The next instalment of his debut EP 'Trampoline EP', Melbourne-based artist MUKI returns with a beautiful alt-folk song, 'Morning Music', that weaves itself deep into your emotional core.
A refined quietness sweeps across the melody, a hushness that settles like dust on a sun-drenched floor, MUKI's clear, earthy vocals enriched with an earnest empathy. It's a poignant listen, a soul-stirring moment that crystallises a host of emotions.
The song maintains the same rhythm, but slowly building in pace till an electric guitar squeals to life in the last fifth, the frantic riffage joined by a cacophony of drums that distorts and mangles the sonic texture in the most stunning, bruised way.
It's a cathartic release that mirrors the song's lyrics, fusing a soothing harmony with a visceral angst that's hypnotic.
Live, it'll be a burner – the type of song to lose yourself within, escaping the madness of modern life just for a moment.
"I hope my songs help people find a version of themselves in them, and offer a means to tell them they are not alone in what they're dealing with," shares MUKI.
Ahead of its release tomorrow (29 April), today scenestr is delighted to premiere 'Morning Music'. Enjoy.
With his previously released singles 'Gasoline' (Jan 2026) and 'Reflections' (March 2026), 'Morning Music' is a track that represents everything that makes MUKI who he is musically, with every element reflecting the kind of music he grew up listening to and loves.
"I wrote this song a couple of years ago, it came to me visually – I could see a painting of an old woman sitting on a chair alone, looking out the window, with a very sombre expression on her face.
"I'm not entirely sure why I pictured that, but the emotion that came to mind was 'this is someone who has spent their life being stuck, looking from the inside and not being able to leave'.
"[I] then went on to writing the lyrics of a girl who's stuck with responsibilities of taking care of the people around her, telling herself every single day that she'd run away, but all she could do is embrace it. Her only solace was listening to the 'morning music' and feeling a sense of calm in the chaos.
"I grew up listening to metal shredders like John Petrucci and Buckethead, and I draw a lot of inspiration from metal; this song feels rooted in my background of music as I was growing up. The rest of the song just sort of kept writing itself as I went on."
The song's ending is MUKI's favourite part. "In the recording we did the guitars and vocals first and added percussions on the drums, and Josh Barber (my producer) said 'there's drums throughout the song, but THIS is when the real drums come in, and that was the outro', and it is my absolute favourite part of the song. The sweet escape, the explosion, catharsis."
Set to drop 3 June, MUKI's 'Trampoline EP' features four songs that thematically deal with wellbeing. "'Trampoline EP' is very rooted in mental health and uses my own real-life experience experiences to narrate issues that I have dealt with in my life.
"The four songs touch on 'heartbreak', 'identity', 'frustration' and 'anxiety' – all with which I have a very close relationship. 'Trampoline EP' is literally about the ups and downs, give and take – balance. It's also very linked to my own childhood, and childhood nostalgia is a very big theme.
"These songs helped me actualise a version of myself I am happy with, and I will forever be grateful to them, and also everyone who supports independent musicians and gives us the hope and strength to carry on and keep writing and singing."
