Australian Singer & Multi-Instrumentalist Annie Bass Releases Debut EP Today

Australian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Annie Bass releases her six-track debut EP, Control, today via Opulent. Drawing inspiration from Nina Simone, John Coltrane, James Blake and Portishead, Control's six songs have an intimacy that is both intensely private and impossibly inviting. Listen to Control here!

Following cuts "Don't Worry" and "In Your Arms," new single "Sweet Nothing," shines a spotlight on dating in a world consumed by social media. "Sweet Nothing" follows a narrative fixated on presenting a well-curated and sometimes unreal version of ourselves and allowing insecurities to dictate the fate of a new relationship before giving it an honest chance. Questioning how long the obsession to continue the charade can last, Annie confronts heartache and transcends pain into wisdom, a testament to determination and self-belief. Watch an intimate live version of "Sweet Nothing" here:

Born Annabel Weston, she studied music in both Adelaide and Melbourne. In 2017, a song she had recorded with producer friend Christopher Port was uploaded to triple j Unearthed and the very next day, the elegant, heartfelt track "Don't Want" was playlisted on triple j itself. It has now had well over a million Spotify streams.

For Control, Annie drew on songs that she had formed and reformed over years; tracks that were born from voice memos on her iPhone, recorded alone on a piano in her home. The production, chiefly by Los Angeles rising star Kito (Jorja Smith, Mabel) with additional work from Melbourne's Sam Gill (Ara Koufax), is understated and spacious, allowing the purity of Annie Bass' voice, and the unflinching emotional honesty of her lyrics, to shine through.

On Control, Annie pushed herself to be honest, to be direct, not to hold back. The results are almost deceptively powerful - the gorgeous settings lull you at first, before the emotional depth of the songs becomes apparent. These are songs born from a dark place, from personal trauma and heartache, but in Annie's hands they soar, transfigured.

"Control was written when I felt alone, and writing music was the only contribution I had to give to myself or anyone else," she says. "When you're in that lonely place it doesn't matter who loves you, or if you love yourself. But I still needed to write and make music. For a long time it was really the only thing I had."

Annie addresses assault, mental illness and self-destructive behavior on Control, brave enough not to shy away from issues that cut so close to home.

Ultimately, though, Control is a triumph, a testament to determination and self-belief. It's a record about knowing when to reach out, when to put aside self-doubt and grab what you've always dreamed of holding.

"I spent a long time not feeling like I was ready," Annie Bass says, "but I know I'm ready now."

After gracing the stages of festivals such as Splendour in the Grass, Vivid LIVE, Falls Festival, Big Sound and Groovin The Moo, as well as supporting Wafia, ALTA, Touch Sensitive, Total Giovanni, No Mono, Elizabeth Rose, Banoffee and others, Annie Bass will support Owl Eyes at her You And I headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney later this month.

Control Tracklist

1. In Your Arms

2. For You

3. Sweet Nothing

4. Don't Worry

5. Something Changed

6. Forgive Me

Available to buy/stream here!

To post a comment, you must register and login.