Released 30 August

Independent

Brisbane-based four-piece Forever on High are a fresh face in the Australian pop punk scene. Forming in 2023, they’ve come about at the tip of this new resurgence that the genre is currently celebrating and in their early beginnings thus far, Justin, Kevin, Will and Josh are here to ultimately keep the upbeat, positive spirit of pop punk alive. Through their short collection of tangible easy-listen tunes, they’re setting themselves up as a rising act to watch. Look, in a city like Brisbane where pop punk bands don’t seem to shine as bright as those in the bigger cities, it’s a big challenge to take on.

For their debut EP, Brand New Low, the boys have kicked off strong with the title track delivering a guest feature from international pop/rock heavyweights We The Kings. Ahhh, don’t we love the joys of social media, the Internet and putting together a collab with your idols? Featuring frontman Travis Clark’s ever-so-charming vocals for more than a verse, ‘Brand New Low‘ does extremely well in setting the listener up for what they’re in for, delivering supercharged pop punk energy complete with a “whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-ohh” singalong throughout the chorus.

“Brand New Low is a culmination of original songs which we have made that define who we are as a whole band sonically and lyrically. The track ‘Brand New Low’ features Travis from We The Kings which we’re super excited about as they were one of our favorite bands growing up and now they’re on our record. Overall this album combines something for everyone in this genre whether it be fast upbeat songs, deeper emotional songs, or just something chill to vibe to.”

– Forever On High

They can only get bigger from here, right? Follow-up track ‘Smoking Gun‘ sees vocalist Justin Torres chime in with sickeningly sweet vocals that transitions into a tremendously catchy singalong chorus. Tightened together with a bouncy riff, it’s a fun, upbeat track of wholesome pop punk that continues onto ‘Forgetting Yesterday’. Following in a similar key to 2000s icons Simple Plan and Sum 41, this track showcases effortless rock energy that catapults into an explosive post-chorus bridge.

The latter half of the EP sees the band inject some raw vulnerability into their lyrics, which aims to seep insight into their personality and longevity. While ‘Calling‘ simmers into the emotionally-charged anthem of our youth, it is the track following this that highlights Forever on High’s overarching potential. Kicking into a mid-tempo pop/rock riff that eventually builds into a soaring wave of contemporary alternative/rock, ‘Holding On‘ highlights their musical talent best on this debut. While keeping that punchy, infectious rock intact, they’ve managed to extrapolate and deliver a track that attempts to push their style further.

Forever On High have hit the ground running hard on their debut EP, offering straightfire catchy tunes that sits in the same ballpark as bands you grew up with. It also may be enough to garner attention in front of their influences (We The Kings, Simple Plan, State Champs). While Brand New Low maintains that contagious, youthful pop punk spirit, I would love to see how they can take this timeless sound and push it even further. This will ultimately be their next test in garnering international attention and becoming mainstays in the local scene.

Rating: 7/10

Review By Tamara May

Stream Brand New Low here

Forever on High – Brand New Low EP tracklisting:

1. Brand New Low (featuring We the Kings)

2. Smoking Gun

3. Forgetting Yesterday

4. Calling

5. Holding On

6. Brand New Low (Acoustic)

7. Smoking Gun (Acoustic)

8. Calling (Acoustic)