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Anna Smyrk shares her infectious new single ‘Skin Thinner’
Anna Smyrk returns with her brand new single ‘Skin Thinner’. The indie-pop offering sees the Melbourne-based artist channel the complexity of grief into something poignant and powerful.
Skin Thinner paves the way for her upcoming debut album ‘Spectacular Denial’ which will be out on the 20th of March via Community Music
Anna’s effortless vocals explore the loss of her Father through poignant and relatable lyricism. Sharing more Anna explained: I wrote this song about trying to peel away the layers that I put up to protect my mind after my dad passed away unexpectedly. It’s a resolution to try to work through the shock and denial and be open to the world again.
Denial and staying numb can be a useful part of the process, it can protect you when you’re not ready to feel your feelings. But at some point, if you want to feel all the good stuff as well, you need to find a way to stay open and hold the painful stuff and the joyful stuff at the same time.
‘Skin Thinner’ follows the release of ‘This is a Drill’ which arrived as an impressive indie-folk offering back in December. Produced and mixed by Anna Laverty (Courtney Barnett, Nick Cave), 'This Is a Drill' captures the suspended, dreamlike space between shock and acceptance.
Ahead of her upcoming debut album, Anna has already road tested her unreleased tracks during the recent Community Garden Tour around Australia. Her honest and reflective songwriting and approach to grief has been quietly resonating with audiences. “People have come to talk after the shows about their own losses,” says Anna. “It’s like we can share a little moment of solidarity”.
Photo by Michelle Grace Hunder
With a voice described by Rolling Stone as “truly astonishing,” Anna Smyrk has rapidly become one of Australia’s most compelling emerging artists. Her songs are replete with emotional, vulnerable lyrics, dynamic arrangements and undeniable hooks.
The past two years have seen Anna tour across North America, Europe and Australia, with official showcases at SXSW, Folk Alliance International and NXNE. She has toured non-stop, sharing stages with the likes of Birds of Tokyo, Strands of Oak, Tim Rogers and Bachelor Girl, performing at some of Australia’s finest festivals, Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and more. Her 2023 EP Cortisol and Blue Light (recorded in Nashville with Jake Finch and Collin Pastore of boygenius/Lucy Dacus) received worldwide acclaim, charted on US college radio and earned playlisting on MTV.
With the release of her first full length album ‘Spectacular Denial’ coming in March, listeners can look forward to a beautifully compelling body of work. Shaped by her deeply personal journey with grief and her exploration of the many forms denial can take, the new album sonically sits in a rich space between indie, alt-pop, and folk, drawing inspiration from Blondie, Phoebe Bridgers, Garbage, Angie McMahon and Hozier.