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Jul 11, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Alex Wall

Australian punk trio Bloods are back this fall with their third full-length album, Together Baby! Arriving four years after their 2018 record, Feelings, the record sees the band returning with their most considered and stridently DIY effort to date. In the wake of recording their 2020 EP, Seattle, the band found themselves working remotely to write their new record. Frontwoman and main songwriter MC pushed her songwriting in new directions, incorporating new reimaginings of garage punk and emo pop, while drummer Dirk Jonker and bassist/producer Mike Morgan brought the songs to life.

The band have been teasing the record with a string of singles this year, including “BOSS,” “I Like You” (feat. Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!), and “Thinking of You Thinking of Me.” Today they’re back with another new track, “Take Aim,” along with an accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.

After the sharp power pop hooks of the record’s last two singles, “Take Aim” goes in a slightly different direction, instead aiming for hugely cathartic alt rock heights. The track builds up momentum off of a propulsive bassline, constantly gaining intensity before launching into orbit with a ferocious chorus and strutting vocal performance from MC. The band trade in their gleaming pop undercurrents for an explosive gut punch, bringing forth a raucous riot grrrl anthem.

MC says of the track’s writing process:

I wrote this song on the same day that I wrote “BOSS.” I actually wrote both songs in the space of about two hours. I started with that bass line and wanted the song to grow into a super cathartic, sing out loud chorus so the “come on, come on” felt perfect. The rest of the vocal part itself was almost a second thought at the time. I wanted the verse to have a cool Justine Frischmann (Elastica) style vocal delivery, in contrast with the dynamic and excitement of the instruments.

When we recorded it, it came to life and sounded like it was bouncing out of the speakers because of the energy we pumped into it when we played it as a band (we are genuinely like hyperactive kids when we get into a recording studio together, we’re just so pumped to be doing what we love.)

We tracked the whole thing as it was written, with the original vocal but for weeks I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t quite right. Weeks turned into months, and we wrapped all recording – got the album master through and it hit me that I would be committing to something I didn’t feel was as strong as the rest of the album and I couldn’t live with that. I asked the guys to let me have a couple of days to write something better and that presented a whole other challenge because, when something is in your head a certain way, it can be hard to sit outside it and imagine it any other way.

I put the instrumental on loop and just started freestyling vocal melodies. 40 minutes in and almost ready to give up, I sang the opening line as it is now and instantly, I was like “THAT’S IT!”

I think because I was “trying” to do something different, I was abandoning everything that comes naturally when I write. In the end I embraced the inner riot grrrl and said “What would Beth Ditto do?,” and it worked. People have said that it reminds them of Le Tigre too, which I love and find funny, because Kathleen Hannah has always been a huge influence on my writing. I kept the “come on, come” though. Moral of the story – I will never be as cool as Justine, and that’s ok.

Check out the song and accompanying video (directed by MC’s 8 year old daughter Penny) below. Together, Baby! is out September 23 via Share It Music. Proceeds from the album will go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (Australia).