In the two years that have passed since the release of Joe Mungovan’s debut album 'A Flower In The Weeds', the performer has been touring consistently around Australia, spreading the energy of his dynamic and striking performance talent to audiences full of new and long-time fans alike.
In that time, he has become one of the East Coast’s exciting new voices, bringing together a natural musicality with a defined storytelling tone. And in pouring inspiration found across these last few years into new sessions, Joe Mungovan has now found himself at the doorstep of a brand new phase: the release of his second studio record, 'Sugar, Candy, Lips'.
Recorded between his own studio on the NSW South Coast, and at the iconic Grove Studios, the album is a beautiful representation of Joe Mungovan’s creativity and artistry as he heads into a brand new year and chapter as a musician. Featuring previously released tracks including ‘Handmidowns’, ‘STAY’, ‘Mon Chéri’ and latest single, ‘Cyclone’, 'Sugar, Candy, Lips' weaves through different sounds with confidence and ease. Along with Mungovan’s natural cadence and flow as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, there are threads of melodies and builds that fans of artists like Unknown Mortal Orchestra will love.
Thematically, the album is a collection of observations from Mungovan on a creatively chaotic period in his life. Finding peace in the whirlwind can be difficult at the best of times; this album is Mungovan’s way of navigating through it all. As Joe explained, “Post 2021 my life has changed so much, both personally and professionally. I have found myself navigating a haze and flitting in and out of a state of disconnection and reconnection. Ultimately, I can surmount that in times of unknown and disconnect, you can find the things that ground you and make you feel whole. This started to seep into my writing and inevitably became so much what I had to say on 'Sugar, Candy, Lips'."
"The album is a collection of observations about the state of our lives: wealth, greed, consumption, consumerism, love, lust and the excess and self-indulgence associated with all these things. Stylistically I have started exploring new sounds and dimensions within my music that have helped me express these topics sonically.”
Over 40 friends and fellow musicians can be heard throughout the album, making it one of Mungovan’s most collaborative and all-in studio processes to date. The listener can feel the rich depth and warmth on each layer; from the songwriting, through to arrangement and production.
Joe continued, “I tried to release all control and just follow what felt natural and instinctual, and ironically, it felt like the more engagement and connection I had with other artists, the better it was for the music. Inevitably I was extremely influenced and inspired by those involved, and that pushed me to develop different and engaging arrangements and utilize more varied instrumentation than ever before. I learned so much from all the musicians on these tracks."
"At the end of the day, the making of this album and the music itself reconnected me to my own truth and internally solidified my genuine values; that less is always more, and joy can always be found. My hope for this music is that it reaches audiences on that same level.”
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