Today The Pleasures release their second album, Enemy of My Enemy, a soulful labour of love exploring themes from heartbreak to mayhem. The powerful duo, Catherine Britt and Lachlan Bryan, have not shied away from experimentation in their sophomore album, with bandmates switching roles, instruments and even recording location throughout their production process.

Countrytown spoke to Britt and Bryan ahead of the album release to hear what the last two years have looked like, touring globally and performing their debut album (The Beginning of the End), and how they feel about having a new album and a national tour to follow later in the year.

“I think, honestly, we've been working on this for longer than people think. People think, ‘Oh, a new album must be new for them. ’ For us, we’ve been writing it and recording it and mixing it and mastering it and getting everything together for like two years,” said Britt.

If Beginning of the End was the album that made the band fit like a glove, then Enemy of My Enemy has bucked that comfort and asked for more from the group, reinforcing the fluidity of these talented musicians. These powerful tracks will see Britt and Bryan on electric guitar, harmonising and even producer and guitar player Damian Cafarella trading in guitar for bass.

“I think the good thing about this band is we're all in uncomfortable positions. We're all doing things we wouldn't normally do. It’s mismatched and uncomfortable in a good way, because you're on edge and you're pushing outside your comfort zone the whole time,” said Britt.

Was It Something I Said was an early release from the album, enjoying a great reception and showing a sexier, bluesier look and feel from Britt and Bryan. It exemplifies the perfect intersection of rock n’ roll and classic country music, which is the broader takeaway from the whole album.

“On this record, it's either, you know, all guns blazing or a beautiful ballad, like, there's kind of no in between. These are the two extremes of this band, you know, which I love. So I think this one [Was It Something I Said] was kind of a good summary of the record,” said Britt.

Tracks like Three Star Hotel are much more your bread and butter country songs, but the guitar-work, slowed pace, and duet make it feel like it's a song you have grown up listening to your whole life. 

Homewreckers is another great country hit, with the clever, evocative lyrics creating a visceral reaction every time you listen, weaving a risky narrative with Britt and Bryan as the perfect storytellers. This easy familiarity makes The Pleasures such an asset to the Australian country music scene, with their power seeming to come so easily to the laid-back group.

When it came to choosing where to record Enemy of My Enemy, Nashville was an obvious choice, as it is for the majority of country groups, with the added benefit of Britt having recorded in the United States before. A year ago, The Pleasures recorded a track in Nashville before the decision was made that Australia was the most practical choice. They recorded the same track here and were able to assess, side by side, the quality and sound of the same song and ultimately were happier with the Australian studio (Ziggy Tone in Melbourne) they chose and finished their album on home soil.

When Britt and Bryan teamed up to release their singles in 2022, there was no conversation or agreement as to where this collaboration would go, with Bryan pointing out that one-off collaborations are common in the country scene. They admitted that in 2023, when their first album came out, they were both itching to start working on new music.

“I remember Catherine saying, ‘You know, we should maybe write some more songs’. And I was kind of thrilled, because we'd never really even discussed it at that point. We just started to realise that we're a band”, said Byran.

“So we did get started really quite early, and we recorded it very quickly. But like a lot of things, it's all the preparation that you don't realise you're doing, sometimes it's what makes the recording easier,” Bryan continued.

Countrytown asked the duo what to expect from their Deni Ute Muster set and upcoming shows, and Britt said,” It takes us a while to get a good set list, and we kind of stick to it, but then we get bored and we change it a lot.”

Bryan jumps in, “We’ve got another 12 songs now to experiment with!”

The Pleasures kick off their tour with the Deni Ute Muster on October 3 and some select Australian shows, before jetting off for a Scandinavian leg and two shows in the UK, before coming home to finish up some Australian shows.

The Pleasures – Enemy of My Enemy Tour 2025

Sat 4 Oct – Deni Ute Muster, Deniliquin NSW

Thu 23 Oct – Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW

Fri 24 Oct – The Oaks Hotel, Albion Park NSW

Sat 25 Oct – Smith's Alternative, Canberra ACT

Sun 26 Oct – Camden Hotel, Camden NSW

Fri 31 Oct – Full Throttle Ranch, Buttai NSW

Sat 1 Nov – The Cordial Factory, Grenfell NSW

Sun 2 Nov – Robertson Public House, Robertson NSW

Fri 21 Nov – Young Street Tavern, Frankston VIC

Sat 22 Nov – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne VIC

+ more dates to be announced

Enemy of My Enemy is out now. You can get the album here