Australian punk/hardcore/emo outfit Hugs originally grew out of a few chance meetings at house shows in Wollongong and Sydney, which turned into some jam sessions. Things moved rapidly from there: live shows ensued, and a single soon followed, with the propulsive Palpate becoming the first taste of Hugs for many. Shortly following the release of Palpate, Hugs were signed to the roster of Brisbane’s Team Glasses Records, sharing a fierce commitment to DIY ethics and grassroots community-building as their label.
On their forthcoming EP, In Bones, Hugs demonstrates affection for and mastery of a wide variety of styles. “What we tried to do on our EP was take the twinkly guitar sound of Midwest emo and put it in different musical contexts,” Thomas Kelly notes.
While at some points wearing their influences on their sleeve, new single Title Jr. is a nimble fusion of Title Fight’s gruff and desperate melodic hardcore with Dinosaur Jr’s gnarly pop-sludge and Hugs’ own brand of twinkly power pop, the EP shows the instant amiable chemistry between talented musicians that know exactly what they want to do, and exactly how to make it happen.
