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The brainchild of Sydney underground stalwart Sam Wilkinson (Day Ravies, Mope City), Shrapnel began back in 2013 as a conduit for the songs flowing out of Wilkinson which either didn’t suit or couldn’t find a home in his other projects. Acquiring a four-track to pursue these ideas also allowed him to nurture his growing obsession with home recording and tape production, and the quirky Shrapnel aesthetic began to coalesce behind closed doors in Sydney’s inner west. Yet the band was not destined to stay a solo venture for long. Following two successful cassette releases – 2014’s Tobacco Dreams (Tenth Court) and 2015’s Carpet Yankers (Strange Pursuits) – it became clear that Shrapnel needed a band to properly flesh out these compelling ideas. The first release featuring a full band was the guitar-driven Tranceplanetsugarmouth in 2016 (Coolin’ by Sound), followed by hyperactive gem Wax World 5 in 2018 (Strange Pursuits). The lineup has morphed with each release, always featuring friends from the same musical orbits as Wilkinson (including past and present members of Day Ravies, Mope City, Miners, Weak Boys and Dollar Bar). By 2018, Shrapnel had a name as a ‘guitar band’ and a well-earned reputation for blistering live shows. Not content being pigeonholed, Wilkinson vowed to shake things up and expand the lineup to include more acoustic instruments. Former Day Ravies bandmates Caroline de Dear and Lani Crooks were added on clarinet and flute, while mainstay Matt Neville pivoted to acoustic guitar and post-Wax World drummer Toby Baldwin began doubling up on synth. The new band enjoyed several unplugged backyard jams as they worked on their spacious new arrangements. Before long, hippy-fied Shrapnel were hypnotising audiences across Sydney with their quieter, genre-bending live shows. Recorded in late 2019, Alasitas immortalises this colourful period of Shrapnel, with every instrument featuring prominently, thanks to the stupendous mixing work of Leon Cranswick (Possible Humans). Prepare to fall in love with this record, a joyful concoction perfect for 2021 and a true high water mark for the band!