Ruby Mae

Brisbane indie-punk quartet Semantics make their return for 2024, with the delivery of I FEEL IT ALL AT ONCE – their much-anticipated sophomore album, released via SideOne Dummy Records. Representing a bright new chapter for the group, I FEEL IT ALL AT ONCE builds on a diverse range of sonic influences; crushing riffs, soaring melodies and introspective, open songwriting coming together in producing Semantics’ most cohesive and definitive work to date. Written and produced by Semantics in Brisbane, I FEEL IT ALL AT ONCE has a strong foundation of artistic chemistry and understanding at its core. Led by songwriter and frontman Callum Robinson, Semantics’ new work has the imprint of all band members included. Overall, the album is a project that serves as a love letter to their relationship as musicians, their perseverance as a group, and more importantly, it is a project that looks ahead to fresh horizons for them as a unit. Across its eleven tracks, I FEEL IT ALL AT ONCE encapsulates a broad emotional spectrum; snapshots of life’s experiences, journeying themes of grief, love, yearning and ultimately, acceptance. Semantics are a band who have proven in the past that they are unafraid to explore darker themes and subject matter but even then, they displayed a talent for doing it in a way that felt healthy and cathartic. Here, we see a band who has navigated the ups and downs of the last few years of life, relationships and growth, emerging from it tighter than ever. Musically, the vision for their future has never felt more positive. “We’ve been a band for five years, maybe longer,” he says. “Because we had a bit of time off last year as well and with life changing for everyone, I think that what we’ve found on this album — with recording and writing it — that we are the closest as friends that we’ve ever been. We spend a lot more quality time together as friends, not just as bandmates. That’s reflected in the writing and recording process because in comparison to a lot of other songs we’ve made, other releases; even though this is heavy-sounding, I feel that the subject matter is a lot more optimistic.”