Joeys Coop, featuring Died Pretty guitarist Brett Myers alongside Decline of the Reptiles, Glide and Perry Keyes alumni, have released their third album, Sawdust Memories, and will continue their Australian tour through November.
by Paul Cashmere
Joeys Coop have released their third album, Sawdust Memories, following a run of performances across New South Wales and Victoria and ahead of further Australian dates through November. The Sydney-based group, built around singer and songwriter Mark Roxburgh and Died Pretty guitarist and songwriter Brett Myers, has spent more than a decade operating largely outside the spotlight despite the extensive history of its members in Australian independent music.
The album was released independently on July 3, following an album launch at Mullum Roots Festival in Mullumbimby on July 11 and 12. The band will continue its 2026 touring schedule with performances in Marrickville, Castlemaine, Ballarat and Brunswick during September, followed by shows in Newtown, Lismore and Brisbane in November.
Joeys Coop’s current line-up brings together musicians whose careers extend across several generations of Australian alternative and independent rock. Alongside Myers and Roxburgh are bassist Marc Lynch, formerly of Glide, and drummer and vocalist Lloyd Gyi, whose credits include Perry Keyes, The Atlantics and Dave Warner.
For listeners familiar with the members’ earlier work, Sawdust Memories represents a continuation of a musical relationship that connects several strands of Australia’s underground rock history. Myers helped establish Died Pretty’s guitar-driven sound from the band’s formation in Sydney in 1983, while Roxburgh fronted Decline of the Reptiles, a band associated with Sydney’s independent scene during the 1980s.
Joeys Coop was formed around 2012 to 2014 after Roxburgh began developing the idea of a collaborative project following the end of Decline of the Reptiles’ later activities. Myers became a key songwriting and musical partner, with the wider collective developing a sound that draws from alternative rock, roots music, melodic pop and alt-country. Noise11 previously reported that Sawdust Memories marked the group’s move away from its earlier relationship with Citadel Records and towards a fully independent release.
The band’s musical references include The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Wilco and Big Star, alongside the Australian traditions represented by Died Pretty and Decline of the Reptiles. Rather than attempting to recreate those earlier bands, Joeys Coop use the influences as part of a broader guitar-based vocabulary.
That distinction is significant when considering the history of Myers and Roxburgh. Died Pretty emerged from Sydney’s post-punk environment in the early 1980s, with Myers’ textured guitar work becoming a defining component of the band’s sound alongside the late Ron S. Peno’s distinctive vocals. Died Pretty subsequently recorded albums including Every Brilliant Eye, Doughboy Hollow, Trace and Sold, establishing a substantial catalogue across the late 1980s and 1990s.
Roxburgh’s Decline of the Reptiles developed in a parallel Sydney environment. The band became associated with Triple J and Waterfront Records during the mid-1980s, drawing on influences from American and British rock while developing its own place within Australia’s independent scene. Before Decline of the Reptiles, Roxburgh had also fronted ME 262, while Myers had been involved with Brisbane band The End.
Joeys Coop’s first album, Service Station Flowers, was released through Citadel Records in 2016. A second album followed before the group returned with Sawdust Memories. The new record contains ten songs and represents the band’s decision to handle the release independently.
The group has also adopted an unusual way of helping finance its touring activity, with a Sawdust Memories wine selection being offered alongside the album. The initiative reflects the practical economics facing independent musicians, where recording, manufacturing, promotion and touring can require revenue beyond conventional music sales and ticket income.
The remaining 2026 schedule keeps Joeys Coop active across three states and the ACT, with several afternoon performances among the dates. The September run begins in Marrickville before moving to Castlemaine, Ballarat and Brunswick. November brings shows at the Union Hotel in Newtown, Blah Bar in Lismore and Junk Bar in Brisbane.
For a band whose members have spent decades contributing to Australian independent music, Joeys Coop’s continued activity provides a direct link between the country’s post-punk history and its contemporary roots and alternative rock scene. Sawdust Memories is the latest chapter in that ongoing collaboration, with the band continuing to perform rather than relying solely on the reputations established by its members’ earlier projects.
Joeys Coop Tour Dates
13 September 2026, Marrickville, Marrickville Bowlo
18 September 2026, Castlemaine, Tap Room
19 September 2026, Ballarat, The Painted Lady
20 September 2026, Brunswick, Union Hotel
8 November 2026, Newtown, Union Hotel
28 November 2026, Lismore, Blah Bar
29 November 2026, Brisbane, Junk Bar
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