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Made up of a sweet and savoury combo of all-female Sydney friends, The Buoys truly are one of our favourite Australian bands, with their tracks being on heavy rotation here at Thrills HQ. Inspired by workplace feuds, people who walk slowly in front of you, and a tonne of bad dates, The Buoys explore themes of uncertainty, disappointment, curiosity and determination writing mostly about everyday experiences.  Courtney, Hilary, Tess and Zoe have just released another killer track 'Red Flags' and boy are we stoked to wrap our ears around this new banger (on repeat, of course). To celebrate, we thought we'd pick their brains and get more acquainted with songs they've been listening to on the reg. Happy new music Friday, fam. 

Meet Leroy Francis. Not just a good friend of ours, but a charming multi-instrumentalist from Sydney. We sat down with Leroy to ask him a few q's about his past, present and future. Get to know him here: Nat: So you’re the poster boi for our 'Intoxicated Dreams' campaign - But you’re not a model, are you Roy? You’re a musician. Tell us a little bit about you. Leroy: I’m, not even a model citizen… I sling beers in a bar, watch films from dusk til dawn, spend the days trying to write music and repeat it all again. Nat: Can you tell me a little bit about how you got in to music and a little bit about your musical journey so far? Leroy: I got in a lot of trouble at school so I was assigned to a school councillor who happened to be a music teacher. She got me in to music as a way of getting out some energy. I played with my mates in a band called Cabins which was doing ok for a bit but we fucked around too much and all got habits that stopped us from progressing. That’s when I moved to NYC. Nat: And that’s how the new band (Leroy Francis) came about? Leroy: Yeah. I spent a few months in a studio in NYC where The Strokes recorded “Is This It”. There was a black out for 2 weeks while I was in there, so I lived in total darkness for that time, just trying to play drums as much as I could to stop me from being spooked. When I moved back to Australia I moved in to a shed in Camden and continued to record songs. I released those puppies and then got all my favourite musicians together to play them live. Nat: What are you listening to at the moment? And what inspires you, musically? Leroy: I never listen to music that is similar to the music I make. Mostly I juggle between early noughties stuff like, 'Dancing in the Moonlight' (Toploader’s version) and punk like, Death Grips. Inspiration-wise, I get a lot of ideas from film soundtracks and scores. Nat: What are you into outside of music? Leroy: I’m a film buff. I like literature, but my eyes are giving up on me so reading has become more and more of a chore. Horror films in particular I think are the best. If a film can make you terrified to be alone in house with locked doors, then you know it’s good baby. Nat: Nice. Me too. Ok, so you’re pretty well known for breaking bones and serious injuries. What’s the deal? Leroy: A lot of people think I’m unlucky. But hey, I’m part of the 1% of people who survive after being hit by a bus. So you do the math, babe. I guess I spend a lot of time out of the house and have a reckless and self destructive streak. Mix that with stupidity, and you get yourself some decent injuries. Nat: What’s next for the band? Future plans are to just repeat what I’ve done already, but in quicker succession. As well as touring. I plan to have another record out this year. Get amongst Leroy's playlist below: Follow us on Spotify for more.

We've been vibing the psychedelic rock thums of Brisbane-based band, The Cassowarys, after meeting the boys back on the Growlers' Beach Goth Tour. The atmosphere at their shows are a perfect mix of "electric" x "face-melting" - sure to bring peace to any misfits like us. Let the band give you a little taste of their current favourite tunes here: Plus, if you like what you hear, make sure to give their new album a listen.  Cheers for the Boogie by Cassowarys  Follow us on Spotify now.