With their fiery, euphoric brand of punk, Brisbane five-piece WAAX capture a universe of heartbreak and excitement, loss and freedom, pain and joy. Led by frontwoman Maz DeVita, WAAX typify the feeling of being young and alive during this point in time: Worn down, world-weary, but, in spite of it all, still fucking dancing. WAAX formed in 2013 and spent the next seven-odd years touring, releasing, and grinding through the Australian music industry. Their hard work had paid off: A song from their debut album Big Grief placed in the Hottest 100, they’ve toured the States and played SXSW, and performed triumphant sets at UNIFY and Splendour. 2022 sees a new version of WAAX unleashed — a more ambitious, higher-reaching version of an already beloved punk band. Their sophomore album At Least I’m Free contains some of the band’s most vibrant, emotionally nuanced songs to date — it’s a creative and emotional rebirth. Awash in samples and programmed beats as well as gargantuan riffs and, of course, DeVita’s spine-tingling howl, it’s a record that telegraphs the band’s ambition to step beyond ‘Australian rock’ and into a weirder, wilder landscape. WAAX have been to hell and back and, now, they’re charging forward.