Press Club are back with a bang and a bottle of bubbly in their latest single, 'Champagne & Nikes'. The Melbourne four-piece have unleashed a track that's as chaotic and unpredictable as the real-life encounter that inspired it.
Premiering on BBC Radio 1's Rock Show, 'Champagne & Nikes' started life as a humble bass guitar voice memo. It quickly evolved into a sonic explosion reminiscent of their debut album, 'Late Teens', all buzzsaw guitars, pulsating bass lines and driving drums.
The song captures a bizarre moment witnessed by lead singer Natalie Foster and bassist Iain MacRae while buying Guinness for a recording session. "If I tried to tell you the story of this person's interaction with the person behind the counter, you'd think I was recounting something from a dream," recalls Foster. "It was so outlandish and erratic I could barely believe it was happening in front of me."
Picture this: a man's manic energy escalates while a queue for beer steadily grows behind him, culminating in an audience of 30 thirsty onlookers captivated by the spectacle. Foster, pen in hand, documented the scene in real-time, and by the time they returned to the studio, 'Champagne & Nikes' had taken shape.
Recorded in their Footscray studio with guitarist Greg Rietwyk at the helm, and mastered by Kris Crummett (known for his work with Closure in Moscow, Dune Rats, and Currents), the track is a raw expression of the band's core identity. "When we set out writing 'Champagne & Nikes' we wanted to create something that had a similar energy and feeling to some of the songs we wrote when we first started writing together for 'Late Teens'," explains MacRae. "I think we nailed that intent. It was pretty fun to just blow the barn doors open and get back to the bare essentials of what I think Press Club is."
The accompanying music video, directed by frequent collaborator Nick Manuell, provides a visual backdrop to the song's frenzy. Set against Melbourne's stark brutalist architecture, the video features Foster embodying the erratic spirit of the song's muse.
'Champagne & Nikes' arrives hot on the heels of Press Club's fifth European tour, which included festival appearances and sold-out headline shows. Now back on home turf, the band are supporting Grinspoon on an extensive 45-date national tour. With their relentless energy and undeniable knack for crafting infectious tunes, Press Club are a band that truly thrive on the road and in the studio.
Connect with Press Club,
