If your Spotify Wrapped still has Motion City Soundtrack, The Starting Line and a suspicious amount of Jimmy Eat World lurking in it… congratulations friend, you’ve just found your new favourite local band.
The Admired are a brand-new Sydney emo-pop duo made up of Max Jacobson and Bianca Davino, the creative forces formerly known as pop-punk staples Grenade Jumper – and they’ve quietly dropped a debut mini-EP that feels like it was beamed straight out of your 2012 Tumblr dashboard.
The Admired – 3 Songs
Their three-track release, aptly titled 3 songs, is the perfect entry point into the band’s world. It includes the shimmering it-girl anthem ‘Dancefloor’, nostalgic love-letter-to-the-fans ‘All I’ve Got’, and the track that kicked everything off – ‘Fame&Money’ – which Bianca describes as “the spark that really kicked off our direction for The Admired.”
Written from the perspective of a chaotic, larger-than-life main character, ‘Fame&Money’ dives into ambition, passion and the emotional whiplash of chasing the spotlight – all wrapped in 2000’s emo DNA that fans of Motion City Soundtrack and The Starting Line will instantly clock.
What makes The Admired even sweeter is how DIY this whole thing is. The project was literally recorded in Max’s Enmore bedroom – the same room he works his 9-5 in – transformed into a makeshift studio filled with 2000’s magazines, cult-classic DVDs, music memorabilia and a dangerous amount of vinyl.
The EP was fully self-produced and engineered by the band, before being mixed and mastered by Nat Sherwood (BESTIES / Stand Atlantic / Yours Truly), giving it that polished-but-personal feel that emo thrives on.
You might recognise their names already. Before becoming The Admired, Bianca and Max toured the country with Grenade Jumper, sharing stages with Yours Truly, RedHook, Between You & Me, Bakers Eddy and more. They also scored triple j rotation through collabs with Trophy Eyes and Dear Seattle, played Unify Gathering, sold out hometown shows, and smashed out national headline tours.
Since launching The Admired, the duo have supported Origami Angel and Bakers Eddy, headlined Sydney Music’s Cupholder event, and picked up serious momentum thanks to debut single ‘Dream Pop Blues’, which landed on triple j Unearthed TOPS and snagged Apple Music playlist love.
They’re already heading back into the studio in the new year, with Bianca promising brand new demos and another EP on the way.
So if you’re craving emo hooks, pop choruses and that bittersweet feeling of screaming lyrics into your steering wheel at traffic lights – The Admired are your people.
Stream 3 Songs up above.
Further Reading
PREMIERE: Grenade Jumper Share New Hook-Heavy, Pop Punk-Soaked Single ‘HEAT WAVE’
Love Letter To A Record: A Will Away On Motion City Soundtrack’s ‘Commit This To Memory’
