The follow up to a well-received single release might seem a difficult task.
But humble, independent singer-songwriter Riley Pearce has impressed, bringing a new EP to the table. Released late last month, 'Outside The Lines' has been described as a 'traveller’s soundtrack', taking the listener on an emotional adventure through the eyes of Riley.
The 23-year-old’s sophomore EP explores the trials and tribulations experienced during his recent six-month stint in Montana, USA.
The opening track (also the lead single), 'Brave', encapsulates Riley's necessity to escape his hometown of Perth. "It's part of that inevitable separation that's going to come from being away from loved ones; the fact that I was going on this trip, that I thought I had to go to get out of Perth, but doing so meant that I had to be away from people I cared about for a long time," he explains.
'Outside The Lines' exhibits a more polished sound than his 2013 debut release, 'We Are Fools’, a time when Riley says he simply needed "something to give to the people who were enjoying the music" while busking in markets and on streets.
With that in mind, he took his next opportunity to broaden his style within the indie-folk genre, approaching his next EP with a purposeful plan. “[The EP came from] different things that I was thinking about at the time, the stuff I was going through being away from home for so long.”
His talent for emotional songwriting is showcased throughout, with strong influences from the likes of Ben Howard, Something For Kate frontman Paul Dempsey and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver).
Although his first EP saw him tour with some industry names including Josh Pyke and Lisa Mitchell, Riley says it’s the little bonuses of working alongside experienced musicians that he loves. "Often these artists have huge crowds and following of their own, so it's kind of cool to be able to tag along and play music to a crowd.
"You'll be… playing your music to a bunch of people who don't really expect anything massive, because they are all there waiting for the main act," he says.
"At the same time it's such a good opportunity to learn how these artists, that you really respect and admire, do things and you realise how great they really are. You might hear their tracks and think 'that's a really good song', but you see them live and you're absolutely blown away, and their live show is just as impressive if not more so.
"It lays foundations for your own tours in those places, because you can start to build little pockets of crowds around the place, that definitely helps. It's often hard as an artist if you're not getting massive amounts of radio play, or a lot of coverage elsewhere: it is a lot harder to build your own following."
'Outside The Lines' is now available.
Riley Pearce Tour Dates
Fri 11 Mar - The Monkey Bar (Mandurah)Wed 30 Mar - The Bearded Lady (Brisbane)
Fri 1 Apr - The Newsagency (Sydney)
Sun 3 Apr - The Workers Club (Melbourne)
