Hailing from Townsville in far north Queensland, Voye‘s new single ‘Paint’, featuring singer Matilda Duncan, is imbued with a reflective and sunlit tropical sheen. Yearning, harmonising vocals and rippling soft guitars create something quite luminescent. Voye is essentially the solo work of Shemah Appleton, and he says of the track:
‘Paint’ is a song about how isolating painful experiences can be, but also how a shared experience of loss can break down our walls and people together in a really special way.
There is a peaceful intensity to the delivery. The accompanying video, directed by Robert Crispe, features an atmospheric performance with an expressive dance with choreography from Felix Sampson (Dance North) – a lone and isolated figure watching the musicians play from afar, alien and distant:
‘Paint’ is available now and you can stream/download here.
Voye will be on tour very soon (COVID willing), support Tones And I on July 31 in Townsville at the Queensland Country Band Stadium. Voye took the time to answer a few questions:
How would you explain your sound to someone?
My current releases are indie-folk, but I have some unreleased songs that explore pop and contemporary R&B genres, so definitely stay tuned!
How did the name Voye come about/ what’s the story behind it?
Voye is old French for ‘path’ or ‘way’, and most of my songwriting draws from experiences and stories that I’ve lived. As I write and sing about those personal journeys, Voye felt like a fitting name.
What can you tell us about your new single ‘Paint’? What was it like collaborating with Matilda Duncan?
Writing with Matilda was so much fun. We sat down and wrote ‘Paint’ together in just a couple of hours! The melody and lyrics seemed to flow easily, and we both really enjoyed the process. It was my first time doing a proper co-writing session, so I couldn’t be happier with the result. Matilda brings so much warmth and good energy wherever she goes, and I think that really comes through on the track.
What motivates you to write and perform music?
My biggest motivator to write and share music is simply the joy that it brings to my life. Music puts language to things I just can’t express any other way, and allows me to share that with other people. The way music brings people together is so special to me, and I can’t imagine my life without the beautiful people that I’ve met through music.
Who are the biggest influences on your sound?
There’s too many to name, but Hollow Coves and The Paper Kites have been big influences for me. Also, the pop and contemporary R&B sound of Lany and HONNE have definitely helped inspire new directions in my writing.
What do you have planned for the future?
There’s a few exciting shows we have coming up in the near future, including an opening performance for Tones and I next month. Following that, I definitely plan on recording and releasing more music very soon. I’d also love to travel down the East coast to do some shows, so we’ll see what the next few months bring.
