Dom Mariani, one of Australia’s most enduring guitar-pop craftsmen, is back in full flight with World On Its Head, the shimmering new single leading into his long-awaited solo album Apple of Life, due 31 October through Alive Naturalsound Records.
The Fremantle-based singer, guitarist and songwriter has once again bottled his signature blend of melody, harmony and hook-driven guitar lines into a track that’s instantly recognisable yet utterly timeless. World On Its Head is the latest in a trio of singles, following Apple of Life and Jangleland, showcasing a collection of songs steeped in the rich power-pop tradition that Mariani helped define over four decades.
“For the most part of my musical career, I’ve been obsessed with melody, irresistible hooks and phrases – and propelling them forward with high-energy rock and roll guitar riffs,” Mariani says. “Then it’s about arranging and layering those riffs, weaving in vocal harmonies, and using a few tricks of the trade to fashion a song like World on Its Head… and you’ll have my ‘pop-sided guitar’ alter ego in full flight.”
Recorded in Fremantle, Apple of Life distills everything that’s made Mariani a cornerstone of Australian guitar music since the early 1980s, pure songcraft, crisp production and an ear for melody that transcends eras.
For Mariani, Apple of Life is a reaffirmation of his lifelong pursuit of great pop. Across projects like The Stems, DM3, The Someloves and Datura4, he’s stayed faithful to the craft of songwriting, bridging garage grit with pop clarity.
It’s a path that began in 1983 when Mariani co-founded The Stems, a band that quickly became a cult favourite on the Australian scene. Their 1987 album At First Sight, Violets Are Blue – packed with Mariani-penned gems like Make You Mine, Tears Me In Two and Sad Girl – was one of the highest-selling independent albums of its time. Ian McFarlane described The Stems as “one of the best live bands on the Australian scene”, while At First Sight became an enduring Australian classic, even featuring in the film Young Einstein.
Following The Stems’ split, Mariani teamed up with Daryl Mather of the Lime Spiders to form The Someloves, whose 1990 album Something or Other remains one of Australian pop’s hidden treasures – all glistening guitars and radiant harmonies. When The Someloves ended, Mariani formed DM3, arguably his definitive power-pop project, whose albums One Times, Two Times, Three Red Light and Road to Rome (produced by Mitch Easter) earned international acclaim.
American pop writer John M. Borack ranked Road to Rome among the 200 greatest power pop albums ever, calling it “a sublime concoction of equal parts ’90s pop power and ’60s melodicism”. In 2007, Borack would later name Mariani “one of the top five pop titans of the past couple of decades”.
Mariani never stopped exploring. His instrumental project The Majestic Kelp delivered surf-lounge cool, while The DomNicks – with Nick Sheppard of The Clash – fused garage and soul on Super Real. More recently, Datura4 brought Mariani back to the stage with a hard rock edge, releasing four albums of blues-soaked boogie on Alive Naturalsound Records, the same label releasing Apple of Life.
Even as his bands changed, Mariani’s compass remained fixed on songcraft. “It’s always been about melody,” he told Noise11 in an earlier conversation, “about chasing that perfect pop moment that connects – whether it’s a garage riff or a jangly hook.”
With Apple of Life, Dom Mariani has found that moment again. The album captures a lifetime of musical evolution without losing the immediacy that’s always made his songs feel fresh.
After four decades, countless bands, and a catalogue that helped shape Australian power pop, World On Its Head proves Dom Mariani’s world still spins to the rhythm of a Rickenbacker.
Dom Mariani’s single ‘World On Its Head’ is out now on all streaming platforms. The album ‘Apple of Life’ is out 31 October via Alive Naturalsound Records.
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