“Delivered with a slick indie-rock spin, some light orchestral flavouring, and a hard-hitting lyric belted out via Smyrk’s truly astonishing voice, “Daylight Saving” is equal parts a powerful single, and a cathartic anthem for those who know the pain of wishing they could close the distance.” – Tyler Jenke, Rolling Stone Australia
“Smyrk’s voice carries a kind of reedy understatement; it almost sounds like she’s singing through a pop filter made of Eucalyptus leaves.” – Beat
“Anna Smyrk hits peak performance: weaving a brutal realism indie-pop piece spanning the lows of loneliness and the importance of connection.” – Broader Lines
“The perfect pandemic anthem” – Sounds of Oz
“Simmering with emotion via beautiful strings… A mesmerising listen that will instantly hook you in to numerous playbacks” – Scenestr
World travelling Australian artist Anna Smyrk reveals her anticipated third EP, The Hour Between Us. An invigorating and timely release which Anna describes as “a record about all the things that keep us apart and all the things that bring us together,” The Hour Between Us is a decidedly heavier release than its folk-fuelled 2019 predecessor Swim. The EP marks a shift in artistic direction from humble indie-folk ballads to orchestral stadium rock belters, whilst staying true to Smyrk’s gloriously emotive storytelling. To celebrate the release, Anna has shared one final cut from the EP with a singalong lyric video for her aptly timed track ‘Daylight Saving’, premiered on Sunday via Rolling Stone Australia.
Anna Smyrk has lived a life between places, spending time in Cambodia, the Solomon Islands, Belgium, Australia and the Philippines, and most recently working as a consultant for the World Health Organization, assisting with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Papua New Guinea. Written across three continents in Melbourne (Australia), Manila (Philippines) and Louvain la Neuve (Belgium) over the past few years, The Hour Between Us is a sprawling collection of indie-pop songs about far-flung places, long-distance love and trying to figure out what it means to be a human.
“One of the things that’s tough about being in a relationship where you both move around a lot is always figuring out the time difference so you can talk. It takes away any spontaneity and makes your connections feel kind of calculated. Daylight Saving is about wanting to close that distance, in time and space. This song pulls together a lot of the ideas that pop up throughout the EP, it’s all about connection and disconnection. I didn’t really set out to write a record with these themes, it was when I looked back at the collection of songs that I realised this was the common thread. I guess separation and distance were on my mind when I started writing some of these songs back in 2019, and then the pandemic hit and these themes took on even more meaning to me.” – Anna Smyrk
Long-distance love is a recurring theme on the EP with ‘Daylight Saving’, ‘You Break It You Bought It’ and ‘Song from the 36th Floor’ all dealing with separation and connection across time and space. First lifted single and explosive EP opener, ‘Human Condition’ is a frustrated commentary on a disjointed society, while follow up single, ‘The Excavator’ explores the distance caused by grief. EP closer ‘Wallace Street’ rounds out the offering with a heart-warming story about finding love within the crumbling walls of a Melbourne sharehouse. The sprawling collection is a marvellous take on the times we find ourselves in, and the perfect soundtrack for your next vicarious vacay. Settle in and lift off.
The Hour Between Us is out now via CD Baby
The Hour Between Us Track Listing
1. Human Condition
2. You Break It You Bought It
3. The Excavator
4. Song From the 36th Floor
5. Daylight Saving
6. Wallace Street
Upcoming Anna Smyrk live shows
Sunday 10 October
Laura Street Festival, Brisbane
5pm
FREE ENTRY
Facebook event here
Friday 29 October
The Cave Inn, Brisbane
Supporting Alex Edwards
7pm
FREE ENTRY
Facebook event here
Anna is also taking applications for house concerts through Parlour Gigs here
The Hour Between Us Credits
Written by Anna Smyrk
Performed by Anna Smyrk, Joel Quartermain and Alex Burkoy
Produced, recorded and mixed by Joel Quartermain
Mastered by William Bowden at King Willy Sound
Cover photo by Giulia McGuran
Cover design by Antonio Perez
‘Daylight Saving’ Lyric Video Credits
Illustration by Sophie Schultz
Video by Kace Cabali and Anton Perez
