Adelaide-based indie band Sturt Avenue's latest single, 'Talk', heralds a rockier edge to the group's folk rock, alt. country, Australiana catalogue.
Led by SCALA award-winning singer-songwriter Bryn Soden, Sturt Avenue laid the foundations of this tune at Electric Ant Studios with Patrick Lockwood, with overdubs recorded by Bryn in the Sturt Avenue home studio.A folk-rock ballad that drifts into sea-shanty territory that's coated in colonial tones, 'Talk' bleeds with raw, unvarnished lyrics detailing the burning anguish felt in the sobering weeks and months after being heartbroken.
The chorus picks up the emotional pieces with a harmonic sing-along quality that'll draw in even the most reserved wall-flower.
Before growling guitars take over the piece, summoning the angst felt before a segue into beautiful accordion and violin rhythms that roll in with gorgeous waves of nostalgic, old-timey seasoning.
Bryn's bruised, gravelly-hushed, richly weary vocals add texture to the melody and hint at times in the direction of Don Walker.
"'Talk' is a song about getting drunk and trying to call your ex, with verses poring over all the highs and lows of a failed relationship," shares Bryn, "and a chorus full of desperation just to be acknowledged by the other party.
"We hope that it's a comfort to people who recognise that feeling. The song was built around the chorus melody – I first came up with that part when mucking around with a melodica, and knew I had to get a full song out of that."
With 'Talk' released last month, scenestr is thrilled to premiere the song's music video today, which features the band watching a bodybuilder dancing like no one's watching in a laundromat. Enjoy.
"Working with Conor Mercury on the clip was a joy," adds Bryn. "The idea was all his, and we're so happy with how it turned out.
"Robert (the bodybuilder in the clip) was an absolute legend. He referred to Dave (our accordion player) as 'walking straight out of a Vegan Of The Year calendar', which had us all in stitches.
"We kept having to pause filming so that people could come in and collect their laundry; hopefully they weren't too intimidated by Robert's hulking presence in his Snoopy boxers and dress shoes."
As for when Sturt Avenue will be returning to a stage? "We've got a few things on the calendar, but nothing officially announced just yet – keep an eye out on the Adelaide scene."
