The best RVG songs sound like they were beamed in from a smoky Melbourne pub sometime between 1985 and right now, and honestly, that’s the whole appeal. Fronted by the magnetic Romy Vager, RVG (short for Romy Vager Group) built a catalog across three studio albums — A Quality of Mercy (2017), Feral (2020), and Brain Worms (2023) — that turns jangle-pop guitars, post-punk urgency, and confessional lyricism into something that feels genuinely alive. I’ve spent more nights than I’d like to admit with this band in my headphones, and putting together this list meant going back through every record with fresh ears. If you’re new to RVG or you’ve been riding with them since The Tote days, here’s my breakdown of the 20 songs that best capture why this band matters.
Before we dive in, if you’re the kind of listener who likes to dig deeper into artist catalogs like this one, it’s worth browsing more song deep-dives and artist guides for your next listening rabbit hole.
A Quality Of Mercy
The title track of RVG’s debut is where the whole project announces itself. Released in October 2017 and recorded live off the floor at Melbourne’s legendary rock pub The Tote, it’s got this unpolished urgency that studio gloss could never fake. Vager’s voice cracks and soars over ringing, angular guitar lines that owe a debt to the Go-Betweens and the Smiths without ever feeling like imitation. What gets me every time is the lyrical plea for basic human kindness wrapped in a melody catchy enough to hum for days — it’s the rare opener that also works as a thesis statement for a band’s entire worldview.
Vincent Van Gogh
If you only listen to one deep cut from the debut record, make it this one. “Vincent Van Gogh” builds around a slow-burning guitar figure that gradually opens up into something genuinely cathartic, with Vager using the painter as a lens for isolation and misunderstood genius. The dynamic shift in the back half, where the whole band leans into the crescendo, is the kind of moment that turns a good song into a live-show highlight. On headphones, you catch every bit of the room tone from that live Tote recording, which only adds to the raw, unguarded feel of the performance.
Cause And Effect
A tighter, punchier number that shows RVG’s more clipped, post-punk instincts. The rhythm section drives this one hard, with drummer Marc Nolte keeping things taut while the guitars snap between clean jangle and something sharper. Lyrically, it’s Vager working through consequence and self-awareness with the kind of dry wit that runs through so much of her writing. It’s a great car song — short, propulsive, and built for repeat plays on a commute.
IBM
An odd little gem with a title that plays against expectations, since this is nothing like a corporate anthem. The song moves with a nervy, coiled energy, and the guitar interplay between Vager and Reuben Bloxham gives it real texture without ever getting cluttered. RVG even shot a music video for this one and took it to SXSW, which tells you how much confidence the band had in the track despite it never being a conventional single. It’s a good example of how RVG can make a strange concept feel emotionally direct.
Heart Paste
This one sits in the middle of the debut record and shows a softer, more melodic side of the band without losing any of the emotional stakes. The arrangement breathes a little more than some of the album’s punchier moments, giving Vager’s vocal room to sit right in the pocket of the mix. There’s a vulnerability in the phrasing here that rewards close listening, especially through a decent pair of headphones where the interplay between rhythm guitar and vocal melody really opens up.
The Eggshell World
A standout for how it balances tension and release across its runtime. The title captures the song’s central image perfectly — that feeling of moving carefully through a fragile situation, never quite sure when things might crack. Musically, it leans into a moodier, more atmospheric palette than some of the record’s brighter tracks, and Vager’s delivery carries genuine weight without tipping into melodrama. It’s one of those songs that reveals new details on repeat listens.
Feral Beach
Clocking in as one of the debut’s longer tracks, “Feral Beach” gives the band room to stretch out and build something a little more expansive. The guitars ring out with real space around them, and there’s a patience to the arrangement that pays off in the song’s more intense later sections. It’s easy to hear why this track later lent its title to the band’s second album — there’s a rawness and wildness in the songwriting here that would become a defining thread of RVG’s sound going forward.
That’s All
Closing out A Quality of Mercy, “That’s All” is the longest song on the record and arguably its emotional centerpiece. At over five minutes, it gives Vager room to unpack something genuinely weighty, and the band matches that scale with a slow build that never rushes toward its payoff. Meanwhile, the sparse verses contrast beautifully with the fuller instrumental passages, creating a real sense of dynamic storytelling. It’s the kind of closer that makes you want to flip the record back to side one immediately.
Alexandra
Opening RVG’s second album, Feral, “Alexandra” was produced by Victor Van Vugt — the same producer behind records from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and PJ Harvey — and you can hear that pedigree in the cleaner, more confident production without losing the band’s live-wire energy. The song has become one of RVG’s most streamed tracks, and it’s easy to understand why: the hook is immediate, and Vager’s vocal performance has a controlled intensity that pulls you in from the first line. It’s also one of the tracks the band chose for an official music video, which captures the theatrical side of their live show.
Asteroid
A shorter, punchier cut from Feral that moves with real momentum. The guitar tones here feel a touch more polished than the debut record, a direct result of recording at Head Gap studios rather than live at a pub, but the songwriting instincts are pure RVG. On a run or a walk, this is one I reach for specifically because of its brisk pace and economical structure — nothing overstays its welcome. It’s a great entry point for new listeners who want a quick, representative taste of the band.
Christian Neurosurgeon
One of Feral’s most talked-about tracks, and for good reason — the title alone tells you Vager isn’t afraid of vivid, specific imagery in her lyrics. Musically, it’s got one of the album’s most memorable guitar hooks, and RVG made an official video for it that leans into the song’s slightly surreal, unsettling atmosphere. The push and pull between the verses’ restraint and the chorus’s release is a masterclass in dynamic songwriting. In contrast to some of the band’s more straightforwardly jangly material, this one has real teeth.
I Used To Love You
This was the lead single teasing Feral back in 2020, and it remains one of RVG’s most-streamed songs for a reason. The arrangement is deceptively simple — a steady rhythm, ringing guitars, and Vager’s voice front and center — but the emotional directness of a breakup song stated plainly hits harder than most overwrought ballads. There’s a live-off-the-floor spontaneity to the performance that producer Victor Van Vugt clearly prioritized, capturing the band’s energy without sanding off its edges. It’s a perfect example of RVG’s gift for making heartbreak sound anthemic rather than just sad.
Perfect Day
Don’t mistake this for a Lou Reed cover — it’s an entirely original RVG track, and one of Feral’s most quietly devastating moments. The song title plays with irony in a way that’s become a signature move for Vager’s lyric writing, using a seemingly simple phrase to hold something much more complicated underneath. Musically, it’s got a slightly slower tempo that lets the melody breathe, and the official video the band made for it leans into that reflective mood. This is the kind of track that sneaks up on you a few listens in.
Photograph
The closing track on Feral, “Photograph” is easily the longest song in RVG’s catalog, stretching well past the seven-minute mark. That extended runtime gives the band space to build something genuinely immersive, moving through distinct sections rather than sticking to a conventional verse-chorus structure. If you want the full effect, this is a track that demands a proper listening session — pull up a good pair of over-ears and let it unfold, and if you need a recommendation, GlobalMusicVibe’s headphone comparison guide can point you toward something that does the mix justice. It’s a genuinely ambitious way to close an album, and it works.
Prima Donna
A sharper, more theatrical entry from Feral that shows off Vager’s flair for character-driven songwriting. The energy here is more upbeat than some of the album’s heavier moments, with guitar lines that dart and weave around the vocal melody. There’s a playful edge to the performance that keeps the song from ever feeling too serious, even as the lyrics hint at something more pointed underneath. It’s a track that translates especially well live, where the band’s chemistry really shows.
Common Ground
Opening RVG’s third album, Brain Worms, “Common Ground” sets the tone for the band’s most polished and confident record yet. Recorded in London at Snap Studios with engineer James Trevascus — whose credits include work with Nick Cave & Warren Ellis and PJ Harvey — the track pairs Vager’s soaring vocal with intricate, interlocking guitar melodies. Lyrically, it works on two levels at once: a plea between two people trying to bridge a divide, and a broader statement about seeking acceptance in a fractured world. Brain Worms went on to win the 2023 Australian Music Prize and AIR Award for Independent Album of the Year, and this opener explains exactly why critics responded the way they did.
Midnight Sun
Released as a single ahead of Brain Worms, “Midnight Sun” leans into a shimmering, almost Chameleons-esque guitar texture that critics specifically singled out when the album dropped. It’s one of the more atmospheric tracks in RVG’s catalog, trading some of the band’s usual bite for a moodier, more expansive sound. Streaming numbers back up its popularity too — it’s one of the most-played tracks from the record. On the other hand, it never loses the emotional directness that defines Vager’s writing, which is what keeps it from feeling like mood music for its own sake.
Tambourine
Vager has described this as the only pandemic-era song she wrote while actively trying not to write pandemic songs, and that honesty comes through in every line. It’s a devastatingly direct portrait of grieving during isolation, built around a deceptively upbeat arrangement that makes the lyrical content hit even harder. The closing refrain, where Vager toys with the ambiguity between two very different admissions, is one of the most quietly gutting moments in the band’s whole discography. This is a song that rewards careful, undistracted listening — the kind you get with a solid pair of earbuds in on a quiet walk, and GlobalMusicVibe’s earbuds comparison guide is a solid place to start if you’re shopping for a new pair.
You’re The Reason
The closest thing to a straightforward love song on Brain Worms, this track slows things down and lets Vager’s vocal carry real tenderness without losing the band’s signature edge. It sits in contrast to the more anxious, internet-anxiety-driven tracks surrounding it on the album, offering a moment of genuine warmth in the record’s sequencing. The interplay between Reuben Bloxham’s guitar work and Isabele Wallace’s basslines gives the arrangement a fullness that reflects how much more confident the band’s lineup had become by 2023. It’s not the flashiest song on the record, but it’s one of the most affecting.
Squid
One of the most distinctive tracks in RVG’s entire catalog, “Squid” pairs a genuinely psychedelic sonic palette with a narrative about being pulled through time and into an alternate reality. Rolling Stone Australia singled it out as a song listeners needed to know when Brain Worms was building buzz in early 2023, and it’s easy to hear why — the track takes real chances structurally while still landing an enormous hook. There’s also a personal story behind the song’s origins tied to a funeral, which gives its more surreal lyrical detours an unexpectedly grounded emotional core. It’s the kind of song that convinces skeptics RVG is more than just a solid post-punk revival act — there’s real ambition in how they build a track.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RVG’s most popular song?
Based on streaming numbers, “Army of Me” — RVG’s 2021 collaboration with Julia Jacklin covering Björk — is technically the band’s biggest streaming track, but among their original songs, “A Quality of Mercy,” “I Used To Love You,” and “Alexandra” consistently rank as the most-streamed and most-requested at shows.
Who is Romy Vager?
Romy Vager is RVG’s singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter. Originally from Adelaide, she moved to Melbourne as a teenager and played in an earlier, heavier band called Sooky La La before forming RVG around 2015, initially as a backing group for her solo material.
What genre is RVG?
RVG blends indie rock, post-punk, and jangle pop, with clear influences from bands like the Go-Betweens, the Soft Boys, the Smiths, and the Psychedelic Furs. Critics often describe their sound as sitting somewhere between ’80s college rock and contemporary Australian guitar music.
Which RVG album should a new listener start with?
It depends on what you’re after. A Quality of Mercy is the rawest, most immediate entry point since it was recorded live at a pub with almost no studio polish. Brain Worms, on the other hand, is the most fully realized and critically decorated record, having won the 2023 Australian Music Prize, so it’s a great choice if you want the band at their most confident.
Has RVG broken up?
Not officially. The band went through a hiatus period after touring behind Brain Worms, but Romy Vager and the group announced a fourth studio album in November 2025, signaling that new music is on the way.
Who has produced RVG’s albums?
Feral was recorded and produced by Victor Van Vugt, known for his work with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and PJ Harvey. Brain Worms was recorded in London at Snap Studios with engineer James Trevascus, who has also worked with Nick Cave & Warren Ellis and PJ Harvey.
Whichever era of RVG grabs you first, this is a catalog built for repeat listening — the kind of songs that reveal new details every time you press play. If this list sent you down a rabbit hole, there’s plenty more where it came from over in GlobalMusicVibe’s songs archive.