tracks to press play on while you browse Powerful

There's something quietly cinematic about scrolling through a new collection when the right song is playing. A fitting soundtrack can turn a quick look at a T-shirt range into a proper moment — the kind where you catch yourself leaning closer to the screen, considering pieces you hadn't planned to look at, suddenly drawn to a colour or a graphic because the music shifted your mood. Browsing an online store isn't just shopping; it's a small ritual, and music is the cue that turns the lights down.

Powerful has always leaned into that idea. The platform stitches together apparel, AI-generated artwork, downloadable wallpapers and a news page that regularly spotlights independent musicians from around Australia. So it felt natural to put together a short list of local tracks worth queuing up the next time you settle in for a proper browse through the latest drops.

Tame Impala, "The Less I Know the Better"

Kevin Parker cut his teeth making hazy, sun-soaked psychedelia out of Perth, and "The Less I Know the Better" remains one of his most infectious tracks. The bassline bounces, the falsetto floats over a disco-funk groove, and the whole thing feels like a long summer afternoon on Cottesloe Beach — relaxed but oddly charged. It's the kind of song that makes a homepage load time feel short. Tame Impala have spent over a decade rewriting what Australian psych-rock sounds like for a global audience, but this song is still the one most people cite when they first hear the band.

Drop this one on as you flick through a new apparel drop. The lazy rhythm suits slow scrolling, and there's a sly confidence in the production that pairs nicely with bold prints. Powerful's design ethos leans into artwork that catches the eye, and a track with this much groove keeps your attention wandering rather than rushing. By the time the chorus hits, you'll have reached the bottom of the collection page without noticing. There's also something nicely Australian about pairing a track from Perth with a T-shirt drop — both are easy to underestimate until you've actually spent time with them.

Flume, "Never Be Like You"

Harley Streten grew up in the Northern Beaches and built his name out of a Sydney bedroom before the rest of the country caught on. "Never Be Like You" was his crossover moment — a slow-burning electronic pop track built around Kai's featherlight vocal, a glossy synth wash and a beat that nudges rather than pushes. It swept the Hottest 100 at the start of 2016 and hasn't really left Australian rotations since. Listening back, the production feels almost weightless — every layer is placed with the same care you'd want from a well-designed product page, where nothing feels accidental or filler.

For browsing purposes, the song is gold. It rewards patience, opens up gradually and never overwhelms. If you're working your way through a long product page, this is the kind of track that lets your eyes linger on a wallpaper preview or read a short blog post without competing for attention. There's a smoothness to the production that matches the polished feel of an online boutique where everything has been considered, and a quality to it that makes mid-week browsing feel like a small event. Pause the track when you're ready to check out — or just let it ride, because Flume's back catalogue is full of options like this one, and if you want to suggest more tracks, the contact page is where the team keeps an eye out for new finds.

Gang of Youths, "Magnolia"

David Le'aupepe fronts a band that, for a long stretch, felt like the beating heart of the Sydney indie scene. "Magnolia" is a slow-burning anthem, four minutes of ascending guitars, a choir of backing vocals, and a lead vocal that sounds like someone finally saying out loud what they'd been carrying around for years. It's emotionally loaded without ever tipping into melodrama. The track comes from an album that nearly broke the band before it ever properly began, which gives the chorus a kind of earned weight — you can hear the relief in every rising harmony.

That quality makes it a strong pick for a moodier browse. Picture yourself cycling through Powerful's editorial features and curated artwork after a long day — the kind of evening when you want colour and story more than a quick purchase. "Magnolia" builds the same way a good product carousel does, and by the time the bridge hits, you've probably found the piece you came for. The band has long championed independent venues around Newtown and the Inner West, and there's a parallel between that DIY spirit and Powerful's habit of lifting up artists who haven't yet had their big break. The team has written about this ethos in an editorial post explaining why independent musicians are part of the platform's story.

Lime Cordiale, "Robbery"

Louis and Oli Leimbach have turned laid-back coastal pop into something of an Australian export. "Robbery" bounces along on a garage-rock rhythm, hand claps and a melody that sticks within seconds. It sounds like a Cronulla drive-in on a Friday night, or the queue at a Bondi café when the morning rush has thinned out. Sunny, tight and just a little bit cheeky, the track also turned up on the Hottest 100 countdown and quietly became a wedding-reception staple across the country, which says a lot about how broadly its appeal reaches.

This track works for browsing when you want to feel like you're getting things done. It's pacey enough to keep you moving through categories, but warm enough that you don't feel like you're rushing. Lime Cordiale are part of the wave of Sydney artists who treat a hook like a craft, and their influence can be heard in how the song rewards repeat listens — much like a well-stocked collection of T-shirts where you spot something new each time. If you end up building a full playlist from this kind of act, you'll find plenty more worth queuing up across the rest of their records. Their live shows have a similar energy to flipping through a well-merchandised store — easy to wander in, hard to leave empty-handed.

Spacey Jane, "Booster Seat"

Another Perth outfit, Spacey Jane took their home city's unflashy work ethic and turned it into one of the most beloved indie rock records of the last few years. "Booster Seat" is bright, slightly nervous and full of energy — a song about new love and shaky confidence, delivered with a chorus that lands like a hug you weren't expecting. Triple J audiences voted it into the Hottest 100, and live, it has the same loose, almost falling-over charm that the studio version flattens just slightly. There's something quietly Perth about the whole thing — understated, a bit dry, but moreish once you commit to it.

It's an ideal closer for a browsing session. The track has a momentum that suits finishing things off — completing an order, downloading a wallpaper, signing up for a membership, maybe sending a link to a friend. There's an ease to the way the verses spill into the chorus that mirrors the way a thoughtful online store guides you from one section to the next without ever feeling pushy. Spacey Jane are proof that the strongest Australian indie tracks right now are coming from places that don't always get the spotlight, which is exactly why they belong on a list like this. Pair the song with the last few clicks of a session and you've got a tidy little ending.

Hitting play on any of these turns a routine scroll into something closer to a small ritual. Each track brings a slightly different mood — Tame Impala for unhurried afternoons, Flume for patient browsing, Gang of Youths for a quieter evening, Lime Cordiale for getting things done, Spacey Jane for the final stretch. They share one thing in common with the rest of Powerful's universe: a clear point of view, made by people who care about the details. To step inside that world, kick off your next browse at the Powerful store with one of these tracks on in the background and let the music do some of the styling.