Australia’s Between You & Me meld early 2000s-style pop punk with equally anthemic and polished modern rock accents. Inspired by groups like New Found Glory and Sum-41, the band gained widespread attention with their 2018 Hopeless Records debut, Everything Is Temporary. While retaining all of their effusive punk roots, Between You & Me have matured, honing their infectious pop hooks and exploring a more sonically varied brand of pop and rock, as on 2018′s Armageddon and their 2023 single “Nevermind.”
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Between You & Me formed in 2015 when guitarist Chris Bowerman and his drummer brother, Jamey, discovered vocalist Jake Wilson’s web channel and were impressed with the cover versions he had recorded. Guitarist Jai Gibson and bassist James Karagiozis, formerly of the band Sidelines, completed the lineup. Drawing inspiration from millennial pop punk bands like Blink-182 and New Found Glory, Between You & Me officially launched in April 2016 with their debut single, “Cavalier.” They built up a sterling live reputation through incessant touring with the likes of With Confidence, As It Is, and Trash Boat. By the end of the year, they had also released the Paper Thin EP, .
The band eventually caught the attention of popular U.S. punk label Hopeless Records — then home to several of the band’s heroes, including New Found Glory and Sum-41 — which signed them in 2017. Their full-length debut album, Everything Is Temporary, arrived on the label the following year. Anchored by the effusive singles “Overthinking” and “Dakota,” the album helped expand the group’s profile, leading to a series of tours.
By early 2020, Between You & Me had already started work on their sophomore album and were on tour in North America. However, their plans were cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and they found themselves stuck in Canada and scrambling to make it back to Australia before the border closed down. They made it back and finished work on the full-length Armageddon, which arrived on Hopeless Records in November 2021. The album found the band expanding upon the core punk sound of their debut by embracing a bigger sonic palette that pushed into alt-rock and power pop traditions. A stand-alone single, the summery, California-inspired “Nevermind,” arrived in March 2023. ~ Matt Collar & John D. Buchanan