Sarahstralia

Featuring a brand new unseen live video!

Hello friends. Sarah here. It’s been too long and I’ve had a nice little jaunt away in Australia but I’m back with a jetlag and stomach bug-fuelled update. Yes, I am indeed paler than ever, thank you for asking.

self (2025)

I’ll start by simply saying: trans women are women, and they are not a threat. What is a threat is the introduction of laws that reverse progress made by LGBTQ+ activists over many years - laws that are a direct attack on freedom and a step backwards for human rights.

I won’t be sharing photos of people celebrating their ‘win’. Instead, I encourage you to read this statement from TENI and buy your trans friends a coffee today. If you can, talk to your peers about why it’s important to be angry about yesterday’s news, and consider supporting Dublin’s Trans & Intersex Pride 2025. They don’t accept funding from corporations or political parties, and remain a grassroots pride: for the community, by the community.

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In a world filled with incredibly harrowing news, I can only hope our Substack brings a touch of escapism (despite my limited writing skills that is. I did actually do a writing course last year because I fancied myself an author for a few minutes but then realised my attention span could never).

While I was in Australia, I was working away editing a live video from our Dublin show in November at Vicar Street, which I’d love to share with you before posting it on socials. The clip is from a cover we did on the night, even though we never do covers (mostly because we can never agree on one. WHY won’t they let me do a Smash Mouth cover?).

Flashback to September: we were playing Eddie Vedder’s festival OHANA (flex) in California, when we met the members of Crowded House backstage. We’d been having a very LA day - think Dioralyte IV drips, natural wine bars backstage, Keanu Reeves ahead of you in the coffee line… you know, the usual - but we were especially excited to meet the Always Take the Weather With You legends.

It’s cool meeting career musicians because they don’t care what your TikTok following is - they just love music. We had some great chats about their time in Ireland, surfing on the west coast, and surviving life as a touring musician. They shared some brilliant words of wisdom and then asked if we’d be interested in joining them on their upcoming Australian tour.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it work (Cathy got married, and we had an Irish tour booked), but it was such an honour to be asked. So we did a cover of our favourite song of theirs. Their live version was recorded on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, which is a venue well and truly etched into my bucket list.

The video features clips taken by our friend and media powerhouse Ciara McMullan, stills by photo genius Glen Bollard, and the live song was recorded by everyone’s fave FOH engineer Frankie Pollard and mixed by drummer/producer extraordinaire Darragh Tibbs. I might’ve gotten too trigger happy with the cuts but sure that’s what the kids are into these days, right? You know the way Adolescence was one continuous shot? Just think of this as the opposite of that. Hopefully you like it.

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The girls have been writing while I’ve been away and I’ve heard some demos I’m very excited about. We’re back in the studio together tomorrow to go through some ideas and carve out some new ones. We’ve got some live announcements coming in the next few weeks so we’ll be building our setlist out for those shows too.

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While I was away I was listening to lots of new music. Some highlights include the Mount Palomar/Karla Chubb collab, the new release from Torres & Julien Baker and the new single from Merpire (who has an album coming!) I got to see Merpire play while in Australia (who some of you might remember opened for us in 2022 around the UK) so that was pretty special. Otherwise, it was mostly kangaroo-spotting, meeting babies, and catching up with friends. Some photos below for those interested.

I think that’s it for now. Stay safe and hopefully catch you at a gig soon.
Lots of love x