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Australian alt-rock outfit The Great Emu War Casualties have released their new EP, Mal du Siècle, alongside its focus track, “Groovy.” Translating loosely from French as “sickness of the century,” the title references a 19th-century expression of universal ennui that feels particularly fitting in 2026. Yet, in typically unexpected fashion, the band pairs that existential undercurrent with what may be their most unabashedly joyous song to date.
“Groovy” surges forward on driving, open-road motorik rhythms and an infectious synth motif, while Saskia Clapton’s cool, feminine backing vocals intertwine with Joe Jackson’s laconic lead. Jackson’s lyrics balance self-deprecation with surreal observations of suburban life, opening with the declaration: “For the seventeenth time today I declare my days of being a dick are over… but I forgot about groovy.”
For Jackson, the song captures the frustrating contradiction between wanting to change and finding oneself unable to do so.
“When I say ‘Groovy’ I am Mike Myers as Austin Powers in my head. This song is about both the desire to and inability to change. Honesty and its difficulty. There is something toxic inside of these 3 minutes in it, hence the Liz Taylor bridge cameo. A bartender recently described my order of two gin and tonics as ‘Groovy’. Someone behind me on this train is coughing so much they might choke to death. I’m going to watch a movie,” he says.
Alongside the previously released “Cold Food Ave,” the five-track EP features three additional new songs, each exploring a different corner of the band’s increasingly adventurous sound. Opener “Genie” blends dance-punk energy with a psychedelic undercurrent and a pounding rhythmic drive supplied by Nepalese drummer Bibek Tamang. “PFA” takes a more Balearic alt-indie approach, pairing laid-back melodies with increasingly forceful beats, while closing track “Disco” delivers an irresistible burst of danceable indie rock that recalls the sonic territory of Two Door Cinema Club, LCD Soundsystem, and Foals without losing the band’s own identity.
The making of Mal du Siècle also marked a significant change of scenery for the group. Leaving their home city of Melbourne, the British, Australian, and Nepalese band traveled to a studio nestled between Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, overlooking California’s Mojave Desert. They enlisted American-based English producer Alex Newport, a former noise-rock and metal musician whose subsequent work has earned him Grammy recognition through collaborations with Bloc Party and At The Drive-In.
Jackson says the group approached the EP with a deliberate desire to move beyond the sound of their previous album, Public Sweetheart No. 1.
“We approached ‘Mal Du Siecle’ off the back of releasing the ‘Public Sweetheart No.1’ album with an aim of making a record that doesn’t sound like it’s from the same band. Aside from one verse in one song, the acoustic guitar is out. There’s a drum machine in there in places too. Instead of writing the whole thing in a Melbourne bedroom we put a lot of it together in a Californian desert. ‘Public Sweetheart No.1’ was a very introverted record whereas ‘Mal du Siecle’ is attempting to make sense of the world around it. Predictably failing but also that might be part of the point.”
That shift in perspective gives the EP its distinctive character. Where Public Sweetheart No. 1 turned inward, Mal du Siècle looks outward, channeling the band’s existential wit and genre-hopping instincts into a more energetic, expansive collection. Having built an underground following in Australia before attracting wider attention with their debut album, The Great Emu War Casualties now make a compelling case for their unpredictable brand of alternative rock.
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