Babe Rainbow, an Australian band distinguished by their boogie psychedelia and vintage surf cult visuals, epitomizes “stoner pop.” Formed in 2015 by Jack Crowther (aka Cool Breez), Angus Dowling, and Elliot O’Reilly, the trio initially came together around the snack stands of Rainbow Bay. They were employees of John Cutts, a local cultivator near Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah, NSW, where they worked with kale well before it became a mainstream trend.
Their sound, which initially drew heavily on 60’s psychedelia and 70’s French surf-pop, has diversified to include a blend of woodland bop, folk disco, dub, dance, and global rhythms, all while preserving an Aquarian vibe through Dowling’s ethereal vocal style and Cool Breez’s resonant guitar play.
Their debut release, The Babe Rainbow EP, was produced in an office space in Murwillumbah and received backing from triple j and Flightless Records, the label of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. In 2017, they launched their first album, produced by Stu Mackenzie, and embarked on an international tour alongside acts like King Gizzard, Allah Las, Tomorrow’s Tulips, and La Femme.
After releasing their debut album under 30th Century Records of Columbia in 2017, followed by Double Rainbow (2018) and Today (2019), they completed a three-album contract. Babe Rainbow now controls their music rights and continues to release new material under their independent label, Eureka!, in collaboration with AWAL Music. Check out their psychedelic new track “Retrograde” below: