(Artist Report )

Written by: Abigail Brown   

Picture this: You’re in a dimly lit Australian pub, and your shoes are sticking to the carpet. The air is thick with the smell of beer and humidity when the hum of the crowded room is broken by the explosion that is Amyl and The Sniffers. This scene is an apt portrait of the band’s formative years in Melbourne, but since then, their reach has gone from local dives to international stages; a huge step when coming from the underground scene with a niche, gritty genre. They built their musical identity on territorial pride, with Amy Taylor even stating they “love that our sound sounds like it came from this continent.”

The group’s top strength is their electric performance style, which earned them a 2025 GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Performance for “U Should Not Be Doing That.” In 2026 the musical act turns ten years old, and it seems they’ll be celebrating with their upcoming global summer production and tour.

The saga of Amyl and The Sniffers began in 2016 in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava. The four members are Amy Taylor as the lead vocalist, Bryce Wilson on drums, Declan Mehrtens on lead guitar, and Gus Romer on bass. They met as roommates in a share house, which they’ve described as a “cramped, rundown rental.” Their breakout into the music world was just as rapid-fire as their sound, growing from a shared inspiration for the rawness of 1970s Australian “sharpie” culture, combined with the grime of American hardcore.

The band often cites inspirations ranging from the booming, stadium-sized riffs of fellow countrymen AC/DC to the below-surface and proudly unpolished noise of The Damned. When asked their official genre, the members have stated that they avoid complex labels and favor the classifications of “humane punk” and “pub punk.” With a staunch anti-digital stance, they refuse click tracks and sterile production, and favor analog “heat.” By using overdriven tube amps and lush guitar tones, they bring the warmth of 70s garage rock. This cultural nod allows them to appeal to old-school rock truthers while catching the extended interest of the next generation of alternative fans.

The band’s sound was cooked by the pressure of the Melbourne pub scene, where they had to play faster and louder just to command the attention of rowdy, drunken crowds. This aggression is led by the “Amy Taylor Factor,” a magnetic dance style that blends the stage charisma of Dolly Parton with the rawness of Wendy O. Williams. They’re a reflection of their surroundings with zero filter. Rather than spending months in rehearsals, the band thrives on improvisation and the feel of a live audience over the sanitized studio. They used this “act now, and think later” frame of thought when they wrote, recorded, and released their debut EP, Giddy Up, in a single 12-hour session.

Following Giddy Up was the 2017 release of the EP Big Attraction. This was huge because it featured “I’m Not A Loser,” which arguably became their first wider-spread hit and solidified their reputation for Amy’s defiant lyricism and use of Australian “ocker” slang. In 2018 they would release two singles, “Cup of Destiny” and “Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled),” as well as a compilation of their two previously released EPs. Then, in May 2019, came their self-titled debut album. This went on to win the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album. In 2020 the band released a live EP called Live At The Croxton, and then in 2021 came their second album, Comfort to Me. This debuted at #2 on the ARIA charts and included the working-class anthem, “Hertz.” The next release for the band was “U Should Not Be Doing That” in 2024. This single earned them a 2025 GRAMMY nomination.

Later in 2024 came their third album, Cartoon Darkness. This effort swept the 2025 ARIA Awards for Album of the Year and Best Group. In October 2025 they released a single with Fred again.. called “you’re a star.” A remastered, tenth-anniversary edition of the Giddy Up and Big Attraction compilation mix was released in 2026 and features an essay personally written by Amy Taylor.

As rising stars in the punk rock revival, Amyl and The Sniffers have grown from performing in small dives to huge venues, all while keeping their original grime. Their global tour for 2026 is their largest headlining run so far, taking “pub punk” to top festival slots at Bonnaroo, The Governors Ball, and All Points East in London. The North American leg in June hits hot spots like The Salt Shed in Chicago and The Anthem in DC, and they’re getting support from Party Dozen and L7 on select dates. This will include the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on June 17. Even as the stages grow in size and number, the band refuses to file down their rough edges. These shows are made especially unique by an audience inclusion that destroys the invisible wall between the stage and the pit, pulling together everyone into one loud, rocking crowd. Led by the eternally energized force that is Amy Taylor, the band is keeping punk alive and unforgotten, much to the apparent delight of the rock world over.

Here at Soundwave we will continue following Amyl and The Sniffers and keep our readers updated on their whirlwind career. Don’t forget to support what we do here by donation to the Soundwave Foundation, or browsing the Soundwave Shop. Thank you for reading! Until next time, Rockstars. Keep it groovy out there.

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