Led by Melbourne songwriter Dougal James' frank lyrics and baritone drawl, The Sunken Sea's music blends the personal and the political. As their press releases proudly explains, "soaring melodies slice through dense rhythms and syrupy harmonies to forge dusty Australiana tinged with lopsided jazz and post-punk," and to be honest, it's fairly impossible to disagree.
A band who have been rising steadily through the underground, the band have recently kicked out with their new single 'Is It Living?', a stark new release borne out of duelling pressures: long hours of work blur into tense, fleeting scenes with lovers, which end with the inevitable trek to work the next morning.
As the band explained, "this song is steadily, insistently despairing in the midst of carving a fulfilling life out of the doldrum. The repeated, unfinished question in the coda suggests that we can get so trapped in the ritual of our despair that we lose sight of what we actually desire in life."
Written, produced and mixed by frontman Dougal James in various sharehouses and studios, and mastered by Becki Whitton, this tune is the culmination of the band’s last six years honing their craft in Melbourne. Local singer-songwriter Stella Farnan lent her rich voice for some gorgeous backing vocals, which sit perfectly amongst the band’s careful blend of motorik drums, buzzing guitars, soaring synths and booming lead vocals.
The band will be launching the single at the Gasometer Hotel the 3rd of November, and are aided in their celebrations by the chest thumping rock dawgs in Fenn Wilson, Mantell's lush and soaring grooves, and Bellhop's dark weirdo-psych madness.
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