Photo by: Ophelia Symons
Official press release:
Australia’s genre-bending Windwaker — vocalist Liam Guinane, guitarist Justin Keurntjes, bassist Indey Salvestro, drummer Chris Lalic, and synths/samples specialist Connor Robins — will release their third album, smile, you’re on camera. on October 23 through Fearless Records. Pre-order it here.
Alongside the album announcement, the band, who wrapped its first-ever headline U.S. tour this past spring, has shared the video for new single “closer”, which was co-written by and with additional production from Dan Braunstein.
Watch it here.
The song explores the arrival at a crossroads and deciding whether to give up and pursue normalcy or keep going and fight the good fight; it’s an existential battle that most of us face and Windwaker effectively set it to a post-industrial, alt-metal anthem. The lyrical “Do I or don’t I” is matched by the song’s push and pull intensity. Alternately smooth and glitchy verses are folded into stadium-ready choruses and breakdowns so deep they could cause an oceanic earthquake. The band explains:
“‘closer’ is an allegory for the struggles of being in a band dealing with rejection, self-doubt, and the resilience in spite of that to keep going with something you’ve given everything to. It’s a message for all to keep trying and strive further toward their goals. This song is the first on the album to highlight a point in life where you have to make the heavy decision to either jump ship and pivot toward a ‘normal life’ or to keep sacrificing in favor of something you’ve invested so much into.”
As a whole, smile, you’re on camera. ruminates on the weight of time and growth, struggles and sacrifice for the better life and authenticity in spite of a world full of superficial and sinister characters and bad actors. It’s a collection of catchy, energetic and heartfelt songs. The album offers a more guitar-forward and gritty, analog-focused backdrop compared to its predecessor, HYPERVIOLENCE, while encapsulating the eclectic signature sound of Windwaker up to this point. The album is highly introspective and does not follow a linear narrative, instead presenting a series of personal reflections and snapshots that capture the emotional highs and lows of this period. It’s a celebration of how far the band has come and a candid look at the pressure of being seen, leaving listeners with a sense of both resolution and ongoing evolution.
Ultimately, Windwaker’s music effectively results from a chemical reaction between rock, alternative, metal, pop, punk, electronic, and hip-hop. The band serves as the common denominator on an endlessly rotating carousel of styles, splicing stadium-size hooks, swaggering rhythms, gnashing guitars, and jaw-droppingly dynamic vocals into one unpredictable sound. The band has constantly pushed the envelope, taking flight into rarified air as an outlier. They already made a hyperspace-size jump musically from Love Language [2022] to HYPERVIOLENCE [2024]. The latter spawned “SIRENS”, which gathered 9 million Spotify streams and counting. In response to the highlight “Fractured State of Mind”, OnesToWatch raved, “Simultaneously brutal and beautiful, the ferocious new track explores the aftershocks of lost love and is sure to be an instant hit for those in need of a therapeutic rage session.” In a 10/10 review, Distorted Sound predicted, “HYPERVIOLENCE has the energy of a band about to make it big.” Plus, Melodic Magazine hailed “their genre-warping take on modern metalcore.” Along the way, they notably shared stages with everyone from Motionless In White and I Prevail to Beartooth and Caskets, among others.
smile, you’re on camera track listing:
- “low”
- “closer”
- “click.” (With RinRin)
- “do or die”
- “dna”
- “burn”
- “victory lap”
- “lie to me”
- “wait for me”
- “loser” feat. Mikaila Delgado (Yours Truly)
- “overlord”
- “some days”
