Australian indie rock mainstays Moler return with Roky, the first single from their long-awaited album 69, due March 6, and confirm a run of Victorian launch dates for early 2026.
by Paul Cashmere
Moler have re-emerged in 2026 with renewed intent, unveiling the new single Roky as the latest preview of their forthcoming album 69, scheduled for release on March 6. The track signals the arrival of only the band’s second full-length studio album since their ARIA-nominated debut Golden Duck in 1997, a gap that underscores both the longevity and the patience behind Moler’s creative arc.
Roky began life as a series of guitar ideas from JJ McCann, inspired by the spirit and legacy of Roky Erickson. Those initial fragments were reshaped by bassist and vocalist Helen Cattanach into a commanding bass line that drives the song forward. From there, Moler built a dense, melodic framework that draws on shimmering alternative textures and post-punk guitar phrasing, grounded by a rhythmic pulse that leans into a glam-inflected, tribal stomp.
Lyrically, Roky reflects on unrequited love filtered through the digital age. The song interrogates how intimacy, expectation and desire are refracted through online interaction, asking whether connection remains authentic when romance is mediated by screens and curated identities. The refrain, “Could you be my bloody Valentine?”, cuts to the heart of that uncertainty, balancing yearning with self-awareness.
The single was recorded at Soundpark Studios with Andre ‘Idge’ Hehir, mixed by Helen Cattanach alongside Miguel Alonso, and mastered by longtime Moler collaborator Lindsay Gravina, whose history with the band stretches back to their earliest releases. Drummer Dave Peacock describes the track as a highlight of the recent sessions and a standout in the live set, noting the renewed energy that has emerged during the recording of 69.
That energy courses throughout the album. 69 is described by the band as a raw collision of fuzzy guitars, riot grrrl attitude and a 70s to 90s punk rock spirit, nostalgic in tone yet firmly forward-looking. Songwriting duties are shared instinctively, with individual ideas brought into the room and shaped collectively. The album opens with AI, written by Cattanach, which establishes a thematic foundation around artificial intelligence, human connection and self-awareness. I Just Need, penned by James, emerged from a lucid dream involving Alex Chilton and evolved into an intimate duet.
Elsewhere on the record, Crimson flips classic rock desire with unapologetic confidence, Springtime captures a fleeting moment of seasonal release, and Let Yourself Go leans into self-acceptance through a funk-inflected blues groove. Fun, the first song written by the current lineup, channels post-lockdown urgency, while Proper Remote spirals through paranoia and hallucination. Sonic Waiver sketches a dark, Orwellian landscape, and Roky anchors the album’s emotional core. Closing track Come Around, written by Peacock, offers a weary comedown, a breakup song reshaped in the studio into a fitting final exhale.
Moler’s story stretches back to St Kilda in the early 1990s, when the band first emerged under the name Snuff before adopting the Moler moniker in 1996. Their debut album Golden Duck arrived in 1997 via Infectious and Mushroom, earning an ARIA nomination for Best Rock Album and establishing the group as a force within Australia’s independent scene. After disbanding in 2001, Moler reformed in 2018, releasing the Work EP the following year and gradually rebuilding momentum through live shows and new material.
Now joined by JJ McCann, whose background includes The Drones and Nunchukka Superfly, Moler’s current lineup feels both revitalised and faithful to its origins. Cattanach has described the return to writing, recording and performing as a reconnection with long-time supporters and an opportunity to bring new listeners into the fold.
With Roky leading the way and 69 on the horizon, Moler are once again asserting their place in Australian indie rock, loud, melodic and committed to the long game.
Roky is out now.
Album 69 is out March 6.
Moler Upcoming Live Dates 2026
Saturday 21 February, Reservoir VIC, Desert Highways
Friday 13 March, Castlemaine VIC, Theatre Royal
Saturday 21 March, Collingwood VIC, The Tote
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
