Matt Corby has released Tragic Magic, a new album that extends the trajectory set by 2023’s Everything’s Fine, while shifting further into personal and reflective territory. The record moves between contrasting states, drawing on themes of loss, fatherhood and creative uncertainty without settling into a single tone.
Written during a period shaped in part by the death of his partner’s mother, the album carries that context without being defined entirely by it. Corby frames the process as one of reassessment, questioning time and how it’s spent, while allowing space for moments that sit outside that weight. Across the record, those contrasts are held in balance rather than resolved.
Musically, Tragic Magic continues Corby’s approach to arrangement and production, with a focus on texture and restraint. Working alongside long-time collaborators Chris Collins and Dann Hume, the sessions also brought in co-writers including Nat Dunn, Shungudzo Kuyimba and Meg Mac. Corby co-produced the album and performed the majority of instruments, maintaining a level of control that keeps the record consistent in tone.
Focus track Maker sits at the centre of the release, built around the idea of creating without guarantee of outcome. It’s a theme that runs parallel to the broader album, where process takes precedence over resolution. Earlier singles including War of Love, Know It All, Big Ideas, Burn It Down and Long and Short feed into that framework, outlining the record’s scope ahead of its release.
Corby’s position within the Australian landscape has been established over more than a decade, from the success of Brother through to consecutive ARIA Top 10 releases. His last album, Everything’s Fine, continued that run while expanding his reach across critical and commercial spaces.
Backseat Mafia caught Corby live in 2025 supporting Teddy Swims, where his set reinforced the same balance heard in his recorded work, measured, controlled and centred on performance rather than excess.
To mark the release of Tragic Magic, Corby will take the record on the road with a national run beginning in June, alongside festival appearances including Groovin The Moo, Winter Wine Festival and a free show as part of Vivid Sydney.
Stream Tragic Magic HERE.
Go HERE for ticketing info and tour dates.
