The Admired are back with an emo-pop hit, 'All I've Got'.
- Keely Naylon
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
Fresh, Sydney-based band, The Admired are bringing back classic Australian emo pop in their latest single, ‘All I’ve Got’. The Admired offers a nostalgic ‘love letter’ for the ephemeral place that was Tumblr in the early 2010’s and the ‘fangirl’ scene around emo and pop punk so many of us look back on fondly.
Lyricist, guitarist and vocalist Bianca Davino speaks of the impact this time on her and band mate Max Jacobson, how it has influenced them as musicians, and as people.
‘I wanted to shine a light on the innocence and passion of that time, and how it’s a feeling that we will always strive to capture in our music and why we do this. At our shows I’ve been saying it’s about “skipping class to go and follow Kellin Quinn around the city when he was here for Soundwave in 2013” which is obviously a niche reference, but for those who know the vibes…they know lol.’
Davino has succeeded. Listening to ‘All I’ve Got’ brings back memories of ripped black tights under shorts, beat-up converse with lyrics scribbled on the white edges, and tiny plastic chokers. Of hazy, sepia-toned filters over photos of tiny faceless women, that in hindsight makes the world look brighter, warmer, and so much further away than it really was. A time where hunting down a celebrity visiting your city took a bit more effort and carried a lot more street cred.
Davino captures this teenaged Tumblr world effortlessly with her opening lyrics, ‘life was collarbones, broken phones, so aesthetic’. It conjures the image of that specific Tumblr feed perfectly, as though we’re scrolling through that blue blogging site ourselves, sixteen all over again.
The song's opening riff also shows they’re not afraid to wear their emo inspirations on their sleeves immediately bringing to mind My Chemical Romance’s ‘I’m Not Okay’ with that familiar D power-chord.
The Admired are unafraid to experiment musically, mingling a classic crunchy guitar tone with an electronic mixing style which creates an interesting, edgy sound. The guitar solo towards the final moments of the track is unique, creating rapid highs and lows, leaving listeners feeling slightly disorientated. It feels as though The Admired are attempting to evoke the tumultuous feelings of being a teenager in the early 2010s, the highs of attending the gig of your favourite band, the lows of going back to school, red-eyed and exhausted, the following morning.
‘All I’ve Got’ has the bones of ‘emo’, yet has the flesh of Australian/New Zealand pop-rock, with a sound similar to Cry Club, Ladyhawke, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. It’s bright, slower-paced, and deals in that familiar, gritty yet light-weight guitar sound. Davino’s vocals are delightfully Australian, her accent lending itself well to the pop-emo genre, her tone distinct and enjoyable.
‘All I’ve Got’ is self-produced and engineered by The Admired in Jacobson’s home-office, surrounded by the memories Davino speaks so fondly of throughout the track. Both this track and previously released track ‘Dancefloor’ are pulled from The Admired’s upcoming EP 3 Songs, releasing December 3rd, mixed and mastered by Nat Sherwood. Whilst their current discography is limited (3 songs as of publication), their history is extensive, as core members of Australian pop-punk band Grenade Jumper both Davino and Jacobson are well-rounded veterans in the Australian music scene and it shows.
The Admired are just getting started, yet ‘All I’ve Got’ and ‘Dancefloor’ show they’re not to be underestimated, they’re sure to be a strong, incoming, sound for emo-pop lovers everywhere.
stream 'All I've Got' on apple music & Spotify.
Follow the links below For more The Admired.
