SHELLEY SEGAL SHARES NEW SINGLE NO AHEAD OF NEW EP HOLY SET FOR RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 1
LA-based songwriter Shelley Segal has today announced her latest single No, a modern, bold and assertive track that describes the difficulty many women face when turning down sexual advances, out now. Shelley has also announced her masterful new EP Holy, a masterclass in intimate lyricism and exciting, innovative Americana, set for release on November 1. The Australian musician has been living and working in Los Angeles for three years, writing and recording Holy in the US while touring and collaborating on a host of noteworthy artistic projects.
No has a sentiment that will ring true for many women who have found themselves in a situation where it was almost impossible to say the word. Driving guitars and textured percussion propel the track forward with serious attitude, while Shelley’s honeyed vocals carve a stunning melody on top. Speaking on the inspiration behind this important track, Shelley explains, “No is a song about consent and the subtleties surrounding it. It describes three different scenarios in which the protagonist finds it difficult to say no to sexual advances. I wrote the song because even though it’s 2019 and so many women feel comfortable asserting themselves and speaking up for themselves, and even though there has been so much public discourse and progress on these issues, there are still scenarios where it feels hard to say ‘no’. You can find yourself in a situation that you don’t want to be in and yet be unable to express that. It’s not always easy in the moment to process the potential consequences that may come from your reaction. Like the examples in the song for instance, in a work environment, in the street with a stranger. Saying ‘no’ can create adverse outcomes like risking your job, or your safety. This discussion around consent is not as straightforward as maybe we would like it to be and I wanted to reflect on those nuances.”
No is the first taste of Shelley Segal’s glorious new EP Holy. This is an artist who has truly found her feet; Holy Man shines with energetic roots, rock riffs, skilled arrangement and Shelley’s undeniable lyrics and beautiful vocal performance. San Antonio tugs at the heartstrings, a simple acoustic track with a deeply affecting message, while Holy is steeped in attitude and power, as Shelley sings, “I believe my body is beautiful, and it belongs to me.” The EP was recorded in Brooklyn at Atomic Sound Studios with Dakota Bowman and Merle Chornuk (Tandy, Ryan Adams), it was produced and co-written (3 songs) with New York producer, guitarist and film composer Askold Buk and was mastered by Ted Jensen (Norah Jones, Dave Matthews). Speaking on the making of the release, Shelley enthuses, “I’ve been working on the songs for this record for over the last three years – since 2016, the year I moved to the US. I’ve called the ep ‘HOLY’ which felt like a really powerful statement. In the Jewish tradition I grew up in, what was holy was dictated to me. Which words, items and actions and even which people were holy was dictated to me. To elevate my life, my songs, my experiences and my voice (which was not allowed to be heard unaccompanied in my synagogue), to call them holy is incredibly empowering. It’s a challenge to those who want to use concepts of holiness and the sacred to create hierarchies, often placing themselves at the top. I hope it will inspire people to decide for themselves what is holy and sacred to them.”
Shelley has been living and working in the US since 2016, and in between touring the country and writing music for her own project, Shelley has done everything from writing for musicals, for Estonian pop star ELYSA, and Dutch artist Glennis Grace, among others. She has also worked tirelessly for charity group One Law For All, writing two songs for the organisation and reciving the CEMB Award (Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain) for her contributions. Always busy with multiple thought-provoking projects on the go at once, Shelley is currently working on the music for a documentary (entitled Transmission Love) about a young transgender girl growing up in LA, as well as a conservation-themed EP with a science educator and biologist about the Puget Sound Watershed in Washington State.
No is out October 4. Holy is out November 1.
Praise for Shelley Segal
An Australian singer/songwriter now living in California, Segal sings with pain and purpose. Her music builds out of a woman and her guitar, incorporating additional instrumentation as needed but consistently coming from a familiar place – that heartfelt home, be it physical or musical. http://atwoodmagazine.com/sshr-shelley-segal-here/
SCOTT DARLOW ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO FORGOTTEN AUSTRALIA
Australian and proud Yorta Yorta descendent Scott Darlow has today announced his affecting new single Forgotten Australia, a true anthem that encourages listeners to reconnect with the Australia that once warmly welcomed all people, out today, October 7. Scott has also dropped a video to accompany the song, fittingly highlighting the beauty of the melting pot that is Australia. Forgotten Australia is the perfect complement to Scott’s passionate endeavours as an Indigenous educator and World Vision spokesperson. In 2018, alongside Triple M’s head of content Michael Fitzpatrick, Scott spearheaded the charity supergroup The Drought Breakers (featuring Sarah McLeod, Adam Brand, Jack Jones and Todd Hunter) and recorded well known Dragon song Rain. Released by Sony Music Australia, all proceeds were donated to Buy a Bale to assist drought-stricken farmers. Scott’s love for Australia is evident in his recent single releases, with songs about Indigenous issues, our famers and multicultural Australia which all received Australia-wide airplay. Scott Darlow is currently supporting Jimmy Barnes on tour and will be opening for Eskimo Joe’s national tour over the next few months.
Forgotten Australia was co-written by Scott and Aussie rock royalty Kav Temperley and Joel Quartermain of Eskimo Joe – and these three songwriting auteurs have crafted an incredibly poignant and hooky track here. The lyric ‘Do you remember the forgotten Australia?’ will send shivers up even the most stoic spine, and as this powerful track washes over the listener, it’s impossible to remain unaffected by its message. The song boldly yields its sentiment and lyrics from the Australian national anthem – “They say we’ve got boundless plains to share, yet you say were full, you’re telling me to watch the oceans, but that’s how we became young and free”. And Scott isn’t afraid to speak his mind on this topic, fervently explaining, “As an Aboriginal man I find the current anthem distressing. It doesn’t represent me or my people, and I love that I’ve taken some of the lyrics to illustrate the hypocrisy that Australia can often harbour.” Offering more insight into the song, Scott says, “My Aboriginal ancestors were welcomed by Mother Earth, and they thrived and survived. Then each wave of migrants were welcomed here and they had a place to start again and thrive. Now, all of a sudden, we see a bunch of people telling newcomers that we’re full and that they can’t be here! This song is about saying ‘do you remember when we were a country who loved and welcomed everyone?’ And how good is that melting pot?!”
Once again teaming up with Curtis Reeder from R&H Media (Reeder also traveled across Australia with Scott to film his video for Solid Rock which has now amassed over 350,000 views), the video for Forgotten Australia is a personal one for Scott, “It’s just me singing to camera in my favourite spots around Melbourne – which also happen to highlight the beauty of Australia and the beauty of the melting pot. We have scenes at Middle Park beach, the Melbourne Zoo, Lygon Street, Londsdale Street, Chinatown, the Vic Market, Bourke Street Mall, I wanted to offer viewers a glimpse of ‘the real Australia’”.
Even with over 50,000 album sales under his belt, the skilled songwriter, guitarist and didgeridoo player is much more than an independent musician. Scott Darlow regularly speaks in schools, businesses, jails and churches across Australia, educating audiences about everything that has happened in Australia since 1770 from an Indigenous perspective. He covers topics such as genocide, land displacement, the Stolen Generation, the Australian constitution and the Flora and Fauna act, missions, segregation, education policy, and white Australia, alongside musical performances and conversational banter. Speaking on his passion for this work and offering incredible insight into his cause, Scott Darlow says, “The history lesson that I give during my presentations helps join the dots, and helps audiences to understand why we now live in a country that sees First Nation men die a decade younger than everyone else, why our Indigenous kids are ten times more likely to go to prison than to finish school, and why we don’t see nearly enough First Nation people finishing school or going to uni. It completely helps explain why the gap isn’t closing – and that understanding leads to empathy.”
Forgotten Australia is available today, October 7.
MONTAIGNE’S NEW ALBUM COMPLEX OUT NOW & NATIONAL TOUR IN NOVEMBER
Praise for COMPLEX
“Proof that pop doesn’t need to be dumbed down” – Herald Sun ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“Complex is a delightful exploration of a young woman’s examined life, warts and all” – The Australian
“Blending theatrics with emotion perfectly, Montaigne’s melodic pop tones create a gut-wrenching contrast between wanting to dance and wanting to cry. It’s an ode to Montaigne’s maturity to be able to write without metaphor around things so oftern trivialised and turn it into a gorgeous journey of self-discovery, determination and growth” – The Music ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
Art pop auteur Montaigne has today released her spectacular second album Complex, which features triple j faves For Your Love and Ready, alongside her latest single, the title track of the record. To celebrate the album, Montaigne will be taking part in instore stripped back performances and signings at Oh Jean Records in Melbourne on Saturday August 31 at 12pm and HUM Music in Sydney on Monday September 2 at 5.30pm. She will then be hitting the road for her Complex album tour (presented by triple j) in November, kicking off in Adelaide on November 7, then moving through Perth, Fremantle, Maroochydore, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Bendigo, Torquay, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and finishing up in Wollongong on November 30. Montaigne has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket goes to support Bush Heritage Australia a national non-profit organisation conserving biodiversity in Australia. www.bushheritage.org.au
The latest single Complex is an intriguing snapshot of the aftermath of – and hindsight that accompanies – a relationship with someone who has a Messiah complex. This is Montaigne at her absolute best – self-aware, wise, and delightfully verbose, playing with the meaning of complex and threading intricate and playful vocal melodies atop a bed of kitschy piano and determined drums. It’s the perfect title track for this eclectic album. On the new album, themes range from loneliness, isolation, distorted love narratives, confused sense of self, the desire to escape, self-image issues and self-realisation. All these concepts interact and percolate amongst themselves on Complex, and Montaigne does a spectacular job of expressing herself with eloquence, passion and powerful vocal authority.
Speaking on how she hopes the album is received by her audience, Montaigne explains, “Having to figure this album and my life out in simultaneity was the best possible collision of events I could have endured. There’s no way to quantify it, but I think going through the whole thing rescued me from a bunch of possible futures which would have been unpleasant and dark. It’s just this sense I have. I hope that listening to this album bequeaths the sense of anticipation and tension and tortuous disappointment that precedes your life and mind and body being totally reshaped and redefined, hopefully for the better.”
Montaigne worked with a wide range of producers on Complex, including long-time collaborator Tony Buchen (Courtney Barnett, The Preatures), Wynne Bennett (Twin Shadow, Janelle Monae), Kyle Shearer (Dua Lipa, Broods, K. Flay), Mozella (Madonna, Miley Cyrus, One Direction), Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foals), Mario Späte (Tkay Maidza, Urthboy, Allday) and Eric J Dubowsky (Flume, St. Vincent, Dua Lipa).
Montaigne will be playing shows around the country in November to celebrate the release of Complex. Her unique, theatrical and emotional performance style never fails to impress. Tickets available from www.montaigne.oztix.com.au
Complex is available now.
SAT AUG 31 @ 12PM | OH JEAN RECORDS | INSTORE SIGNING AND PERFORMANCE | 276 NICHOLSON STREET, FITZROY
MON SEP 2 @ 5.30PM | HUM MUSIC | INSTORE SIGNING AND PERFORMANCE | 271 KING STREET, NEWTOWN
Complex album artwork
MONTAIGNE ‘COMPLEX’ NATIONAL ALBUM TOUR
Presented by triple j
Tickets from www.montaigne.oztix.com.au
THU 07 NOV – THE GOV, ADELAIDE
FRI 08 NOV – BADLANDS, PERTH
SAT 09 NOV – MOJO’S, FREMANTLE
THU 14 NOV – SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE
FRI 15 NOV – THE ZOO, BRISBANE
SAT 16 NOV – THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY
THU 21 NOV – TAP HOUSE, BENDIGO
FRI 22 NOV – TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY
SAT 23 NOV – THE CROXTON, MELBOURNE
THU 28 NOV – UC HUB, CANBERRA
FRI 29 NOV – THE METRO, SYDNEY
SAT 30 NOV – UOW UNIBAR, WOLLONGONG