Credit: Rick Clifford
Following their “welcome return” (triple j) with latest earworm ‘Playing Dead’, Melbourne’s indie rock trio Obscura Hail share the second single ‘Long Play’ from their upcoming album Playing Dead out March 1st via Dot Dash / Remote Control Records. Marking their return, the band also announce a list of shows to launch ‘Long Play’ and the full LP including an in-store at Rocksteady Records in Melbourne, Australia.
Crafted in the wake of a disorienting breakup, ‘Long Play’ reflects a heightened emotional experience that unfolded during an intimate performance by Angie McMahon at Melbourne’s Long Play in 2017. Blending lush harmonies, looped Nintendo DS synths and dynamic guitar-work, the entire track was recorded, mixed and mastered by 3am that same evening, capturing the immediacy and intensity of the experience with heartfelt intricacy.
Sean Conran elaborates on the experience sharing “‘Long Play’ was one of those tracks that came out of a direct experience, line by line. I had recently come out of a dislocating relationship and my empathy drive was buzzing, so I headed out to process my thoughts alone at either a show or a movie, whichever popped up first. All I knew is I was in my vulnerable prime.” At the gig – after the much needed air conditioning kicked in – “I became hyper aware of the physical and emotional relief that permeated my senses, and the internal dialogue that would eventually become ‘Long Play’ crept over my tongue and through my lips in whispers.”Helmed by musician Conran, the trio’s second album is mature in content and playful in delivery and took two years to create with foundations of sounds and ideas laid some eight or nine years earlier. Not losing sight of Obscura Hails‘ purpose to externalise memory for the sake of preservation, Playing Dead‘s 14 tracks wore born out of Conran’s traditional indie song writing style – a nightly ritual of writing and recording to give closure to anxious thoughts of mortality and ontology through ad-hoc means.
Following a theme of self-discovery and introspection the omnibus explores the highs and lows of modern life and death. It is an account of real and imagined scenarios shaped by overarching themes of bold optimism, irrational fear, and mischievous boredom. Morphing through various iterations, the album attempts to combine unfinished lyrics and old demos with new creature features conjured up in collaboration with Tamara Issa (bass/vocals) and Kaelan Emond (drums/percussion).
Introduced with lead single and title-track ‘Playing Dead’, Conran shares “Itsums up the inspiration behind most of these songs on the album. It’s a simulation of trauma to strengthen empathy. Trying to understand what we mean to other people, and to remind ourselves not to take others for granted.” Musically, the trio combine their signature biting guitars, dual vocals, beautiful harmonies, atmospheric percussion, loops and drum machines to deliver something dynamic and existentially curated.
Previously the band have amassed a fiercely loyal following spilling over into extensive support from national radio and multiple sell out shows in their hometown of Melbourne. On stage they’ve performed alongside Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Aldous Harding, Julia Jacklin, Bad Dreems and Hayley Mary to name a few, alongside appearances at Brunswick Music Festival, By The Meadow Festival, Changes Festival, Isol-Aid Festival, Bigsound 2019 and many more.
Pre-order / Pre-save Playing Dead: https://obscurahail.lnk.to/playingdead-lp
