Not content with having released a full album already this year, Sydney/Eora’s garage-rock quartet Before the King are already backing that up with a brand new single, ‘Cold Shoulder’.

Produced and mixed by Chloe Dadd (Polish Club, The Buoys), and mastered by Christian Wright (Fontaines D.C.), ‘Cold Shoulder’ is the first taste up the band’s upcoming new EP, ‘All That You Know’.

‘Cold Shoulder’ expands on Before the King’s garage rock foundations, with a slightly boosted, bolder tone, with the guitars dialling back on the brightness, and added some depth. The drums are playful, and the bass, with a slight bit of fuzz, gets some room to move, all of which support vocalist Dean Smusko’s laidback delivery, which suggests a late night storytelling of a hard relationship, told at last drinks. One can’t quite tell if the slight crack in Dean’s vocals, particularly towards the end, is from heartbreak or relief (or both), in any which case makes for a song that has melancholic bounce, authentic in its sound, and organically rich.

Dean Smusko talks about the meaning behind ‘Cold Shoulder’:

“‘Cold Shoulder’ was the last song I wrote about one of my ex-girlfriends. The relationship was traumatic, and often toxic - releasing this song is like a full-stop for that chapter of my life.”

To celebrate the release, the band will be performing a launch show at Sydney’s iconic Lansdowne Hotel on August 27. This continues from having shared stages with the likes of Mel Blue, Thunder Fox, The Million and The Lazy Eyes, and selling out headline shows at hometown venues The Chippo Hotel and Waywards at The Bank Hotel. The group also organised and performed at Your Mates Down South, a sold-out fundraiser gig that raised over $3,000 for the NSW and QLD floods in early 2022.

Before the King’s previous releases have been widely embraced by online blogs and Australian radio tastemakers such as Triple J Unearthed, FBi and more.

Outside of the musical realm, the band have also had a burrito from Beach Burrito named after them and raised money for organisations like anti-slavery non-profit The Freedom Hub.

Before the King’s ‘Cold Shoulder’ is out now on all streaming platforms.