Amyl and The Sniffers

Melbourne-based four-piece Amyl & the Sniffers commands attention with their raucous assault that's inspired by '70s hard rock and hardcore punk. Fronted by the iconic Amy Taylor, they emerged in the late 2010s as part of a new wave of punk from Australia's East Coast. Sporting a nostalgic aesthetic and a lawless attitude, the band channeled the unruly energy of their live shows on EPs such as 2017's Big Attraction, a wild blend that recalled early Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Motörhead, and Courtney Barnett. Their self-titled full-length breakthrough landed in 2019, earning the quartet international acclaim. In 2021, they returned with their critically-acclaimed sophomore set Comfort to Me. Three years later, they continued their march with their third LP, Cartoon Darkness. The band's origins lie in the bedroom-recording sessions of housemates Amy Taylor (vocals), Bryce Wilson (drums), Dec Martens (guitar), and Gus Romer (bass). Taking their cue from an unlikely set of influences -- AC/DC, Cosmic Psychos, Dolly Parton, and Die Antwoord -- they huddled together in Taylor's room to write, record, mix, and release their debut EP, Giddy Up, in 12 hours. That 2016 set was followed in 2017 with the self-released Big Attraction EP, which featured "I'm Not a Loser." The track was illustrative of the band's instinct for a killer hook and demonstrated their low-rent charm and snotty sense of humor. While steadily gathering an infamous live reputation, Amyl & the Sniffers began to secure slots at festivals like Bigsound in Brisbane, Meredith, and CherryRock17. Following such successes in their native Australia, word began to spread, leading to interest from British and American labels, which issued their early EPs in 2018. That same year, the band embarked on their first headlining U.K. tour and hit the road in support of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard across America before signing to Rough Trade. Their debut LP, Amyl and the Sniffers, arrived in the summer of 2019 and included the singles "Monsoon Rock" and "Got You." It later won the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album. After their own headlining trek helped push them deeper into mosh pits around the world, they returned home for a follow-up. Amidst the turmoil of Australia's wildfire season and a global pandemic, the band hunkered down in the same home and began recording their sophomore effort, 2021's award-winning Comfort to Me. Hardened and focused, the album featured the singles "Guided by Angels" and "Hertz." Upon release, the set debuted at number two on the Australian charts and rose to the Top 20 on the U.S. album sales chart, winning Best Independent Punk Album at the 2022 AIR awards and Best Group and Rock Album at that year's ARIAs. A flood of notable opening slots kept them busy over the following years, joining the stage with the likes of Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, and more. In early 2024, they released the single "U Should Not Be Doing That," ushering in their next album era. That third set, Cartoon Darkness, was produced with Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and found the quartet tackling weighty global issues. ~ Neil Z. Yeung