Review by Markus Hamence – Friday 22 August 2025
The Pierce Brothers have dropped their most emotionally combustible track yet, ‘Losing Friends When You’re Older‘, and it’s already got me dancing around, and Googling ‘BEST HEARTBREAK‑FRIENDSHIP SONGS’ at the same time. It’s that kind of ride and they have nailed it in their own inimitable, punctuated and folky, laid-back style.
Bottle‑Up the Bittersweet (But Please Don’t Stop Crying)
The opening guitar pluck, you sit-up listen and you’re being gently shoved into a vivid memory of childhood backyard laughter, birthday parties, and the slow, creeping realisation that some friendships drift further apart than distance can explain. The lyrics unfold like postcards from your own history: nostalgic, a little raw, somehow both painfully tender and beautifully reflective.
“Jack and Pat’s harmonies soar across this emotional terrain, their voices wrapping around each other like old blankets – familiar, warm, and maybe just a bit ragged…” – Markus Hamence
Jack and Pat’s harmonies soar across this emotional terrain, their voices wrapping around each other like old blankets – familiar, warm, and maybe just a bit ragged. This is them at their most vulnerable, trading in the usual high‑energy stomps for something hushed and haunting. If ‘Bottle‘ back in 2024 flaunted their anthemic swagger, this song strips it all back to the core: two brothers, two guitars, and a lifetime of shared stories.
Indie‑Folk With a Heartbeat
Stylistically, this track harks back to the Pierce Brothers’ roots – there’s that signature folk‑blues undercurrent, earthy acoustic rhythm, and unvarnished authenticity we know and love. It’s stripped back, sure – but in that space, the slightest harmonica wisp or brush of percussion packs an emotional whoosh. It’s their signature without the confetti: delicate, driven by feeling, and utterly real.
“They’ve always performed like they’re busking on Bourke Street – like every idea is spontaneous, urgent, and full‑throated…” – Markus Hamence
They’ve always performed like they’re busking on Bourke Street – like every idea is spontaneous, urgent, and full‑throated. This one, though, shows what they’ve learnt since their 2011 beginnings. The same raw energy, now honed through years of touring, festival stages, and sold‑out Aussie and European shows. It’s folk‑rooted storytelling with that unmistakable Pierce Brothers polish.
Why This Tracks Feels Too Personal to Be a Song
We’ve seen them charting huge Australian success – Everything Is Bigger Than Me debuting at No 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart back in 2024. We’ve seen them build songs from rehearsals in Jack’s home studio, capturing honesty in every take. So when ‘Losing Friends When You’re Older‘ arrives, it feels like they reached into the listener’s own life and somehow pulled out the ache that sits in your chest when you realise growing up sometimes means growing apart.
This isn’t drama for drama’s sake. It’s real life – uncomfortable, beautiful, a little blurred around the edges. That emotional grit makes it one of their most human songs yet. It’s a killer piece of music.
In Summary: A Little Sad, A Lot Honest, Gorgeous
- Mood: Reflective, wistful, quietly heartbreaking – your soul may ache, but in a good way.
- Vocals: Twin‑brother harmonies that feel like soulmates – richer, deeper, more mature.
- Instrumentation: Minimalist but textured – guitar, soft percussion, maybe just a hint of harmonica or ambient hum.
- Digest: Genuinely feels autobiographical – like a small confession painted with wide strokes.
If ever there was a Pierce Brothers song made for both introspective late‑night listening and unexpected headphone sob sessions, ‘Losing Friends When You’re Older‘ is it. It reminds us that growing up isn’t just birthdays and jobs – it’s the awkward goodbyes, the drifting, and the melancholy realisation that sometimes, you don’t lose people; lives just diverge.
Get all over it guys. If this track is a sign of an upcoming album, there are good things a headed our way. A ripper.
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