ADALITA, MICK HARVEY, MICK TURNER & MARTY BROWN ARE BLEAK SQUAD
Bleak Squad is a new Melbourne four-piece comprised of true Australian art-rock royalty.
Featuring Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, The Birthday Party), Adalita (Magic Dirt) and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting), the unlikely quartet unite for the first time on Bleak Squad's brooding, noir-rock debut LP, Strange Love.
The album, announced today, will be released on Poison City on August 22. It is available to pre-order now.
Today also sees the release of the album's first single and video, "Lost My Head", and the announcement of the band's first run of shows in October, with two warm-up gigs set for regional Victoria in August.
Album preorders available now from
Poison City https://poisoncityestore.com/
Bandcamp https://bleaksquad.bandcamp.com/
and Rough Trade (UK-EU) https://www.roughtrade.com/product/strange-love
Bleak Squad is a Melbourne supergroup quietly composed of some of Australia’s most influential alternative musicians: Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey), Adalita (Magic Dirt), and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting). Their debut album, Strange Love, is a brooding, atmospheric collection that showcases each member’s unique musical personality, blending noirish moods with raw, collaborative energy. The band’s formation was as spontaneous as their music, sparked by Brown’s desire to play drums and a fateful call to his accomplished friends, leading to effortless jam sessions where most tracks were captured in just a couple of takes.
The result is a regal compilation of bruised, simmering tunes that feel both immediate and timeless, with Adalita and Harvey trading lead vocals over swirling guitars, slippery basslines, and lyrical drumming. Songs like ‘Lost My Head’ and ‘World Go to Hell’ capture the group’s chemistry and emotional depth, while the band members themselves are still pinching themselves at the magic they’ve conjured together. With live shows on the horizon, Bleak Squad is set to bring their kinetic, conversational sound from the studio to the stage, much to the excitement of the band and their soon-to-be fans.
BLEAK SQUAD
AUStralian 2025 tour
Presented by Feel presents
Fri Aug 1: Queenscliff Town Hall (warm-up show - on sale now)
Sat Aug 2: Meeniyan Town Hall (warm up show - on sale now)
Sat Oct 11: City Recital Hall, Sydney (Pre-sale July 23 / on sale July 24)
Thu Oct 16: Recital Hall, Melbourne (Pre-sale June 13 / on sale June 16)
Tickets available from BLEAK SQUAD | Feel Presents
