BROKEN WAVES have released their new funk-inspired single ‘The Divide’. The new track explores what it is to have a broken heart caused by circumstantial separation and the song is already receiving praise from reviewers across the country. Eager to introduce fans and audiences across South Australia to ‘The Divide’, Broken Waves will be celebrating the track’s release via a launch show on Saturday, January 14th at Adelaide’s iconic Jive Bar. So while the Adelaide quintet prepare for the gig we got them to make us a list (and a Spotify playlist) of the bands that have inspired their latest musical offering.

10 Bands That Inspired 'The Divide'

John Mayer - Shot in the Dark: A lot of inspiration has been taken from John’s latest album Sob Rock, specifically this song was a strong reference in regards to guitar tones. The clean 80’s styled funk tones achieved here were definitely something we wanted to recreate.
Breton - Envy: This song really opened our eyes to the possibilities of using electronic sounds in rock music. The synths all sound natural and cohesive with the traditional rock instruments, we are always aiming for that balance with our own music.
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer: This classic is always a staple for us as a band. There are so many elements you can focus on in the instrumentation that can spark a great idea. Specifically, with The Divide, we wanted the chorus to hit your ears in the same way Sledgehammer does.
Radiohead - Weird Fishes: The heavy use of layered guitar arpeggios cascading over each other in this song always pops up in our own writing, I like using guitars in more textural ways.
Earth Wind & Fire - September: All of it.
Two Dancers - Wild Beasts: This tracks huge shots of guitar in the chorus directly inspired the divide, I love the balance of heavy rhythms supporting very beautiful sounds, it's hard to pull off but so worth getting right
Dua Lipa - Cool: Dua’s Future Nostalgia era is the perfect pop album. There are so many funk influences throughout that make every track unique. Cool demonstrates the raw power that a good baseline can possess. The drop into the chorus is nothing but captivating and is definitely the energy that we wanted to emulate.
Hunnybee - Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Hunnybee really excited us about the possibility of exploring new avenues using classic funk ideas in an indie rock context, which definitely spurred our interest in using this genre in our own music.
Warren G, Nate Dogg - Regulate: Although this song is far from what The Divide sounds like, there are so many good grooves in this track. The love triangle between the bass, drums and keys in this song is something every band should pay attention to.
Exits - Foals: A modern classic, very exciting to hear bands in our genre willing to push the boundaries of the pop song structure without losing what makes indie rock accessible. We were constantly referencing this song as we worked on making The Divide’s strange structure feel natural.

Spotify playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zj8ZYKg0cvSN2IuX7SjMJ?si=d8ec853363bb40da

The 10 BANDS That Inspired 'The Divide'

10 Bands That Inspired 'The Divide'