The Preatures

Australian rock band the Preatures formed in 2010 in Sydney. Guitarist Jack Moffitt and bassist Tom Champion were high school friends who met singer Isabella Manfredi when all three were attending the Australian Institute of Music. They formed a cover band together, cutting their teeth around town playing Rolling Stones songs and other rock covers before recruiting singer/guitarist Gideon Bensen and drummer Luke Davison to form the Preatures. Relying on a mix of gothic soul and classic rock, the band's sound has been likened to iconic acts like Fleetwood Mac and the Pretenders, as well as garage revivalists the Strokes and retro-leaning sister act HAIM. After honing their act for a couple of years, the Preatures inked a deal with Mercury Records, releasing their first EP, Shaking Hands, in 2012. The following year they released a second EP, Is This How You Feel? The title song, which won the prestigious $50,000 Vanda & Young prize, charted in Triple J's Top Ten and was nominated for an ARIA Award. The success of the single and the band's busy international touring schedule led to slots at major festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Glastonbury. The Preatures headed to the States to record their debut album with Spoon drummer/producer Jim Eno in Austin, Texas. The album Blue Planet Eyes arrived in the fall of 2014. It peaked in the Top Five of the ARIA albums chart. Bensen amicably parted ways with the Preatures in 2016, and they carried forth as a quartet. The following year, they returned with the singles "I Know a Girl" and "Girlhood." ~ Timothy Monger