Lara Dee, the frontwoman of Brisbane band Cheap Date, has released a gorgeous new single “Dear Daughter.” This is a real departure for Lara, a song that sees her being truly vulnerable. It’s something that has taken her many years to do, but I’m so glad she did.
“‘Dear Daughter’ is a song that I wrote during a very tumultuous period of my teen years. Some six years later, I have finally worked up the courage to release the song and be a little bit vulnerable,” she admitted.
“I had to grow up very quickly, spending much of my adolescence in and out of hospital wards both for my own treatment and my brother’s. When I reflect on this song and my state of mind during the writing process, I have finally realised that ‘Dear Daughter’ saved me.
“Unlike many of the songs I write, ‘Dear Daughter’ was complete within 30 minutes, without any hesitation or reflection. I was 15 and buried deep in a vicious cycle of a relapsing eating disorder and self-harm. On this particular night I was pushed to my limits and needed to escape. Before the ritualistic process of self-harm could progress to something scarily worse, I remembered my mum was in the room next door.
“Music was something I had always been passionate about and used to express emotion. It was also one of the many things I had thrown to the wayside in the grips of my struggles. In this particular moment I thought about my mum and our relationship. She has always been my best friend and biggest support and our relationship is one that I am always grateful for. I thought about how she would feel and respond if she knew how I was feeling and how I was treating her ‘little girl’.
“This led to a bigger thought and emotion around how I would feel if I had to enforce my thinking and actions onto a younger version of myself. So I sat down and decided to write a note to a future child of mine and a past version of myself. ‘Dear Daughter’ is the product of that evening and I am very proud to have emerged on the other side.”
This might be a solo release, but it definitely doesn’t spell the end of Cheap Date. The band are supporting Suzi on her upcoming Aussie tour. Check out both great acts at the following venues:
20 May 2022 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
27 May 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
28 May 2022 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
29 May 2022 – O’Skulligans, Brisbane
3 June 2022 – The Eastern, Ballarat
4 June 2022 – Workers Club, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Footstomp Music