New War

Melbourne, Australia-based post-punk act New War began in 2010, growing in part from the ashes of vocalist/songwriter Chris Pugmire's previous act, Shoplifting. The guitar-free band also included former Shoplifting member Melissa Lock on bass, drummer Steve Masterson, and keyboardist Jesse Shepherd. Taking influence from the dubbier side of post-punk like the Pop Group, PiL, and Gang of Four, New War debuted in 2011 with a 12" for their mysterious and tense track "Ghostwalking," a tune that would later be remixed by several artists including the Gossip. A self-titled full-length materialized in 2012, seeing mostly local distribution in Australia before it was re-released internationally in 2013. ~ Fred Thomas