The album that launched us into the musical cosmos, the album that took us to thousands of venues across the world, the album that allowed us to forge deep connections with many a wonderful human along the way. So, for the 20th anniversary, we wanted to retain the spirit of this record on vinyl finally and for us that meant not changing a thing, the same haunting artwork and that same sonic atmosphere and urgency etched deep into the grooves of that record forever.
As well as the regular vinyl release, there will also be a special limited edition vinyl released via Dinked.
We went deep diving through the archives in an attempt to retrieve something magical from that time, I found a dusty old tote bag full of cassette tapes and CDs... magic! What I discovered was something even earlier than the album demos, my very first bedroom recordings of both ‘The Bell Hit’ and ‘The Night Is Young’. How I recorded all my demos and still do! Myself, a guitar, bass, keys and harmonies. As well, I discovered a couple songs from around the time of writing for the album, ‘Highway ‘99’ and ‘Sunken Eyes’. Listening back today, I appreciate just how special these 4 demos are. And so, we have had these tracks mastered for you on a bonus 7 inch to accompany the Dinked re-release.
We have also put together a homespun video for 'The Night Is Young - Bedroom Demo'. This video is a love letter of sorts to the Sydney we grew up in — the early 2000s, Bondi Beach and the inner city — where the three of us would write and play music together in between working, studying and surfing (well, Joel anyways), It’s about the first music venues we played at, the skaters we’d watch on the beach, our community of pals who chipped in to record videos and take photographs, the all-ages shows we went to, the city that gladly housed our youthful ambition.
And last, but definitely, not least… to mark the occasion, we will perform a special anniversary show at Hoxton Hall, London, on Friday 6 November 2026. Tickets will go on general sale on Friday 17th July at 10am BST….BUT we have a special ticket link for you to purchase tickets early!
CLICK HERE for access to tickets available Wednesday, July 15th at 10am!
See you there
X HBs
