Over the last few years, Hugh Fuchsen has been blessing audiences around Melbourne with his rock 'n' roll tunes, which blend classic rock, 90’s inspired slacker-pop and the current Melbourne jangle sound together with relative ease. After a handful of EPs, he dropped his debut album Rise and Shine back in late 2016, and since then has constantly proved himself to be a name worth keeping an eye on. Rightly so, as he’s back today with a brand new track and it’s safe to say Hugh’s clearly hitting his stride.

'My New Family' opens into a steady groove as acoustic guitars twang and some warbly synthesised vocals colour the peripheries, before Hugh takes control of the song with his gleaming voice. In classic rock 'n' roll fashion, ‘My New Family’ heads straight into its opening chorus and quickly worms itself into your brain, with a melody that feels reminiscent of something else but totally refreshing at the same time. The track continues on with its laid back jangle, leaving plenty of room for Hugh to steal the limelight with his charming lyrics (with crackers like “when I’m hungover then you can come and jump on me” and “Uncle Hugh is coming and I’ll be your good pal”). There’s a whistling solo thrown in for good measure before the track begins winding down, and as the final chords of ‘My New Family’ play out, the mood is so joyous that we’re only left wanting more.

The new video clip, created by filmmaker Michael Ridley, plays as a perfect accompaniment to the track, and although it doesn’t really make sense, it’s packed with the same goofy attitude. In the clip, we see Hugh buddy up with a demonic figure, and when the duo aren’t rocking out together, Hugh treats us to a eccentric demonstration of how to make fairy bread. It’s a bit of a wild ride, but a ride well worth taking.

To celebrate the brand new single and clip, we had a chat with Hugh to find out all about ‘My New Family’ and everything else he’s been up to.

TJ: Hey Hugh, for everyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, want to tell us a bit about yourself?

HF: I am a 23 year-old boy who lives in North Melbourne, and I make pop-rock music in my bedroom. I’m an avid Shrek fan, and like to read books. My favourite food is basil pesto pasta.

What’s the story behind the new track ‘My New Family’?

In the past few years, my siblings have been making babies, so I wrote a song expressing my love for the new little family members. They enjoyed the song, and I can’t wait for them to see the video… It might be a bit spooky for them.

The new clip’s pretty wild too - how’d it come about?

My brother lent me a crazy devil mask that I always witnessed while growing up. I decided to incorporate it into my video in order to disarm the terrifying association we had with it when we were little.

Earlier this year you dropped ‘Rainy Day’ and now you’re back with ‘My New Family’, but there’s also been a heap of mini songs and clips that you’ve been posting on social media in the meantime. Any chance you can tell us what you’re planning?

I’m working on an album of one-minute songs, along with another album conceptualised as a "journal of my early youth". 'My New Family' is one of these songs, offered vicariously through - you guessed it - my new family!

You’ve also got a bit of an all-star band playing with you at the moment - want to fill us in?

There are some top dogs onboard for the Hugh Fuchsen experience; members of Eddy Dillon, Swamp, Hotel Fifteen Love, and last but not least, beloved Alex Fairbridge.

How’s the rest of 2018 shaping up for Hugh Fuchsen?

I’m going to USA to visit my family and do a few solo shows in late July, and I’ll continue to deliver songs to my Instagram fans until I have about 30 minutes worth of them.