Brooklyn shoegaze favourites DIIV are heading back to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for headline shows, bringing their new album ZIRP! to Laneway Festival. And with experimental pop producer A. G. Cook behind the controls, their latest chapter promises a few surprises.
Led by frontman Cole Smith, DIIV have spent more than a decade pushing against the boundaries of shoegaze, blending walls of distorted guitars with melodies that refuse to disappear beneath the noise.
Their 2019 album Deceiver took a darker turn into grunge territory, while 2024’s Frog In Boiling Water explored a world increasingly consumed by corporate power, technological dependence and social decay.
Now ZIRP! finds the band looking forward, with an unexpected collaborator helping steer their next chapter.
British producer A. G. Cook, best known for his work with Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek, joins forces with DIIV on a record that pushes their sound towards brighter, more immediate pop territory without abandoning the dense guitar textures that define them.
It’s an intriguing pairing. Cook’s experimental pop instincts meet DIIV’s atmospheric guitar work, opening up new possibilities for a band that has never been particularly interested in staying within the confines of a single genre.
Thematically, ZIRP! continues the concerns of Frog In Boiling Water, taking aim at surveillance technology, societal collapse and the relentless demands of streaming culture. But there’s a newfound lightness to the music, with sharper hooks and a more playful approach to songwriting.
Sydney’s City Recital Hall provides an interesting setting for the band’s return. Better known for its exceptional acoustics and intimate concert experiences, the venue offers a different environment for DIIV’s densely layered guitars and immersive sound.
With ZIRP! opening up new possibilities and A. G. Cook adding another dimension to their music, DIIV arrive in Sydney with plenty of new ideas and no intention of turning down the guitars.
Go HERE for ticketing information for Sydney, HERE for Melbourne and HERE for Adelaide.
