Australian folk and blues duo Pierce Brothers have been entertaining audiences across the country and abroad for more than a decade. Consisting of twin brothers, Jack and Patrick Pierce, their lyrical depth and dynamic stage presence have cemented them as one of Australia's most electrifying live acts! We are stoked to sit down with Pat as he took us through the bands top five road trip songs. Check out his picks below!

Want to catch Pierce Brothers live? They will be performing at Wanderer Festival on Sat 4 Oct at Pambula Beach. Grab your tickets below!

Words by Pat Pierce:

In a few weeks we're making the drive up to play at Wanderer Festival, easily the best fest the Sapphire Coast has had in my lifetime. We were lucky enough to play the first Wanderer Fest in 2022, and we've wanted to come back ever since! Every year their lineup is massive, but this year just seems to be the biggest yet (Missy Higgins, The Living End, Boy & Bear, Jack Botts to name a few). We're making the mission from Melbourne, so there will be a bunch of time on the road listening to tunes with the crew. Musicians tend to spend a LOT of time on the road. I have found most of my new favourite artists (100% this year) either driving to, or from, a show, with the discussion in the car generally discussing new and exciting artists we've each heard. We have a very strict "no turning off halfway through" rule to show each other what we've found

On some of the longer drives 5hrs+ we submit to an "album by album" rule. In which each person chooses the album and we must listen front to back before the next person has their turn (with discussions and critiques in between).

This article is going to focus on my 'newest discoveries' favourite road trip songs that, hopefully, will introduce you to your new favourite artists the same way it did for us.

Flynn Gurry - Don't Stop Dreaming

Flynn first toured with us in 2023, which then quickly turned into another tour in 2024. From our first show of that tour in Glengarry we were really excited about how much Flynn had grown as an artist. His songwriting has been going from strength to strength and when he sent us through Don't Stop Dreaming, we were blown away. With massive Riptide vibes, and exceptional production from Joel Quartermain & Edwin White, this foot stomper packs plenty of energy and punch for some time on the road.

Don't Stop Dreaming is best accompanying a coffee in the morning, with a full day on the road ahead.

AMA - Metro Girl

A more recent find for us, we had spent the last few weeks of shows going through and attempting to listen to every Bigsound artist before heading up. Our keys player Dara Munnis was the first one to get to AMA, and showed us this brilliant track from her recent EP 'Julie's House'.' Sucks' seems to be the main single from that EP, but god damn the production and songwriting in this tune is outstanding, and definitely was the preferred track for me. The middle section of triplets (maybe it's the pre chorus) that slowly builds is one of my favourite musical moments this year, and it's always great when something that good is accompanied by excellent lyrics.

Metro Girl is best listened to mid morning, if you're starting to fade a little and want some energy.

The Lumineers - Cleopatra

Pierce Brothers have a lot to owe to the Lumineers. We were massively influenced by them in our early days as an energy we wanted to match, and as time has gone on we've become huge fans of every release. It's hard to pick the one standout, but when put into the context of a road trip song, then it definitely narrows the field a little. 

Cleopatra is likely my (and a lot of people's) standout track, and it made me fall in love with the Guild X-50 guitar tone that I've been chasing for a while. Keen listeners of our stuff would certainly find a similar sound in some PBs songs. The story in Cleopatra is just so beautiful as well, with fantastic imagery. Cleopatra is best served just after lunch, getting back into the driver's seat and smashing out some more hours of the mission.  

Kathleen Halloran - Cost Of Living

I first met Kathleen Halloran at a little caf in St Kilda, VIC. We were having a coffee and discussing some ideas for a new EP she was putting together. After listening to the 5 tracks she had already put together, I was absolutely blown away. This is premier songwriting and musicianship on display. There's earnestness in the lyrics without stepping into clich , the arrangement is perfect and the message, and the way it evolves, really reaches me every time I hear it. There are a bunch of unbelievable songs coming from this artist in the next 12 months, so absolutely look her up. 

Cost Of Living is best listened to at dusk, in the middle of a long drive. This is such a gorgeous track.

Losing Friends When You're Older - Pierce Brothers

Well, we had to spruik our new tune at some point, and this is as good a time as any. When Jack came to show me the new tune I was instantly convinced with the energy of the chorus, and it's been one of the easier tracks to bring into our setlist. Losing Friends When You're Older was written as catharsis. It's not about anyone, rather a reflection on the way people that you've had around along the journey either drop off, or as you grow you discover that you're no longer compatible. It's not a bad thing. It's just a reality of getting older. And as you get older and grow apart from people, you realise that we're all in a constant state of flux, and sometimes people that you may have thought you knew might not have the same values they once had. We wanted to detail those hard feelings and emotions in the most fun way possible, that big, rambunctious sound that we've always loved exploring, but haven't done in a single for a while!"

Losing Friends When You're Older is best listened to for the final punch of energy before getting to the destination.