Sticky Fingers

Hard-partying Sticky Fingers walk a tightrope of sound, finding a balance somewhere between heavy psychedelic rock and laid-back reggae, simultaneously driving and blissed-out. The Australian band formed in 2008 when bassist Paddy Cornwall and drummer Eric da Silva Gruener stumbled upon Dylan Frost—who would become the band’s turbocharged, charismatic frontman—busking on a street in a Sydney suburb. In 2010, the Newtown Festival denied their application, so, all revved up with nowhere to play, the boys set up their own stage in their back garden overlooking the park and brought the crowd to them. Their gamble paid off—not only did they nab a headlining slot the following year but they gained instant recognition as a killer live act. Their 2011 debut EP, Extended Play, made good on their rep: dense with island grooves both bouncy and throbbing, as well as tunes with radical guitar freak-outs (“Hell & Back”). Their 2013 full-length, Caress Your Soul, leaned into the band’s signature styles while expanding the scope into dreamier and poppier territory, too. They’ve been honing their rhythms over the 2010s. For example, 2016’s Westway (The Glitter & the Slums) and 2019’s Yours To Keep—which dabbles in ‘80s synthscapes—feature their lushest, sharpest production to date.