HighSchool announce self-titled debut album + drop new single ‘Dipped’

Naarm/Melbourne post-punk duo HighSchool are stepping into a new era. They’ve announced their long-awaited self-titled debut album, landing October 31 via [PIAS], alongside the release of their brooding new single Dipped.

Following their earlier single 149 — which picked up love from The Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, triple j, and beyond — Dipped stretches their sound further, leaning into tension and release. It’s a cold-meets-warm collision: gothic, minor-key verses melting into a euphoric major-key chorus. Lyrically, the track dives into luck, chance, and human weakness, framing addiction and impulse through the lens of Achilles’ Greek tragedy.

Recorded between Lewes, UK and Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne with producer Aaron Dobos, Dipped hints at the layered dynamics running through the upcoming record.

HighSchool — the project of Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott, with live support from Lilli Trobbiani and Lucy Lamb— have been steadily carving out their space since 2021’s breakout ‘Forever At Last’ EP and 2024’s ‘Accelerator’ EP. Their sound walks the line between shoegaze haze, new wave shimmer, and post-punk grit, while their visuals — always self-directed and cinematic — deepen the band’s immersive aesthetic.

The duo have already left fingerprints on the global alternative underground, with tours alongside Wunderhorse, Sam Fender, Provoker, and Chvrches, plus festival appearances at SXSW Austin, The Great Escape, All Points East, Wide Awake, and Reeperbahn.

Pulling influence from slowcore, Drain Gang-style hip hop, and alt-rock icons like Alex G, their debut album promises to expand on their acclaimed EPs while exploring new emotional terrain. Produced alongside Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Finn Billingham (RIP Magic, Sam Akpro, Sunken), it’s set to be a meticulously crafted blend of ‘80s post-punk textures and modern alternative edge.

‘HighSchool’ track list

1. Dipped
2. Sony Ericsson
3. 149
4. Chaplins
5. American Aunty
6. Peter’s Room
7. One Lucky Man
8. Making Out at the Skatepark
9. Trope
10. Rhinoplasty
11. Best and Fairest
12. Colt

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