‘Bring back sincerity in music I kind of miss it honestly.’
Nestled in the Gadigal music scene, shoegaze/indie-rock band half request have you gazing into a body of water thinking about what could have been. With a sound that sparks nostalgia of the early 2000s, their latest EP ‘There’s No Shame In Trying!’ could soundtrack that moment in an old romcom where the protagonist is walking around and realises, well I’ve got to give it a go.
Made up of guitarists, Tom Oswald and Elijah Birt, who also heads up the lead on vocals. Balanced by bassist and occasional vocalist, Eva Sinnerbank, and drummer Sonny Hanson, who together make up two thirds of another Gadigal DIY scene band, Our Mutual Friend. If you live in Sydney you know it already, but the band describes the scene as ‘a bit incestuous’ detailing how the music realm crosses over. With half request being the love child of this, it’s not all bad.
Emerging on the scene in 2025 as a fully-fledged four piece, the sound is tighter than ever. A push and pull of zippy guitar riffs and moody vocals backed by the thrashing drums. Their EP ‘There’s No Shame In Trying!’ encompasses the title feeling. Shaking off the guilt of putting time into something you care about. Soft and heavy. Like the emotions in the music.
Words by Niamh Youmans