusicnetwork.com.au with a link to the song (Spotify preferred), an artist press shot and a few words/media release about the track or album being released.