There is something immediately likeable about how little Tickets to Space overcomplicate ‘True’. On just their third single, the Australian indie surf-rock band turn thoughts of the future into something loose, loud and refreshingly grounded, with friendship, love and a decent life sitting at the centre of it all.
The young outfit only made their debut earlier this year with ‘Uncovered’, which reached number nine on the Australian AMRAP chart and number three on the AMRAP Indie chart. Follow-up ‘You Know Where I’ll Be Tonight’ pushed things further, culminating in a sold-out launch at Woolloongabba’s Cave Inn in July.
On ‘True’, though, the band sound less interested in proving themselves than simply enjoying the momentum. The verses carry a wiry, carefree energy before the track snaps into a punk-leaning chorus, with roaring vocals and rough-edged guitars giving the song a welcome sense of abandon.
What keeps it from becoming just another burst of youthful indie rock is the sentiment underneath. ‘True’ is built around a fairly modest idea of success: keeping good people close, building a life with someone important and not losing sight of the friendships that made the earlier years matter.
As songwriter and vocalist Fraser Stott explains:
“I realised, writing ‘True’, that I’m grateful for what I’ve had growing up in my family, and I’d like the same sort of life. It’s an acknowledgement that sharing it with someone special is what the dream is all about. I also realised that my mates are a big part of my life now, and I hope they always will be.”
That simplicity suits them. ‘True’ does not chase some grand statement about growing up. Instead, Tickets to Space find enough meaning in the everyday, then wrap it in a raucous chorus built to be shouted back.
