Babe Rainbow will release their new album, Slipper imp and shakaerator, on April 4th via King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s  p(doom) Records. Described as their most “homegrown” project yet. Lead single “Like cleopatra” follows previous album cut “Long Live The Wildernes.”

“When our neighbor Tam’s cows dried themselves up, and we had to wait for one of the cows named Mary to have her calf to have fresh milk, we were buying ‘Cleopatra’s Bath Milk.’ This might explain the theme of ‘Like cleopatra.’ Drink deep or taste not,” says the band. “The song reminds us of the natural spring outside Julian [Abbott]’s studio where we’d naturally congregate when the sun was at its zenith early into a day’s recording session. We’d stretch; take coffee and fruit. It’s a sweet spot to enjoy the Nature sprites and spirits. Why is everything so nice? We found our Cleopatra in Camille [Jansen] who kindly sang backing vocals on the album. She has a definite ancient Egyptian aristocratic air to her coolness. Cheers to the rhythm of life.”

They say it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at. But for Angus Dowling, Jack ‘Cool-Breeze’ Crowther and Dr Elliot ‘Love Wisdom’ O’Reilly, the character of their home, Australia’s idyllic Gold Coast, permeates every atom of the dreamlike, joyful, psychedelic music they create together as Babe Rainbow. The trio grew up in Rainbow Bay, later relocating to Byron Bay, an area of breathtaking natural beauty, where the waves are always strong, the magic mushrooms grow freely, and old, abandoned farm buildings abound. It was and remains the perfect locale for young dudes to play their music as loud as they want.

The trio jammed tirelessly in abandoned shacks, and as their sound began to develop, they booked shows in Brisbane where they crossed paths with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who began to book the embryonic Babe Rainbow as opening band at their shows. The Gizz connection would prove fortuitous for Babe Rainbow, who signed to the group’s Flightless label for their 2015 eponymous EP, and whose 2017 self-titled debut LP was produced by Gizzard King Stu Mackenzie. The album established a loyal following for Babe Rainbow, one which has only grown over the records since.

The trio recorded Slipper imp and shakaerator in a massive warehouse on an old banana farm where they could work alongside friend and producer Timon Martinand magical Miles Myjavec on percussion and flute. The roots of the tracks often lay in riffs and figures cooked up by guitarist Jack Crowther. “‘Cool Breeze’ has always got something going on,” says Angus. “He’s always keen to jam, and Timon’s so good with helping to realise the potential of a song.”

The key this time was not to overwork these early ideas, to give them space “to flow, to grow,” he explains. “Keeping a loose feeling to the music is so important. An idea develops together outside but it doesn’t take its wings until you take it into the studio. We experiment with synths and drum machines and overdubs, and we love that, but we never wanna escape too far from the hippie power of the music. We’re made of rainbow.”

Babe Rainbow
Slipper imp and shakaerator
p(doom) Records
Tracklisting

What is ashwagandha
LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS
Now and zen
Sunday
Apollonia
Like cleopatra
When the milk flows featuring Stu Mackenzie
Mt dub featuring Stu Mackenzie
Aquarium cowgirl
Rainbows end featuring Camille Jansen
re-ju-ven-ate

Babe Rainbow 2025 Tour Dates

Fri. Feb. 7 – Tasmania, AU @ Party In The Paddock Festival
Fri. Feb. 14 – Canberra, AU @ Polish White Eagle Club
Sat. Feb. 15 – Thredbo, AU @ Thredbo Bike Cannonball After Party
Sun. Mar. 2 – Wollongong, AU @ Yours And Owls Festival
Fri. Mar. 21 – Adelaide, AU @ Crown & Anchor Hotel
Sat. Mar. 22 – Melbourne, AU @ Howler
Thur. Mar. 27 – Newcastle, AU @ King St Bandroom
Fri. Mar. 28 – Bondi Beach, AU @ Beach Road Hotel
Sat. Mar. 29 – Avalon, AU @ Avalon RSL
Fri. Apr. 4 – Brunswick Heads, AU @ Hotel Brunswick
Sat. Apr. 5 – Eumundi, AU @ Imperial Hotel
Sun. Apr. 6 – Brisbane, AU @ Lefty’s Music Hall
Thur. Apr. 10 – Wellington, NZ @ Meow
Fri. Apr. 11 – Tauranga, NZ @ Totara Street
Sat. Apr. 12 – Raglan, NZ @ The Yard
Sun. Apr. 13 – Auckland, NZ @ Double Whammy

Pre-order Slipper imp and shakaerator HERE