Melbourne's own Emily Ulman, a respected figure who has long championed the Australian music scene, has just dropped a captivating new single, 'Mountains Mountains Mountains'. This track offers a tantalising preview of her forthcoming full-length album, expected later in the year, marking her first collection of new music in a decade since 2015's 'Wear It Well'.
'Mountains Mountains Mountains' is a beautifully crafted piece that blends elements of indie rock, folk, and pop, reminiscent of artists like Julia Jacklin, Big Thief, and Pinegrove. It’s a tender, almost cinematic exploration of life's contrasting elements, with Ulman's heartfelt lyrics taking centre stage over a backdrop of softly layered instrumentation.
Diving into the song's meaning, Ulman shares, “I love the Japanese proverb: The reverse side has a reverse side. Nothing is ever just one thing. Beneath every surface there is something else waiting to be seen; it reminds us to look deeper, to question first impressions. Mountains Mountains Mountains is about the beauty and the rot, about pleasure and grief, and how even the most pristine places carry traces of what came before. We live in the layers. In what is visible, what is hidden, and the quiet charge in between.”
She adds that the track emerged from a deeply personal yet expansive moment: “This song came out of a moment that felt both intimate and expansive. A parked car. A sweeping view. A private undoing. It’s about renewal, about sexuality, about finding awe in the aftermath. There’s tension in it. Between what’s pristine and what’s overgrown. The beauty lives not in the separation, but in the merging of the two to become something new.”
The single boasts impressive production credits, mixed and produced by Bonnie Knight (known for work with Amyl and the Sniffers and Angie McMahon) and mastered by Simon Berckelman (Courtney Barnett, Passenger). 'Mountains Mountains Mountains' follows her earlier 2025 single, the gentle 'Every Hillside', and features contributions from talented musicians including Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) on piano, bass, and synth, Soren Maryasin on drums, and Alex Lashlie on guitar and backing vocals.
Beyond her own music, Ulman has been a vital force in Australian music for over twenty years, curating events at iconic Melbourne venues and programming major festivals like Brunswick Music Festival and White Night Melbourne. She also founded the much-loved online festival Isol-Aid, which won Best Festival at the 2021 Music Victoria Awards, and recently served as Executive Program Director for the state-wide music celebration, ALWAYS LIVE.
Her return to releasing music is clearly a significant moment. Ulman concludes, “Releasing Mountains Mountains Mountains, and music again in general, is both a relief and a revelation. It feels like returning to a part of myself I almost forgot I missed.” With 'Mountains Mountains Mountains', Emily Ulman reminds us of her enduring talent as a storyteller and artist, and the anticipation for her new album is certainly building.
