We are honoured to be able to bring you the new single from the esteemed outfit Fallon Cush – a Sydney band whose output we have been assiduously following for a number of years. Often described as Americana, my sense of vacuous patriotism would argue Fallon Cush have an antipodean flavour – a sort of alt country tinge (antipodean outback?) with an indie pop sensibility.
Earlier this, Fallon Cush released ‘Grain of Salt’ – a welcome return after an absence of a couple of years. The band is essentially the creative work of Steve Smith who in 2020 went though difficult personal circumstances. After a period of recovery, the songwriting prodigy is back and sounding better than ever.
‘Hang On To Me’ is essentially a reflection of the challenges Smith faced. He says:
I was addressing the song to myself from me but trying to do it in such a way that it could’ve been from someone else as well. At that time I was trying to be kinder to myself and the song was a bit of a statement that I’d look after myself better than I had been and that if I did, I’d get through.
Smith’s strength and resilience shine through in the track. Framed by slide guitars that seem to weep in the air, Smith’s voice is gorgeous: soft, melancholy and yearning as he delivers an almost elegiac paean to himself. And yet the result is no elegy: it is a defiant declaration of self empowerment and resilience. The melodies float like leaves in a stream: buoyant and ambulant. A glorious sky-scraping harmony edges the chorus (possibly contributed by Suzy Godwin). There is an eye watering, breath-taking beauty and sense of pain to the words:
Have I got you lonely
Did I catch you blue
Perched on a razors edge
That’s you
There is a hint of The Go-Betweens in the melodies and tone, a touch of The Chills, all wrapped up in a country twang. This is a moving and shimmering track showing a master craftsman at his very best.
‘Hang On To You’ is out tomorrow and available through the link above and all the usual download and streaming sites. It was produced by Smith and Josh Schuberth in the Blue Mountains.
This and the previous single will be on Fallon Cush’s new EP ‘Tricks’. Smith says of the forthcoming work:
I wanted this record to reflect what I’ve been through. I’ve had to pare things back, try to get rid of all the noise and work out what’s really important to me and be content with a simpler, less complicated life. We’ve taken a ‘less is more’ approach, aiming to create space by focusing on what is necessary to support the songs. It’s the record I’ve always wanted to make.
Pain is a harsh muse, but from the evidence so far, Smith has used it as a source of heart-breakingly beautiful inspiration and dispelled the demons with his creativity.
