Melbourne Slacker-Rockers S.M. Jenkins Sign With Hotel Motel Records

Ascendant Melbourne slacker-rock four-piece S.M. Jenkins have just released a new single, High Beamin', and they're complementing the good work with the news that they're the newest signing to blossoming local label Hotel Motel Records.

Comprised of former Sydney-based muso Stephen Bourke — best known for his time as the frontman of Step-Panther — with Jo Syme (Big Scary), Jimmy Gallagher (Dumb Punts) and Shanna Watson, the band has blossomed from a one-man project to a fully fledged outfit, winning hearts with their affable, self-deprecating outlook and killer live show.

Says Bourke of the new single: "It’s about the time when you are a bit sleep deprived and hallucinating when you are on the highway. I think I wrote that song after playing a gig in Canberra and driving back to Sydney, which is pretty far to drive. I was singing it to myself to keep myself occupied while everyone else was sleeping."

High Beamin' features on the band's recently released debut EP, Out There In The Zone, a direct reference to the soundscape for which Bourke was aiming with the creation of the record.

"What I’m trying to go for here is getting the guitars to sound like they are really close to your ears and very personal," he said in a statement. "This can transport the listener to a different dimension, which I call the Endless Realm AKA the Zone."

Their signing to Hotel Motel — which was started back in April by Syme, who also co-runs Pieater Records with her Big Scary bandmate Tom Iansek — sees them join a growing stable of acts that includes Orlean, Quivers and L.A. Mood.

S.M. Jenkins will be celebrating all the good news with an east-coast tour this September and October, kicking off with a pair of Sydney shows alongside Dumb Punts before hitting Wollongong's Yours & Owls Festival on Saturday 30 September. The next month, they head to Adelaide before swinging home to Melbourne.

See theGuide for all the details.