Radium Dolls. Photo: Danysha Harriott.
“Cigarettes and legal speed everybody.”
It’s one-liners like that from Brisbane’s Radium Dolls that will place a band firmly in YELO’s orbit. Then there’s Gold Coast six-piece Selve, who landed on our tasting plate after a tip-off from a friend, before their theatrical rock took them from backyard gigs to recording at Abbey Road. And Sunshine Coast teenage trio Wave Raiders who were unmistakable on local stages for their pint-sized prowess, before taking their original song “Don’t Wanna Be Late” onto The Voice Australia.
In a recently resurfaced interview with Kurt Cobain, the late Nirvana frontman is stunned when he finds out major acts such as Madonna are charging fans $50 to see their shows. Today’s arena prices make that clip feel like another lifetime. Local rooms are where you can still discover a band up close, watch them build a crowd and see them before the ticket price catches up.
With festivals, venues and audiences all feeling the squeeze, there’s never been a better time to look closer to home. Local music is the new biggest thing.
Here are 16 Queensland acts worth catching while they’re still playing the rooms where scenes are made.
Updated September 2026
Brisbane and surrounds
SPEIRA
SPEIRA bring fuzz-heavy alternative rock and cutting vocals out of Brisbane’s live rooms. Their 2026 run included “Spend My Mind”, with more music building towards Arkomai. Hear SPEIRA.
Radium Dolls
EDITOR’S PICK: “Tractor Parts” is the one YELO keeps recommending. Everyone I’ve recommended it to has been fascinated by it.
Radium Dolls formed in Brisbane in 2019 and built their following through raucous live shows, including a sold-out hometown night at The Triffid. Will and Tom Perkins, Ewan Day and Bryce Equinox draw on pub rock, punk and country, with room for more reflective songwriting beneath the noise. Their second album, Wound Up, arrived in 2026 and reached number two on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart. The band also made its first North American run, including SXSW. More from Radium Dolls.
WAAX
EDITOR’S PICK: Start with “Hands”. It’s just fun.
WAAX began in Brisbane and now continues under Maz DeVita’s lead. The 2026 album Angel’s Mess pushes the project’s punk energy into a new chapter, with “Hands” turning bruised feelings into a huge, jagged singalong. Hear the new record.
Super Hotel
Super Hotel are part of Brisbane’s newer wave, folding observational lyrics, hazy guitar and a loose country-rock gait into songs with warmth and dry humour. Their self-recorded debut EP arrived in March 2026. Hear Super Hotel.
Gold Coast
Selve
Selve are a Gold Coast six-piece led by Jabirr Jabirr frontperson Loki Liddle, building expansive, theatrical alternative rock around restless guitars and a real sense of scale. Their 2025 album Breaking Into Heaven was recorded at Abbey Road, and the 2026 companion EP Breaking Outta Heaven keeps that adventurous sound moving. Listen to the new EP.
Girl and Girl
Girl and Girl came out of the Gold Coast with wiry, theatrical guitar songs and a live show that refuses to stand still. After signing to Sub Pop and releasing their debut album Call a Doctor, the band returned in June 2026 with two new singles, “Hell” and “It’s Dead”. Their sharp edges and crooked humour make them one of the most interesting current exports from the Coast. Hear the new songs.
TANISHA
TANISHA is part of the Gold Coast’s current R&B wave, pairing poised vocals with songs including “Silk & Smoke” and “Like It Used To”. Her “On My Terms” release earned a Gold Coast Music Award in 2025. Hear TANISHA.
bella amor
bella amor is a Gold Coast songwriter working between indie pop and soul, with a voice that puts the emotion right at the front. “rocks in my pocket” won Song of the Year at the 2025 Gold Coast Music Awards. Hear bella amor.
Sunshine Coast
Wave Raiders
Wave Raiders are a Sunshine Coast teenage trio making what they call “Neo-Surf Rock Psychedelia”. They formed when they were just 10–12 years old and have already moved from pubs and community stages to major festivals and national support slots, including shows with The Screaming Jets and The Superjesus. They also made a 2026 run on The Voice Australia, where they played their original song “Don’t Wanna Be Late”. Their age gets attention, but the more interesting story is the serious live résumé they have already built.
Beaudi Dwan
Beaudi Dwan is a Buderim-based musician who has spent years working around live shows as well as making his own music. His 2026 single “Mind Is A Liar” brought him back into the spotlight, with YELO sharing an exclusive preview on ABC Sunshine Coast before its release. That close connection to the local scene gives his music a story beyond a single new track. Meet Beaudi Dwan on YELO.
Katie Milae
EDITOR’S PICK: Her voice is spectacular. Serve “Darlin’” to your nana with scones. She’ll ask for seconds.
Katie Milae was raised in Darwin and is now based on the Sunshine Coast. She has taken her folk songs through small rooms and long stretches of road, and her August 2026 single “Darlin’” is about getting out of your own way and moving towards what you want. Its video was filmed in Kin Kin.
Che Burns
Che Burns is one of the Sunshine Coast’s strongest current singer-songwriter stories. His self-produced, guitar-led sound and growing full-band show have pushed him from local stages into bigger Queensland rooms. In June 2026, “Devil Like You” was named Song of the Year at the Sunshine Coast Music Awards.
Read more about Che Burns on YELO.
Yanooshka
Yanooshka is a Polish-born singer and producer based on the Sunshine Coast who moved from guitar-driven music into electronic production. She wrote, performed, produced and mixed her August 2026 single “Berserk” herself. It is a sharp reminder that the Coast’s new music goes well beyond surf rock. Listen to “Berserk”.
Regional Queensland
Tullara, Cairns
Tullara brings formidable guitar and banjo playing to songs that move between folk, roots and indie pop. Based in Cairns, she released “Trailblazers” ahead of her debut album Rebound, due October 30. She’ll launch it at Tanks Arts Centre on October 31, for a hometown album launch. See the Cairns launch details.
Greta Stanley, Far North Queensland
Greta Stanley comes from a small town south of Innisfail and built much of her career from Cairns. Her songwriting has moved freely through indie pop, folk, rock, electronic music and country, with the regional experience running through the work rather than appearing as a footnote. Her 2025 collaboration with Bronson Diamond, “Saddle Up”, took that range into country; ABC Country featured the pair in 2026. She is a useful reminder that some of Queensland’s most distinctive artists develop a long way from the capital.
Tia Gostelow, Mackay
Tia Gostelow grew up in Mackay and broke through while still a teenager, winning triple j Unearthed’s Indigenous Initiative in 2016 before building an independent career around her own Lovely Records label. Her catalogue has moved from guitar-led indie into broader pop territory, including the stripped-back Low Lights EP in 2026. Her regional Queensland beginnings remain central to her story.
Just over the border: a YELO pick
Day We Ran are from Lennox Head in the Northern Rivers, so they sit outside this Queensland 16. Their 2026 EP Naked At Your Door is new music worth hearing, but “Foaming” remains a YELO favourite: perfect for a Queensland beach adventure. Hear “Foaming”.
Found someone new?
If you already know what you like, YELO’s Queensland Music Matchmaker will point you towards a local band with a similar flavour.
Love Nirvana? We’ll send you to Nambour.
Fontaines D.C.? Try the Gold Coast.
Mumford & Sons? Head for the Sunshine Coast.
FIND YOUR QUEENSLAND MUSIC MATCH →
Keep digging
Browse the YELO Queensland Artist Directory for more bands and musicians by region.
Use the regional YELO hubs to keep digging: Brisbane Live Music, Gold Coast Live Music, Sunshine Coast Live Music and Regional Queensland Live Music.
Keep listening with the YELO Queensland Pineapple Mixtape on Spotify, or browse the regional playlists. For current releases, go to New Music on YELO. Queensland artists looking for practical industry help can also use the YELO Artist Toolkit.
