Sons of the East

The indie folk trio came together in Sydney's Northern Beaches region during 2011, at first drawing from the energetic yet accessible style associated with Mumford & Sons. Their sound had evolved considerably, however, when Palomar Parade arrived in 2022 as their long-awaited first album, now reflecting the styles of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Jack Rollins and Daniel Wallage had known each other since they were two years old and continued their friendship through high school. During childhood, Rollins picked up the didgeridoo and ukulele, then took up the guitar upon turning 15, while Wallage started with self-taught guitar lessons before shifting focus to the banjo. After finishing school, the two began performing together, and Wallage brought in Nic Johnston, a keyboard player he encountered during Aussie Rules football matches. Rollins naturally took the lead with his strong, raspy singing voice, yet Johnston's smoother delivery offered a pleasing contrast and led to him handling vocals on certain tracks.

Their initial single, the banjo-driven "Hold On," came out independently in March 2013 and formed part of a self-titled EP released in August of that year. Also included on the EP was "Come Away," which Rollins and Wallage viewed as their earliest substantial songwriting collaboration. Following a relatively inactive period spanning a couple of years, the Already Gone EP appeared in 2015, accompanied by the single "Into the Sun." A selection of independent singles emerged across 2016 and 2017, highlighted by the atmospheric, pop-oriented "Hold on, We're Going Home," which evoked Crowded House alongside Squeeze.

In 2018, Sons of the East played at SXSW and delivered a sold-out performance in Zurich, Switzerland, marking their largest headlining concert up to that point. Burn Right Through, their third EP, surfaced toward the end of 2019 and incorporated harmonies reminiscent of the U.S. West Coast on numbers like "It Must be Luck." They closed out the year with a lighthearted take on Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere" plus a new version of "Come Away" featuring harmonica in the manner of Neil Young.

June 2020 saw the release of "Inappropriate Behaviour," which adhered to a familiar acoustic folk approach, but "You Might Think" the following October introduced breathy synths and programmed beats, signaling a fresh direction influenced by Springsteen and the War on Drugs. This direction continued with August 2021's "Millionaire" and May 2022's "What I Do." By the time Palomar Parade, their debut full-length, came out in September 2022, the band was nearing the conclusion of a 30-date European tour. The subsequent month brought their inaugural North American trek across the U.S. and Canada, strengthening their audience there.