The Prize are Melbourne’s hottest new addition, a breath of fresh air and a shot in the arm for a city still bouncing back from a bitter start to the decade. Forming in early 2021 and figuring out a way to jam and write songs in between rules and restrictions, The Prize landed on a blend of power pop and rock and roll that's equal parts brains and bravado.

The joyous new five-piece bring three guitars and five voices that harmonise together to make some of the best power pop this city has heard in years. With lead vocals primarily shared between drummer Nadine Muller and guitarist Carey Paterson, the five-piece is rounded out with Joseph Imfeld on guitar, Austin Haire on guitar and Jack Kong on bass. After the dust settled from the city’s miserable hiatus, The Prize played their first show to a sold out Croxton Bandroom opening for Civic in November 2021.

Their sound blends the hooks of The Nerves, twin rock ’n’ roll leads of Thin Lizzy and minor progressions of later era Flamin’ Groovies with the fullness and power of the Ramones and the dynamic punch of Face To Face era-Angels and early Divinyls. Obvious influences shine through on their sensational cover of the obscure 1979 power pop classic, “Fighting My Way Back”; originally by British group, The Incredible Kidda Band.

The Prize will release their debut EP “Wrong Side of Town”, as a four-track 7” available from September 2nd via Anti Fade Records.


Our take: This debut 4-song EP from Melbourne, Australia’s The Prize is worth ringing the “power-pop banger” alarm bell for. While Sorry State is known for our focus on hardcore, I’d like to think we know a killer power-pop band, song, or record when we come across one. Hopefully our track record speaks for itself, as we’ve released records by the Number Ones and the Love Triangle on our label and sung the praises of groups like Romero and Midnite Snaxxx in the newsletter. Anyway, the Prize is a group I can get behind. The key thing you need in a power-pop band is hooks (that’s the pop part), and the Prize has ‘em in spades. All four tracks on Wrong Side of Town (three originals and an Incredible Kidda Band cover) are totally hum-able, the title track in particular an earworm that you won’t be able to dislodge even if you want to. The Prize also has the power part down, with energetic performances (particularly on the Ramones-y “Don’t Know You”) and big lead guitar hooks that are just as infectious as the vocal melodies. With all five band members sharing vocal duties, the Prize’s dynamic arrangements keep your ears alert, but everything hangs on those fantastic hooks. A killer EP.