If Frank Ocean and Lenny Kravitz ever had a baby, they might sound a little something like Naarm/Melbourne act Forest Claudette. I think I’m a little late to the party, but the sexy new single “Mess Around”, featuring U.S. hip-hop duo EARTHGANG, has put Forest well and truly on my radar.
“Before anything else about the song, I need to acknowledge the EARTHGANG feature. I still can’t really believe it. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a hot minute, so for them to be a part of this track is just very special,” Forest gushed. “Around the time I wrote ‘Mess Around’ I was going on dates and exploring LA for the first time as an adult. I met some incredible people and they helped me learn a lot about myself. Even though it has this real f**k boy energy, to me the song is about feeling confident in what you want and feeling comfortable to communicate that with whoever, knowing they might not feel the same. But that’s life bbyyyy.”
EARTHGANG aren’t the only big-name talents Forest has worked with. The single was also produced by Paul Meany, known for his work with Yungblud, Twenty One Pilots, and LANY.
“Mess Around” is Forest’s first release of 2023, and a natural progression from their debut EP The Year of February. Forest is currently touring the country with Ruel. After that, they’ll join Lastlings on their Perfect World album tour. Make sure you arrive early if you’ve got tickets for any of these shows:
21 April 2023 – MCA, Naarm/Melbourne (supporting Ruel)
22 April 2023 – Fremantle Arts Centre, Walyalup/Fremantle (supporting Ruel)
28 April 2023 – Aware Super Theatre, Eora/Sydney (supporting Ruel)
30 June 2023 – Forum, Naarm/Melbourne (supporting Lastlings)
1 July 2023 – Princess Theatre, Meeanjin/Brisbane (supporting Lastlings)
8 July 2023 – Metro Theatre, Eora/Sydney (supporting Lastlings)
15 July 2023 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Boorloo/Perth (supporting Lastlings)