Bleak Squad

Bleak Squad is an Australian Melbourne-based four-piece supergroup made up of art-rock veterans including Mick Turner (Dirty Three), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Birthday Party), Adalita (Magic Dirt), and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting). Their debut album, *Strange Love* (2025), showcases a brooding, noir-rock sound characterized by layered guitars, organ drones, intricate rhythms, and shared lead vocals by Adalita and Harvey. The music explores themes of love, loss, and hope with a raw yet elegant approach, combining each member's distinctive style to create something both familiar and fresh.

The band formed somewhat spontaneously, driven by Brown's desire to play drums more regularly, and quickly captured their sound with minimal takes at Head Gap studios. Bleak Squad is described as a "loose collection of misfits," reflecting both their chemistry and the melancholic, introspective mood of their music. The album includes tracks like "Lost My Head," "Blue Signs," and the title track "Strange Love," which build from sparse beginnings into rich, atmospheric compositions. For Adalita, this project marks her first true band collaboration outside of Magic Dirt and her solo work, bringing together some of Australia's most respected musicians for a unique collective experience.

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