Kisschasy Return to BIGSOUND With New Single ‘Parasite’ After Anniversary Tour Success

BIGSOUND delegates will have the chance to see one of Australia’s most enduring rock outfits in action this September, when Kisschasy take the stage at the Oztix Official BIGSOUND Party at The Brightside on Thursday, September 4th.

The slot comes off the back of a sold-out national run celebrating the 15th anniversary of Hymns For The Non-Believers, a record that cemented the band’s ARIA chart success and influence on a new generation of local acts. Reflecting on revisiting the album, frontman Darren Cordeux told Rolling Stone AU/NZ earlier this year: “It struck me just how proud I was of what we did back then. I didn’t expect that.”

That pride has fed into Kisschasy’s decision to not only reunite, but return with purpose. “We didn’t want to insult our fans. We didn’t want to dilute this little thing we’d built,” Cordeux said.

Now, the band are pushing forward with new material, including their latest single “Parasite”. Following the first new single “Lie To Me”, the track blends insatiable guitars and ‘90s-leaning riffs with the melodic punch that has always defined Kisschasy. It also highlights the unbroken bond between the four original members. “Replacing even one of us would’ve been like pulling spokes from a wheel,” Cordeux said.

Recorded between Woodstock Studios in Melbourne with Richard Stolz (Paul Kelly, Bodyjar) and Cordeux’s Los Angeles studio, “Parasite” was produced by Cordeux and mixed in New York by John O’Mahony (Coldplay, Metric).

The song’s premise is simple: it’s about holding on to something toxic. “Whether it’s a relationship with a person or a vice, most of us have found ourselves, at some point, unable to let go of something that drains our life force,” Cordeaux said.

The creative goal, according to the frontman, was to keep the spark intact. “We used old tube amps, old tube microphones, no autotune and very few effects; our aim being to avoid anything being overthought or overwrought,” Cordeaux explained in a statement. “The trouble with modern recording is that you can get caught in this feedback loop of constantly tweaking a song to the point that it loses its spark, its soul.”

With references to Blue Album-era Weezer, early Fountains of Wayne and flashes of Fugazi’s bite, “Parasite” doesn’t just nod to the band’s past. “One advantage we have as a band is that we’ve been the same four members since Day One,” Cordeux said. “We speak a subliminal musical language that means that, even if there are mistakes, they work somehow. Perfection is boring anyway.”

For Kisschasy, this revival isn’t nostalgia — it’s momentum. Or as Cordeux told Rolling Stone: “It feels like the stars have realigned. And that’s a rare thing.”

Kisschasy perform at the OZTIX Official BIGSOUND Party on Thursday, September 4th at The Brightside in Fortitude Valley. Details and ticketing information can be found via BIGSOUND.org.au.