Stirr Talk First EP and What Comes Next

Daria Slikker
5 minutes ago
4 min read

Emerging from Sydney’s post-punk underground, Stirr are a band still in the process of defining themselves, pulling from familiar reference points while steadily carving out something more distinct. What began as a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Ruben Dragone has since grown into a five-piece, now joined by Jorjabelle Munday on bass, Zachary Lisle on saxophone, Tom Oswald on synth, and Angus Kettley on drums.

The project took shape through a mix of university connections and chance encounters, with Dragone and Lisle first bonding over a shared love of King Krule and a desire to build something similarly guitar-driven but expanded through saxophone and orchestral textures. Since then, Stirr’s sound has continued to evolve, still rooted in that raw, post-punk intensity but increasingly pushing beyond its initial influences, drawing from artists like Geese and carving out a more personal identity.

Across a steady run of singles, from ‘Aviator Navigator’ through to their latest track ‘Broken Arm’, the band have mapped out that progression in real time. Their recent release ‘Off Balance’ captures it best, shifting from a hazy, shoegaze-leaning atmosphere into something far more explosive. With their four-track EP 'Carlton' released today and plans for a full-length album later this year, Stirr are entering a new phase with growing momentum.

Ahead of upcoming shows across Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, and their first-ever Melbourne performance, we spoke to Dragone about finding their footing as a band, refining their sound, and what comes next.

Stirr began as your solo project – at what point did it start to feel like a full band?

I had the songs early on, and the band name wasn’t even there yet. I just brought everything to friends around me. It started to feel like a real band after the first year – once we’d gone through a drummer change, added Tom on synth and guitar, and everything clicked. That was around last February when it properly became Stirr.

I met Zach and Jorja through university, and Angus, our drummer, I’d known for a couple of years growing up. I met Tom through his other band after we played a gig together.

Early on you bonded over artists like King Krule and now Cameron Winter. How has your sound evolved since you first formed as a band?

We’re recording an album at the moment and it still sits in that raw, post-punk space… it’s probably closest to King Krule’s louder moments, mixed with Dean Blunt’s more carefree attitude.

But we’re definitely trying to move away from just those influences and find something that feels more like our own voice.

There’s a mix of guitar, saxophone and synth in your music. How do you approach blending those elements when writing?

It’s mostly trial and error. Everything starts with guitar, drums and bass, then Zach will come in and either play something weird on sax or find a melody to build around.

The synth is trickier. We tend to avoid brighter sounds because they don’t fit the mood. A lot of ideas get cut, but a few have made it into the set.

You’ve released a run of singles over the past year. How have those tracks shaped the direction of your upcoming album?

Those singles were us figuring out our sound in real time. Each one was a step toward what our live set has become, which is basically what we’re recording now.

At the same time, everyone in the band was finding their role. It started off being more driven by me, but now ideas bounce around the group much more naturally.

You’re playing your first Newcastle show and supporting These New South Whales soon. How are you feeling about taking the project to new audiences?

It’s exciting. Newcastle’s such a strong music hub, so it’s great to get in front of that scene.

For any Sydney band, it’s important to get out and play elsewhere. Even though it’s only a couple of hours away, I haven’t been there in over 10 years, so it feels new in that sense too.

How does the newly released EP compare to the album you’re working on?

The EP is more of a collection of earlier songs and captures that initial phase of figuring out how we write and record together.

Sonically, it’s still in the same world: dark, aggressive, and melancholic. But the album feels like a more fully realised version of that.

With your first EP out, and plans for your next album, where do you see Stirr heading next?

The dream is to tour the UK and Europe. A lot of our influences come from places like London and Manchester, so that’s a big goal.

New York’s another one. We’re big fans of bands like Geese and Television. Touring with someone like King Krule would be amazing too, though he doesn’t play much. Geese would be incredible as well.

Listen to their first EP on Spotify and Apple Music and keep up to date with them on Instagram.