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The band trades punk fury for koala suits, tree-hugging, and bong hits in their new video — and announce a 19-track album while they’re at it
Chris Roese
Private Function are back, and they’re going big.
Fresh from warming up stadium crowds for Green Day, the Melbourne punk outfit have announced their fourth album, the characteristically titled ¯_(ツ)_/¯, arriving May 23rd, 2025.
The first taste of the sprawling 19-track record lands today in the form of “Koala” – a track that could almost pass for Tourism Australia’s new theme song.
Billed as both a departure from their usual sound and the most Private Function song to date, “Koala” is, according to frontman Chris Penney, “a song about hugging the ones you love and holding them as tight as you can for as long as life lets you.”
The very koala-themed music video delivers on that sentiment – in true PF style. Think fuzzy koala suits, climbing trees, smoking a koala bong in the park, sinking beers at the pub, and naturally, paying homage to the Giant Koala in Victoria (one of Australia’s great ‘Big Things’). There’s even a sit-down meal at the local roadhouse. It all ends, of course, with animal control showing up, net guns blazing, and a classic “to be continued…”
¯_(ツ)_/¯ was recorded at York Street Recorders with Stefan Blair (Good Morning), and promises all the raw, live energy fans have come to expect – with a few curveballs thrown in. The band describes it as “a wild ride through a genre-jumping headache,” complete with sea shanties, folky detours, and a six-minute electronic freak-out.
The album artwork is equally ambitious: 2,590 unique record covers designed by Bootleg Comics, each one paired with a custom magnifying glass so fans can explore the fine print.
Their 2023 ARIA-nominated album 370HSSV 0773H was “a non-stop assault on your ears,” as Rolling Stone AU/NZ put it at the time — “exactly what fans of the pub-punk outfit need after years of lockdowns, silence, and no live music.”
Private Function’s “Koala” is out now. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ is available for pre-order on April 23rd from www.privatefunction.store.
In This Article: Private Function
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