Bleak Squad

Last updated

Bleak Squad
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Years active2025–present
Labels Poison City Records
Members
  • Adalita
  • Mick Harvey
  • Mick Turner
  • Marty Brown

Bleak Squad is an Australian supergroup formed in Melbourne, comprising Adalita Srsen (Magic Dirt), Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey), Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque), and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting). Their debut album, Strange Love, was released on 22 August 2025 by Poison City Records, preceded by the singles "Lost My Head" and "Strange Love". [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

Drummer and producer Marty Brown first floated the idea in 2019, calling the others “to maybe collaborate”. The four began jamming and recording ideas “on and off” over several years as schedules allowed. Each member brought songs or riffs. “Straight away we clicked” in a “really low pressure” environment, Adalita recalled, and they soon “ended up having a record” and “suddenly we’re a band”. [4] Brown later described conceiving the group “sitting around Fitzroy Pool one summer”, recognising that the four shared a way of making music that was “uncomplicated and instantaneous”. [5] Adalita coined the name Bleak Squad, saying it “speaks to both this loose collection of misfits and the noir-ish mood of our music”. [1]

The quartet initially recorded at Melbourne’s Head Gap studio with engineer/producer Rohan Sforcina. Sessions were kept deliberately spontaneous, often learning a song once, running it down and then recording the second take. [5] [6] The album was then completed at Standalone Studios in Melbourne. [7]

The band announced their formation with a free download of the track, "Everything Must Change" in May 2025. The first single "Lost My Head" arrived in June 2025 alongside the album announcement and initial tour dates. Strange Love was released on 22 August 2025 via Poison City Records. [8] [1]

The band’s first run of shows included warm-up shows in regional Victoria in August and headline dates in October 2025 at City Recital Hall in Sydney and the Melbourne Recital Centre, plus a performance at Tasmania’s Unconformity festival. [6] [9] [10]

Musical style and reception

Bleak Squad’s sound has been described as noir-rock and indie/art rock, with shared songwriting and alternating lead vocals from Adalita and Harvey. [1] [2] The Guardian praised Strange Love as "a genuine collaboration" that "sounds more like a fourth album than a first". [6] Backseat Mafia called the album "a deliciously dark collection" and awarded it 9.2/10. [11]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[12]
Strange Love
  • Released: 22 August 2025
  • Label: Poison City
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital [1] [3]
40

Singles

TitleRelease dateAlbumRef.
"Lost My Head"12 June 2025Strange Love [13]
"Strange Love"22 July 2025Strange Love [14]
"Blue Signs"14 August 2025Strange Love [15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kennedy, Jade (13 June 2025). "Members of Dirty Three, Magic Dirt, PJ Harvey & Art of Fighting Announce Debut Album". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "BLEAK SQUAD feat. Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner, Marty Brown release second single and video "Strange Love"". The Rockpit. 22 July 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Strange Love". Bandcamp. Bleak Squad. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. ↑ Peters, Kris (26 August 2025). "A Musical Supernova With ADALITA From BLEAK SQUAD". HEAVY Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bleak Squad: Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner and Marty Brown's supergroup are touring this October". Beat Magazine. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Stafford, Andrew (22 August 2025). "Bleak Squad: Strange Love review – Australia's newest supergroup sound like they've been together for years". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Bleak Squad, Marty Brown and Adalita talk their new band with Mick Harvey and Noise11.com". YouTube. Noise11. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Young, David James (16 June 2025). "Aussie Rock Supergroup Bleak Squad Announce Debut Album And Shows". Music Feeds. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Bleak Squad". Melbourne Recital Centre. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "BLEAK SQUAD". Feel Presents. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  11. ↑ Kendall, Arun (22 August 2025). "Album Review: Supergroup Bleak Squad… gather together to brew the spectacular 'Strange Love'". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "Lost My Head – Single". Apple Music. Apple Inc. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "BLEAK SQUAD feat. Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner, Marty Brown release second single and video "Strange Love"". The Rockpit. 22 July 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  15. ↑ "Bleak Squad Premiere Third Single 'Blue Signs'". Noise11. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
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