A buoyant yet bittersweet ode to nostalgia, Australian alternative rock icons Eskimo Joe return today armed with ‘The First Time’; the band’s first new music since 2021’s ’99 Ways’. Set to appear at Lookout Festival alongside Live and Incubus before embarking on their National Acoustic Theatre Tour starting this April, ‘The First Time’ feels familiar yet fresh, with Eskimo Joe capturing the essence of their stadium rock-ready triumph, 2008’s Black Fingernails, Red Wine, alongside some sharp 2024 vigour.
Drawing inspiration from long-time Eskimo Joe creative influences as well as the band’s unshakeable bond, the core of ‘The First Time’ also evolved following a stacked 2023, with multiple festival appearances sparking the trio to harness the energy of a giant crowd setting into their 2024-penned new track. “We really look up to bands like the Rolling Stones and U2 – those guys who keep touring and creating music over and over again,”shares bass player and vocalist Kav Temperley. “It makes us proud of our musical journey and the people who have taken our songs into their lives. Eskimo Joe is still the three core members. It just wouldn’t be the Eskies without the three of us in a studio or on stage making music together – our friendship is as much a part of the band as the music itself. After an amazing 2023 of playing some huge festivals, there’s this indescribable energy when a massive crowd is singing your songs back at you. We wanted to capture that energy and infuse it into our recording. So, in the first week of January this year, over five days we wrote and recorded ‘The First Time’ at my studio in Fremantle.”
“It feels great releasing some new music with Eskimo Joe,” Temperley says. “We had such an amazing year last year, playing all different kinds of shows, and ending the year with Good Things Festival that saw us playing in front of crowds of 30,000. We left 2023 feeling so connected with our audiences that we felt that now is the right time to write a new tune.”
“Kicking off in April, we take to the road for the Lookout Festival, unveiling our new single with icons like Incubus and Live,” Temperley concludes. “Straight off the back of the festival – April through August, we embark on a 22-show acoustic journey across Australia. This tour allows us to present our music in a more intimate setting, strengthening our connection with our audience. Each performance is crafted to deepen the musical experience, blending the high energy of festival shows with the personal touch of our acoustic sessions.”