Upon announcing the release of her new album coming up in April, Australian dream-pop artist, Harriette Pilbeam – aka Hatchie – has now shared lead single, ‘Quicksand’.
As Giving The World Away serves as Hatchie’s second full-length album, ‘Quicksand’ highlights an enrichment in Hatchie’s already catchy and infectious writing. Diving in head first, it deals with the realisation that, as people, we may never be satisfied. Lyrically, Hatchie catches herself in a cycle of ungratefulness and guilt surrounding elements of her life that are on paper, seemingly going quite well. As her realisations begin to pile up, it is natural to relate to the quickness of dissatisfaction as it discolours other areas of our minds with a broad paint brush. Of the track, Pilbeam explains:
“I was feeling guilty and ungrateful for not being happy about a few different things in my life that were technically going well. I had to work through some tough learned thought processes and emotions that had been working away for years to try to understand how to be happy with my present, and stop fixating on my past and future. The video digs deeper into showing this juxtaposition of such sadness and anger despite being surrounded by glamour and grandeur.”
Creating a soundscape that is bold yet tasteful, luscious synth pads and electronic drums pack a punch with a silkily smooth allure, while ‘Quicksand’ flows at just the right speed. Fusing together the inward emotions of classic shoegaze with the sparkling sophistication of modern dream-pop, ‘Quicksand’ feels crystal clear both lyrically and sonically, whilst bathing the ears in a sea of Hatchie’s smooth vocals and reverberated instruments.
All that Hatchie touches becomes utterly euphoric and ‘Quicksand’ is no exception.
Written with GRAMMY-nominated Olivia Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro, ‘Quicksand’ is out now. Watch the visuals shimmer to the blissful sounds in the glamorous Nathan Castiel-directed new video here:
Giving The World Away, the upcoming new album from Hatchie, is set for release on 22nd April via Secretly Canadian. Pre-order here.
Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn
Get In Her Ears 