Hailing from Mogareeka in Australia, Scared of Sharks is a rock outfit founded in 2016 by brothers Taylor Shwifty and Jack Malolakis, who first unveiled the band at the Cobargo Folk Festival. After relocating to Wollongong in 2017, Scared of Sharks spent years refining their sound on stages across the region.
They made their official studio debut in 2021 with the release of “Beach Wog.” Following Jack’s departure to Europe in late 2022, Taylor brought in Tim Jong Un on drums and Loui Crouton on bass, completing the band’s lineup and embarking on a series of independent tours along Australia’s east coast. Their magnetic performances at events ranging from the Port Kembla Festival to iconic venues like Melbourne’s Cherry Bar have seen them win over diverse audiences.
This year, Scared of Sharks has continued to showcase their evolution with a trio of new singles, the latest of which is “Stumble.” This track channels the spirit of 60s garage rock and punk-inspired power pop, delivering a dose of raucous energy and memorable melodic writing.
“Stumble” came together at the start of 2023 after Taylor brought the song to Tim Jong Un and then-bassist Riley Minogue. With Loui Crouton replacing Riley, Tim, Taylor and Loui recorded “Stumble” along with five other tracks, mostly live to tape, at Stranded Recordings with Codey Munro More last summer. Mastered Owen Penglis once again, the band’s rousing sound is perfectly captured in a gritty rock anthem brimming with driving drums, crunching guitars and swaggering vocals.
The lead single lifted from their upcoming debut EP set to drop later this year, “Stumble” kicks off with archive vocal samples, dissonant feedback tones and pulsing bass lines before erupting into an uptempo punk-tinged rock sound. Dropping back to snapping drums and soft bass notes in the verse, rich vocal leads ride above as the energy builds with the explosive fuzz of guitars and pounding drums as anthemic vocal leads soar above.
Serving up another spectacular display of their uncompromising sound, “Stumble” delivers an exhilarating rock ride that’s at once energising and melodically-charged. Supported by a string of live shows, the band is set to play LaLaLa’s in Wollongong this Friday followed by a show at Moshpit Bar in Sydney on June 29th.
Commenting on the single, founding band member Taylor Schwifty shares, “Stumble is one of our favourites to play live and we’re stoked at how it sounds recorded.”
Listen to Stumble below
More from Music
New music from Serge & The Currents
Melbourne-based musician Sergio Ercole has spent more than four decades building a life around the guitar, moving between classical and …
IRONA releases new single “Marble White”
From New York to London, IRONA is an Istanbul-based artist whose music takes inspiration from a sense of place while …
Shumo AG releases brand new single
Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shumo AG is developing a musical world that stretches far beyond his young age. Balancing school …
