Gina Malcom continues the journey of her critically acclaimed debut album First Rodeo with the release of ‘Traps’, the second single to be lifted from the record following its release.
Following ‘Tumblin’ In’, which arrived in January this year, ‘Traps’ leans into a darker, moodier sound, driven by jangling guitar lines and rhythms perfectly suited to a long desert drive. Showcasing Gina Malcom’s prowess as both a songwriter and performer, the single pairs carefully crafted instrumentation with a haunting vocal performance that lingers long after the final note.
Lyrically, ‘Traps’ is a sharp commentary on the demands of modern life, exploring consumerism, corporate greed and the pressures placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, all while encouraging listeners to question what truly matters.
Discussing the release, Gina explains, “I wanted it to be a bit punk, a bit staunch… a song about the demands of modern life, pressures on women to uphold crazy beauty standards, to confront the fake advertising world and corporate greed and generally question values in life… new cars, superficial stuff. And to include a warning to “ Mind Out for the Traps” .. which can trip us up.”
Before pursuing music, Malcom enjoyed a successful career as a New Zealand-based radio and television journalist, later presenting TV3’s Nightline. In 2021, she pivoted to fulfil a lifelong ambition of becoming a recording artist, a decision that has quickly paid dividends.
Her debut album First Rodeo has received support from Americana UK, Country Music News International, a host of Australian and New Zealand radio stations, and the US public radio programme International American Music, which is broadcast across more than 50 stations.
The album was brought to life through collaborations with Arrowtown alt-country artist Tom Maxwell at Sublime in Waitaki, alongside producer and musician Matt Joe Gow and Adam Hattaway. Exchanging demos and long-distance calls became the foundation of the creative process, resulting in an album that feels both intimate and expansive.
With ‘Traps’, Gina Malcom continues to build on the acclaim surrounding First Rodeo, delivering a compelling blend of atmospheric Americana and incisive social commentary that further establishes her as one of New Zealand’s most distinctive emerging singer-songwriters.
Listen below:
