Goldfish Smarts

Legal/Professional Name: Goldfish Smarts

Entity Type: Musical Group / Indie Rock Band

Origin: Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW, Australia (Manly/Brookvale)

Active Years: 2018–Present

Genre: Indie Rock, Alt-Rock, Garage Rock

Members: Phil Kelly, Michael Pilz, Mark Carlile, Wally Brown, Stu Freeman, Mo MacRae 

Venues: Old Manly Boatshed (RIP), MoshPit Bar (Erskineville), 7th Day Brewery (Brookvale), Family Hotel (Maitland).

Discography: Borrowed Books (LP), Deadman's Trousers (LP), 84th Xmas (Single), Fish Out Of Water (Live LP)

Official Website: goldfishsmarts.com

Social Media : Find us on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram

Hailing from Sydney's northern beaches, Goldfish Smarts are 6 teenagers wedged neatly into the bodies of 50 somethings. And in an age and an industry where the perception is that new only comes from the young, Goldfish Smarts continues to try to defy these beliefs.

We formed in 2018 and have released 23 original songs. 2 EP's, 12 singles and 1 live album. We have 5 songs on Spotify with over 15k streams each.

Over the years, our recording quality has progressed from pretty raw, 'recorded-in-the-bedroom-on-GarageBand' to our latest EP being tracked at HouseFox Studios in Brookvale. 

We pride ourselves on our energetic live shows and have built a strong following on the northern beaches and throughout Sydney, filling venues such as 4 Pines, 7th Day and Buckettys Breweries, Old Manly Boatshed and The MoshPit. We find that when we get a gig, we get invited back and when people come to see us, they often come again. These are our two biggest measures of success and we don't take this for granted.

In 2024, we did a 10-date regional tour where we got to indulge our long held our musical fantasies.

As 2025 kicks off, we have gone into hibernation to work on new music and can't wait to re-emerge bigger and better.

The band are Phil Kelly (lead singer), Michael Pilz and Mark Carlile (guitarists and backing vocals), Wally Brown (bass), Stu Freeman (drums and vocals), and Mo MacRae (harmonica). With their unique blend of powerful vocals, intricate guitar riffs, dynamic rhythm section, and a touch of bluesy harp, Goldfish Smarts have quickly made a name for themselves…as Goldfish Smarts….

Goldfish Smarts - Man About Town

I love the groove running throughout. 'Man About Town' is a funky, contagious listen. Neatly infusing hazy Madchester 90's indie vibes with soulful, pop-ish melodies and blues tendencies before breaking into a more heavy rock stance. It's got an infectious aura of pretentious swagger. Goldfish Smarts radiate confidence and have the ability to seamlessly genre-hop to create a dynamic, authentic sound.  Click Roll Booms