Halfway Release New Single 'The Palace'

The Styx - Songs of Love & Betrayal: Xmas 1986: Two brothers, George and Lennie live with their young families in the remote fishing village of Stanage Bay, Central Queensland. One warm evening on low-tide, the men set their nets in the Styx River and leave them to soak overnight. Just before daylight, Lennie breaks camp to check on the catch, but he doesn't return.

For Fans Of: Bruce Springsteen, Mercury Rev, The Triffids, Phosphorescent

Brisbane band Halfway are excited to release 'The Palace', the first single from their new album The Styx, set for release mid 2025.

Halfway have been a band for quarter of a century, and across that time they've made eight studio albums, each of which has received a wealth of critical acclaim. From their origins in 2000, Halfway have developed their style and songs into cinematic soundscapes, lush with pedal steel, densely layered guitars, and driving rhythms.

Across their creative career the band's albums have been produced and/or recorded by the likes of Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens), Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Josh Pyke, You Am I), Rob Younger (Radio Birdman), Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith), and Mark Nevers (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Lambchop, Calexico, George Jones) - who mixed the new album at his South Carolina studio.

Halfway have shared stages with The Black Keys, Gomez, You Am I, J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr), Josh Pyke, Band of Horses, Gary Louris and Mark Olsen (The Jayhawks), and Richard Hawley. Halfway have also been recipients of AIR and Queensland Music Awards, with John Busby and Chris Dale winning Queensland’s most prestigious songwriting award – The Grant McLennan Fellowship in 2008.

'The Palace', which premiered on Stuart Coupe's Dirt Music on 2SER and online with Rhythms magazine, is the first taste of Halfway's new album The Styx. The record features the return to the fold of band co-founder Chris Dale after a six-year absence, and contributions from guests including Chris Abrahams (The Necks, Midnight Oil) and Adele Pickvance (The Go-Betweens)

A concept album of sorts, The Styx is situated in a remote Australian coastal town and explores themes of family, isolation, love, and betrayal. As songwriter John Busby explains, quite a few of the songs threaded through it are informed by his own personal experiences, and 'The Palace' is one of those.

"Growing up, my family would spend time at Stanage Bay in Central Queensland which is a small fishing village situated to the South East of the Styx River. It was a remote and beautiful place," reflects Busby.

"One year on the drive up, I bought a cassette copy of the album The Queen Is Dead, by The Smiths, for $6 at Kmart Rockhampton. There were hundreds of copies of that cassette on the shelves. I figured that it hadn’t gone so well here in Australia, so there was probably something good about it. I played it as the sun went down over the mangroves at Clairview Beach. It felt like it was a letter addressed directly to the teenage me," he reveals. "Something from another world, reaching out to even the most remote of places. It was a valuable lesson in the power of music and art, and the location made it even more memorable. Sometimes, living in small towns the future can seem restricted and narrow. But the messages I received from this record told me otherwise." explains Busby.

"So 'The Palace' pays homage to The Smiths and to dreaming even in the most remote places. It’s a song for the outliers and people living in the margins."

Out of a heart-wrenching pedal steel, courtesy of Noel Fitzpatrick, emerges Elwin Hawtin's solid backbeat and those chiming, hypnotic guitars (John Willsteed, Chris Dale, John Busby) that Halfway do so well. Vocal melodies duck and weave, hanging in the air with a melancholic grace as Busby delivers his lyrics amid the exquisite and atmospheric alt-country sprawl.

'The Palace' is out now via Bandcamp, and streaming services, plus Amrap for Australian community radio.

The new album is now available for pre-order from Plus One Records. Bundles include, gatefold transparent green vinyl, CD, and limited edition The Styx t-shirts.

© Scoop Media