Brisbane's emerging indie alt-rock duo, Sacred Hearts has unleashed their debut EP, 'Siren Songs'.
Crafted by June Gray and Josie Davison, the six-track project delves deep into femininity, sexuality, and a palpable undercurrent of rage – an ode to the complexities of girlhood that Sacred Hearts have moulded into a visceral, unflinching sound.Right from the haunting opening track, 'Is It Cold?', Sacred Hearts set a provocative tone. The song begins with a sample from 'Breakfast At Tiffany’s', featuring Holly Golightly's pleading cry to her brother, capturing a sense of disorientation that resonates with the themes of loss and grief.
"That sample for me directly correlated to the story I was telling," June explains. "It's about looking for someone just beyond reach, and it just felt fitting as a prelude to the EP's themes of longing and unresolved feelings."
If 'Is it Cold?' serves as a solemn invocation, 'Siren Songs' quickly deepens its emotional scope with 'Concrete Bikini', a song inspired by a deeply personal story from June's past. She recalls the track's origin as rooted in a toxic relationship that began with a date to Brisbane's Enoggera Reservoir.
"It was at a point where I felt trapped," she reveals. "I imagined this 'concrete bikini' – a symbol of entrapment and helplessness that weighed me down."
The heavy imagery in 'Concrete Bikini' gives voice to the anguish of navigating one's boundaries while carrying the emotional weight of trauma and memory.
The EP's third track, 'Godless', confronts societal injustice head-on, showcasing the band's frustration with systemic issues that transcend personal pain. June notes the song was partly inspired by witnessing violence against marginalised communities and the "general mistrust" of the capitalist systems they believe exploit the vulnerable.
"It just felt like every day there was a new atrocity in the world," June explains, describing the track as an outlet for processing the "hopelessness and rage" tied to witnessing injustice on a global scale. Josie adds: "The song is a moment of reflection on a world that's being consumed, not nurtured – a purgatory of our own making."
With 'Virgin/Whore', Sacred Hearts channel their anger into an indictment of the "Madonna-whore complex", a theory coined by Freud that continues to cast a shadow on women's identities.
June's raw, confessional lyrics expose the frustration of not being viewed as a whole person. "You're either an object of desire or something small and sweet. Men don't see the full person beyond that, and 'Virgin/Whore' is reclaiming the narrative."
Josie points out that the song's sultry saxophone and rhythm invite listeners to sway and lose themselves, adding a layer of irony to the bitter undercurrent in the lyrics. The EP closes with 'Crocodile Tears', a danceable, '90s-inspired industrial track drawing from the fierce energy of the era's underground club scene.
June admits she drew inspiration from unlikely sources like the classic vampire movie 'Blade', for its atmospheric industrial soundtrack. "I wanted something different for us – a way to explore an energy we hadn't tapped into before," June explains.
The result is a track that pulses with anger, defiance, and the electrifying chaos that mirrors Sacred Hearts' live shows, which June describes as "theatrical" with "fake blood and lights, creating a scene of chaos".
Although their music carries a raw edge, Sacred Hearts are no strangers to meticulous planning. The band undertook a temporary pause from live performances to focus on producing 'Siren Songs'. "We took a bit of a break and only played three shows this year, starting in July," June explains.
Now, with the EP out, they're gathering momentum for a tour next year with plans to possibly expand overseas. "It's been two years of writing, recording, and producing," Josie reflects. "The EP is our labour of love. Each track is our baby."
Reflecting on the creative process, June recalls their photoshoot concept: A water tank theme that aligned perfectly with 'Siren Songs''s surreal imagery. "I wanted a water shoot but couldn't find a studio setup. Instead, we found this five-foot tank on Facebook Marketplace and transported it in my Mazda," she laughs. "The tank gave us this lab-like vibe, like we're creatures in a jar – a fitting visual for the intensity of the EP."
Josie shares their influences span a wide range, from the goth aesthetics of '80s bands like Cocteau Twins to more recent inspirations, allowing each track its own style. "Our sound started in goth, but we've evolved to pull from post-punk, shoegaze, and industrial genres," Josie says.
This eclectic mix shines throughout 'Siren Songs', with each track feeling distinct yet cohesive within Sacred Hearts' bold, experimental universe.
As Sacred Hearts step into the limelight with 'Siren Songs', they're emerging not only as musicians but as voices for the experiences and emotions that don't always make it into mainstream narratives. As June explains, Sacred Hearts is "music for weird girls, angry girls, sad girls," blending a potent mix of alternative rock with deeply personal themes.
For listeners, 'Siren Songs' is a raw and compelling entry point into Sacred Hearts' unapologetically intense sound – a mix of sultry defiance and biting commentary that invites both introspection and immersion in the dark, beautiful spaces they've created.
