What’s Happening
Mackay will host PNAU on Wednesday, June 24, when the Australian dance duo bring their Nirvana tour to McGuires Hotel.
The show lands in the middle of PNAU’s Queensland run, after Airlie Beach and before Rockhampton. It gives Mackay fans a local stop on the duo’s first regional Australian tour.
PNAU have also announced their seventh studio album, AHHCade, due for release on July 31 through indie label etcetc. The album will feature Nirvana, their latest single with Atlanta hip hop duo EARTHGANG and sadMONTH, plus Tu Corazon (Your Heart) with Mexican rock band The Warning.
Nirvana is streaming now at https://pnau.etcetc.to/nirvana. The official music video has also been released.
Nick Littlemore said the new album carries a strong emotional centre.
“There is a sense of belonging about music, about the journey we have taken. Both Peter and I and our collaborators, creating a home on the dancefloor, between the ears of the listener. We are making heart songs. While, yes, they have electronics and they have technology, they are essentially expressions of the heart.”
Why It Matters
The show brings a major Australian electronic act into a local venue instead of a capital city room.
That matters because regional fans are often asked to travel for larger tours. This time, PNAU are taking the show through regional Queensland, with Mackay placed between two other key stops.
The Mackay date also arrives as PNAU introduce the sound of AHHCade. Littlemore described Nirvana as a signal of change.
“Nirvana represents the birth of a new era,” Littlemore said.
“It’s fierce, feverish and harks back to the shape of punk electronic yet to come. Get ready to be uptight, upgrooved and unhinged for a new disorder.”
EARTHGANG said the track came from shared energy with PNAU.
“For Nirvana we tapped the euphoric and enlightened energy with PNAU, and surfed the electro crush. We appreciate everybody who poured their energy into making it a banger.”
By the Numbers
- AHHCade will be PNAU’s seventh studio album, adding to a career that began when Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes were still teenagers.
- The regional tour includes 12 East Coast dates, with more dates still to be announced.
- PNAU’s 2024 album Hyperbolic featured Troye Sivan, Khalid, Bebe Rexha, Ozuna and Empire of the Sun.
- Cold Heart with Elton John and Dua Lipa amassed billions of streams and gave Sir Elton his first UK number one single in 16 years.
Local Impact
The Mackay show gives local fans a rare chance to see PNAU close to home.
McGuires Hotel will host the June 24 performance, placing Mackay inside a run that includes Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Toowoomba.
For the city’s live music scene, the date adds national weight to a midweek night. It also gives fans across the wider Mackay region a major electronic show without a long drive south.
Zoom In
PNAU’s new single Nirvana brings together several creative worlds.
EARTHGANG formed in Atlanta in 2008, after Johnny “Olu O. Fann” Venus and Doctur “Eian Undrai Parker” Dot met in high school. The duo later became known for adventurous rap, their work with Spillage Village and releases through J. Cole’s Dreamville label.
sadMONTH is a new project from Nick Littlemore and Toronto’s Dom Dias. Its inclusion on Nirvana adds another layer to the track and points to the wider sound of AHHCade.
The album will also include Tu Corazon (Your Heart), PNAU’s multi-million-streamed single with The Warning.
Zoom Out
PNAU have spent decades shifting between underground dance music, pop collaboration and festival-ready electronic sounds.
Their story began with the ARIA Award-winning Sambanova. Their later catalogue helped move them from Australian dance floors to huge international audiences.
That rise grew further through Cold Heart, their collaboration with Elton John and Dua Lipa. It connected their production style with one of pop music’s most recognised voices.
With AHHCade, PNAU are again drawing from different places. Mexican rock, Atlanta rap, electronic pop and dance music all sit inside this new album phase.
PNAU Nirvana Tour Dates
- Friday, June 19 – Gilligan’s, Cairns
- Saturday, June 20 – The Warehouse, Townsville
- Sunday, June 21 – Magnums, Airlie Beach
- Wednesday, June 24 – McGuires Hotel, Mackay
- Thursday, June 25 – Leichhardt Hotel, Rockhampton
- Friday, June 26 – Sugarland Tavern, Bundaberg
- Saturday, June 27 – The Powerhouse, Toowoomba
- Sunday, June 28 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
- Wednesday, July 1 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
- Thursday, July 2 – Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay
- Friday, July 3 – King Street Hotel, Newcastle
- Saturday, July 4 – Woodport Hotel, Erina
Tickets are on sale now through www.pnau.tv.
What To Look For Next
Mackay fans will get PNAU’s regional show on June 24, one day before the tour moves to Rockhampton.
The album lands on July 31, giving the Mackay crowd an early live look at the AHHCade sound.
