Agnes Manners, the new solo project from former Hellions guitarist Matthew Gravolin, shows that quality trumps quantity with his powerful new single “Sydney.” Featuring Trophy Eyes vocalist John Floreani, the song clocks in at just under two minutes. But two minutes is all it takes to grab you and strike a powerful emotional connection.
If you’re familiar with Hellions, you probably don’t expect the gentle flutes, strings, and piano, or the admission that these instruments were deliberately chosen to create the feel of a Disney tune. But that’s perhaps not the most surprising instrument you’ll hear.
“During that recording trip, I ambled down to a beach after a long night at the bar to try and get a voice recording of sea sounds to put in one of the songs. I had too much to drink and I ended up vomiting on the beach – I forgot that the voice memo was still recording all the while. I revisited the recording the next day and salvaged the sound of me being sick over the sounds of waves. After some cutting, the result can be heard at the end of ‘Sydney,’” Matthew admitted.
“Although admittedly a bit uncouth, I feel that it suits the lyrical content of the song. It’s about a particularly excessive time in my life before I made the move from Sydney to Melbourne. Paranoia and shame are the operant themes, written from a perspective that felt very real and frightening at the time.”
That unconventional approach really pays off here. This is one of those tracks I had to listen to a couple of times in a row because I wanted to make sure I caught it all. Even then I missed the vomit! Who knows what’s in store when Agnes Manners’ debut album Fantasia Famish drops on September 18.
Image used with permission from Habit Music