Sydney garage faves STRAIGHT ARROWS are back, ready to embrace a new chapter with the announcement of their fourth studio record, SURFACE WORLD. Marking the band’s first album of new material since 2018’s ON TOP!, this is a confident stride forward for one of the East Coast’s most engaging live groups, not to mention a band of fiercely talented songwriters. The album will be released via Rice Is Nice Records in Australia, Agitated Records in the UK/EU and Lolipop Records in the US on the 9th of August.
From SURFACE WORLD, Straight Arrows came out the gate swinging with 2023 singles ‘Walkin Thru My Mind’ and ‘Fast Product’ setting an early pace. Today, they return with SURFACE WORLD’s next hit of dopamine, the explosive track ‘DON’T SHOOT ME’. Recorded at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studios with Nick Franklin (Polish Club, The Buoys), the single surges with energy.
“Don’t Shoot Me is essentially about a piece of shit character; the aggressor playing the victim once he’s revealed. I’m sure ya all know one of them” OWEN PENGLIS, STRAIGHT ARROWS
Pulsating and attention grabbing from the jump, this first indication of the rest of SURFACE WORLD doesn’t just whet the appetite, it’s set to make fans ravenous. And for newcomers, if you love reverb, fuzz and riffs in great measure…welcome to the world of Straight Arrows.
“In true budget Straight Arrows fashion, we spent months rehearsing to be able to spend as little time and money in the expensive tracking studio as possible. With trusted engineer Nick Franklin behind the desk, and Owen [Penglis] trying not to micro-manage him, we managed to smash out the whole album, live to tape in two days.
This is also the first Straight Arrows release with some straight up co-writes between Owen and Al – I guess those last few years of apocalyptic world out-view were good for something! Then comes the part after recording where Owen overdubs and warps and changes the whole thing over the next year in his own studio, in between whatever else he’s working on (from punk EPs, 60s reissues, and the Wiggles [!]), messes with the words, and comes out the other end with a shiny-ish, medium fidelity Straight Arrows hot CLASSIC.” STRAIGHT ARROWS
Having built a strong reputation as live performers early in the piece, Straight Arrows have maintained consistency right throughout their career. As well as headlining packed rooms around the country, the band has clocked lucrative support slots for artists including The Black Keys, Thee Oh Sees, Deerhunter, Black Lips and more.
