The Korgis Join Forces With Australian Guitarist Joe Matera For ‘Coffee In New York’ Album

English pop-rock survivors The Korgis are back in 2025 with a brand-new collaborative album, teaming up with Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist Joe Matera. The project, titled Coffee In New York, will be released on October 24, 2025, via Renaissance Records in the USA on both vinyl and CD.

The album combines new Korgis material with a fresh 2025 reimagining of the band’s signature song, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”, alongside original tracks co-written and performed with Matera.

Formed in Bristol in 1978, The Korgis were founded by Andy Davis and James Warren, both former members of cult prog-pop group Stackridge. Where Stackridge leaned towards quirky English pastoral pop, The Korgis refined their sound into pure, melodic new wave, catching the mood of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

The band’s self-titled debut album arrived in 1979 and featured the UK Top 20 hit If I Had You. But it was the release of their second album, Dumb Waiters, in 1980 that changed everything.

That record contained Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime, a haunting ballad with a simple yet devastating lyric, “Change your heart, look around you”, and a lush, melancholy arrangement that cemented The Korgis’ place in pop history. The song went to No. 5 in the UK, Top 20 in the US, and charted across Europe and Australia. Its legacy has endured with countless covers over the decades, from Beck’s moody version for the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack to reworkings by Zucchero, Baby D, and Erasure.

The fact that The Korgis have chosen to revisit it in 2025 suggests their own belief in the song’s enduring relevance.

Coffee In New York is a meeting of worlds. Alongside the new take on Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime, the record includes three songs The Korgis and Matera have previously shared digitally: Red Flag Day, Always A Sunny Day, and Letter To Geelong. Each of these tracks features Matera trading lead vocals with the group as well as adding his guitar work.

The album also highlights Matera’s own songwriting, with his tracks Overload and Only One included in the set. Korgis guitarist Al Steele contributes two tracks of his own to complete the record, making Coffee In New York a true three-way collaboration rather than simply a band-plus-guest project.

For Australian fans, Joe Matera is a familiar face. A veteran of the Melbourne rock scene, Matera has built a career that straddles both performance and journalism. As a guitarist, he first came to prominence with the Australian rock band Geisha in the late 2000s before establishing himself as a solo artist. His discography includes albums such as Terra Firma (2012) and Louder Than Words (2014).

Matera has also made a name internationally, with tours across Europe and collaborations with artists such as Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel), Rick Springfield, and Darryl Cotton. In addition to his recording career, Matera is a respected music journalist, contributing to magazines including Classic Rock, Guitar World, and Metal Hammer. This unique dual perspective has given him an insight into the music industry that few artists can claim.

Working with The Korgis represents another major chapter in Matera’s career, bringing together his love of melodic pop with one of the UK’s most enduring bands of the era.

What makes Coffee In New York compelling is the way it bridges musical generations and geographies. The Korgis’ legacy as quintessential British pop craftsmen dovetails with Matera’s Australian rock sensibilities and Steele’s songwriting, creating a record that is both rooted in tradition and forward-looking.

Coffee In New York, credited to The Korgis/Joe Matera/Al Steele, will be released on October 24, 2025, through Renaissance Records in the USA. The album will be available on both vinyl and CD formats.

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Tagged as: 80s, Australia, Joe Matera, pop, The Korgis, UK