LUPA J’s new album To Breathe Underwater is out now, a fascinating collection of songs that showcase the diversity of this daring Aussie artist. It’s such an eclectic mix of tracks created during the COVID lockdown. Even when the tracks don’t resonate with me (and on such a diverse album, I think it’s hard to please everyone all the time) I appreciate LUPA J’s bold bravery.
The track that’s hit me hardest is the current single, “This Suburb.” It’s a lot quieter and more introspective than most of the tracks on this album, which ensures it really stands out.
“‘This Suburb’ is one of the most raw and vulnerable songs I’ve ever made. It sits a little outside my ‘usual’ pop-dance style but I think it might be my personal favourite on the album. I don’t always feel up to being so lyrically honest and emotional, sometimes I just want to make techno tracks with little to no vocals – but when I feel capable & ready of writing a song like this it’s a really incomparable, cathartic experience,” they explained. “This one still makes me teary to listen to sometimes – it’s about the intensity of an attachment that’s to not only a person but a place and a life you’ve become so wrapped up in together.”
LUPA J worked closely with Kat Silverosa to translate her musical vision into a gorgeous music video.
“While writing the song I had all this fantastical imagery in my head of a body becoming one with a place, almost like this singular organism, as seen in the chorus lyrics:
I’ve grown to love this suburb
My skin is a sticky sap
It’s grown into your walls
And around the vines out the back
Kat Silverosa, the video director, translated this into a really beautiful stop motion style concept where we used paint and liquid to visually meld me into a space. I’m very proud of how it turned out.”
To Breathe Underwater is a dynamic listening experience, but if you’re short on time make sure you at least check this song out. It’s really something special.
Image used with permission from Arow Agency