Perth-based singer-songwriter, Anika Louise's new single 'Thorns' is a cathartic anthem for anyone who's been afflicted by another person hiding their true colours with alluring charisma.
A gently strummed guitar opens the song, the evocative strings awaking a fostered sense of longing that pangs the heart as Anika's delicately strained yet piercing vocals add elements of grief and regret to the mix.
'Thorns' quickly melds into a meandering alt. country, folky ballad that waltzes with a sad charm; the song's lightness masking the darker lyrical tones that cut like a steak knife.
It's raw and stark yet sonically beautiful, the song's themes connecting to a universal vulnerability.
The addition of the banjo adds a colonial-folk-punk vibe, and by song's end it's a self-hugging moment, Anika delivering an emotional purging many will respond to.
"'Thorns' is about the realisation that someone you love and trust might not be who you thought they were, and learning to let go of the version of them you believed in," Louise says.
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (10 April), today scenestr is thrilled to premiere 'Thorns'. Enjoy.
With opening lyrics this potent: 'You hid your thorns with a pretty flower / And I was fooled / Oh how you loved the power / Until some time passed and the flower died / Your thorns were all that was left behind,' it's somewhat startling to realise 'Thorns' is only Anika's second single released.
"It's an indie folk-pop track – I was listening to a lot of Noah Kahan while writing and recording it – and I used roses as a metaphor for something that's beautiful on the surface but hiding thorns underneath," says the musician, who received a WAM Song Of The Year nomination in 2019 when she was still in high school.
Anika teamed with a trio of respected musicians to bring 'Thorns' to life. "The recording process was so fun! I was lucky to work with Timothy Nelson (production and instrumentation), Josh Dyson (production and mixing), and Ashton McLernon-Smith (drums), and they're all incredible at what they do. We had a really great time in the studio!"
Next stop for Anika is the 'Thorns' launch show at Four5Nine (Perth) on Sunday 3 May. "I'm super excited to be playing my debut headline show, the single launch for 'Thorns' on 3 May. Join me, my band, and my incredible supports, Morgan Louise, Nadya Kadisha, and Maya Ixchell – we'd love to see you there!"
