MUSIC NEWS: Record Store Day Australia announces more local releases

A King Gizzard bootleg, a Taiwanese exclusive, an Egoism vinyl and more added to Record Store Day 2026

Batter up! The second and final round of releases for Record Store Day 2026, held Saturday 18 April, has just landed, and this instalment doesn’t just feature a hot new batch of Australian talent, but also coincides with the news that Record Store Day is set to significantly expand its footprint across the Asia-Pacific in 2026, with Taiwan and Thailand joining the global celebration.

These two countries will stand alongside existing participating territories from the APAC region, including Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, with further Asian markets slated to come on board in 2027. These new additions will open even more international doors for Australian artists to pitch for inclusion across multiple countries' Record Store Day exclusive releases lists. 

Now, over to the releases. This second instalment of artists features a hefty list of musical offering from local talent, including a bee/bug shaped vinyl from King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s official bootleg series, with music compiled from live performances (and $1 from each record sold benefiting bee pollinator charities 🐝), a vinyl release from Sydney’s indie-dreampop outfit Egoism with their title (Trust Me), and a white vinyl offering from egg-punks Media Puzzle’s release New Racehorse. Elsewhere, Brisbane’s UK-influenced Das Druid is serving up RSDIGI002RSD on 12” wax, marking a collaborative EP between UK-based Rhythm Section International and Beats of No Nation and featuring never-before-heard remixes from the band's last two releases.

This second wave of artists joins the collection of previously announced releases from the likes of Ruel, Empire of the Sun, Kee’ahn, Holy Holy, Crooked Colours, Spacey, Jane, Bluey and more. The full Australian release list is available below and via recordstoreday.com.au.

The aforementioned debut Taiwanese RSD release comes courtesy of indie favourites 落日飛車 Sunset Rollercoaster, who will be releasing their 2025 album QUIT QUIETLY on cassette exclusively for Australia, Taiwan and Japan as part of the 2026 celebrations.

Reflecting on the new record, frontman Tseng Kuo Hung describes QUIT QUIETLY as “a farewell to a particular stage and a gradual transition to a state of less talk, more writing… a diary or chit-chat, with sketches of everyday life and fragments of ideas.”

落日飛車 Sunset Rollercoaster were named Best Band at the Golden Melody Awards, later performed at Coachella, and also teamed with HYUKOH for their acclaimed collaborative album AAA. Tickets to their upcoming Australian tour are here.

n an era of renewed appreciation for analogue, celebrating a musical ecosystem beyond streaming platforms matters more than ever.

To Record Store Day Australia, record stores are so much more than retail spaces. They are also enduring community hubs, where shared musical passion forges deep connections that digital, algorithm-driven platforms often fail to replicate. These physical spaces facilitate intergenerational connections, from first-time vinyl buyers to seasoned collectors sharing their knowledge, and ensuring culture remains accessible.

The continued existence of the physical music and vinyl ecosystem is a conscious choice, and Record Store Day underscores the unique and tangible benefits of physical music retail over digital alternatives: human-driven discovery, the promotion of intentional listening experiences, and community support for artist development.

To Mitchel Eaton, the owner of Newcastle’s record store staple Hiss & Crackle, the RSD vinyl release Live At Hiss & Crackle - Volume 1 (Various Artists) bottles both the physical experience of a record store and the buzz of a live instore experience.

“Since 2019 we have been celebrating the rich and diverse music community that we are very proud to be part of, with live music for all ages upon our instore stage. Volume 1 celebrates this with a 100% locally sourced talent track list. The Newcastle live music scene is thriving, and we are grateful to have these amazing acts grace our instore stage, and even luckier to record those performances.”  - Mitchel Eaton, Hiss & Crackle 

Indeed, the continued resurgence of physical music formats – from vinyl to CDs, cassettes, and more – encourages music lovers to unite within record stores to discover music, connect with their communities, and celebrate the enduring musical culture.

It's now almost 20 years into Record Store Day, and since its inception in 2008, it has grown into a global centrepiece of independent music retail. The day continues to support music communities, labels, and emerging and established artists, while highlighting our local indie record stores' unique role as cultural hubs and community spaces. Previous years have seen releases issued as part of Record Store Day Australia from Ninajirachi, Ruel, You Am I, Pond, The Grogans, Olana Janfa, Beth and Blue, Heavy Moss, Ella Thompson, Ocean Alley, Underground Lovers, Montaigne, Tasman Keith, Confidence Man, Peking Duk and Darren Hayes collaboration, The Wiggles, Bluey and more.