Cry Club is a queer pop-punk duo from Melbourne, Australia, who formed as a group in 2018. They released their debut album God I'm Such a Mess in November 2020. Their second Spite Will Save Me was released on June 23, 2023.[1]
Biography
The duo was formed in Wollongong in 2018, when vocalist Heather Riley wanted to form a Siouxsie and the Banshees/The Cure cover band.[2][3] Riley had known Jono Tooke since 2014, when they met during a university-organised trip to Japan and bonded over the animated series Over the Garden Wall.[2]
The band's debut single, released in 2018, was a response to the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite in Australia, inspired by conversations with relatives who accepted and loved them as family members, but were adamantly voting against same-sex marriage.[4] The group's follow-up single "DFTM", a song about people not respecting physical boundaries at concerts, was added to full rotation at Triple J in April 2019,[5] and the duo became the most played act on Triple J Unearthed in 2019.[6] The band relocated to Melbourne, and in 2019 released their debut extended playSad, But Make It Fashion.[7]
The duo released their debut album God I'm Such a Mess in November 2020.[8] The album was nominated for Best Independent Punk Album or EP at the AIR Awards of 2021,[9] and the band was nominated for best breakthrough act at the 2021 Music Victoria Awards.[10]
Cry Club's second studio album Spite Will Save Me is scheduled for release in June 2023. In an album review, Ellie Robinson from NME said "It's brash, dramatic and camp, but also beautiful and empowering."[11]
Personal lives
The members of the band identify as queer.[12] Riley identifies as non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns.[2]
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
