If you've encountered anguish and anxiety amongst your mates and loves ones dealing with mental heath, FVNERAL's 'Stay Pt. 1 (A Fist Sized Muscle)' will resonate deeply.
A band who've been simmering with their indie rock, underground shoegaze tones for a number of years, the Sydney collective are a tight-knit group of musicians – led by Ally Turner and Tim Blunt – who also see themselves as their 'chosen family': "We lift each other up when we can't do it alone."The group are about to release their sophomore EP, 'Honest', a five-song set that's an 'exploration of the band members personal journeys towards being honest with themselves and those closest to them'.
The EP's fourth track is 'Stay Pt. 1 (A Fist Sized Muscle)' – a song brimming with heart that hints at folktronica vibes.
A gorgeous, sublime, slowly-plucked acoustic guitar opens the song, before the achingly beautiful vocals of Tim Blunt is matched by the harmonious tones of Ally Turner who adds a melancholic yet hopeful ambience, their dualling voices (that both have an Autotune-like effect imbued) adding to the rustic sadness felt.
An indie rock track that builds in intensity throughout, rousing emotions, the last quarter of the song quickens its pace, with an electric guitar lick (that sounds like it escaped from an alternative Bikini Bottom dive bar) adding to the emotive feels before the rhythm section comes to life, the shoegazey soundscape creating a head-nodding-verse that'll create a sea of swaying bodies when played live.
"This song is about the powerlessness of watching a dear friend in distress," shares FVNERAL.
"While it was written after one specific situation, it's come to represent that feeling of powerlessness when you can recognise the pain and anguish that someone close to you is in, and realising that ultimately the only person who can save them is themself.
"It's about the pain of having to sit on the sidelines and keep some faith in the idea that they'll eventually be able to love themself enough to stay safe."
Ahead of the release tomorrow (10 November) of the 'Honest' EP, scenestr is thrilled to premiere 'Stay Pt. 1 (A Fist Sized Muscle)' today. Enjoy.
The band will launch the 'Honest' EP with a home-town show on Saturday (11 November) at Goodspace Gallery, with support from Lakelend, Huck Hastings (a scenestr favourite, kids) and Bellamy.
"This collection of songs documents the two of us attempting to work through some dark truths about ourselves," adds FVNERAL, "not only in terms of some heavy stuff we've experienced, but also in the way we treat those closest to us and in the way that we treat ourselves.
"These five songs each detail a journey that we're on, both together and separately, towards being honest with ourselves and with the people we love the most.
"We've both come to understand honesty as an ongoing process, and hope that these songs can be a source of comfort and encouragement for anyone who wants to learn how to love themselves – the good, the bad and everything in between."
A project that has been sometime in the making, FVNERAL are eager to share the new tunes live. "It's kind of crazy to think that a large part of each of these songs were recorded between overcrowded sharehouses and both of our childhood bedrooms.
"We've sat with them for almost a year now since making the final touches to them and as time goes on, we feel pretty nostalgic for the process, even though it was chaotic at times.
"We're proud of them and we're proud of the opportunities they're starting to create for us, none other than TRANSGENRE. December 17 is going to be the best day of our lives, so everyone should snap up their tickets while they still can!"
