Hyena Smyle announce debut single The Payoff
Sunshine Coast indie pop/rock trio Hyena Smyle are set to unleash their debut single The Payoff on Saturday 13 December 2025 on all online streaming platforms, marking the arrival of a fresh, fierce new voice in Australian alternative music.
Formed in 2024, the female-fronted three-piece channels the golden era of 80s and 90s alt-rock – think Garbage, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins and Divinyls – blending nostalgic grit with sharp, modern pop hooks. The result: high-energy, catchy tunes with a raw edge and a smyle that bites.
Frontwoman Annie commands the stage with soaring alt-pop vocals and driving basslines that anchor the band’s sound. Guitarist Josh brings razor-sharp, melodic riffs that amplify the band’s punch, while drummer Dale powers every track with tight, hard-hitting rhythms that keep crowds moving.
Their debut single The Payoff was produced, recorded and mixed by James See at Airlock Studios in Brisbane and mastered by Matthew Grey at Matthew Grey Mastering. The single is a blistering punk-rock release forged from Annie’s confrontation with the pressures of modern life.
Annie says “After having my youngest son, I was feeling burnt out, exhausted and full of frustration, and ready to pour all of that angst into a rock song. In The Payoff I got it all out on paper – the endless giving to everyone except myself, the exhaustion of being a working mum and the pressure to please others – and reignite that spark inside that frankly no longer gives a f**k. As the lyrics say, I’ve got one life baby, and all the world’s a stage.”
Packed with unfiltered lyrics, femme-fuelled fire, relentless drums and driving guitars, The Payoff is a hook-laden sonic grenade built to detonate in your head long after the track ends.
Link to presave The Payoff:
Hyena Smyle is complementing the release of The Payoff with a music video dropping via the band’s YouTube channel on Sunday 14 December 2025. The clip was produced and filmed by Danny at 1050 Collective who has created music videos for heavy-scene bands Buried in the Sun and Vessel Born.