Needle in the Hay

30/08/2026

Seven years ago today, Lana Del Rey released Norman Fu***ng Rockwell! 🌊

Released on August 30, 2019, Lana’s sixth album gave us ‘Venice Bitch’, ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’, ‘Doin’ Time’ and one of the defining records of her career.

What’s your favourite track?

15/08/2026

Classic needle drop, 'Welcome to Wherever You Are', INXS's eighth studio album and one of the more adventurous records in their catalogue.

The album was recorded at Rhinoceros Studios in Sydney, with sessions beginning in November 1991. Working with producer Mark Opitz, INXS moved away from some of the polish of 'Kick' and 'X' and pushed into something rawer and stranger, bringing in everything from sitar to a 60-piece orchestra.

It gave us ‘Heaven Sent’, ‘Baby Don’t Cry’ and ‘Beautiful Girl,’ the latter written by Andrew Farriss after the birth of his daughter Grace.

More than three decades later, it's a pretty great reminder of just how willing INXS were to change things up when they could easily have kept repeating what already worked.

02/08/2026

Few album covers have become as influential as Patti Smith’s Horses.

Shot by legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1975, the portrait broke just as many rules as the music inside. Smith stands in a simple white shirt with a black jacket slung over her shoulder, staring straight down the lens with quiet confidence.

No elaborate styling. No rock star clichés. Just an image that helped redefine what a rock icon could look like.

Nearly 50 years on, Horses remains one of the most recognisable and influential album covers ever created. 🤍🎙️

11/07/2026

On this day in 1975, Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled tenth album, better known by many fans as The White Album.

It was the band’s first record with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, marking the start of the classic Fleetwood Mac lineup. Featuring songs like Rhiannon, Landslide and Say You Love Me, it set the band on a completely new path ahead of Rumours.

06/07/2026

Tell us about one album you think everyone should own–but hardly anyone talks about.

02/07/2026

Before "Dance Monkey" broke global streaming records and topped charts in over 30 countries, Tones and I was an independent artist looking for a breakthrough.

One of her crucial early steps was entering Happy Mag’s Needle In The Hay competition. Her finalist nod in the annual indie prize helped propel her from Byron Bay busker to a household name, proving just how short the distance can be from a local submission to the global stage.

We have a history of spotting future superstars early. If you are an independent musician ready to get your music pressed to vinyl, win a share of massive gear packages, and get your tracks in front of industry judges, this is your shot.

Entries for this year's Needle In The Hay are officially open.

Head to the link below to submit your track today.
https://happymag.tv/needle-in-the-hay-2026/

06/06/2026

One of new wave’s most underrated bands, The Motels built a cult following on the back of moody, cinematic songs and the unmistakable voice of Martha Davis. Tracks like Only the Lonely and Suddenly Last Summer turned late-night longing into an art form, with Davis delivering every line in a way nobody else could.

Still one of the most unique voices to come out of the era. ❤️

19/05/2026

Enter Needle in the Hay 2026!

Enter Needle in the Hay 2025 now to win a 7-inch vinyl pressing of your single, plus over $50,000 in prizes!

21/04/2026

Robert Smith just built his own world and let everyone else wander in.

Born in 1959, he’s the voice and heartbeat of The Cure – a band that made melancholy feel massive. From Love Song to Friday I’m In Love, he’s always walked that line between heartbreak and something strangely hopeful.

And decades in, he’s still showing up in ways that matter.

That backstage moment with Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury Festival 2025 says a lot. No ego, no distance – she brought him out during her headline set, calling him a hero, before they ran through Friday I’m In Love and Just Like Heaven together.

The backstage photos are properly wholesome.

15/04/2026

1968 — Ed O'Brien

The Radiohead guitarist turns another year older – part of the band that watched Creep quietly flop before it circled back and became unavoidable.

O’Brien’s always been the glue in that sound – all atmosphere – helping steer the jump from scrappy alt-rock into something way more expansive by the time OK Computer landed and changed the conversation completely.