Following on from their evocative debut EP Come So Far last year, Oceans have returned with a brand new release in tow - a four-track collection of performances caught at Dangertone Studios that captures some highlights from Oceans’ live set while introducing the project’s expanded six-piece band in an immersive and technicolour fashion. Considering the band began life as the solo project of songwriter and producer Thomas Lee, Live at Dangertone Studios seems like it will exist as a well-timed stepping stone as well as a captivating standalone piece, and today we’ve got a first taste with an intoxicating cover of The Go-Betweens ‘Bachelor Kisses’.

Building on the swelling atmosphere and desolate grooves of the original version, Oceans’ take on ‘Bachelor Kisses’ embeds the track with the band’s signature shoegaze-y charm, unravelling around a slowburning backbeat as illuminative layers of guitar and synth tangle against the soft vocals shared between Thomas and Mayzie Lee. Their version is a little more hazy and ethereal than the original, but this elusive delivery manages to elevate the track to an otherworldly level, which is only reinforced by the moody lighting and stoic performances captured to film at the studio.

Speaking about the decision to cover this particular track, Thomas shared “Oceans started as a band roughly two years ago before the start of the pandemic. In that time while we were finding our sound we played a number of covers to get accustomed to playing as a group. ‘Bachelor Kisses’ by The Go-Betweens was suggested by our guitarist Dwayne, who shares a hometown connection with the indie rock group, and it immediately felt like a song that combined our best attributes as a band”. In revealing the band’s chemistry and simultaneously luring us in with an Australian pop classic, it’s a compelling way to introduce fans to the next phase of Oceans while leaving us curious to uncover more at any of the band’s upcoming shows.