Boorloo/ Perth-based, female-fronted indie band Shorehaven continue to expand their sonic palette, with their newest release leaning into early 2000s pop-punk.
The band have already built a solid live reputation, having shared stages with the likes of Drax Project, Conrad Sewell, Pacific Avenue, Sly Withers, Teenage Joans and The Buoys.
With 'Oh, Baby!', Shorehaven ask the question can work and pleasure coexist, the song detailing the tension between two artists whose relationship is strained in a creative partnership.
A mellow, yet buoyant guitar tone is filtered into a lush rhythm that builds the emotion before the rhythm section unleashes, the pop-punk feels very real as Hannah Gill's classic Aussie twang solidifies the song's authenticness, her vocals adding a playful layer.
There's the classic pop-punk melodic breakdown too followed by punchy, pogoing riffage that's destined to open the pit to bouncing bodies; and that's just the opening 60 seconds or so.
The track continues to hurtle along with that frenetic pop-punk intensity, the lyrics detailing how your lover often ends up being the last person you want to call a work colleague: "We'll stick to being lovers/ workmates would just never do!"
It's a fun, spritely bop overloaded with blasts of dopamine that's also instantly relatable lyrically with a sound fans of Yours Truly and '90s era No Doubt will assimilate too.
"Sonically, this track explores a side of us that that we have never shown before. Huge, anthemic, and hook-heavy, we have steered away from our previous indie-rock sound to create this explosive, immediately memorable pop-punk tune," Hannah says.
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (19 February), today scenestr is amped to premiere the song's music video, which features the band and a cast of their mates as extras in various scenes. Enjoy.
"This song was born out of a frustrating rehearsal whilst I was playing keys for my ex-partner's band," Hannah adds.
"Though we are both musicians working in the same industry, this experience illuminated the stark divide in our approaches to our craft.
"I always take a very hands-on, leadership role when I am required to for my own projects, however my partner has always been more passive by nature.
"Watching him hesitate to command the room in ways that I instinctively would drove me nuts, but it did make me realise that all the reasons we don't work in a professional relationship are why we work so well together romantically."
The band worked with producer Matthew Templeman, whose studio credits include Voyager, Sly Withers and LATE 90s, who told the band at an earlier session he'd turn them "into an emo band".
"This song blends thick and juicy guitar tones with a tight, driving rhythm section, as well as our classic tongue-in-cheek lyricism, resulting in a real ear worm that will be sure to have you bopping along," Hannah says.
"This song really only came to life when we took it to the studio. When we first started working with our legendary producer Matthew Templeman, he had joked that one day he was going to turn us into an emo band.
"Lo and behold, just two singles later we approached him with this track and his efforts came to fruition. We really focussed on not taking ourselves too seriously with this song, really leaning into the cliches and allowing the vision to develop with Matt's guidance."
For the music video, the band entrusted the services of fellow Perth creative, photographer and filmmaker Lula Armenti. "As soon as we finished writing the song I immediately knew we had to make a music video for it," Hannah says.
"I had all of these crazy ideas in my head, and somehow Lula Armenti bought that vision to life.
"We shot the video over three consecutive days, Lula and her crew somehow managed to wrangle the four of us [Hannah along with Conor McCormick, guitarist; Isaac Aquilina, bassist; Aidan Walker, drummer] and our rowdy bunch of extras through hundreds of takes to create something so much better than we ever could've imagined.
"This video features everything from a backyard wedding, to a crazy punk-rock performance, and even a nod to Queen's iconic 'I Want To Break Free' music video. The filming process was truly unforgettable, easily one of the highlights of our careers to date."
Shorehaven play Clancy's Fish Pub (Fremantle) on 1 March and The Bird (Perth) on 14 March.
