The Inadequates Serve Theatrical Folk at Its Finest on 'Haven't You Heard?'

Step into the world of The Inadequates, a trio redefining folk with theatrical flair, genre-defying arrangements, and wildly expressive performances. Their debut album ‘Haven’t You Heard?’ arrives on Thursday, August 28, bursting with 12 tracks of tightly crafted chaos, reflective storytelling, and musical mischief.

Known for their eccentric live shows and a flair for dramatic storytelling, The Inadequates have built a cult following long before their first official release. With performances at festivals like Gympie Muster, National Folk Festival and the Blue Mountains Music Festival, the trio’s colourful stage presence and unconventional sound have made them one of the most exciting acts in the Australian folk and world music scene.

‘Haven’t You Heard?’ is a sprawling folk-theatre production in 12 tracks. From foot-stomping absurdity to fragile reflections, it’s an anthology of love, longing, paranoia, heartbreak, and satire. Featuring mandolin, accordion, acoustic guitar and layered harmonies, the album stretches the genre into strange and exciting places while never losing its emotional core.

The album opens with ‘When We Meet’, an upbeat, theatrical number that slowly reveals a darker twist – a love song from the perspective of a web stalker, its mandolin and accordion melodies both charming and unsettling. ‘Genevieve’ follows with an orchestral richness, its bittersweet breakup story disguised beneath irresistibly hooky melodies, while ‘The New Sensation’ injects a mischievous rush, using ominous harmonies and angular vocals to skewer consumerism and trend-chasing.

A gentler turn arrives with ‘Don’t Look Down’, a contemplative reflection on friendships lost to ambition, before ‘Alleyway Sharks’ drifts in – an accordion-led, drunken waltz steeped in post-party loneliness. ‘Break the Peace’ marks the album’s midpoint, building from solitude and grief into a layered instrumental tapestry, complete with hidden Morse code. ‘Little Green Lights’ gives a modern twist to the love song, its spiralling arrangements mirroring the restless act of watching online “active” dots that lead nowhere.

‘Silence’ blends audacious hooks with tongue-in-cheek lyricism, capturing the limbo of a relationship that won’t end, while ‘Twilight Robbery’ maps a post-breakup wander through Brisbane, growing from soft beginnings to a soaring, haunting climax. ‘Where Are the Cameras’ heightens paranoia with story-driven theatrics, and ‘Lethe River’ offers a bittersweet, romantic flow inspired by the mythical river of forgetfulness. The finale, ‘Snakes & Ladders’, dances between chaos and calm, closing the record with a dramatic sweep from hushed intimacy to metal-sharp intensity.

With their sharp suits, sharper lyrics, and a genre-bending spirit, The Inadequates are one of Brisbane’s most compelling acts. ‘Haven’t You Heard’ is their musical coming-of-age. It is loud, clever, and heartfelt in equal measure. Catch them on tour this September as they take these songs across Australia in a live show as unpredictable as their sound.

Enter the chaotic charm of The Inadequates with ‘Haven’t You Heard’, out Thursday, August 28, and see the band breathe life into these songs on their tour starting in September.

The Inadequates On Tour

Saturday, August 30th - Tamborine Mountain @ The Knoll Studio
Friday, September 12th - Sydney @ Butchers Brew BarSaturday, September 13th - Canberra @ Smith's Alternative
Sunday, September 14th - Wollongong @ Frank's Wild Years
Friday, September 19th - Newcastle @ The Living Room
Saturday, September 20th - Port Maquarie @ Home at Roto House
Sunday, September 21st - Ballina @ Resonator Music
Sunday, October 19th - Brisbane @ Lefty's Music Hall w/ Amaidi