An indie singer-songwriter living in Naarm/ Melbourne, 'Ashamed' is Darcy Fox's first new music of 2022 – a deeply personal track about living and loving as a queer person.
Quietly reflective, the indie rock-folk song also builds intense emotions throughout as Darcy vents her own feelings with cathartic lyrics detailing the emotive turmoil of being in a toxic relationship with someone who's closeted.Committed to detailing authentic LGBTQIA+ experiences since coming out in 2017, Darcy wants anyone who has ever felt like someone has been ashamed of them - whether for their sexuality or something else – to draw their own meaning from 'Ashamed'.
"I hope that if anyone has ever felt hidden away, this song feels affirming for them," Darcy says.
"This song came from a toxic relationship that broke me in a lot of ways. A relationship where I felt simultaneously too much and not enough, all the time.
"The added pressure of being closeted meant that I couldn't talk about the ways I was being torn apart – not without letting their secret out. The shame stripped me to the barest, most frail version of myself."
With the song released last week, scenestr is thrilled to premiere the 'Ashamed' music video today. Enjoy.
For the video's creative direction, Darcy knew she wanted to involve the LGBTQIA+ community and had the perfect location to film it.
"It felt like a full circle moment for me, to be playing this song about being kept a secret, backed by a band of proud, queer musicians," shares Darcy.
"I grew up with Sunny (BONEZ Alternative Queer Party) and Lee (Excuse for an Exit) in Gippsland, so it was really special to have them involved in the shoot.
"Sunny introduced me to Georgia Rodgers, who's an incredible singer-songwriter, and I'm so grateful she came onboard for the shoot.
"We shot the video at Manorisms Studios – it's this unassuming building in Preston, but when you get up to the loft, it's this incredible creative space.
"It immediately set the vibe for the shoot. From the velvet couches, to the taxidermy bird we named Percy."
'Ashamed' is the second single from Darcy's sophomore album (which her dedicated fanbase assisted with via a crowdfunding campaign), which she plans to release next year alongside a number of other singles.
"This is going to sound scripted, but ['Ashamed'] was written in the middle of the night, in under 30 minutes," adds Darcy.
"The hook came to me immediately, and before I knew it the song was fully formed, and I went back to sleep."
Darcy worked with Curtis Hatton of Studio Truth to bring her song to life. "I'm a sucker for a good bridge. I wanted it to feel reminiscent of raging, swirling thoughts, building up internally," she says.
"I wanted each pre-chorus to feel like that moment where you're hyping yourself up for a hard conversation. Like reminding yourself to stand your ground."
