A winner of the 2017 Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poetry Prize (through Queensland Poetry Festival) and 2020 Brisbane City Council Best Original Song Award, North Stradbroke Island spoken-word poet, rapper and emerging singer Sachém is ready to drop his newest single 'ZZZ's'.
After releasing two singles in 2020 – 'Gemini' and 'Motherland' – Sachém recorded and produced 'ZZZ's' with Brisbane-based producer Mules Mecca; the track finds Sachém detailing the life a First Nations person navigating the modern world."'ZZZ's' is such an open window to my own thoughts, emotions and realisations as a First Nation, Blak American man in Australia 2021," Sachém says.
"My only hope is that the honesty in this track allows people to feel welcome and open to be honest with their own thoughts and emotions too."
Opening with a lush, horn-rich retro piano sample that transitions into a slow-jam hip hop joint with sparkly keys and a dusty drum machine looping before Sachém repeats: "I'm tired of people these days."
The song then explores the pursuit of money, dabbling in substance abuse and the tiring daily interactions with people and ego.
"The frustrations we project outward," Sachém says, "are just reflections of ourself. We must go within to find the answer and to find our peace."
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (26 February), scenestr is stoked to premiere 'ZZZ's' today. Enjoy.
After playing at Yonder Festival late last year and Mountain Goat Valley Crawl earlier this month, fans who see Sachém live can expect to be enamoured by a self-proclaimed "young Indigenous man, conflicted and exhausted, amidst a turbulent battle of ego, monetary gain and self-discovery".
