After establishing themselves as one of Australia’s most powerful rock acts, Tired Lion makes a long-awaited return today with the huge new single ‘Waterbed,’ as Sophie Hopes steps up to reclaim her throne as Australia’s queen of guitar rock.

The new single is everything you could hope for in a new Tired Lion track: quiet/loud dynamics, beefy guitar lines, undeniable pop hooks, kazoos – okay, the kazoos were a surprise to us too, but we promise they work!.

Bristling with Hopes’ signature lyricism and snarl, ‘Waterbed’ – a song that torpedoes notions of not only cultural fads, but detaching oneself to nostalgic feelings of the past – also boasts one of the strongest choruses of her songwriting career.

LISTEN TO TIRED LION’S NEW SINGLE ‘WATERBED’ HERE

It’s admittedly been a stint between beverages since Tired Lion’s last release, the epic standalone single ‘With Or Without’, back in late 2018. The following 18 months saw Hopes relocate to Brisbane from her hometown of Perth and approach the Tired Lion project with a renewed energy that refines her own point of view and sonic evolution.

Hopes has continued to craft the pop-hooked, big-riffed, grunge-drenched ear worms she generated when Luke Boerdam (Violent Soho)  was pulled in as producer for Tired Lion’s debut album and 2017 triple j Feature Album, Dumb Days. ‘Waterbed’ continues from where they left off and charges headfirst through a brick wall, as Hopes once again shows off her brilliant performing prowess on this equally sweet and sour pop rocker.

Speaking about the song and its themes, Hopes says, “I guess I always found waterbeds fascinating – they came with guarantees of abolishing back aches, better sex, curing insomnia etc. – none of which actually happened. I read that apparently a lot of people didn’t last more than a month with them. The song represents that you could buy into the idea of something but when you get there the reality is actually far from what you expected. Looking back on memories, sometimes things just don’t work out the way you thought they would – the song is about cutting ties to the past.”

And if her reputation as one of Australian music’s most fiery, heart-on-your-sleeve, take no prisoners personalities wasn’t already well established from years lighting up the stages of clubs and festivals across the country, one glimpse of Hopes dressed as a scowling, smoking nun in the brilliant new video for ‘Waterbed’ ought to do it. Directed by Rome / Rory Pippan (Mallrat ‘Groceries,’ All Day ‘Lungs’).