NEWCASTLE-bred dance-pop singer Kira Puru has been buoyed by the response from radio stations after she challenged them to play more Australian music during the COVID-19 crisis to help artists recoup lost performance revenue.
Hit Network's Ash London has dedicated whole shows to Australian content and several Triple J presenters have also increased their local quotas.
"The response to the tweet has been widely positive, which has been really great to see," Puru said. "People want to be able to do whatever they can to support local artists.
"The important thing to remember is we're all under some kind of strain to a degree, so it's important to share resources and support each other where we can."
Puru unveiled a new track for radio on Wednesday. Idiot is a sugary slice of dance-pop inspired by the former Cardiff High School student's own experience of, "indulging in really destructive behaviours, going back to toxic patterns and basically being in love when you don't want to be and you're just tied to a person that you like so much that it makes you do dumb shit."
It follows the release of Why Don't We Get Along and Everything Is Better Without You last year, which both received airplay on Triple J.
In 2019 Puru supported both Peking Duk and UK star Yungblud and she was scheduled to open for indie-pop darling Thelma Plum on her Homecoming Queen Tour this winter. However, the tour was postponed until November due to COVID-19. Newcastle NEX hosts Plum and Puru on December 10.
Plum was hospitalised in Brisbane last month with coronavirus, but has since recovered.
"I've since had a few friends of mine that have tested positive and it really makes the whole pandemic feel more real and threatening," Puru said. "Obviously knowing people like Thelma, who I'm close to, that were sick it's made me take my own precautions more seriously.
"I'm so glad to hear that Thelma's well and it's important to remember that small personal choices we make every day are important to keep everybody safe."
NEW FORSYTH
KURRI Kurri singer-songwriter Tori Forsyth will release the second track on Friday from her forthcoming sophomore album.
Down Below, produced by alt-country star Shane Nicholson at his Central Coast home studio, follows the darker alt-rock sound Forsyth unveiled with last year's single Be Here.
Forsyth is currently living on her parents' new property on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland after the COVID-19 lockdown caused the cancellation of her regional tour while in South Australia.
It forced Forsyth and her partner Ben Murphy, aka Carl The Bartender, to make a mad dash across South Australia and NSW in order to reach Queensland before the border was closed.
GUM BALL TV
COVID-19 may have cancelled this weekend's Gum Ball but it hasn't stopped Dashville from throwing a virtual party.
On Friday and Saturday Gum Ball TV will stream performances from acts who were scheduled to play through Facebook, plus punters are urged to dress up for "Home-Shop Bop" and send in their videos.
