Melbourne/Naarm artist REDD. has released a new single, “life,” alongside an official music video directed by Cole Surrey. The July 2026 release arrives ahead of two free launch parties in Melbourne and Sydney and a run of European headline shows and festival appearances later this year. The track is REDD.’s first release following their 2025 debut mixtape RAUNCH..
Written in London, “life” was co-written and produced by Dan Carey, whose credits include Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., and Kylie Minogue. The song addresses gender dysphoria, coming of age, and identity. REDD. said the track began with different verses before the chorus became the piece that held the song together. “It’s very fitting how Frankenstein-ed this whole song was, seeing as that was the main message in the chorus, ‘stitching all the pieces that make me,’” they said. “Learning, experiencing and discovering new things about who you are” helped shape the song’s focus on forming a sense of self.
The recording started as a jam with Carey on guitar, REDD. on bass, and Eric Zulic on drums. After 10 minutes, Carey edited and resampled the session, creating the pulse heard throughout the verses. Surrey, who also worked on visuals connected to RAUNCH., directed the video. Its narrative follows REDD. searching for an identity that feels true to them.
In their first year of releasing music, REDD. surpassed 3.3 million global streams and was named to Rolling Stone’s Future of Music 2026 list. Their single “MESSY.” appeared in Prime Video’s Off Campus and Scary Movie 6, and their songwriting credits include Baker Boy’s “Peacekeeper,” “Freakout,” and “Lightning.” REDD. will mark “life” with free events at Lulie Tavern in Abbotsford, Melbourne, on July 17 and Dead Set in Darlinghurst, Sydney, on July 18. The artist will headline Paradiso in Amsterdam on August 20 and Cross in Prague on September 15, with additional 2026 appearances scheduled for Obstwiesenfestival, Reeperbahn Festival, and NYE ON THE HILL in South Gippsland. Previous live appearances have included Beyond The Valley, The Great Escape, and Pretty Pissed.
