Sydney four-piece Body Type return with razor-sharp wit, gang vocal hooks and a renewed sense of purpose on the punchy new single ‘And What Else?’.

Over the past decade, Body Type have quietly built one of the most distinctive voices in modern Australian guitar music. Formed in Sydney but shaped by experiences spanning opposite sides of the continent, the four-piece have carved out a sound that veers between chaotic ragers and emotionally bruised confessionals without ever losing its sense of humour. Their new single ‘And What Else?’ captures that balance perfectly: playful, self-aware and packed with the kind of call-and-response energy that feels destined for sticky-floored venues and shouted choruses alike. With a new chapter underway through p(doom) Records and a forthcoming album produced alongside Stella Mozgawa, we caught up with the band to talk insecurity, girl-group dynamics, touring with heroes and why a cowbell still matters.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

Annabel: We are four women who happened to cross paths in Sydney about 10 years ago, and we all wanted to do the same thing - make a bit o’ noise! Soph, Cec and Georgia are from Western Australia, and I am from the south coast of New South Wales. Opposite sides of the continent - you could say it was fated. We have three singers/songwriters so the style of our songs varies a lot. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly but it’d be fair to say they span from ragers to weepers.

‘And What Else?’ feels instantly punchy and self-aware. What was the first spark for that track?

Annabel: I just wanted to make a playful song. Most of the time I have no real intentions at the outset of writing, I just let things unfurl, but because this was so light-hearted, notions of 80s rock anthems and girl group songs flying around my head, it was easy to build it up quickly. It’s not directly referencing anything too specific I can think of but I think once you hear enough of certain music styles they become a natural vocabulary you can draw on.

The song deals with insecurity and craving validation at the same time. How did you want that tension to come across in the writing?

Annabel: Well it’s pretty neatly cut up into verses (craving validation) and choruses (insecurity). So there’s alternating modes of fun vs freakout that create a rock n roll romance rollercoaster.

There’s a real call-and-response energy to it. Did that come from playing together in a room, or was it something you built up in the studio?

Annabel: That was a demo idea but it was inspired by the thought of my fellow Types as my gang vocal girls. I was reading a book about the Shangri-Las called ‘Dressed in Black: The Shangri-Las and Their Recorded Legacy’ by Australian author Lisa MacKinney (a very in-depth history of their career and highly worth the read!) which probably also inspired me to do a take on that kind of dynamic. It’s a fun way to spin some drama.

You’ve mentioned influences like The Shangri-Las and Ivy and the Eaters. How do those references filter into your sound without feeling nostalgic?

Annabel: They are just little motivators for the structure and pacing of the song. At the end of the day, Body Type is a tidal wave of energy that can’t be shoehorned into old ideas, so it could never get too nostalgic!

You’ve just signed to p(doom) Records. What made that feel like the right home for this next chapter? And what’s it like working with them?

King Gizz are icons for many reasons, but one of them is for carving out their own way of operating that defies industry conventions, so signing with p(doom) feels like an extension of that. There’s instantly a sense of familiarity and trust in the label because it has been founded with a very artist-driven ethos.

Cec: The Gizz lads have been so supportive of us from the very beginning too. We’ve played their festivals and opened for them previously so it felt like a no-brainer when the official chats started happening.

Coming back together after time spent on individual projects, did anything about your dynamic change when you reconvened?

Cec: I hope not lol

Annabel: Cec came back from playing in a country band and could do that country drum shuffle so I guess that was pretty intimidating.

You’ve toured with a huge range of artists, from Foo Fighters to Big Thief. What have those experiences taught you about your own identity as a band?

Sophie: It’s certainly validating to be invited to play with bands that you idolise. Moreso than typical industry success indicators I think - how cool to have Dave Grohl or Black Francis or Carrie Brownstein watching you play from side of stage, listening, nodding along. When the artist community pays attention, and you’re invited into that world, that makes all this rock n roll business feel right.

There’s a long lineage of women in punk that you’re often placed within, especially with moments like sharing a stage with Gina Birch. How do you see your place within that history?

Sophie: An honour to be considered part of this long lineage! Women in punk rock hard, and it’s cool to play a part in continuing to remind everyone of that. And Gina is an icon forever - that show in London where she joined us on stage is one for the history books. But it would also be cool if we didn’t have to be delineated from an even longer lineage of men in punk. But a lot of that is real boring so whatever

After a break, did returning to the band feel like picking up where you left off, or starting something new entirely?

Cec: We were always connected during the break. While we weren’t necessarily playing shows, we were constantly writing/chatting/hanging out/collaborating on what we wanted to do next. So in that sense it feels like a very natural progression on what we’ve always been doing. The break was a necessary time to be involved in some other creative pursuits, have genuine lived experiences, be inspired by other things so we could come back to BT fresh and energised.

The new single hints at more to come. Are you approaching this next phase as a full reset, or an evolution of what Body Type has already built?

Sophie: 10 years of playing together - there’s too much history there, too much to work with, full reset is impossible! All of our individual and collective cells have replaced themselves already in the time we’ve been together, so I think it’s eternal now. What we’ve made with this new album is a natural next step based on what we’ve learnt this past decade, and how we’ve evolved as musicians and songwriters and women. Plus working with Stella Mozgawa was a real Mewtwo moment.

What do you love right now?

Annabel: Tennis

Sophie: lime biking

Cec: cowbell

Georgia: Clint Eastwood movies

What do you hate right now?

Annabel: ppl in active wear walking really slow

Sophie: thrush

Cecil: bunions

Georgia: porridge

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

Annabel: The Wedding Singer OST. It has defined who I am today.

Sophie: ABBA Gold. Definitive pop hits guaranteed to turn a frjöwn upside djöwn

Cecil: The Beatles Abbey Road. Just some absolute classics peppered with wacky shit. My dad’s personalised ringtone for me has been ‘Here Comes The Sun’ since 2005.

Georgia: Car wheels on a gravel road Lucinda Williams. Reminds me of home.

Finally, what do you want people to take from ‘And What Else?’ on a first listen?

Annabel: The urge to create a youtube tutorial explaining how to play the song on guitar.

Start Listening To: Body Type