HighSchool have returned with a new single, entitled ‘149’. It marks their first new music of 2025, as well as their follow-up to their second EP, 2024’s Accelerator. In addition, the single is the first since the Melbourne-born and London-based band officially expanded into a trio: Joining founding members Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott is keyboardist Lilli Trobbiani, who is also Rory’s sister.
‘149’ was written by Trobbiani and Scott, and produced by the team of Ben Hillier and Finn Billingham – who have reportedly been working with HighSchool on their debut studio album, tentatively due for release in 2025. In a press statement, the band described the song as being about “slow, teenage suburban summers”. “[It’s about] long, dry days, sprinklers on cracked lawns, the smell of cut grass and cheap beer, halogen-lit tennis courts and supermarket car parks,” they said.
“Nothing to do but kick rocks, ride your bike, hang at the skatepark or by the pool. You end up at a shit house party you weren’t invited to, with the girl you’ve had a crush on all year – the one you thought never noticed you. Someone’s playing Benny Benassi on a light-up Bluetooth speaker. People spill onto the porch, your breath tastes like warm wine from a sack. Maybe you hold hands or she kisses you. ‘149’ is a brief moment in the noise, knowing it won’t last… and that’s the point.”
HighSchool – ‘149’
The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Dylan Coates and Travis Barton, sees the band effectively commandeer a double-decker bus in their current home of London, performing the song with a slew of friends in tow. “The video captures the feeling we wanted — the dizzying elation of a rambunctious night out, full of promise and unpredictability,” said the band in a further press statement. “It’s about the seemingly endless possibilities a party can bring, and that fleeting feeling of being pulled out of your head and into the present, knowing it can only last until the night ends.”
HighSchool were last seen on local turf last month, where they opened for Floodlights at Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre as part of their sold-out national tour in support of their third album, Underneath. They will perform in Japan later this week before returning to work on their album.
Further Reading
Aussie Rock Supergroup Bleak Squad Announce Debut Album And Shows
Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird Announce New Album ‘Rosewater Crocodile’
Bigsound Announces Over 100 Bands And Artists For 2025 Conference
