WINDWAKER

True harmony magnetically draws even the most seemingly disparate elements together. Windwaker’s music effectively results from a chemical reaction between rock, alternative, metal, pop, punk, electronic, and hip-hop. The Australian quintet—Liam Guinane [vocals], Justin Keurntjes [guitar], Indey Salvestro [bass], Chris Lalic [drums], and Connor Robins [synths, samples]—act as the common denominator on an endlessly rotating carousel of styles, splicing stadium-size hooks, swaggering rhythms, gnashing guitars, and jaw-droppingly dynamic vocals into one unpredictable and undeniable sound.

Tallying tens of millions of streams, selling out shows, and earning acclaim from the likes of NME, OnesToWatch, and more, the group break all boundaries with their 2026 third full-length LP, smile, you’re on camera [Fearless Records].

“To me, we’re a rock band with very eclectic influences,” Liam observes. “It’s important for the emotional spectrum to be just as varied as the genre spectrum though. The album is quite dark and hopeless, but it also hones in on finding your way through. You can hear our frustration with the world. However, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Windwaker have constantly pushed the envelope, taking flight into rarified air as an outlier. They already made a hyperspace-size jump musically from Love Language [2022] to HYPERVIOLENCE [2024]. The latter spawned “SIRENS,” which gathered 9 million Spotify streams and counting. In response to the highlight “Fractured State of Mind,” OnesToWatch raved, “Simultaneously brutal and beautiful, the ferocious new track explores the aftershocks of lost love and is sure to be an instant hit for those in need of a therapeutic rage session.” In a “10/10” review, Distorted Sound predicted, “HYPERVIOLENCE has the energy of a band about to make it big.” Plus, Melodic Magazine hailed “their genre-warping take on modern metalcore.” Along the way, they notably shared stages with everyone from Motionless In White and I Prevail to Beartooth and Caskets, among others.

At the top of 2026, the group decamped to an AirBnb by the beach in Melbourne where the musicians crafted the bulk of the LP with Chris in the producer’s chair once again. They also took a week-long trip to Los Angeles, and they worked with Daniel Braunstein [Spiritbox, Dayseeker].

The process saw them shift gears and harness their shared creativity in one concentrated burst.

“We’ve always written together, but we never started songs together from nothing like this,” he notes. “We began combining ideas and really went for it in a freeform flow state. It was a good learning experience.”

The band teased this chapter with “victory lap” and “click” [feat. RinRin], reacting with listeners and heightening anticipation. Co-written with Braunstein, the single “closer” opens with strobe-flashes of neon synths and a hypnotic drumbeat, giving way to open-hearted melodies. The crunch of power chords ignites a chantable chorus, “Can we hold on tight, get a little bit closer?” A crushing breakdown caps it all off.

“I was dealing with some strain in my personal life from being on the road,” he reveals. “Lyrically, it’s about not wanting to give up on your dream. You’re on the cusp of achieving what you want to achieve, yet it’s just out of reach. You could relate it to a relationship or anything you can’t fully grasp.”

“do or die” hinges on a head-nodding bounce before slipping beneath the undertow of a ravenous scream. The frontman leans into a cocky hip-hop cadence and delivers the bars with grit and gusto. Flipping the mood on a dime, he flexes his range with the R&B-style pre-chorus and re-engages pure nu-metalcore fury for the hook.

“It addresses the division that the elites breed within society,” he elaborates. “There’s a culture war dichotomy. It’s way too easy to ostracize people who you don’t agree with, which is unfortunately what our leaders want. It’s much harder to unite people. If we were unified, we might actually get things done rather than being distracted by our differences and conflicts. You could view it as a political song, but there’s a divide over everything nowadays.”

Then, there’s “dna.” Liam picks up the pace and accelerates his manic flow on the verses. He slows it down just for a breath only to accelerate again on the pop-punk refrain.

“‘dna’ mixes this drill hip-hop beat with an American rock anthem,” he notes. “I’m rapping and unpacking these thoughts running through my head. It’s a vibe we’ve never touched on before.”

Meanwhile, “low” opens with airy electronic orchestration, swelling towards a dramatic drop and rumbling riff.

“We immediately knew it would start the album,” he recalls. “For me, it explores mental health and addiction, but I framed it around the turbulence of a toxic relationship. You know this thing is bad for you, but there’s a mark on your brain forever and you’re plagued by the cycle of temptation.”

The finale “some days” represents the record’s emotional apex, closing it out with a moment of raw feeling.

“It’s a sad one,” he admits. “However, it’s beautiful at the same time. I’m very proud of it.”

Windwaker have come into their own with smile, you’re on camera, capturing a sound like no other in the process.

“For us, this was an unfiltered expression of everything we needed to get out,” he leaves off. “This band is how we express our thoughts and feelings. This band is my family. They’ve been in my life for the last ten years. To have a place to put our thoughts and be creative is gratifying and humbling. Windwaker is what we do and who we are.”