At the crossroads of grief and exhilarating sonic potency, Sydney’s Polaris return today with their first instalment of new music in three years, unleashing their brand new single Without You via ADA in AU/NZ and SharpTone Records for the remainder of the world.
Born from unimaginable pain following the loss of their bandmate and brother Ryan Siew in 2023, Without You channels their love, hurt and heartbreak into an indelible end result. The track coalesces caustic vocals, crushing beats and torrid riffs set against soaring melodic choruses, a heart wrenching guitar solo and a ferocious breakdown outro that rivals Polaris’ heaviest moments to date. Hauntingly poignant, its lyrics show the band in their most brutally vulnerable state.
“Never did we imagine that we would one day have reason to write this song. But three years on, we find ourselves still making sense of this immeasurable tragedy, and what it has meant to be left in the wake.
This is the sound of crushing loss, shock, grief and heartache, and the beginning of us learning how to share that with the world.” – Polaris
Alongside the release of Without You, Polaris have also today shared an enrapturing music video that powerfully captures the track’s ferocity and emotion. Highlighting the members left behind in this tragedy, the video brings forth their future while also reflecting and taking note of their creative past; interspersing imagery drawn from the band’s history with solemn visuals of the members performing in a stark, empty cathedral.
Now with three studio albums, multiple ARIA Award nominations, millions of streams and a formidable global live reputation under their belt, Polaris have cemented themselves as a conduit for creating music that challenges, reflects and inspires alongside a blend of melodic metalcore, lush post rock coupled with electronic flourishes.
Forming in 2012, Polaris established their heavyweight status in the scene via their first two full-length albums, 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death Of Me, both of which debuted in the Australian Top 10 and received ARIA nominations for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album. In 2023, Polaris expanded on their previously-established bleak imagery and hard-hitting soundscapes, relentlessly embracing heavier tendencies and new creative terrain on their third album Fatalism. The record was however marked by uncharted anguish and pain due to Ryan Siew’s sudden passing, only months before its release; inadvertently cementing the album as a posthumous reflection of the late guitarist’s legacy and contributions to Polaris’ music and the music scene as a whole. Through the darkness of their experience, the music community shared in their grief and rose to uplift the band like never before, with their third LP debuting at #1 on the ARIA Charts, securing triple j’s Feature Album upon release, winning Best Independent Heavy Album at the 2024 AIR Awards, garnering a nomination for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album at the 2024 ARIA Music Awards, a nomination for Australian Album of the Year at the 2023 J Awards, and a nomination in 2023 for the Australian Music Prize.
Armed with their trademark relatability and explosive arrangements in a live setting, Polaris have previously ticked off sold-out headline tours of Australia and tours across the globe. Most recently, 2025 saw Polaris make their Knotfest Australia debut, along with a whirlwind of international and Aussie festival appearances, including performances at Download Festival in the UK, Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park, Jera On Air, Rock for People, Big Pineapple Music Festival and more. Touring from the end of 2025 well into 2026, Polaris commenced the year performing at Froth & Fury Festival, and also marked the inaugural edition of their own curated festival, Life’s A Beach. The group also had the much coveted honour of supporting lifelong heroes Linkin Park for a massive national Australian arena run in March, and recently wrapped up supporting Electric Callboy for the mammoth North American leg of the TANZNEID World Tour.
A few short weeks from now, Polaris will join I Prevail in the UK and Europe throughout September-October, before returning to Australian stages this December as part of Good Things Festival, performing alongside Limp Bizkit, Simple Plan, Spiritbox, The All-American Rejects and many more. During their limited time off the road this year, Polaris have certainly not been standing idly by, spending time away from the stage in the studio for an uncharted new chapter. Against all odds, Without You signifies their first steps forward today.
WITHOUT YOU – OUT NOW
https://bfan.link/polaris-without-you
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
Limp Bizkit
Simple Plan | Spiritbox
Polaris | The All-American Rejects | Bad Religion (45 + 1 Anniversary)
Alexisonfire (Performing ‘Crisis’ In Full) | Grinspoon
Millencolin (Performing ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ In Full) | Bilmuri
Ministry (Farewell Australia) | Chad Gray (30 Years Of Madnesss. Performing Mudvayne & Hellyeah)
MxPx | Neck Deep
Speed | Slowly Slowly | P.O.D. | The Devil Wears Prada | Choirboys
In Alphabetical Order:
All Them Witches | The Black Queen | Future Palace | Headwreck | The Home Team
House Of Protection | ivri | Kami Kehoe | Locked Shut | LØLØ
vianova | Voice Of Baceprot | Plus The Chaos Of Stage 666!
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 4 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (16+)
Saturday 5 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney (16+)
Sunday 6 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)
https://goodthingsfestival.com.au/
