The solo project of Nice Biscuit's co-frontwoman Grace Cuell, Baby Cool creates country-tinged folk psychedelia.
Set to release her debut album as Baby Cool tomorrow (10 February), 'Earthling On The Road To Self Love', the record's current single is 'Daydream'."I wrote this song about coming through the other side of a big event that leaves your life completely altered," Cuell shares.
"For me, these events don't always offer clarity after the dust settles, and there's an ache in this that is difficult to bear sometimes.
"The aftermath of anything big always circles back to the same feelings for me – that life is intense and weird, so we may as well love as hard as we can."
'Earthling On The Road To Self Love' isn't just an observation into the songwriter's mental health during puzzling life experiences, but also acts as a musical antidote for anyone facing their own stresses and hurdles.
"The songs on 'Earthling On The Road To Self Love' are deeply sentimental," Grace says. "I have a lot I need to sing about to help me make sense of this earthly pod I have been gifted.
"If in singing these words out loud, I can help others find solace in knowing that we're all out here flailing about in the cosmos, then it feels good to me."
In the spirit of togetherness, here Grace shares five techniques to remain calm when life's craziness gets a little too much.
"Are you on the verge of being overwhelmed daily? Only have five minutes of spare time to do something nice for yourself? Same.
"These are five very obvious things that I do to calm myself down. I hope you might find something helpful in this list."
Magnesium foot soak
A beautiful friend I used to live with introduced me to this simple practice. All you need is: 10 minutes, a bucket that will fit your tootsies (feet) in it, some water as hot as your skin can handle, 1 cup of magnesium chloride flakes, and a few drops of lavender essential oil.Dissolve the flakes in the water, add the lavender and whack your tootsies in there and relax. I transcend to somewhere magical whenever I create the time to do this.
Stretch
You know when you were a teenager and your mum would tell you to do something and you immediately didn't want to do it and you weren't sure why? This is how I feel anytime anyone has told me to try stretching and yoga to calm my nervous system. Anyway, I tried it and goddammit, it works. There are heaps of free online yoga classes on YouTube that you can do from the comfort of your bedroom. Give it a try, even if you don't want to.
3x pages of journaling daily
I like to do an emotional dump of at least three pages in the morning or the evening. I just write whatever comes out of my mind at the time, and it doesn't even have to make sense.There's something about pen to paper that feels nice. I also like to hold off from re-reading the entries until a few weeks after I write them. It's interesting to relive your thoughts when they're a little less potent.
Grow something
I'm not a scientist but I reckon there must be a scientific fact somewhere that says looking after plants is good for your mental health.If this activity feels out of reach, try starting with something small, like a pot of flowers. I planted a flower garden last year and looking at it made me happy every day.
Dance and laugh with friends
Surrounding yourself with people that help keep things light is essential. Sometimes life gets so intense and serious that it's hard to envision yourself having a good giggle. Hit the dance floor with your pals, and then tell each other jokes afterward. It's important to be silly every now and then.'Earthling On The Road To Self Love' is released 10 February.
Baby Cool 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 10 Feb - Sound Merch (Melbourne)* in-store appearanceThu 16 Feb - Jet Black Cat Music (Brisbane)* in-store appearance
Sat 4 Mar - Nine Lives Festival at The Tivoli (Brisbane)
Sat 5 Mar - Natural Bridge @ Eltham Hotel (Northern Rivers)
Sat 18 Mar - The Malthouse Outdoor Stage (Melbourne)
Sat 25 Mar - The Lansdowne (Sydney)
Sun 26 Mar - La La La's (Wollongong)
Sat 15 Apr - Eltham Hotel (Northern Rivers)
