We Speak Music

Damn Williams Turn Australian Mythology Into Noise-Rock Theatre on ‘Dog Summer’

Published

6 months ago

May 1, 2026

Damn Williams arrive with one of the most distinctive Australian indie debuts in recent memory. Led by Tasmanian songwriter Elliot Taylor and now expanded into a full four-piece featuring Olmer Bollinger, Carla Oliver, and James Campbell, the Naarm/Melbourne outfit use Dog Summer to carve out a sound that is deeply rooted in alternative rock tradition while remaining thrillingly unpredictable. Across ten tracks, the band balance jagged punk textures, expressive performances, and surreal storytelling with remarkable confidence.

From the opening moments of “Achatina,” Dog Summer establishes itself as an album driven by atmosphere and imagination. Taylor’s songwriting paints fragmented snapshots of Australian life through warped allegory and mythmaking, introducing strange characters and emotional contradictions that linger long after each song ends. There’s humour throughout the record, but also an undercurrent of melancholy that gives the album real emotional depth.

Musically, Damn Williams pull from an impressive range of influences without sounding derivative. Fans of Scott Walker, David Bowie, Guided By Voices, and The Drones will recognise familiar textures, but the band recombine these ideas into something entirely their own. “Make My World Small” balances noisy spontaneity with melodic warmth, while “Not Done” leans into dissonance without sacrificing momentum. The production remains intentionally rough around the edges, giving the album a raw immediacy that suits its themes perfectly.

One of the album’s greatest strengths is its unpredictability. Songs twist and mutate unexpectedly, often shifting moods mid-track while still maintaining a strong emotional centre. “The Progress Of A Rake” is particularly impressive in this regard, evolving from sardonic storytelling into something almost cinematic. Meanwhile, “I Love You More Than Ever Before” offers one of the album’s most sincere moments, revealing Taylor’s ability to pair vulnerability with theatrical flair.

The expanded lineup proves essential to the album’s success. Bollinger, Oliver, and Campbell bring texture and tension to every arrangement, allowing the songs to breathe and unravel naturally. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the band lean into them, creating a sound that feels lived-in and deeply human. That sense of collective experimentation gives Dog Summer its unique identity.

With Dog Summer, Damn Williams announce themselves as one of the most exciting new voices emerging from Australia’s independent scene. It’s an ambitious, emotionally rich debut that embraces contradiction at every turn, resulting in a record that feels messy in all the right ways: alive, fearless, and impossible to ignore.

“Dog Summer, captures the Beautiful mess of living here, where memory, myth, and everyday Australian life collide. Damn Williams have built something raw and strangely tender, like a familiar place seen through fractured glass. It’s chaotic, funny, and quietly devastating in equal measure,” shares music publicist Danielle Holian, Decent Music PR.

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We Speak Country

Miranda Lambert to Headline Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Halftime Show, Kicking Off Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign

Published

5 hours ago

October 25, 2026

We Speak Media

Miranda Lambert at AT&T Stadium ahead of the Red Kettle Kickoff. (Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army)

Multi-Platinum, three-time GRAMMY Award-winning country music superstar Miranda Lambert will perform live at AT&T Stadium during the nationally televised Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Philadelphia Eagles for the 30th consecutive Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show. The game will air on Fox at 3:30 p.m. CST, shining a spotlight on the needs of millions during the holiday season and throughout the year.

This year marks The Salvation Army’s 136th Red Kettle Campaign. Over the last three decades, the kickoff performance has become a holiday staple, using one of the biggest national stages in sports to help the Red Kettle Campaign raise more than $3.4 billion.

“There’s something special about how music brings people together, especially when it’s to spread joy and hope to families who need it most,” said Lambert. “The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys have built an incredible tradition with the Red Kettle Kickoff, and I can’t wait to be back home in Texas this Thanksgiving to help carry it forward.”

“The Red Kettle Kickoff has become one of the Dallas Cowboys’ proudest traditions and one my family and our entire organization look forward to every Thanksgiving,” said Charlotte Jones, chief brand officer and co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys and former national advisory board chairman for The Salvation Army. “For 30 years, incredible artists have appeared on our halftime stage to help The Salvation Army bring hope to millions of people in need. We’re grateful to Miranda Lambert for joining that legacy and helping us continue this meaningful tradition.”

That tradition began with Jones herself. In the 1990s, her dad, Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones, challenged her to inspire fans to care as much about the Cowboys’ impact off the field as they did about the game itself, and the Joneses saw an opportunity to partner with an organization making a real difference in communities across the country. Charlotte envisioned turning the team’s nationally televised Thanksgiving halftime show into the launch of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, pitched the idea to network executives, and has championed the partnership ever since.

Reba McEntire headlined the inaugural show in 1997, followed by iconic artists including Destiny’s Child, Carrie Underwood, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, and, most recently, Post Malone. Each performance rallies viewers to support The Salvation Army’s year-round work in their own communities.

“The Red Kettle Campaign gives people a simple way to spread joy and support their neighbors in need,” said Commissioner Merle Heatwole, national commander of The Salvation Army. “The Red Kettle Kickoff has brought that spirit of giving to a national audience for the last three decades. We’re grateful to the Dallas Cowboys, the Gene and Jerry Jones family, and Miranda Lambert for helping us kick off the season by bringing attention to the needs of neighbors throughout the nation.”

Every donation stays in the community in which it’s given to provide help and hope for those in need. To learn more, give help, or get help, please visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.

About Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, producer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. Her latest album, Crisco, featuring current single “Snakeskin Boots” with Ella Langley, is available everywhere now via MCA and continued her unbroken streak of 11 consecutive Top 10s on the Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs, 14 Country Music Association Awards and was named to the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. Lambert has taken those standards to become a New York Times bestselling author and a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. Her passion for animals inspired the creation of MuttNation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which has raised over $15 million since inception to promote shelter pet adoption, support rescue organizations nationwide, advance spay & neuter and help shelters recover from natural disaster.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army provided more than 28 million service touchpoints to people in 2025, helping them overcome poverty, addiction, and spiritual and economic hardships by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting human needs in His name without discrimination. From providing food, shelter, and eviction prevention assistance to emergency disaster relief, rehabilitation, youth programs, and spiritual enrichment, The Salvation Army serves communities across the United States through nearly 7,600 centers of operation. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.