Thornbury (Vic) duo, Agnes Blue are back at it with a brand new single, which takes a meaty bite out of an Australian way of life, and drowns it with a smoke and a coke. ‘Pie, Coke, Ciggie’ is the latest offering from the duo, written tongue in cheek about the standard diets that vocalist/guitarist Jack Blandford witnessed consuming daily on construction sites.

It’s an anthemic, fast-pace rock song designed to get heads bopping and stomachs growling.

‘Pie, Coke, Ciggie’ is about as Australian indie-punk as you can get, with Agnes Blue creating observational lyricism, blending in piss-taking, while still bringing attention to a darker way of life that is all too common. Even the main guitar hook is playfully mocking with its own call and response. From a Dune Rats-ish slacker verse/chorus sound, to a more 70s phaser-drenched pub rock guitar solo, it’s an ode to pointing our mundanity, and giving a shove to change that mindset.

Agnes Blue guitarist and vocalist, Jack Blandford, wrote the track almost 5 years ago when working on a construction site in Central Qld. “These guys would come to work and at lunchtime every single day, without fail, they would have the same thing; a pie, can of coke and a dart. As a vego, I thought it was kind of crazy to start with, and then I was more intrigued as to how they were still a functioning human being with such a bad diet. So, I just thought it would be a funny thing to write a song about” said Jack, the band’s songwriter.

Underneath the light-hearted topic of lunch choices, the song also details some other topics about construction work that isn’t so funny. Front man Jack says “While it was certainly eye-opening, it was unfortunately not surprising to witness the blatant racism and sexism that men seemed to talk about or make comments about at work. There is way more work to be done in terms of making those environments a better place for everyone to work. As a young man, it was so difficult to not argue or say things back to these old guys, who would have made life hell if I told them they were being racist f**ks”.

With a garage-rock sound, fuzz drenched guitar riffs and heaving beats on the kit, ‘Pie, Coke, Ciggie’ is the perfect blend of rock, indie, blues and a unique Australian way of telling a story.

After kicking off the year with a packed show at the Cactus Room in Thornbury, the 2-piece from Melbourne then made the trek up to Mt Hotham in Victoria’s alpine region to support local legends Destrends at the General Store Hotel. They packed the dancefloor again with their soaring indie rock sound, combined with the band’s stomping heavy blues tracks.

You’ll be able to catch them in September at this year’s Spring In The Vale (Miriam Vale, near Agnes Waters).

‘Pie, Coke, Ciggie’ is out now on all streaming platforms.