Good Friday: The feature series that shines a light on our favourite new releases from around Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Make sure you check out all the artists that featured this week up the top of our weekly playlist, which also includes some other jams we've been getting down to during the week.
1. ‘OMG’ - Phoebe Sinclair [words by Charlie Dally-Watkins]
Phoebe Sinclair infuses soulful vocals, intoxicating beats and scintillating lyricism into her new track, ‘OMG’.
The self-confessed emotional wreck oozes with power and confidence, and has an undeniably infectious energy.
The electro-pop banger is about taking ownership of your mistakes, but not letting them define you.
Sinclair says she wrote the song in her driveway and had the idea to use a one-note melody for the phrase “oh my god” surrounded with lyrics realising the mistakes she’d been making.
“It was great having a chance to revisit the lyrics with the benefit of hindsight; being able to take ownership of what I’d done without having it define me like it might’ve while it was so fresh," she says.
Backed by a 4-piece all girl ensemble, the artist’s music bites with a deep-rooted understanding of herself, what she stands for, and how her experiences can connect to listeners.
Phoebe Sinclair has an addictively captivating quality to her sound and knows exactly how to put on a show which leaves hearts in throats and melodies in minds. Listen to her new single ‘OMG’ now.
2. ‘Be Cool’ - Kult Kyss [words by Charlie Dally-Watkins]
Melbourne’s Kult Kyss have unveiled a new hypnotic single, ‘Be Cool’
The duo explore the spaces that form between people in love, and the desire to reconnect, repair and rectify things with one another. It describes the need to be close with someone to feel comfort, freedom and relief.
‘Be Cool’ features the pair’s signature sound as soaring vocals and blended with sparkling production and driving beats.
"We wanted to strike a sonic balance between the modern and retrospective sounds of UK house music, drawing influences from artists like Jamie XX and Bicep, with throwbacks to the synthesised trance throbs of the ‘90s," Kult Kyss explain.
As their second release of the year, the musicians continue to push boundaries in future pop by drawing listeners into their dynamic sonic realm.
The release has further cemented Kult Kyss’ distinctive sound in the world of electronic pop, and proved they’re not messing around. Listen now.
3. ‘Impulse’ - Reilly Stapleton [words by Charlie Dally-Watkins]
Reilly Stapleton has released her intriguingly dark new track, ‘Impulse’
The unsettling, eclectic rock ballad illustrates the fine line between our morals and devilish impulses. The artist leaves no stone unturned as she explores the darker side of the human psyche.
Stapleton’s deepest, darkest thoughts are expressed in the perfect fusion of lyricism, vocal delivery and instrumental arrangement. The powerful vocals, screaming guitars and swirling synths are applied perfectly.
The humble musician says ‘Impulse’ is reflective of the constant battle between our negative impulsions and our inner consciousness that provides you with a positive moral compass.
“The song uses violence, anger and control in order to convey this unavoidable conflict… When somebody has a short tolerance of anger they can withstand, it is generally our consciousness that holds us back from lashing out,” she says.
Make sure you hear the vocal prowess of Reilly Stapleton live before the end of 2019, it’s an experience to behold.
4. ‘Can’t Stop Me’ - Traces [words by Charlie Dally-Watkins]
Self-made trio Traces have unleashed their new powerful single ‘Can’t Stop Me’.
The track has a focus on mental illness, describing the fight against oneself and overcoming self doubt.
Traces want to celebrate the positives, saying someone out there is going through hell right now and seeing proof that it isn't forever might save their life.
"We all have an idea of who we want to be, an ideal image of ourselves that we all strive for. Often pressure from outer influences like friends, family and society can make it hard to be who we want, but ultimately the biggest thing stopping us from realising our dreams, goals and aspirations is ourselves, our own self doubt and the negative side of who we are that we all pretend doesn’t exist," they say.
An emphasis has been put on individual creativity to maintain deep rock sounds, catchy choruses and spicy guitars.
Ever since their humble beginnings, the band have ensured every sight and sound is an authentic representation of their creative vision. They’ve played alongside bands like Dream on Dreamer, Attila (US), In Hearts Wake, Hellions, Polaris and Ocean Grove.
A debut album is expected in 2020, so watch this space.
5. ‘December Song’ - Stevie jean [words by Max Melit]
As the opening track of Stevie Jean’s new EP ‘Blame Game’, ‘December Song’ shows the Northern-Territory singer-songwriter as both a burgeoning indie force and maturing musician. The song puts Stevie’s voice front and centre in the mix surrounded by minimal, but interesting instrumentation.
The sparse nature of the verses is contrasted by a vocally complex and layered chorus with interesting production. Fascinatingly dissonant guitar chords serve to define Stevie from the rest of the indie pack, hinting at a songwriting complexity.
Stevie’s voice weaves in and out, layered and panned in an impressive way. Combined with a frantic and fast snare drum underneath, the song is both dense and satisfying.
The lyrics hint at a ‘you want me now I’m not there’ dynamic with a once close friend. Stevie sings in a verse, “I bet your head is high on the recliner of life/He’s out with the boys again, you say. I love you honey, look away from his eyes.”
Stevie has managed to serve up a rich opener to a strong EP with ‘December Song’. On top of her recent successful collaboration with Sydney rapper Tasman Keith on the LP Evenings, she is looking to finish the year on a high note and an artist to be reckoned with heading into 2020.