Adelaide five-piece alt. return today, armed with their first new music since 2023, unveiling the soaring new track "Conversations That Hurt," out now via Resist Records in Australia and SharpTone Records for the rest of the world.
A lush and driving anthem, "Conversations That Hurt" flourishes with alt.'s trademark melodic dexterity, augmenting the foundations of their 2020 debut EP dysfunctional while also diverting the heavier terrain of their 2023 debut full length ABEYANCE into a poignant and polished dimension.
Written by alt. alongside Trophy Eyes vocalist John Floreani, with production, mixing and mastering courtesy of longtime collaborator Callan Orr at Avalanche Studios, "Conversations That Hurt" is also accompanied today by a brand new music video featuring a raw yet rigorous performance befitting of the track's bittersweet lyricism.
"'Conversations That Hurt' is about the freshness of a breakup," shares vocalist Daniel Cullen-Richards. "It's hard to move on and all you can think about is wanting them back when you know it's not meant to be."
Watch the video for "Conversations That Hurt" below.
Stream the song here.
Emerging in late 2019, alt.'s impassioned fusion of punk, pop, electronic, and alternative rock saw the Adelaide group instantly resonate with a vast audience, premiering their debut single insubordinate on the Dreambound YouTube channel and going on to generate over 2 million streams via their debut 2020 EP dysfunctional. An independent venture, written alongside Trenton Woodley (Hands Like Houses), Jimmy Alexander and Luke McKenzie (Awaken I Am), Zachary Britt (Young Lions, Dream on Dreamer) and Chris Lalic (Windwaker), dysfunctional would ultimately set the stage for tours with the likes of Don Broco, Saosin, Karnivool, Cog, Caskets and Windwaker, with the band consistently turning heads with their innovative yet cohesive sounds.
Signing with Resist Records and StarpTone Records, alt. showcased a darker ferocity in 2023 that channeled the turbulent years surrounding their inception, stepping into heavier waters via the release of their debut album ABEYANCE last year. Hurling breakdowns, caustic vocals and imposing riffs into a tight and tempestuous package, ABEYANCE featured a guest vocal from Void Of Vision's Jack Bergin on the single APEP, with alt. teaming up with Marcus Bridge (Northlane), Landon Tewers (The Plot In You), and returning collaborators Woodley and Britt. ABEYANECE didn't merely re-write the alt. rule book; instead, it declared a powerful inability to pigeonhole alt. into any one genre while also flexing the group's masterful take on a broad and immersive palette of sounds.
In 2024, alt. ticked off their first Australian headline tour, with an nearly entirely sold out run supported by Belle Haven, Patient Sixty Seven and A Swift Farewell, and most recently performed alongside King Parrot and I Built The Sky.
