EGOISM‘s ‘2016-2018’ is a beautiful reflective track that seems to perfectly capture feelings of melancholy and contemplation of times past: the way our history can define us and memories can overwhelm you with a sense of yearning and regret. Ultimately, however, it is a song about survival and growth, with a bleak depiction of a past that has been over come.
The song is bare of instrumentation but overflowing with atmosphere and emotion: the gentle strumming acoustic guitars support the delicate and fragile vocals of Olive Rush and Scout Eastment.
Rush says of the track:
I’m convinced that your capacity for fear peaks at 18. I was completely directionless and trying to find who ‘my people’ were. I made a close friend, and over 2 years I watched their life descend into total chaos as I was helpless to do anything. Mainly because I was circling the same drain. So I wrote this song to say what I wish I could have said back then. Writing it kind of made me realise how little power I had over what happened. In some ways it’s closure.
This power of emotion bleeds into every track, augmented by the rich and lush video directed by Billy Zammit that recalls the neon-lit world of Nicolas Winding Refn. Eastman says of the video:
We wanted to make sure that the video for 2016/2018 was something simple, where it’s clear that it’s Olive and I singing to someone we used to know. It was filmed on the same day as the video for For Ages – in my friends sharehouse just down the street from the For Ages fruit shop. I was so nervous when Billy and the crew had to climb onto the roof of my friends Redfern terrace in order to cover up the skylight, since we didn’t have time to film at night. My friend Molly had her acting debut as the subject of the song and i think she looks beautiful.
Indeed, the clip is as achingly beautiful as the song:
‘2016-2018’ is available to download and stream here.
EGOSIM are about to embark on a national tour to promote this track and earlier single ‘For Ages’.
Tour details with Montgomery and special guests Teddie*, SAIK+, TBA^
Saturday 7 May – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD +
Friday 20 May – Workers Club, Melbourne VIC ^
Friday 27 May – La La La’s, Wollongong NSW *
Saturday 28 May – Cambo Warehouse, Newcastle NSW *
Thursday 2 June – Waywards, Sydney NSW *
Feature Photograph: Billy Zammit
