In the Green Room: The Tullamarines
We’re calling it now. The Tullamarines are going to be the next biggest export out of SA, armed with anxious pop tunes and safety blankets. Swinging by, they chat about their sophomore EP and tour
Interview Millah Hansberry // Image Jack Fenby
Congratulations on the release of your sophomore EP, Safety Blanket. What inspired this collection of tracks?
Thanks! Safety Blanket came together during a pretty shaky time for all of us. It felt like everything was shifting, from friendships to self-worth to just trying to figure out how to balance being an adult with following our dreams. Writing and recording these songs became our way of processing all that change. They were something we clung to when everything felt a bit too much, they were our safety blanket.
The Tullamarines have nailed the art of the vulnerable, sad-happy pop track. What is it about baring your all in an upbeat, digestible way that attracts you?
This is a hard one to answer! I wish we had a super deep and interesting take. But I think we just love making songs that sound the way ours do. Then we get to the lyrics, remember we’re a bunch of saddos and roll with it. That being said, it can be quite therapeutic to pair a bottled-up confession with a melody that makes you want to dance.
Your last three singles, ‘Lying’, ‘Running on Empty’ and ‘Idiot’, have blown up and landed on full rotation on triple j. That’s got to be a cool feeling hearing yourselves on the radio…
It’s honestly surreal. We all grew up listening to triple j, dreaming about one day having a song on there. So for them to have been picked up the way they have and to know people are connecting with them is absolutely crazy. We still get a buzz every time someone messages us saying, “Just heard you in the car!” It’s something we never take for granted.
There’s something so hands-on about your EP; with the art and promo being crochet blankets and paper collages. How do you find the raw and tangibleness of the physical promo reflects the project’s music?
We’ve always tried to take a DIY approach to Tullies things where we can. It always feels a little bit more satisfying that way. We really wanted this EP to have a firm visual identity, so when Cin came up with the idea and started working away at it. It just made sense. Handmade with love, just like the songs on the EP.
2025 has been a mental year for the band: supporting The Preatures, DICE, Old Mervs, Ball Park Music, and packing out rooms at BIGSOUND. How’s it felt riding that wave?
It’s been mental. So many pinch-me moments. We’ve learnt so much playing with those bands and made so many new friends along the way. Can’t count the amount of times we’ve walked off stage with ear-to-ear grins thinking, “what the hell just happened?” It was so exciting to finally get to play BIGSOUND, being surrounded by so many people who were just as passionate about Aussie music as us was really special.
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The end of the year marks The Tullamarines playing a run of major Aussie music festivals: Wanderer, Rolling Sets, Beyond the Valley and Great Escape. How keen are you to dominate the festival space?
It’s super exciting! We’ve always wanted to go to these festivals as punters but have never gotten the chance. So to be playing all of them!? Gobsmacked. We’re really excited to get in front of more new people and share what we do.
What’s the experience been like hearing such wide audiences sing your words back to you?
I honestly don't think there's a better feeling in the world. We’re just a bunch of nerds who struggle to connect with others. To be able to have these songs we wrote on the floor in our bedrooms be the catalyst for that connection and community with others is super lovely. It really starts to feel like those words you put on the page at a low point might just be helping someone out of the same spot.
After such a huge year on the road, how would you describe the band’s relationship to touring?
It can be hard at times, but we absolutely love it. We’ll be grumpy and tired and keen to sleep in our own bed. Then we will wake up the next morning itching to go and do it all again. We love meeting and chatting with people who have connected to what we do. As a band, it’s pushed us from best mates to family.
For the Safety Blanket Australian tour, you’ve tapped Ghost Care to come along. Your last EP tour saw good mates Purée join the ride. What do you like about bringing one band with you, and why was Ghost Care the right pick for now?
It’s really fun to experience the ride of a whole tour with another band, watch each other lock into your sets and blossom a friendship over a few weeks. We love Ghost Care’s music and they just seemed like a group of wholesome nerds just like us. Felt like the perfect fit.
You’re bringing the EP launch to your hometown at Lion Arts Factory on October 24. What should audiences expect?
We’re putting a lot of effort into making these the best headline shows we’ve done to date. From stage design and lights to merch and crafting the perfect setlist. We’re going to take the audience on a ride through the EP and a few other fun surprises. Adelaide is the biggest room of the tour and our first AA headline; we’re pretty confident our hometown will be the highlight of the tour.
The Fuss are opening the night. What made them the perfect choice to kick things off
They’re one of the many SA acts we’re really excited about at the moment. Such cool guitar work and they just ‘get’ vibe. The tonality fits super well in the world of the night. They’ll probably play us under the table, and we’re so here for it.
Catch The Tullamarines at Lion Arts Factory on Friday 24 October with Ghost Care and The Fuss. Tickets on sale now via moshtix.com.au.
