HEART-TO-HEART: Dirty Hearts
“Trust your instincts as a band. Don’t get too tied to a concept, be prepared to take on suggestions and feedback. Don’t be afraid to cut into the muscle, the final product might ultimately be all the better for it.”
In the heart of Australian suburbia, amid the clinking of beer bottles and half-time sirens, Brisbane/Meanjin’s Dirty Hearts have emerged as the embodiment of gritty, unapologetic rock – and welcomed 2026 with a brand new single.
Published: 06/02/2026
FHR (Flaming Heart Records): Slide feels like a big re-introduction to Dirty Hearts. Was it always the obvious choice to kick off Third, or did it surprise you as the first single?
Matt (Doe, guitar/vocals): No, at least from my perspective, Slide was always going to be the first single from the album. We couldn’t have been happier with the way that Dan (Sugars) handled the engineering and production. The final product far exceeded our expectations. It had a feel and swagger about it. It seemed like a logical choice.
Mace (McGregor, bass): It was in fact, the first single written and recorded. Anything that followed during the recording, was going to have some DNA or at least Slide fingerprints on it. Whether it be from a composition, production or performance standpoint, or a combination of any of those. We haven’t attempted to make an album that’s ‘thematic’ or ‘concept’, but it stands to reason that that energy, vibe, call it what you like, was going to carry forward when we polished up the other tracks.
FHR: Tell us more about your signing with Near Enough Records. What has it been like having support from an independent Australian label?
Holly (Maddigan, keyboard/vocals): Near Enough Records have been wonderful supporting us and every release. It has been awesome as Matt and Mace have been friends with Kyle and Ben (Near Enough Records) for years and they are great for offering us support and advice moving forward with our plans.
Matt: It’s a cliche, but I think first and foremost the Near Enough Records team is about ‘music’. They approach it from the musician’s, or dare I say, artist’s perspective. I guess that’s because they’re all super talented musicians and artists in their own right, primarily. The ‘label’ side of things is secondary. It was a means to an end. We’ve been able to have free reign on production, there has never been any pressure on us to produce ‘X’, whatever that may be. They’ve built their reputation on a DIY approach and a ‘collectivist’ approach to the entire process.
FHR: You’re known for loud, unforgiving live shows. Do you write with the stage in mind these days, or do songs like Slide find their live identity later on?
Matt: There’s never a lot of thought of ‘context’ or ‘delivery’ when it comes to writing. It’ll usually start off as a melody or chord sequence. It’ll evolve over time – if we think it sounds good live, then we’ll usually push for its inclusion on the album. In saying that, it has backfired on us a couple of times, where something has sounded great live and we haven’t been able to replicate or capture the ‘feel’ of it in a studio. Thankfully, that hasn’t occurred recently.
FHR: You’ve pulled from a wide range of influences over the years, but the band still sounds very much like you. When you’re writing, what helps a song feel “Dirty Hearts” rather than just a nod to your influences?
Mace: It stands to reason that we’re going to be the sum of our influences. We’re unashamed about that. There’ll be plenty of times where we’ll start working on a tune and it will sound ‘eerily reminiscent’ or outright ‘borrowed’ from one of those influences. We’ll beat it around in rehearsals and live shows and over time, the song transforms into something that is less referential and distinctly Hearts. We’ve always thought it was a bit of a compliment and a humble brag, when we’ll have 15 people tell us we sound like or remind them of 15 distinct bands/artists.
Luke (Anderson, drums): We all play a part in bringing the flavour of our own instruments, but the unique keys and backing vocals, plus Matty’s booming voice I believe gives us our own sound.
FHR: You embarked on an East Coast tour last year during July and August. What advice can you give other emerging musicians who are thinking about starting to tour domestically?
Holly: I think when it comes to touring it can be really hard for bands to find the finances and time that works for everyone. We all work pretty busy outside jobs, but for us, playing is our outlet and we love any opportunity to perform. I would advise any bands considering touring to try to find other likeminded bands to collaborate with. Having support and bringing in fans is integral to ensure that a tour is successful and doesn’t flop. We’ve made some great friends along the way with other bands that we have helped with giving them opportunities and they have done so for us.
Luke: It can be a roller coaster of ups and downs, but just enjoy the ride.
FHR: What was it like having Dan Sugars (The Chats, Osaka Punch, King Stingray) record and produce Slide at Hunting Ground Studios? What did he help you push further or strip back?
Matt: This was our first time recording with Dan and the Hunting Grounds team. Mace and Luke had known him for years, so immediately the tenor of the whole session was ‘chilled’ and social. I didn’t feel as if we were ‘on the clock’. The studio space is amazing, and we had a great opportunity to experiment and push the recording more than we ever had in a live context, without losing that ‘scruffiness’ that we honed over years of gigging.
Mace: Dan was very receptive to the ideas or suggestions we had; we really appreciated his feedback and honesty. He was also pivotal in hooking us up with Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering (Amyl and The Sniffers, Courtney Barnett, The Teskey Brothers, Bliss N Eso) who put the final touches on the single. We couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out.
FHR: After two albums and years of relentless gigging, what have you learned as a band and what lessons have stuck hardest heading into Third?
Matt: I think this recording has just reiterated what we already thought to be true; play live, often. Trust your instincts as a band. Don’t get too tied to a concept, be prepared to take on suggestions and feedback, and at the risk of sounding too pompous, trim the fat – but also don’t be afraid to cut into the muscle, the final product might ultimately be all the better for it.
Holly: The best thing I have learned is working together as a team. We communicate well as friends and musicians and when we are all onboard with an idea then the magic happens. I hope that in the future we continue developing our style and exploring different ideas so that we never reach that point of being stagnant. When we are motivated, cohesive and excited we tend to be at our best.
FHR: What’s the Brisbane rock scene like at the moment and how has being part of it shaped the way you write?
Luke: The scene seems to be fairly healthy with a good variety of venues catering for many different styles. Playing to different audiences has certainly inspired us to do more shows and writing.
Mace: It’s probably at its best post-Covid. What has materialised over the last few years is a resurgence of small and mid-sized venues. In which great communities of punters have been developed like Greaser, PFR Lounge, The Cave Inn, Tomcat and Netherworld to name just a few. That is in addition to the amazing larger venues that appear to be thriving like Fortitude Valley Music Hall, The Tivoli and Crowbar.
FHR: With Third on the way, what are you most excited for people to hear or notice about this next chapter of Dirty Hearts?
Holly: I am very excited to get back into creating some new songs and using each of our individual styles to create something different that will hopefully bring in new fans but also provide our current clientele with our well-known signature sound.
Matt: New year, new album. Plenty of live shows coming up. Much of the same, really. Oh, and a massive announcement within the next month to follow, can’t wait!
