London via Australia folk/psych rockers Tempesst have released the third single, “High On My Own,” which is off their upcoming debut album Must Be A Dream, out September 30 (Pony Recordings). 

Exploring the band’s humble beginnings in a small coastal town in Queensland Australia, “High On My Own” juxtaposes their comparatively “grown up” peers versus their own lives, with the track’s nuanced lyrics touching upon the search for meaning in life, ageing and ultimately finding your own way. Speaking on the track, singer Toma Banjanin said: “ “I grew up near Noosa, a small beach town in Australia. In my town, a 30 year old man was typically a family man, with a normal job, a mortgage etc. The kind of guy who had a balanced life and what seemed to be contentment as a byproduct. These guys had beliefs, they lived by a code that guided each decision with a brand of certainty that I envy and in my subconscious, this archetype framed the kind of firm identity one should expect to acquire by age 30. A couple of decades on, here I am, 30, still wandering, without the beliefs or certainty I expected to have.”

Kickstarting with a driving drumbeat, throbbing electronics and psychedelic guitar motifs, “High On My Own” then opens up into its chorus; an ascending half speed section that reveals a shimmering group vocal and angelic synths. “We wanted to push the listener into a single direction and then pull the rug out from under them – it’s very representative of the lyrics,” Toma added.

Consisting of Sunshine Coast, Australia born twin brothers Toma (vocals, guitars) and Andy Banjanin (drums); the band is rounded out by fellow Australian’s Kane Reynolds (keys) and Blake Misipeka (bass), and Swiss/American guitarist Eric Weber. Now all residing in London where Must Be A Dream was written and recorded, Tempesst have become well known for their sweeping, psych-touched indie rock – touring previously with the likes of Pond, The Temper Trap, Albert Hammond Jr, Jet.

Produced by longstanding collaborator Elliot Heinrich, and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Parquet Courts, Temples, Yak, Sorry), Must Be A Dream came together at the band’s very own Pony Studios, a studio space that Tempesst built themselves in Hackney, East London. A paradox of complexity and musical prowess shrouded beneath deceivingly simple pop melodies, Must Be A Dream comprises ten tracks of psychedelic pop grandiosity, combining the classic teachings of Laurel Canyon-esque folk harmonisation with bombastic sensibilities found in the works of Love, ELO, Pink Floyd, Wings and more. The album is a dense, sun-kissed record that explores themes of identity, purpose, ageing, love, loss, substance abuse, the death of loved ones and remembering the beauty beneath it all.