In a buoyant yet bittersweet ode to nostalgia, Australian alternative rock icons Eskimo Joe will return to The Art House on July 13 armed with The First Time; the band’s first new music since 2021’s 99 Ways.
The First Time feels familiar yet fresh, with Eskimo Joe capturing the essence of their stadium rock-ready triumph, 2008’s Black Fingernails, Red Wine, alongside some sharp 2024 vigour.
Drawing inspiration from long-time Eskimo Joe creative influences as well as the band’s unshakeable bond, the core of The First Time also evolved following a stacked 2023, with multiple festival appearances sparking the trio to harness the energy of a giant crowd setting into their 2024-penned new track.
“We really look up to bands like the Rolling Stones and U2,” bass player and vocalist Kav Temperley said.
“Those guys who keep touring and creating music over and over again.
“It makes us proud of our musical journey and the people who have taken our songs into their lives.
“Eskimo Joe is still the three core members – it just wouldn’t be the Eskies without the three of us in a studio or on-stage making music together.
“Our friendship is as much a part of the band as the music itself.
“After an amazing 2023 playing some huge festivals, there’s this indescribable energy when a massive crowd is singing your songs back at you.
“We wanted to capture that energy and infuse it into our recording.
“So, in the first week of January this year, over five days, we wrote and recorded The First Time at my studio in Fremantle.”
The First Time ultimately delves into upbeat sentimentality.
“We wanted to write something that set out to encapsulate the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia, that looks back through rose-coloured glasses conveniently forgetting the heartache and sleepless nights that came with a certain place and time in our lives,” Temperley said.
“It’s easy in the loneliest moments to look back and take comfort in those memories secretly holding onto that feeling like an addict.
“The song is also a realisation that holding onto the past might also be holding you back from the present.
“The subject is nostalgic but so is the sound of this song, it sounds like it could have sat perfectly on the Black Fingernails album.”
Lead guitarist Stu MacLeod said he loved the energy in the song and the sentiment.
“You put so much energy into each song, you build it up, tear it down, build it back up again until it matches the band’s vision,” he said.
“I’m stoked that we get to release it out into the world.”
Drummer and guitarist Joel Quartermain said he hoped people would connect with the song.
“Once it’s out in the world, a song truly exists,” he said.
Forming in 1997, Eskimo Joe would go on to become one of Australia’s most enduring acts, with six studio albums and ongoing commercial success in their wake, including 2004’s A Song Is A City and 2006’s Black Fingernails, Red Wine reaching Platinum status, and the latter dominating the ARIA Top 50 Chart for 62 weeks.
The Eskimo Joe journey from Fremantle indie rock darlings to an international success story has also seen the band’s impact expand well beyond the studio, with ongoing chart success, 35 ARIA nominations and eight wins, two APRA awards, countless appearances at major festivals and events across the globe, and frequent appearances in triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown, including their single Black Fingernails, Red Wine taking out the number two spot in the Hottest 100 of 2006.
“It feels great releasing some new music with Eskimo Joe,” Temperley said.
“We had such an amazing year last year, playing all different kinds of shows, and ending the year with the Good Things Festival that saw us playing in front of crowds of 30,000.
“We left 2023 feeling so connected with our audiences that we felt that now is the right time to write a new tune.”
The Art House show will be part of a 22-show acoustic journey across Australia.
“This tour allows us to present our music in a more intimate setting, strengthening our connection with our audience,” Temperley said.
“Each performance is crafted to deepen the musical experience, blending the high energy of festival shows with the personal touch of our acoustic sessions.”
Tickets Tours – Eskimo Joe