JACK PANTHER ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE SKI LIFT 001 + NEW EP WHY DON’T YOU COME OVER? OUT MAY 20
A glistening fusion of silken noir and fresh candor, Auckland based queer pop artist Jack Panther returns today with a lush new single SKI LIFT 001. Flowing with alt pop flavours and sharp vulnerability, SKI LIFT 001 is also accompanied by a bold visualiser, contrasting the heart-rending lyrics and melodics as Jack appears laying on the floor slowly bleeding out. SKI LIFT 001 also marks a peek into Jack’s impending new EP why don’t you come over? which will release on May 20.
SKI LIFT 001 welds candid lyricism with a fresh-yet-moody sonic aesthetic, with alt pop whimsy coaxing you deeper and deeper into Jack’s intimate world via this schematic ballad. Inspired by alt-pop royalty like Joji, Troye Sivan, FKA Twigs and King Princess, SKI LIFT 001 also hints at the intimate wooze of James Blake amid sparse guitars and softly burgeoning soundscapes. Conjured in a mere six hours and produced and mixed by Harry Charles, the track effortlessly captures the sudden and searing hit of nostalgia that can strike in the blink of an eye. Of the significant personal themes underpinning SKI LIFT 001, Jack says, “Last winter I went skiing for the first time since going with my ex-boyfriend, and so many bittersweet memories came flooding back to me. I remember having an epiphany while skiing that I took so many moments with him forgranted. It’s a feeling that I think resonates with a lot of people – nostalgia can hit you so hard and so quickly. Writing this song was so cathartic for me, I had a lot of feelings towards my ex and I think in a way I wrote it to acknowledge these feelings and try to move on.”
The visualiser for SKI LIFT 001 starkly contrasts the raw elegance of the track, with Jack slowly revealed to be bleeding out on the floor from an injury caused by a ski pole. With Jack’s performance emphasising the single’s stirring themes in bold and innovative fashion, the concept for the visualiser came to Jack in a dream, causing a sudden late night text to the clip’s director Devan Narsai. Of the video’s origins, Jack says, “Devan and I were brainstorming concepts for a while. One night I fell asleep and awoke again at 11:30pm. In my delirious, dream-like state I came up with this crazy, daring concept of bleeding out on a floor. Immediately I texted Devan who happened to still be awake at the time and texted back that he loved it. When filming it I was just so in awe that Devan and I made this unique, wild concept come to life.”
Joining previously released singles If I Was and Feels Right that dropped late last year, SKI LIFT 001 is yet another enticing peek into Jack’s forthcoming new EP why don’t you come over?, due out May 20. A culmination of harnessing the ups and downs of being in your early 20s alongside Jack’s ongoing creative evolutuion, this sophomore EP celebrates healthy lashings of personal narratives, edgy pop and staggering empowerment as Jack sanguinely steps forward into a new and emboldened chapter. Speaking on the origins of his new EP, Jack says, “It showcases such a different side to me, one that feels kind of badass. Throughout the process of writing the project I was listening to such confident, self-assured music and it rubbed shoulders with me, I guess. For the first time I feel empowered by my own music and I think that’s why I feel so connected to it. I was in the process of moving cities at the time. With so many changes, everything felt like both the world was opening up, yet crashing down on me. In that time I was so forced to look inward, discover more about myself, my identity and the queer history of people that fought for my right to have a voice. That’s where this project stemmed from, I had so much to say to the people around me and the people before me.”
Following on from his debut EP this dream i had released back in 2020, 2022 promises to be the most explosive year for Jack so far, not just via his stunning new EP on the horizon, but also with plans to focus on his live band amid some upcoming writing sessions in Australia and the UK.
SKI LIFT 001 is out today.
why don’t you come over? is out May 20.
LOREN KATE SHARES NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘ONE OF THESE DAYS’
Spellbinding indie folk artist Loren Kate has returned with a brand new single One Of These Days, a raw and rousing track straddling intimate thematics and warm sonic simplicity. Recorded a year ago, this captivating new song releases today alongside an accompanying music video, poetically reflecting the stark and moving subject matter woven by Loren’s own personal journey. Working alongside filmmaker Brad Halstead and producer Shane Nicholson, One Of These Days also marks an emotive taste of things to come ahead of the release of Loren’s upcoming new album Nobody Knows, due out on May 20.
One Of These Days continues Loren’s knack for weaving personal stories and challenging life experiences into glowing concoctions, specifically detailing the heartache of watching her brother struggle with drug addiction while also instilling a sense of hope against all the odds. Softly flowing with elegant and dominantly acoustic instrumentation, driving percussion and Loren’s silky rasp, One Of These Days is equally heart-rending and bewitching, offering a moving slice of fresh indie folk that reaches delicately into your soul. Speaking about the extremely personal nature of the track, Loren says, “I stood in my brother’s shoes to write ‘One Of These Days’. He has struggled for almost as long as I can remember with a drug addiction. We were really close growing up and I spent so much of my earlier years thinking I was responsible for making his life better. That I had to somehow fix things. I have had to distance myself from that idea now, but still spend plenty of time trying to understand him, putting myself in his shoes and trying to work out where it all started. So I wrote this song. It’s a song about finding yourself at rock bottom, starting with nothing, and finding the tools to build a way out of heartbreak and shattered circumstances.”
The video for One Of These Days embraces these stirring overtones, with Loren and filmmaker Brad Halstead tapping in to an untouched, neglected property to bring to life the trauma and visceral pain laying within the song’s lyrical content. Opening on a static-filled TV, the clip powerfully brings anguish and permeating hope to life in a decaying home, interspersed with shots of happier days, as Loren explains, “My friends recently bought a property and with the property came an old house that no one had set foot in since 1995. The place was trashed, filthy and animals had literally taken over, eaten everything they could and all the life that remains there now are some desperate rats living in the Tupperware cupboard. As soon as I saw it I thought ‘someone has to film something in here’. The house is almost a representation of my brother’s head. That push and pull of wanting things to be different, but finding it so bloody hard to take that first step. To step outside.”
This talented South Australian singer-songwriter, already increasingly revered for her sharp storytelling, country and folk flavours and endearing Australian charm, has continually traversed the odds personally and professionally to conjure her honest and exquisite creations – including multiple delays and setbacks that meant One Of These Days sat lying in wait for twelve months before its final release. The equivalent of a warm hug in the midst of a battering storm, this latest track saw Loren team up with ARIA and Golden Guitar-winning songwriter and producer Shane Nicholson, with Shane also recording her impending new album Nobody Knows, releasing on May 20. A stunning and sensitive scene-setter for the undeniable beauty that will continue to emerge in 2022, Loren is entirely armed to unleash her latest creation into the world, as she explains, “There have been so many delays and set backs that it actually feels like such a relief to finally let this song sail into the world. I haven’t released anything for a few years so feel very excited to bring something new into the world.”
One Of These Days is out today, March 31.
Listen: ONE OF THESE DAYS
Watch: ONE OF THESE DAYS
FOLLOWING SOLD OUT EVENTS IN INAUGURAL YEAR, SYNTHONY RETURNS TO CELEBRATE GLOBAL DANCE HITS WITH FULL ORCHESTRAS, GUEST VOCALISTS & DJS
Following back to back sold out events against the ongoing pandemic in 2021, the breathtaking fusion of electronic dance music, live performances and immersive visuals that is SYNTHONY returns in full-blown technicolour for a second year, raising the bar and impressing with a dynamic and truly bespoke experience. Celebrating thirty years of global dance anthems reimagined by up to 60-piece orchestras with insatiable guest vocalists, DJs and musicians across some of Australia’s most iconic live venues, SYNTHONY offers a unique feast for all music fans, with its second year primed to solidify SYNTHONY as one of the hottest live events in the country.
Showcasing a range of songs and artists, including tracks from Avicii, Tiesto, Daft Punk, Eric Prydz, Bob Sinclair and beyond, the 2022 SYNTHONY experience will also incorporate live performances from the likes of Savage, Emily Williams, Mobin Master, Greg Gould, Cassie McIvor, Andy Van, Matty O, and Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez performing the reimagined rendition of his hit Don’t Hold Back, as well as world class orchestras in each city, conducted by the acclaimed Sarah-Grace Williams*. This one-of-a-kind event was arranged by Ryan Youens, and curated by Dick Johnson, and will set up home in some of the country’s most iconic and special live music locations – with the newest home of SYNTHONY announced to be the spectacular Cockatoo Island (Sydney) – showcasing the versatility of the show’s adept nature and ability to shine at arenas, parks and islands across Australia. SYNTHONY will take over Riverstage in Brisbane on May 28, before continuing on to Perth RAC Arena (Perth), WIN Entertainment Centre (Wollongong), Newcastle Entertainment Centre (Newcastle), Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Adelaide), Cockatoo Island (Sydney) and a season finale to the event’s second jubilant year in Australia at Hobart Wrest Point Lawns, Hobart on November 19.
Tickets to SYNTHONY go on sale at www.synthony.com at 9am local time on Monday 28 March, with a SYNTHONY presale live at 9am local time on Thursday 24 March.
“SYNTHONY is a beast of a show, with so many people behind the scenes with its creation and delivery, and the SYNTHONY team are not only the best at what they all do individually, collectively they’re the best team to work with,” enthuses conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, who will appear at every SYNTHONY event across Australia. “On top of this, I absolutely adore the Synthony product. The track selections are fantastic and the orchestral arrangements are just brilliant. Take this to stage with a full 60 piece orchestra, immersive visuals, DJs, feature instrumentalists and cracking singers, and you have a show like no other. The energy of the stage and crowd is electric from beginning to end. Every single performance is epic and special.”
Of the transcendental power of SYNTHONY to appease beyond genre-confines and delight music fans across the board, Duco Event’s General Manager, Randall Nolan, says, “Regardless of whether you’re a dance/EDM enthusiast, orchestra buff, production guru, or simply appreciate world class live music…SYNTHONY has something for everyone. There is no one type of SYNTHONY fan and that is a testament to its universal appeal.”
With a stack of recognisable faces spotted amongst SYNTHONY audiences, Dannii Minogue lauds, “I danced the entire way through the show and didn’t want it to end. There is nothing like being swept up in the energy and adoration for this show.”
Don’t miss your chance to experience the electrifying affair that is SYNTHONY, from its world-class orchestral arrangements to its immersive celebration of dance anthems, be sure to secure your ticket to this unbelievable event and witness the magic first-hand.
Tickets to SYNTHONY go on sale at www.synthony.com at 9am local time on Monday 28 March with a SYNTHONY presale set to begin on Thursday 24 March at 9am local time, register at www.synthony.com
SYNTHONY will be held with a commitment to a COVID Safe environment. Festival organisers will work closely with and comply with all requirements of the public health authorities. If the show is required to be postponed, a postponement date will be announced and punters will be eligible for a full refund if they are unable to make the new date.
SYNTHONY 2022 DATES
SAT 28 MAY | RIVERSTAGE BRISBANE WITH BRISBANE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | 18+ (SYNTHONY No.2)
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
FRI 17 JUN | RAC ARENA WITH PERTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | PERTH | 18+ (SYNTHONY No.2)
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
FRI 24 JUN | WIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WITH THE METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA | WOLLONGONG | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
FRI 22 JUL | NEWCASTLE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WITH THE METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA | NEWCASTLE | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
FRI 5 AUG | ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WITH SOUTHERN CROSS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | ADELAIDE | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
SAT 29 OCT | COCKATOO ISLAND WITH THE METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA | SYDNEY | 18+ (SYNTHONY No.2)
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
SAT 19 NOV | WREST POINT LAWNS WITH TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | HOBART | 18+
Tickets available from www.synthony.flicket.io & www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
ABOUT DUCO EVENTS
Duco Events is one of Asia Pacific’s leading live touring, events management, and entertainment promotion companies. SYNTHONY is proudly presented by Duco Events.
*Lineup may vary between shows, visit SYNTHONY.COM for final guest lineup
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