THE AUDREYS NEW SINGLE ‘BEATLES V STONES, FIRST ALBUM IN 10 YEARS ‘ RUIN + REPAIR’ + AUS TOUR

February 14, 2025February 14, 2025 Sheldon Ang Concert, Live Music, Live Performance, Music, Tour

Following the release of their first new music in 10 years last November, today ARIA Award-winning act The Audreys unveil a brand new country-soaked ballad, Beatles V Stones, alongside the announcement of their fifth studio album, Ruin & Repair, due out on Friday March 14. The troubadours are also taking Ruin & Repair on the road around Australia, with an extensive list of dates also announced today.

Penned about the age-old rivalry between fans of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Beatles V Stones layers tranquil melodics against swooning instrumentation, also set against a 12/8 swaying country time signature that nods to American great Jason Isbell’s trademark stylings; a fitting inspiration given The Audreys vocalist Taasha Coates’revelation that the single itself originally started life under the moniker: “that Jason Isbell one”.

“One of the questions I like to ask people to work out if I’m going to like them or not is “Beatles or Stones” (I’m firmly camp Stones for the record) so this is about that,” shares Coates of the Beatles V Stones origin story. “I wrote it mostly on my own on guitar, then my guitarist Tom came along and added the bridge and some cool harmonic moments.”

“I learned to play guitar during COVID because I was so, so bored,” Coates adds. “I was a piano player up until that point, plus I played a bit of ukulele and harmonica and melodica and various other small and silly instruments. At first, I hated the guitar because it tore up my fingers and made my hand ache, but once I popped on my big girl panties about the pain, I loved how easy it was to write songs with. A guitar is always just a reach away, you don’t have to get up and walk to the piano if you get inspired.”

As with The Audreys most recent release, the sublime alt-country gem Secondhand Boots, Beatles V Stones once again sees Coates working alongside Tom Kneebone on guitar, Felicity Freedman on bass, and Beej Barker on drums, recorded by producer and engineer Ryan Martin John at his Adelaide studio, Cactus Cactus Sound, and mastered by Alex Mader from MaderVMusic. And the dream team behind both Secondhand Boots and Beatles V Stones also joined forces to conjure the overarching album Ruin & Repair; The Audreys’ first full-length since 2014’s ‘Til My Tears Roll Away, and also the first album since the devastating passing of The Audreys founding member Tristan Goodall. “I was quite depressed when I wrote this,” shares Coates. “I struggled a lot with depression after my best friend, songwriting partner and original Audrey, Tristan, died in 2022, but once I’d gotten through the initial grief, I found the process of writing and recording this album very healing. I still miss him and have sad days of course, but I know he would have loved this record and that makes me really proud and happy.”

Bursting with heart and an array of spellbinding compositions, Ruin & Repair opens with I Remember Everything; a twinkling and inevitably heart-rending stunner that deals in dynamic shifts, upbeat banjo and crisp percussion, as well as sultry vocals and harmonic interplay to make you weak at the knees. Between tranquil ballads (Beatles V Stones), melancholic country charm (Secondhand Boots and Subterranean), upbeat moments of crystalline vocals and contemporary production (To Want To Be Loved), delicate beauty (Sober), captivating country love songs (Beyond Compare), scintillating and hazy odes (Seen The Last Of You), full-blown whimsy (Ships Song), bewitching banjo-fuelled heartbreakers (Norfolk Island Pine) and the buoyant climax of closing track You’re In A Dream, Ruin & Repair is simultaneously an intimate dive into many of life’s highs and lows while also offering cathartic comfort against some sharp surprises; and the journey across the 11 tracks is one unforgettably helmed by Coates herself. “I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot of loss and grief and heartbreak,” Coates shares of Ruin & Repair as a whole. “But there’s also some hope, and some sex, and even some shiny pop moments with tambourine and everything. Look, it’s a journey.”

Formed back in 2004 by Coates and guitarist Tristan Goodall, The Audreys have gone on to release four full-length albums, with 2006’s Between Last Night and Us, 2008’s When the Flood Comes and 2011’s Sometimes the Stars all taking home the ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album, as well as their most recent album, 2014’s ‘Til My Tears Roll Away scoring an ARIA nomination itself. Renowned for their dynamic and silken sonic wiles, The Audreys became a beloved fixture on the Australian touring scene, with countless gigs in their wake, and have also ticked off club and festival shows in North America, the UK, and Europe. Hitting pause briefly in 2016, with Coates releasing her first solo album, Taasha Coates and Her Melancholy Sweethearts, The Audreys continued to share their musical magic and tour up until the COVID years hit; and, devastatingly, The Audreys journey changed irrevocably in 2022 with the untimely passing of Goodall. But for Coates, the chance to continue The Audreys creative pursuits is also a chance to pay ongoing homage to Goodall, with The Audreys also celebrating 20 years in 2024 since Coates and Goodall first started the project, and The Audreys now courageously venturing into a brand new chapter; and it’s one that will joyfully include some extensive Australian touring kicking off not long after Ruin & Repair releases into the world.

“I’ve overcome a lot of hurdles to get to this point and I’m really gosh darn happy to be here!” Coates reveals. “We have a whole national tour coming up starting at the end of March and running right through until May. It will be lots of songs from the new album and lots of old Audreys favourites. Can’t wait!”

Beatles V Stones is out today, Friday February 14. – STREAM https://coupetrio.lnk.to/BeatlesVStones

Ruin & Repair is due out on Friday March 14 – PRE-SAVE https://coupetrio.lnk.to/RuinRepair