Sydney roots rock outfit Joeys Coop have announced the release of their third album, Sawdust Memories, due on July 3, alongside a national run of shows stretching across the second half of 2026. The band has also unveiled the album’s lead single, In The Pines, which arrives today and will be officially launched at Sydney’s MoshPit venue on June 25.
by Paul Cashmere
The release marks a significant new chapter for a group whose members have long been fixtures of Australia’s independent music scene. While Joeys Coop have maintained a relatively low public profile since their formation, the band’s line-up includes musicians whose careers stretch back decades through influential Australian acts including Died Pretty, Decline of the Reptiles and Glide.
For followers of Australian alternative rock, Sawdust Memories represents a meeting of several generations of Sydney underground music. Joeys Coop centres around the songwriting partnership of Brett Myers and vocalist Mark Roxburgh. Myers is best known for his work with Died Pretty, where his distinctive guitar style helped shape the band’s sound alongside the late Ron S. Peno. Roxburgh emerged from the same inner-city Sydney scene as frontman of Decline of the Reptiles, a group that became a Triple J favourite during the mid-1980s and recorded for the influential Waterfront Records label.
Joining Myers and Roxburgh in Joeys Coop are Marc Lynch of Glide and Lloyd Gyi, whose résumé includes work with Perry Keyes and Dave Warner. Together, the musicians draw on a broad range of influences that span alternative country, classic guitar rock, melodic pop and roots music.
The band has described its sound as a blend of “a touch of the Velvets, a reasonable dose of melodic pop, add a good shot of alternative country and follow it with a blues chaser”, while also acknowledging influences ranging from The Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground through to Wilco, Big Star and their own previous projects.
Sawdust Memories follows two earlier Joeys Coop albums released through the now-defunct Sydney independent label Citadel Records. For the new project, the group has elected to operate independently, overseeing the release themselves. The album features ten new songs and arrives during a period when veteran Australian independent artists are increasingly taking control of their own distribution and promotion channels.
The first taste of the album, In The Pines, provides listeners with a preview of the band’s latest direction. The single launch at MoshPit in Newtown will feature support from Johnny Batchelor and The Exile Co.
Alongside the album release, Joeys Coop have announced a lengthy tour schedule covering New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The run includes an album launch appearance at the Mullum Roots Festival in Mullumbimby during July and festival dates, headline shows and special guest appearances through to November.
The band has also introduced an unconventional funding initiative connected to the album, offering a Sawdust Memories wine selection for sale. The release reflects a growing trend among independent artists seeking alternative revenue streams as touring and recording costs continue to rise across the music industry.
For Myers and Roxburgh, the project represents the latest chapter in careers that began in Australia’s post-punk and alternative rock movements of the late 1970s and 1980s. Both musicians evolved from earlier bands before establishing themselves within Sydney’s flourishing independent music scene, and more than four decades later continue to collaborate on new material.
With Sawdust Memories now imminent, Joeys Coop are poised to bring a wider audience to a band whose pedigree has often been overlooked despite the experience and history of its members.
Joeys Coop Tour Dates
25 June 2026, Newtown, MoshPit
11 July 2026, Mullumbimby, Mullum Roots Festival
12 July 2026, Mullumbimby, Mullum Roots Festival
18 July 2026, Bellingen, Federal Hotel
22 August 2026, Newtown, Union Hotel
28 August 2026, Canberra, Smiths Alternative
30 August 2026, Woy Woy, Link & Pin
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
Ticketing and album pre-orders are available via the band’s Bandcamp page.
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