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Today, ARIA platinum-selling four-piece, Cub Sport release their fifth album, Jesus At The Gay Bar – out now.
A destination point of ecstatic lightness, Jesus At The Gay Bar sees Tim Nelson, Sam Netterfield, Zoe Davis and Dan Puusaari shed hang-ups and celebrate love and life in all its manifestations through crystalline dance music. The band’s catalogue of albums has chronologically plotted a progression away from shame towards joy and pure euphoria: Jesus At The Gay Bar represents a progressive dance perspective loaded with house, 2-step and UK garage influences, while retaining the lush fragility of their music past. The album’s title was inspired by writer Jay Hulme’s poem of the same name. While previous record LIKE NIRVANA was a bloodletting of sorts – dealing with the long, complex legacy that religious trauma can leave on a life – Jesus At The Gay Bar is about moving forward unencumbered, celebrating one’s past rather than outrunning it, and looking boldly into the future.
Tim Nelson says on the record: “There’s a lot from my life before I came out that has always been shrouded in shame, fear and secrecy. But now I feel like I can really shine a light on the magic of it and recognise and celebrate that time. A lot of this album is validating my younger self – like if I could have heard some of these songs back then, I might have found some peace within myself sooner, maybe even celebration.”
Cub Sport celebrate the release of their new album by hitting stages across the country throughout August and September. Presented by triple j, the band will kick off their national run of shows at Adelaide’s Hindley Street Music Hall on August 18, followed by stops at Perth’s Astor Theatre on August 19, and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on August 24. After performing at Tanks in Cairns on August 31, the band will return to their hometown of Brisbane, to play at Fortitude Music Hall on September 2, before closing out the tour at Melbourne’s Forum, on September 8.
Opening the record, previous single “Always Got The Love” stretches a feeling of pure devotion into a gripping, muscular groove. An opening hum of piano chords and skipping rhythms lifts into pure driving euphoria. The embodied throb and Balearic sparkle of “Replay” arrives next. Receiving an addition on release from triple j and community radio, the propulsive house track ripples with waves of sinewy sub-bass. “High For The Summer (feat. Shamir)” follows, as a garage-led beat compels the airy and effected vocal of Nelson to commit you to a seasonal ecstasy.
Next, “Keep Me Safe” is a postcard to a former self written with impossible care and grace. Musically, the track continues the album’s dance music thread, building from ambient balladry into fleeting, skyward-looking house. From a twinkling array of synths, “Zoom” follows, leaning into light and aerated production as Nelson repeats the motions of thinking about a loved one when arriving home.
Prior single, “Songs About It” bends to embrace starry-eyed piano house, memorialising the notion of getting stuck in a moment of hedonistic, split-second joy in the form of pure pop. A winking, 90s referencing piano riff and rolling, infectious sub bass contrasts to the gentle rhythms of the following “Beg U”. Risers build and pulse amid the delicacy of Nelson’s vocals. Next up, ”Hold” fuses a bright and cleverly composed arrangement of looped vocals with an upbeat sing-a-long worthy chorus.
Brisbane-based, ARIA-nominated artist Mallrat collaborates with the band on ninth track, “Yaya”. Emotional and harmonious, the song sees layered vocals from Nelson, bandmate Zoe Davis and Mallrat add to its honest and yearning core, as its lyrics reference the immortality of love. A spoken word from Nelson opens final song, “Magic In U” with the mantra, ‘I can see the magic in you’. A reverb-soaked piano fills the space against a driving beat that ensures that hearing is believing, uplifting the listener to become the magical recipient.
On the enlightening process behind Jesus At The Gay Bar, Nelson continues; “That’s the beauty of writing honestly about my own life – it all fits together and reveals a little bit more of this greater story that’s still playing out, from an ever-evolving perspective but with the same heart. We have the self-appointed freedom to evolve and change and I think that’s why, five albums in, it still feels exciting.”
Already, the band’s album-featured singles “Keep Me Safe”, “Songs About It”, “Always Got The Love”and “Replay” have received adoration on release via swift additions to community radio and triple j, and press support from RUSSH, NME, Rolling Stone and more, alongside international coverage via PAPER, Notion, Grindr’s New Music Friday and more. Meanwhile, “Keep Me Safe” was named Best New Queer Jam by Billboard, alongside widespread press support and a spot on Spotify’s Glow playlist. The band also kick-started the year with attendance at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where Nelson was nominated for his contribution on BAYNK album, Adolescence.
Since their emergence in the early-2010s, Meanjin-based Cub Sport have captivated an avid following with their vulnerable, yet self-confident, output of progressive indie-pop. Comprising Tim Nelson, Sam Netterfield, Zoe Davis and Dan Puusaari, the self-managed and self-released act are renowned for their electrifying live performances, having graced stages at Laneway, Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival 2020’s AFL Grand Final, and Summer Camp. A national favourite, the band have landed in triple j’s Hottest 100 five times, and have seen ARIA-Platinum and Gold certification for singles “Come On Mess Me Up”, “Chasin” and “Sometimes”. Boasting over 250 million streams – and including 2020’s ARIA #2 album, LIKE NIRVANA – Cub Sport’s largely self-produced discography has garnered praise from The Guardian, BBC Radio 1, Rolling Stone, Billboard, i-D, VICE, Gay Times, TheFADER and more.
Launch your long weekend today with Cub Sport’s thrilling fifth album of glassy and gorgeous dance music as they run towards a bright future with honesty and trademark empathy, on Jesus At The Gay Bar.
CUB SPORT
Australian Tour Datessupported by TRIPLE J
TICKET INFO HERE
Friday, August 18 – Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide SA
Saturday, August 19 – Astor Theatre, Perth WA
Thursday, August 24 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
Thursday, August 31 – Tanks, Cairns QLD
Saturday, September 2 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Friday, September 8 – Forum, Melbourne VICTickets are on sale now
JESUS AT THE GAY BAR IS OUT TODAY
BUY/STREAM HERE
JESUS AT THE GAY BAR
Track List1. Always Got The Love
2. Replay
3. High For The Summer (feat. Shamir)
4. Keep Me Safe
5. Zoom
6. Songs About It
7. Beg U
8. Hold
9. Yaya (feat. Mallrat)
10. Magic In UFollow CUB SPORT
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