With “Thistroubledsoul,” Australian alternative rock veterans Highroad No. 28 deliver a dark, emotionally charged statement that feels both deeply personal and powerfully cinematic. Released on November 28, 2025, and distributed worldwide via The Orchard (Sony Music), the single marks a defining moment in the band’s long, resilience-driven journey — one that reconnects with their core identity while pushing their sound into more introspective territory.
From its opening moments, “Thistroubledsoul” immerses the listener in brooding atmosphere. Cinematic guitars swell and recede, bass lines linger with quiet menace, and the pacing allows tension to build rather than explode. There is a sense of weight here — emotional, psychological, and sonic — that mirrors the song’s themes of inner conflict and emotional survival. Rather than relying on brute force, Highroad No. 28 let restraint and mood carry the impact.
Vocally, frontman Andrew JC delivers one of his most vulnerable performances to date. His voice carries scars, exhaustion, and determination in equal measure, perfectly suited to a song about unseen battles and the strength required to endure them. The lyricism avoids melodrama, instead focusing on the quiet heaviness of unresolved emotion — the kind that sits beneath the surface long after the noise fades.
This release is particularly significant as a deliberate solo chapter for the band. Andrew JC performs all instruments and lead vocals on “Thistroubledsoul,” creating a focused and cohesive vision ahead of Highroad No. 28’s new live lineup, set to debut in 2026. The result is a track that feels unified and intentional, with every element serving the song’s emotional core.
Recorded at Sing Sing Recording Studios in Melbourne and mixed by emerging producer James Taplin, the production balances clarity with atmosphere. The guitars feel expansive without overwhelming the mix, while subtle textural layers add depth and unease. It’s a sound that sits comfortably between haunting ambience and melodic intensity — ideal for alternative rock and emotionally driven playlists.
“Thistroubledsoul” continues the path laid out by the band’s previous single, “Ache,” both of which serve as lead-ins to their forthcoming third album, The Will to Endure, due in December 2025. Together, these releases signal a creative era that is darker, more layered, and more emotionally direct than anything the band has released before.
For longtime followers, the song echoes the band’s earliest work — the anguish of Obscure Madness and Dynamic Introspection — while incorporating the melodic and atmospheric evolution heard on albums like Unsteady and Steady State and Stumbling to Divinity. For new listeners, it offers a compelling entry point into a catalogue defined by persistence, honesty, and emotional depth.
After years of hibernation and quiet re-emergence, Highroad No. 28’s return feels earned rather than nostalgic. “Thistroubledsoul” stands as a testament to endurance — not just as a theme, but as a lived philosophy. It’s a song for those carrying invisible weight, and a powerful reminder that survival itself can be an act of defiance.
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