New Music

New For 2020

New Music: Pinkish Blu

We're shining a spotlight on the best new Australian artists set to dominate 2020. Welcome Adelaide alternative sad-pop band Pinkish Blu.

Check out the rest of our New For 2020 list!

Ticketmaster New Music is your one-stop destination to discover the best emerging live acts before they explode. These are the artists we’re expecting to make waves in the live music scene, and we want you to know about them first.

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#026cdf” link_color=”#1f262d” size=”1″ margin=”10″]

Take ‘80s synth pop grooves, add sharp alt-rock guitar lines, airy vocals, and bittersweet romanticised lyrics, swirl it around a sad banger funnel and you get Adelaide four-piece Pinkish Blu.

We have been talking about Pinkish Blu since they stormed into our hearts back in 2018, but with some new tunes and a slightly new vibe we are predicting that 2020 might very well be their year.

Spinning tales of hopeless romanticism with a dreamy, 1975-esque strut, their latest pair of singles – the moody, twinkling ‘Superstar’ and it’s follow-up ‘Coupon’ – have turned some pretty notable heads in the latter half of 2019 and welcomed a new era for Pinkish Blu in style. And as a bonus, both are equally as perfect for a cry-dance.

While their songs focus on the wonderful characteristics of love, there is nothing sappy or cringey about what Pinkish Blu do. Instead, the way they pen lyrics is intriguing, if not whimsical, and when it’s paired with retro synths, nostalgic guitar tones, and contemporary pop hooks, it makes for the perfect few minutes of indulgence.

From the first single back in 2017 all the way to the band we currently find, Pinkish Blu have been doing it their way. Along that journey, they’ve shared stages with the likes of WAAX, Skeggs, The Rubens, Last Dinosaurs, Trophy Eyes, Kingswood, G Flip and more, as well as gracing the stages of Bigsound and Groovin The Moo.

It’s punk rock, it’s retro synth-pop, it’s energetic, loved up and irresistibly catchy – it’s Pinkish Blu. And with their sights firmly set on further pushing the limits of their creativity and broadening their horizons in the new year, we have handpicked them as one of our New For 2020 artists to watch.
pinkish blu new for 2020

The Story

From the beginning

Pinkish Blu: “Brice (Young – vocals) and Seb (James – guitars) started making music when they were around 12/13 together, and it was mostly because they had parents that had a passion for music and they passed it on early. Also looking up to bands like Simple Plan, Kisschasy and Short Stack that made it look so fun, it just was a no brainer at the time.”

What you’ll hear

“Our sound is more of a goal and less of a mash-up of genres and themes. If we try to explain our sound in those terms, we’re bound and almost inclined to contradict them with the next song. By that I mean, we’ve always aimed to make something that we love and something that is genuinely interesting, whether we achieve that is a different story, but we try and will keep trying. This idea came about by writing a lot of music and loving too many genres.”

Influences & inspiration

“We all have many different things that inspire us to create for all aspects of this band, whether it be a rom-com, the latest live video from a festival, the dark edges of Youtube with the craziest conspiracy theories, people who are changing the world and standing up for the environment, and just hanging out with each other and our friends.”

For the love of music

“It’s safe to say the thing we love most about making music is the fact that we get to create. That’s well and truly enough of a reason to love any form of art. To have one foot in the world of the unknown and searching throughout it for the next sound, lyric, emotion, and also have the other foot firmly in the history of what music has been is something that will never get old.”

Kicking goals

“This year, there’s been a few so it’s hard to narrow down to just one, but the two biggest for us were doing a co-write with Darren from Kisschasy (still a little in shock) and jumping on the lovely Groovin’ the Moo festival in Adelaide, so much fun.”

The hard yards

“We all live together, so the biggest challenge has been deciding who’s doing the dishes. I’m pretty sure it’s Luke (Franceschini – drums).”

The year ahead

“2020 is going to be a busy one for sure. To start it off we have a co-headline tour planned with one of the loveliest bands we’ve ever met, Egoism. Then just a bunch of new music to release that we’ve spent most of 2019 developing and we literally can’t wait to get out.”

When we chat in 12 months…

“That’s a toughie, having brunch with Coldplay is up there? kidding, but honestly I think we just want to have a really fun year, a couple festivals and some tours with nice bands and we’ll be very happy chaps this time next year.”

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#026cdf” link_color=”#1f262d” size=”1″ margin=”10″]

Essential Listening

Pinkish Blu – Lovely

“This track was the one that changed the direction that PB was heading, Brice showed the early versions of it when we were just about to drop an alt-rock EP in late 2017. After we listened to it we were kind of like, ‘Is this the kind of music we’re supposed to be playing? I think so?’ So we canned the EP and started working on the ‘sad-pop’ sound and haven’t looked back.”

Pinkish Blu - Lovely (Official Music Video)

Pinkish Blu – Capricorn

“This track is the most fun to play live, it’s also the loudest because we have the added help of the crowd singing along to the main guitar riff.”

Pinkish Blu - Capricorn (Music Video)

Pinkish Blu – Coupon

“This one was a sneaky single, we hadn’t planned for it to be released this early or on its own at all but after we heard it in the studio for the first time we were like ‘oh dang’ and slotted it for the next single straight away.”

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#026cdf” link_color=”#1f262d” size=”1″ margin=”10″]

Follow Pinkish Blu
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#026cdf” link_color=”#1f262d” size=”1″ margin=”5″]

Pinkish Blu 2020 tour dates:

Pinkish Blu will hit the road this February and March including a show at Adelaide’s Jive on Friday 6 March. Tickets are on sale now.

Check out the rest of our New For 2020 feature artists here.

Keep up to date with everything Ticketmaster New Music right here.