EWAH and the Vision of Paradise have the dubious honour of being the last band to be reviewed live on Backseat Mafia before the global lockdown, so it’s nice to return to the band when things are slowly – ever so slowly – returning to normal.
‘Vultures’ is their new single and it is a melodic thrill – thundering spine-tingling bass and sharp as crystal shards of guitar interweave with EWAH’s studied, distant vocals – there’s no way out of this island – reflecting the feeling of lockdown in her home town of Hobart in Tasmania:
At the mouth of a port city
People locked in by the Government
There is violence in the blue sky
There is silence in the stone streets
Indeed these sharp incisive lyrics hauntingly evoke the COVID claustrophobia of isolation – there’s no way in, there’s no way out – and the accompanying video is a beautifully shot black and white piece set in the foothills of kunyani/Mount Wellington, the brooding monolith that is the imposing backdrop to Hobart. It is surreal and enigmatic:
As with many bands, plans for an album release and tours have all gone into the ether, but the band plans to return to the fold later this year. Revisit our in-depth interview with EWAH on the eve of the pandemic hitting Australia.
