Sydney genre-benders Shady Nasty have teamed up with electronic powerhouses Fred again.. and KETTAMA on their latest single, “Air Maxes.”
Released today (July 7) via Steel City Dance Discs, the collaboration finds the post-punk trio leaning into textured synths and ambient tension while staying true to their signature edge.
“Air Maxes” arrives in two distinct forms: the slow-burning, meditative “Air Maxes (Ambient)” and a pulsating, dancefloor-ready rework by Irish DJ/producer KETTAMA. The project also features additional production from Fred again.., whose influence on the global electronic scene has been impossible to ignore following his chart-topping Actual Life series and recent collaborations with artists like Skrillex and Romy.
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After sharing the stage at HAZARD Festival in Sydney last January, Shady Nasty and KETTAMA jumped into a last-minute studio session where “Air Maxes” was born. The demo landed in the hands of Fred again.., who added his finesse to the final track.
On the track, Shady Nasty swap jagged guitars for ethereal synths and atmospheric production. Frontman Kevin Stathis delivers haunting lines like, “I need to be a doctor, not a popstar,” reflecting on themes of ambition, burnout, and the duality of real and imagined lives.
“‘Air Maxes’ is about losing sight of your ambition,” the band explained in a statement. “Grinding toward something with no clear finish line can leave you wondering what might’ve happened if you’d taken a different path. Sometimes you need to hop in the whip and smoke the streets out just to remember why you’re putting in the hours. And sometimes, you need your mates to remind you to keep your head screwed on.”
The new single arrives just months after the release of Shady Nasty’s long-awaited debut album, TREK, produced by Kim Moyes of The Presets. Trek also saw the group selling out shows across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Now, Shady Nasty are gearing up to take their live show on the road again, announcing a fresh run of dates in August and their first-ever headline shows in New Zealand this September.
Local support will come from Heaven, MyRapScene and more. Tickets are on sale now via shadynasty.online.
Shady Nasty 2025 Australia & New Zealand Tour Dates
- Aug. 1 – La La La’s, Wollongong, Australia
- Aug. 2 – Gang Gang Cafe, Canberra, Australia
- Aug. 8 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle, Australia
- Aug. 30 – Liberty Hall, Sydney, Australia (RAD PRESENTS)
- Sept. 12 – Valhalla, Wellington, NZ
- Sept. 13 – Whammy Bar, Auckland, NZ
