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Today, Australian shoegaze artist Singer. Mattress. Cat. sinks into the mundane and celebrates connection as he dreams of something greater on ironic "Postcard Sort of Day" out now. The artist's lo-fi debut album Subtropical Personality is due out December 1 and available to pre-save now. Led by Martin Cooke of cult favorite indie rock outfit Gaslight Radio, the new project is an ode to survival and meets the longtime musician where he is today as he positively reflects on the passage of time, hardship and failure.
With an ironic song title, "Postcard Sort of Day," explores the gig economy and short-end jobs, and the bond that can grow in a monotonous routine, even while daydreaming of a life beyond. Cooke shares, is, "about the desire to leave your hometown, perhaps a postcard-perfect world to some, but an emotional straightjacket to others." Over a slow groove, Cooke croons, "just to watch you wait tables for all those rich dudes in their khaki shorts/We shared a dart, behind the Safeway in the alleyway." The musician says, "As an artist, you treat everyday, washing those dishes as though it's a Postcard Sort of Day; picture perfect." What matters most, however, is human connection. "That idea of having each other–sharing a cigarette in the alleyway–human companionship is all we have."
Listen: "Postcard Sort of Day"
Written over the last two years on NYC's Lower East Side on an old acoustic guitar and recorded in Melbourne, the forthcoming lo-fi project cements the artist's memories–the good and the bad–hidden in a subtext of humorous melancholy. Cooke shares, "The album is a homage to that wildness of my childhood and all the friends who turned to crime to survive. I am the one left holding the torch to tell their stories."
As it documents his life and celebrates his failures, the artist reflects, "I have always lived by the notion that music, or any art form for that matter, should be about failing beautifully. Embrace your failures, for your success will be the death of your art. I have been failing forever. I would never have it any other way. As long as I like the stuff I write. And I guess that is all that really counts."
The previously released "Little Broken Moon," muses on the heartbreak of a first love, missed connections and leaving everything behind in order to grow. The song's protagonist holds onto the memory of his former love with photos and mementos, coming to terms with its end. The Needle Drop wrote, "The track is a stripped-down ’90s lo-fi ditty reminiscent of Daniel Johnston, Sunset Rubdown, or even early Animal Collective."
Listen: "Little Broken Moon"
Martin Cooke formed indie rock band Gaslight Radio with his brother, Rory Cooke, in Queensland in 1995 to much acclaim and built a cult-like following. Australian Broadcast Company wrote the band's music is, "restrained and anthemic" and features "woozy guitar lines, towering shards of distortion and enigmatic lyrics." The group shared stages with The Breeders, Teenage Fan Club, Sparklehorse, Pavement, Spoon, Pulp, Yo La Tengo and more and soundtracked Armani's campaign in winter 2015. Now, three decades later, the musician is ready to re-introduce himself with a full-length album that captures the joy of music-making and transports listeners back to his childhood suburban Australian streets.
On "Postcard Sort of Day," out now, Singer. Mattress. Cat. imagines a mundane life on a postcard. The musician's raw debut record Subtropical Personality is due out December 1 and is available to pre-save now and connect via Instagram.
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