Airbourne proudly show their colours with do-or-die anthem ‘Gutsy’

The mighty AIRBOURNE are back in the game with “Gutsy”, the band’s first new song in six years;  bristling with attitude and intent, this is Airbourne on steroids – “fired up & pissed off” and ready to take on the world… 

“Get Gutsy, I die hard, you can’t stop me once I start…”

For frontman / lead guitarist Joel O’Keeffe, his brother Ryan on drums, plus longstanding bassist Justin Street and more recent recruit Brett Tyrrell, rhythm guitar, “Gutsy” powerfully underlines all of the values they hold dear – the ‘blood ‘n’ sweat’ commitment to the rock ‘n’ roll cause, plus the desire to honour the true heroes of the genre…

As such, “Gutsy”  is more than a title; it’s a way of seeing the world, a line drawn deep in the sand…

“It’s how you live, it’s how you die…”

States Joel: 

“When the odds are stacked against you and the battle you’re fighting seems impossible to win; when the vultures are circling and the last chance saloon has firmly bolted its doors; when your plane is hitting the runway on a single engine, and that engine is on fire; and when the things you hold as precious, the things that define you, are being tested at every turn, then the choices available become a lot clearer: fold or fight… call for help or cry for glory… give in or get Gutsy!”

Produced by Brian Howes, who worked with the band on 2013’s Black Dog Barking album, engineered by Canadian studio legend Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Rush, Metallica) and mixed by Zakk Cervini (Dayseeker, BMTH, Architects, Machine Gun Kelly), “Gutsy” marks the first note of new music since the Australian outfit’s 2019 offering, Boneshaker. 

“Gutsy”, from that first ringing guitar chord onwards (and it’s no coincidence that it sounds like a bell!), the song makes zero excuse for being big, bold and bombastic – a crafted and layered take on signature Airbourne sonics, the whole thing packing enough of a low-end kick to be used as a defibrillator in moments of crisis.

For Joel & Ryan, voracious students of hard rock, the music, the mythology, the sacred rites, “Gutsy” stands – shoulders back, chest out – as a potent call to arms, a rallying cry for fans and band alike…

“We went into this writing and recording session with a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve,” concludes Joel. “It was a question of legacy. Let’s create something that can stand the test of time, both in terms of our own story and the hard rock world in general. Let’s plant our flag as close to the summit as possible, and if we have to make that final part of the ascent without oxygen, so be it. NO turning back. Get GUTSY!!!”

Airbourne forthcoming live appearances:
10-June: Klub Stodoła, Warszawa
13-June: Nova Rock 2025, Nickelsdorf
15-June: Download, Donington Park
19-June: Hellfest, Clisson
21-June: Graspop Metal Meeting
23-June: Theatre De Verdure, Nice
24-June: 6MIC – Salle des Musiques Actuelles du Pays d’Aix, Aix-en-Provence
26-June: Rock Imperium Festival, Cartagena
28-June: Summerside 2025, Grenchen
21-Feb: Zenith Paris, Paris