The band’s latest single marks a new chapter in the Sydney duo’s musical journey.

The past 12 months have been huge for Polish Club duo David Novak and John-Henry Pajak. Not only has the band parted ways with their record label Universal, but they’ve also decided to go the independent route.

On a personal front, they experienced the good and the bad, with both lads getting married but Novak suffering health issues and having to undergo open heart surgery. Thankfully all is well and the two are back doing what they love – making music.

And it appears what they’ve gone through recently has informed their outlook on life and music, with latest single ‘Manila’ showcasing a new side to their band.

Departing from the garage rock strains of their previous work, Polish Club aim for a dreamy, reflective dose of lo-fi indie rock on ‘Manila’.

Co-written with Robby De Sa and produced by Simon Berckelman at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studio, ‘Manila’ is influenced by the Philippines city it takes its name from. The music video for the song also reflects this and features footage shot by Novak during his last visit to his ancestral homeland.

“There’s a reservation in the vocal to ‘Manila’ that we haven’t really explored in our previous music,” explains Novak in a statement. “It feels like a more earned climax towards the end of the song, when you really take your time with building a crescendo in a song.”

The release of ‘Manila’ coincides with Polish Club’s one-off show at Sydney’s Spiegeltent on Thursday, May 23. The special performance will see the band joined by Canberra indie-pop outfit Sesame Girl, Eora/Sydney’s own Jet City Sports Club and punk pop newcomers Rat Public.

‘Manila’ follows on from last year’s single, ‘Good Times’, which was picked up by the Nine Network and used during their NRL coverage. A new album is said to be in the works, but no official details have been released yet.

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