We here at the Antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia have admired Didirri ever since 2018 when we covered his single ‘Formaldehyde’, and we confess we are a little late to the party with his most recent release, the elegantly beautiful duet ‘No Cure For Love’ with fellow indie artist Rowena Wise.
‘No Cure For Love’ drips with a melancholy bittersweet air enhanced by the delicious interplay of the vocals. It is also a deeply personal song about the singers’ relationship:
‘No Cure for Love’ was written in the wake of realising our love can be a double-edged sword. We’ve been in a relationship for 8 years, and turbulence is inevitable with anything that lasts a long time. During a phase of smoking weed and arguments, we could not see eye to eye. It was confusing when we’ve known each other so deeply and for so long, only to arrive at the feeling that we’re complete strangers. In those moments we considered whether the bond that tied us together was becoming too much to bear. The words “I’m too much for you” and “you’re going to leave me one day” were carelessly spoken, like a self-fulfilling prophecy waiting to happen. This song captures those moments where we have crumbled, said hurtful things, and had to look at our options. We came out of that chapter ready to face the challenge of our love, realising we can only love and respect each other if we do this for ourselves first. We can’t take each other (and ourselves) for granted if we want to be companions in this long journey together.
This certainly adds a certain frisson of emotion to the delivery, yearning and elegiac and most certainly authentic. The lyrics bleed with the sheer power of the message:
Maybe you’re a believer
Maybe I am blind
I’ll see the brighter side of this in time
Go back to my old ways
Of leaning into space
Paint myself a picture in your place
A fool let’s go of what is good
Holding it light
Why don’t you fight for me
The accompanying video, directed by Didiri himself, perfectly encompasses the sense of pain and emotion with its black and white style and intensity: the figures naked, tied and bound apart yet eternally bound together emotionally:
‘No Cure For Love’ is out now through the marvellous Remote Control Records and available to download and stream here and through the link below.
The duo are set for an Australian wide tour at the end of the month which promises to be as enchanting and immersive as this song – details below and tickets available here.
Feature Photograph: Nick Mckinlay
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