Empress Return With Sultry New Single ‘Whole Night’

September 16, 2026

Naarm/Melbourne electro-pop collective Empress have made their return with a sultry new single dubbed Whole Night.

Out now, the track marks the six-piece’s first taste of a larger project set to unfold across late 2026 and early 2027, following on from their 2023 debut album Daughter.

Empress – ‘Whole Night’

Blending electronica with the group’s R&B, alt-pop and club influences, Whole Night layers arpeggiating synths and swelling bass beneath the three-part harmonies of vocalists Grace Robinson, Stella Dunai and Annalisa Fernandez.

The track was mixed and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated and nine-time ARIA Award-winning engineer Nick Herrera, whose credits include Hiatus Kaiyote, Miss Kaninna and Allysha Joy.

Lyrically, Whole Night explores the more consuming side of infatuation, using its repetition and gradually building arrangement to mirror the experience of getting trapped inside your own thoughts about someone.

“Whole Night captures the dizzying feeling of becoming consumed by thoughts of someone,” Empress explained in a statement.

“The song mirrors how obsessive thoughts can circle, repeat, and rise in your mind. There’s a darker undercurrent running beneath the track, balanced by the returning chorus echoing the feeling of being caught in a thought you can’t quite escape.”

The new release follows Empress’ recent return to the live stage, including performances at the sold-out Wonder Mountain Festival and Cairns Festival.

Formed at the Victorian College of the Arts, the collective is rounded out by Noah Hutchinson on bass, Liam Rignanese on drums and Christy Wozitsky-Jones on keys.

They’ve previously performed at festivals including Dark Mofo, Beyond The Valley, Strawberry Fields and Meadow Festival, as well as sharing stages with Sampa The Great and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Whole Night is available to stream now (suss it above), with more new music from Empress set to arrive across the coming months.