Airbourne have released their sixth studio album, Airbourne, with a new video for “Kid In A Candy Store” accompanying the record’s arrival.
by Paul Cashmere
Australian hard rock band Airbourne have released their self-titled sixth studio album, Airbourne, on September 4 through Spinefarm Records, marking the Warrnambool band’s first full-length studio release since 2019’s Boneshaker. The album was recorded in Australia with producer Brian Howes, engineer Mike Fraser, mixer Zakk Cervini and mastering engineer Ted Jensen. The band has also released a video for “Kid In A Candy Store”, the fourth song issued from the 12-track record.
The new album continues Airbourne’s long-established commitment to a direct, guitar-led form of hard rock. Joel O’Keeffe on vocals and lead guitar, Ryan O’Keeffe on drums, Justin Street on bass and Brett Tyrrell on rhythm guitar recorded the album primarily at Music Farm Studio near Byron Bay before completing the sessions at Hothouse Studios in Melbourne.
For Airbourne, the recording process was deliberately rooted in Australian rock history. Music Farm houses the original Neve console from Albert Studios in Sydney, where early records by AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and The Angels were recorded. The studio also contains Malcolm Young’s eight-track Neve equipment. Hothouse Studios provided another connection to the Alberts era through its Neve console, while also representing a return to the Melbourne studio where Airbourne recorded their first EP.
The sessions were not without complications. The band encountered severe weather, technical problems with vintage equipment and hazardous wildlife around the Byron Bay property. A tropical storm in particular became part of the creative process and helped inspire “Here She Comes”.
“It was like a hurricane came through,” Ryan O’Keeffe said. “I remember screaming, ‘Get away from the windows!’ Streetie [Justin Street] was sleeping in an old bus outside the studio, and a tree fell right next to it and almost crushed him!”
Joel O’Keeffe said the storm became the starting point for the song. “That’s how the song came about. It’s just out of this storm that blew in. Everyone was sitting there going, ‘Here she comes!’ Then we flipped it, and it became a bit of a double entendre. It’s so much fun.”
“Here She Comes” follows “Gutsy”, “Christmas Bonus” and “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)” as the songs used to introduce the album. “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)” reached No. 1 at German Rock Radio, according to the supplied material.
“Kid In A Candy Store”, the album’s fourth advance track, is framed in the tradition of classic Australian hard rock, with the band specifically identifying AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” as a reference point. Its accompanying video, directed by P.R. Brown, combines footage from the recording sessions with imagery inspired by the wildlife encountered during the band’s time at Music Farm.
The production team brings several established Airbourne collaborators back into the fold. Brian Howes previously produced the band’s 2013 album Black Dog Barking, while Mike Fraser engineered No Guts. No Glory. and Breakin’ Outta Hell. Zakk Cervini, whose credits include Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and Evanescence, handled the mixing, with Ted Jensen responsible for mastering.
Joel O’Keeffe described the album as the culmination of an extended process. “Our aim from the start was to create something iconic, gargantuan,” he said. “It’s a rocket we’ve been building and building; we’ve filled it with fuel, now we’re ready to let it go.”
Ryan O’Keeffe similarly described the recording as an opportunity to consolidate the band’s musical identity. “We said, this is it, let’s make the oracle,” he said. “And if we’re going to do it, no corner can be cut. All of the things we love most about rock’n’roll are on this record. I firmly believe it’s our very best work.”
The album also extends Airbourne’s association with established figures from the broader rock songwriting community, with Bryan Adams and Mutt Lange contributing to selected material.
Airbourne is the band’s first studio album with Brett Tyrrell as a full-time member. Tyrrell joined after a succession of rhythm guitarists followed founding member David Roads’ departure in 2017. Jarrad Morrice had held the role before Tyrrell’s arrival in 2023.
The album follows five previous studio records beginning with Runnin’ Wild in 2007. That debut reached No. 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart and established Airbourne internationally. No Guts. No Glory. followed in 2010 and reached No. 19 in Australia and No. 4 in Germany. Black Dog Barking reached No. 17 in Australia and No. 5 in Germany in 2013.
Breakin’ Outta Hell, released in 2016, became one of Airbourne’s strongest charting albums, reaching No. 13 in Australia, No. 3 in Germany and No. 9 in the United Kingdom. Boneshaker, released in 2019, reached No. 14 in Australia and No. 7 in Germany.
The six-year gap between Boneshaker and Airbourne represents the longest interval between Airbourne studio albums. The new record nevertheless retains the band’s established four-piece configuration and production approach, while recording in Australia allowed the group to connect its latest work directly with the country’s hard rock recording history.
Airbourne is available now through Spinefarm Records.
Tracklisting
Gutsy
Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)
Here She Comes
Kid In A Candy Store
Sky High
Who Put The Rhythm In You?
Christmas Bonus
Last Man Standing
Rock ‘N’ Roll Ya
Bogotá
Hells Got No Vacancy
Send Me To Rock ‘N’ Roll Heaven
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