Lower Plenty

A regional supergroup of sorts, Melbourne's Lower Plenty were formed from several of the area's more prominent indie bands like Deaf Wish, Total Control, UV Race, and the Focus. Interested in doing something decidedly more laid-back than their other projects, members Daniel Twomey, Jensen Tjhung, Sarah Heyward, and Al Montfort employed simple acoustic guitars and unorthodox percussion to play their unique brand of loose, suburban indie folk. Their cassette-only debut, Mean, appeared in 2010 and the band's reputation quietly grew throughout Melbourne indie circles and beyond. Furthering their spontaneous, lo-fi aesthetic, Lower Plenty recorded their second album on a reel-to-reel tape machine at Tjhung's house in just one take. Released in 2012 by Melbourne indie Special Award Records, Hard Rubbish was well received, topping many year-end critics' polls. Lower Plenty's third album, Life/Thrills, appeared in 2014, receiving a more widespread release and expanding the band's fan base internationally.