The Coldest Wind Save Your Breath

Serving up lashings of classic guitar mayhem, with a side of heart-pounding metal is the debut single and video 'Save Your Breath' from heavy rock outfit The Coldest Wind. The Central Coast rockers have delivered an ode to agony, that combines the power chords of hard rock with the frenetic energy of a twisted metal fantasy.

From a young age, co-founder and lead guitarist James Browne has embedded himself in the rock scene. As an adult, he toured with headlining festivals such as the Big Day Out and the Van Warped tour from 2003-2005.  After sharing the stage with the Foo Fighters and Queen of the Stone Age, Browne returned to the Central Coast and in 2019 and started collaborating with drummer Tim Kirby, who has played with former Suicidal Tendencies members Mike Clarke and Robert Trujillo.

In 2020, Browne and Kirby wanted to amp up their sound and added bassist Lito Hernandes along with vocalist and songwriter Aaron Smith.  Despite being the most recent addition to the band, Smith has a rock pedigree and is described as the "final ingredient to the band's sound" by lead guitarist James Browne.  Smith has previously supported Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) as well as classic Aussie rock bands such as Magic Dirt, 28 Days and Twelve Foot Ninja.

Lead singer and songwriter Aaron Smith is a conduit for turning raw stories into twisted nightmares.  "As we were writing Save Your Breath, a good mate of mine was going through a toxic experience with his partner, and as I felt his pain and frustrations, the lyrics just followed". 

Produced by Gus Bonic of Sonic By Bonic Studios and mastered by Grammy Award winning Ted Jenson from Sterling Sound in Nashville, 'Save Your Breath' is an anthem about a toxic relationship. The futility of a love that is long dead, but still keeps beating down your soul in a relentless tug-of-war. 'I know what will happen when I walk out the door' snarls the lyrics, 'You'll despise me and keep begging for more' roars Smith. He vocalises a declaration of strength against a manipulative lover who wants to remain entangled in a toxic web.

The music video – produced by Bruce Dawson and Lawrence Lim from Tribal Apes - captures the jarring mania of heartbreak that perfectly blends with the foreboding riffs and menacing bass lines.  In terms of the visual style of the shoot Smith recalls "We wanted a bit of a stylized edge for the shoot, so we brought in Leanne Carey to do our makeup,'' explains Smith. "In the end, she just wanted to 'dirty us up'. She'd just stepped off the set of Thor, and then had to come and work on our ugly mugs - what a let down!  We finished the day on a high and were so privileged to have an amazing crew on board".

The verdict is in; The Coldest Wind is a riot of rock, with a grinding sound that explodes in your ears. Their debut release 'Save Your Breath' plunges into stark and unforgiving depths and heralds The Coldest Wind as an act dedicated to bare-boned, blistering hard rock.