HighSchool, the ascending post-punk duo from Naarm/Melbourne today announce their self-titled debut album out October 31 via [PIAS] Australia, with the release of their latest single ‘Dipped’. LISTEN + WATCH HERE + PRE-SAVE HIGHSCHOOL LP HERE.

The project of Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott, with live support from Lilli Trobbiani and Lucy Lamb, HighSchool offer a new lens on distilled shoegaze, new wave and post-punk. Since forming in 2021 with their breakout Forever At Last EP (which included popular tracks ‘New York, Paris and London’ and ‘Frosting’) and 2024 follow-up EP Accelerator, they’ve finely tuned a sound that ruminates on the sentimentalism of suburban adolescence and fleeting youth. A band who take great care in all they do, they also self-direct their brilliant videos and create all their own visuals, utilising their background in film to deliver an aesthetic to match their sound.

Following a stint living in London and cutting their teeth on the Windmill scene, their wall of sound traverses the alternative underground having made their mark internationally with shows in Australia, Europe, Japan and North America, tours alongside Wunderhorse, Sam Fender, Provoker and Chvrches, and renowned festival appearances at SXSW Austin, The Great Escape, All Points East, Wide Awake and Reeperbahn.

With influences as wide as slowcore, Drain Gang-style hip hop and the alt-rock steps of Alex G, HighSchool’s forthcoming self-titled debut album (out Oct 31) sees the band further refine their signature sound as heard in their previously acclaimed EPs while simultaneously curating a new terrain that translates stages of life. Recorded between London, East Sussex and Melbourne with producers Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Finn Billingham (RIP Magic, Sam Akpro, Sunken), meticulous in its construction, the album is an intoxicating delivery of 80s post-punk with reflections of alternative revivalism.

Joining lead single ‘149’, which saw support across The Line Of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, triple j, Radio X and more, today’s release ‘Dipped’ builds on the energy and introduces a layered push-pull dynamic while conserving their washed-out trademark. “This track explores themes of luck, chance, and gambling, using the Greek tragedy of Achilles as a metaphor for addiction, impulse, and human weakness. The cold, gothic, minor-key verses contrast with a warm, major-key chorus, creating a push-and-pull dynamic that feels both tense and euphoric. We recorded it in Lewes and added the final touches at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne with Aaron Dobos,” the band say.