Brisbane shoegaze-alt-rock outfit Fragile Animals have announced their new EP Dead Stop and shared its first single, ‘History’, a fizzing, emotionally charged preview of what’s to come. The release arrives alongside news of an extensive UK and European tour set to begin in June 2026.

Built on sprawling lead guitar wails, driving rhythms, and a thick wash of fuzz, ‘History’ captures the band’s ability to balance atmosphere with grit. Floating, melodic vocals glide above punching drums and dense textures, pulling their shoegaze leanings into darker, more grunge-adjacent territory. It’s a striking contrast of beauty and abrasion, and an early signal that Dead Stop will push the band into heavier, more visceral terrain.

Speaking on the track, the band said:
“Lyrically, History was me raging about censorship of artistic expression. It’s a dangerously slippery slope, and a damn scary world we’re living in that we find ourselves needing to defend artist freedom against censorship. Songwriting/recording wise the outro section of History is probably my favourite part of the record. We went back and forth over it as a band a lot. Usually, if we have to work so hard on something it’s not actually any good. But we kept fighting for this song, and for once it actually was worth it.”

Produced by Elliot Heinrich, Dead Stop was written in the aftermath of the band’s breakthrough 2025 EP Tourist and their first UK and European tour, a 14-date run that took in Germany, Poland, Ireland, England and Scotland, including sold-out shows and festival appearances. That period marked both a creative high and a personal low point, and the new EP reflects that tension: the comedown after momentum, the cost of ambition, and the resilience needed to continue.

Vocalist and bassist Victoria Jenkins explains:
“I think this record means something slightly different to each of us, but there’s also a commonality there that relates to us all making the commitment to take another step forward.
We started writing this EP immediately after we wrapped up touring Tourist last year. We’d just lived a dream. I’d never loved doing anything so much or felt more like my true self. At the same time I’d never felt so frayed or fragile. The risks and sacrifices it took to make that record and tour happen really shook me, and it wasn’t until it was all over and we were sitting in a hotel in Manchester trying to write a new record that I kind of fell apart.”

Fragile Animals have steadily built an international profile, with airplay across Australia’s Triple J, global radio support, and placements on major streaming playlists such as New Music Friday and Fresh Finds. Their songwriting has also drawn recognition from the APRA AMCOS Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, Queensland Music Awards, and the International Songwriting Competition.

Blending shoegaze, dream pop, and alternative rock, the band have drawn comparisons to genre heavyweights while carving out a distinctly modern identity. Their growing live reputation has seen them share stages with Violent Soho, The Presets, and DZ Deathrays, alongside appearances at major festivals across Australia and Europe.

Following the EP’s release, the band will embark on a UK and European run through June and July 2026, including appearances at Farewell Youth Festival and Drop The Knife Festival.

Listen and view the full list of tour dates below:

UK & EU TOUR:
19 June, Dresden, Germany, Farewell Youth Festival
20 June, Berlin, Germany, Fluxbau
25 June, Kassel, Germany, Sanderhaus
26 June, Bielefeld, Germany, JZ Kamp
27 June, Düsseldorf, Germany, ANB Nord
28 June, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Musicon The Hague
30 June, Brighton, England, WaterBear
01 July, Newport, Wales, Le Pub
02 July, Dublin, Ireland, Sin É
03 July, Galway, Ireland, Róisín Dubh
04 July, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ulster Sports Club
05 July, Glasgow, Scotland, Hug and Pint
06 July, Edinburgh, Scotland, Sneaky Pete’s
07 July, Manchester, England, Gullivers
08 July, Sheffield, England, Shakespeares
09 July, London, England, Folklore
10 July, Paris, France, Supersonic
11 July, Solingen, Germany, Drop The Knife Festival