Last week, Australia’s charismatic hip-hop duo, Spit Syndicate revealed that their fourth album One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly is out Friday April 14 on Inertia Music. Today, Pedestrian TV premieres the latest single and video from the forthcoming album, “Hold On Me” featuring fellow One Day members Joyride & Solo (Horrorshow). The track is a euphoric ode to the heightened, unique closeness found when surrounded by those you have unwavering trust in and love for.
The bush-doof-inspired video follows the boys on the lush South Coast of NSW as they navigate beach and forest surroundings before a joyous reunion with a shaman-esque Joyride. Jimmy Nice and Nick Lupi of Spit Syndicate says the video’s location was fitting as “a fair chunk of this album was written and recorded on the NSW South Coast so it has a pretty special place in our hearts. Returning there to shoot this video made sense and, as you can see, was a whole lotta fun (perhaps too much).”
It was here, as various holiday houses were upended and turned into studios, that the collaborative energy which underpins One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly was unlocked by long-time collaborators and close friends Adit (Horrorshow), Freddy Crabs (Sticky Fingers) and Jono Graham (Left) who produced one half of the album.
One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly is the duo’s definitive work. Baring their joys, complexities and flaws in this raw and honest album, Australia’s most exciting hip hop duo have reset the agenda of what it means to be fly.
Stories of passion, parties, politics are woven among explorations of loss, love, and self worth. Spit Syndicate take away stigmas attached to these subjects, such as masculinity and mental health by shining light on them using their most powerful device: music.
Acclaimed Melbourne producer Styalz Fuego (Seth Sentry, Peking Duk) handles roughly half of the album’s production, including the singles “Know Better” and “Inhibitions”. Fuego is one of Australia’s most in-demand songwriters, and his chemistry with Nick & Jimmy results in some of the album’s standout tracks, such as “Late Nights” and “Houdini”, the latter featuring popular Melbourne MC Remi.
The duo describe this album as “at once the most personal and most collaborative record we’ve ever made” and the abundance of guest vocalists serves as further proof that the album’s title extends further than sharing clothes. “Not In My Name” with Indigenous singer Radical Son is an epic call to action in the current social climate that we can and should be expecting more from our leaders, our nation and ourselves.
“All Eyes” is an uplifting, catchy tune about how, when people you love and care about are shining, everybody wins – a common thread throughout the album. Stigmas are demolished in “Darling St”, as Australian songstress Thelma Plum explores themes of loss and growth amidst the breakdown of a relationship, while Kai, one half of Jackie Onassis, lends his vocals for “665” to engage in a dark, honest track highlighting introspective emotions of jealousy and self-worth.
At the core of this record, a unified attitude and collective drive is what has carried Spit Syndicate from their impressionable teenage years to their fourth and most polished album.
Put it on, share it around and get fly.