Hobsons Bay Coast Guard remain at the forefront of genre-bending in Melbourne’s DIY scene, skilfully navigating the seas of psychedelic surf, punk, and experimental pop since their formation in 2017. Their uncompromising self-produced catalog reflects a dedication to the craft, capturing the creative energy and innovation that defines their sound.

With two full LPs already under their belt (Hobsons Bay Coast Guard – 2019, Tubular Swells – 2021) and their third, Weather Report, knocking at the door, Hobsons Bay Coast Guard is committed to delivering full album experiences for dedicated listeners. With instrumentation full of surprise and audacity, and lyrics rich with movement and metaphor, every track feels like a colourful new scene of a larger play.

Their catalog features songs about the sea, songs about friendship and love – and on the upcoming new album – songs about natural disasters and their relation to the human experience. This immersive approach to music-making promises that each release is an odyssey, created for ears that crave the nuances of an artfully crafted concept record.

Following the single ‘Earthquake’, HBCG unleash the wild, tropical sound of ‘Monsoon’. The song is another tumbling cascade of Day-Glo sounds and melodies, like Animal Collective swept up in a chaotic fun-filled moshpit. Guitars chop and dance over a frantic backbeat as the band sing about accepting the changes in your life.

“The ‘Monsoon’ is the torrent of obstacles and adversity that comes with the arrival of a new chapter. When we were making this album we were all taking a lot of time off from our hospo and teaching jobs and starting to stress out about money,” says Chris Loftis. “After three months with very little income, you start to wonder what the fuck you’re doing trying to make cool music when the future looks pretty scary and broke. This song was our way of dealing with how we were feeling and is a reminder that the storm comes and goes, so you might as well enjoy the cleansing nature of the rain!”

Erik Scerba reveals some of the secret sonic sauce behind the mind-bending guitar sounds on the single. “My partner’s dad let me borrow one of his old pedals. It was this really wild Ibanez flanger from the 80s. I realised that it created some really interesting noises if you turned everything on full, so I ended up just going wild with it during recording and chucking it into this really bad demo I made of the song. We ended up using it for the final mix!”

The Hobsons’ live experience is no less unique. Abandoning the pretensions of the often long-faced and smug art world, the six-piece’s electrifying stage presence is about fun and only fun. Five voices join in Brian Wilson-esque harmonies layered over percussive rhythms and driving punk-like guitars.

With the backing of their committed cult-following in their hometown of Melbourne, 2025 is set to see the band spread their surf-rock tentacles even further across Australia and beyond.