Melbourne’s newly formed art-rock collective Bleak Squad—comprised of four luminaries from the Australian music scene—have unveiled their third single and music video, “Blue Signs”, ahead of their debut album Strange Love.
A brooding, atmospheric offering, the clip blends live footage from the group’s very first performances—warm-up shows in regional Victoria—with scenic, B-roll stylistics captured and edited by lead vocalist Adalita herself
Accompanying previous releases such as “Lost My Head” and the title track “Strange Love” (written by Adalita and Mick Turner), “Blue Signs” underscores the noir-inflected rock tone Bleak Squad are establishing leading up to the album’s Friday, 22 August release via Poison City Records.
These early singles come packaged with a cinematic flair—particularly the DIY music video, which Adalita describes as “a classic band montage with added atmospheric elements,” integrating footage from tourn and creative shoots
It follows the band’s debut live —two sold-out shows at Meeniyan and Queenscliff Town Halls in early August—whose footage is featured prominently and sets the stage for their upcoming headline slots: Sydney’s City Recital Hall (11 October) and Melbourne’s Recital Hall (16 October). The Sydney performance will be a particularly electric affair, with Ed Kuepper and Jim White joining for a powerhouse double bill.
The band’s live debut and upcoming shows include:
Fri 1 August – Queenscliff Town Hall (warm-up; sold out)
Sat 2 August – Meeniyan Town Hall (warm-up; sold out)
Sat 11 October – City Recital Hall, Sydney
Thu 16 October – Recital Hall, Melbourne
A Brief Musical History of Bleak Squad’s Members
Adalita (Adalita Srsen)
The frontwoman of Magic Dirt, Adalita launched her solo career in 2011 with her self-titled debut, earning critical acclaim and nominations such as Best Independent Artist and Best Solo Release at AIR and ARIA Awards.
Her second solo record, All Day Venus, followed in 2013, further consolidating her profile with nods at the Music Victoria Awards.
In 2022, she released Inland, continuing her solo trajectory. In 2018, Magic Dirt reunited, playing festivals and tours—most notably being inducted into the National Live Music Awards Hall of Fame as Live Legends
Mick Harvey
A founding member of The Birthday Party (initially The Boys Next Door) alongside Nick Cave, Harvey played a pivotal role in the evolution of Australian post-punk music in the late 1970s and ’80s, even transitioning from guitar to drums as the band developed its chaotic sound in Berlin.
More recently, he’s released his first solo album in over a decade—Five Ways to Say Goodbye—in May 2024, featuring original compositions and reinterpretations of other artists’ songs
Mick Turner
Renowned as the guitarist and principal creative force behind instrumental trio Dirty Three, Turner has been active since the late 1970s through acts like Sick Things, The Moodists, and Venom P. Stinger. He’s also released four solo albums, blending textured guitar work with visual art, exhibited nationally and internationally. Dirty Three themselves have received ARIA nominations and awards, recently again in 2024 for Best Australian Live Act
Marty Brown
Best known for his work with Art of Fighting and collaborations with artist Claire Bowditch, Brown brought the idea of Bleak Squad together—“sitting around Fitzroy pool one summer”, he reached out to these musicians, sensing a shared organic and spontaneous approach to making music.
Bleak Squad’s debut album, Strange Love, is an exploration of love, loss, and atmospheric tension. The group recorded most tracks in just two takes at Melbourne’s Head Gap Studios, aiming to capture raw immediacy. The album features brooding guitars, slippery basslines, organ drones, Turner’s distinctive guitar squalls, and dual lead vocals from Adalita and Harvey.
The tracklist offers glimpses of the band’s moody narrative:
Lost My Head
World Go to Hell
Everything Must Change
Let Go of Love
Blue Signs
Strange Love
Safe As Houses
Ghost of The Bad Humour Man
Melanie
Bleak Squad
With each member bringing a distinct musical legacy, Strange Love is both familiar and unexpected in its noir-rock gravitas. As Adalita reflects, it’s the first time she’s truly felt part of a band outside her own solo career and Magic Dirt, and she describes the experience as surreal, exhilarating, and inspiring
