Party Dozen

At the crossroads of experimental rock, noise, and improvised music, Party Dozen is a Sydney-based Australian duo formed by saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and drummer Jonathan Boulet. Driven by an often overdriven saxophone and heavy, repetitive rhythms, Party Dozen crafts taut instrumental pieces that blend no wave and psychedelic influences with flashes of free jazz, at times shot through with processed vocals and quasi-industrial motifs. Active on Australia’s independent scene from the mid-2010s, the group released its debut album, The Living Man, in 2017, establishing a minimalist, abrasive formula centered on the dialogue between drums and saxophone. Party Dozen deepened this approach on 2020’s Pray for Party Dozen and again on 2022’s The Real Work, which features a notable collaboration with Nick Cave on the track Macca the Mutt. The duo tours regularly, translating the physical, repetitive aesthetic of its recordings to stages across Australia and abroad.