Royal Headache

Royal Headache sounds like a lost Motown 45 played at the wrong speed through a blown-out guitar amp. It is a frantic, beautiful collision of styles where the jagged energy of Sydney's punk underground meets the soaring, heart-on-sleeve vulnerability of blue-eyed soul. The guitars are thin and scratchy, the drums are relentless, and the production feels like it was captured on a cassette tape left in the sun, yet every track is anchored by an undeniable pop sensibility.

What truly sets them apart is Shogun’s vocal performance. While his bandmates provide a blistering garage-rock foundation, he sings with a desperate, soulful intensity that feels more like Otis Redding than Johnny Rotten. This contrast creates a unique tension: the music wants to start a riot, but the voice wants to mend a broken heart. It is music that feels incredibly fast and incredibly heavy at the same time, not because of the volume, but because of the emotional stakes involved.

Start with their second album, High. It captures the band at their most polished without losing the grit that made their debut a cult classic. Tracks like 'Need You' and 'Carolina' showcase their ability to turn personal turmoil into anthemic, two-minute bursts of energy that stay in your head long after the feedback fades.