Australian indie rock favourites The Temper Trap have unveiled the stunning cinematic video for their latest single ‘Giving Up Air’, filmed at London’s iconic Trellick Tower and directed by Andrea Banjanin (The Vaccines, Geowulf). The emotionally charged clip captures the intimate story of a young father and his teenage son navigating grief and connection, mirroring the song’s raw themes of struggle, responsibility and hope.
Frontman Dougy Mandagi makes a brief but powerful cameo, grounding the clip in the band’s signature mix of introspection and atmosphere. The single, which has already surpassed 2.5 million streams, showcases The Temper Trap’s ability to merge soaring synth textures with deeply human storytelling.
“‘Giving Up Air’ is a very important song for me,” says Mandagi. “It’s about a life-changing moment and the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one in tragic circumstances – from the initial shock to sorrow and then anger, and finding glimmers of hope somewhere in between.”
The Temper Trap will round out the year with a run of sold-out east coast Australian shows this weekend before heading overseas for performances in London, Canada, New York and Los Angeles. They’ll return home for a key slot at Beyond The Valley Festival to close out 2025.
The Temper Trap’s story began in Melbourne in 2005, when Indonesian-born Mandagi teamed up with bassist Jonathon Aherne and drummer Toby Dundas. Initially an indie pop outfit, the band quickly found their sound – atmospheric rock driven by Mandagi’s ethereal vocals and shimmering guitars. Their early EP, The Temper Trap, released in 2006 via Liberation Music, hinted at what was to come, earning them spots on Australian festival stages like Laneway and V Festival.
It was their 2009 debut album, Conditions, that turned them into an international phenomenon. Recorded partly in Melbourne and London, the record delivered the breakout hit ‘Sweet Disposition’, which became one of the defining anthems of the late 2000s. The track broke into the Top 10 in the UK, Belgium and Ireland, and hit No.14 in Australia, propelling the band to global attention.
The song’s success earned The Temper Trap two ARIA Awards in 2010 – Best Group and Most Popular Australian Single – and an APRA Award for Song of the Year. They toured relentlessly, playing Glastonbury, Oxegen, Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass, Roskilde and V Festival, and their soaring soundtracks appeared in films, commercials and television around the world.
Their 2012 self-titled second album, The Temper Trap, continued their evolution, landing them another ARIA Award for Best Rock Album and a second consecutive Best Group win. Singles like ‘Need Your Love’ and ‘Trembling Hands’ showcased a broader sonic palette, blending indie rock, electronica and pop.
The band shared stages with Coldplay on their Mylo Xyloto world tour and even opened for The Rolling Stones in 2013. Though guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto departed that year, The Temper Trap pressed on, refining their sound with the release of their third album, ‘Thick As Thieves’ in 2016. The album’s title track and follow-up single ‘Fall Together’ marked a return to the anthemic energy of Conditions while exploring new rhythmic and emotional terrain.
In 2018, the group supported Imagine Dragons on their Australian and New Zealand Evolve World Tour, reaffirming their place as one of Australia’s most enduring international exports.
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