Catherine McQuade is a tour de force in the Australian music industry – composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist with origins in Melbourne’s iconic art-punk band The Ears, immortalized in the cult classic film ‘Dogs in Space’. She later joined legendary pop outfit Deckchairs Overboard, working with producers like Mark Opitz and NYC disco legends John Morales & Sergio Munzabai (M&M Productions) where her bass playing featured prominently. We are therefore overjoyed at being able to bring you an exclusive look at the stunning video for her new track ‘Hold Me’.
McQuade has just released an album of her own material entitled ‘The Corruption of Memory’ from which ‘Hold Me’ comes, and the single is an über cool sixties piece of noir, complete with a spindly clavichord sound and an icy edge. It’s all beehives and e-type Jaguars, ‘The Ipcress File’ and a Michael Caine insouciance. A slightly Baroque, bluesy lilt evokes a haze of Gauloises smoke and late night excess.
McQuade says that the track is about:
…the aching we all feel at times, to reach out for the warmth of another person, as dark and as complicated as that might be.
That sense of yearning bleeds through every note.
The video, created by McQuade’s partner, film maker Brendan Young (and part of their joint venture Hullaballoo Films), is an exquisite capture of the sensual, rich tones with its Lynchian/Nicholas Winding Refn neon-lit palette. Indeed, Blue Velvet is cited as an influence. It stars the legendary Phill Calvert (one time drummer for The Birthday Party, The Psychedelic Furs and Blue Ruin) dancing with his partner Julia and is as immersive and enigmatic as it is graceful.
This is exquisite and evocative sound and vision. ‘Hold Me’ is set for release tomorrow. Michael Davis (drums) and Jen Hawley (guitars) feature on the recording with backing singing from Sally Ford and Pat Powell.
You can get the album through the link below:
