Thigh Master

Australian indie rock outfit Thigh Master emphasized guitars, hooks, and high energy while merging melodic warmth with gritty, unpolished production values. Anxious lyrical content and pop instincts shaped by Flying Nun formed the core of their recorded work, evident on the 2019 album Now for Example.

The group came together in Brisbane in 2012 after brothers Matthew and Daniel Ford left their prior, more psychedelic project Black Vacation in search of a setting that would highlight Matthew’s sharp songwriting. Drummer Patrick Byron completed the initial roster alongside the Ford siblings. Their debut 7-inch, “Head of the Witch,” appeared in 2014, followed the next year by the second single “Songs to Wipe Your Mouth To.” Multiple lineup shifts occurred before the 2016 full-length debut Early Times, an album assembled from recordings made across various studios and rehearsal rooms during a three-year span; several members had already departed by the time of release. The configuration stabilized with Matthew on guitar and Daniel on bass, joined by second guitarist Innez Tulloch and drummer Dusty Anastassious. Extensive touring ensued, including shows in Japan. After issuing several singles in the intervening years, the band delivered its sophomore effort Now for Example in 2019 via the established American garage punk imprint Goner Records, with a lengthy U.S. tour subsequently scheduled to support the release.