At only nineteen, Sydney musician flowerkid‘s single ‘Miss Andry’ shows a power and stature way beyond his age. Imbued with a sense of deep pain, there is a sweeping dream pop element that is underpinned by deeply personal struggles evinced in the lyrics and emotive vocals.
Flowerkid is the nome de plume of Flynn Sant and ‘Miss Andry’ comes from personal childhood trauma, expressed with veracity and and an instrumental shimmer reinforcing the tone. It confronts unpalatable images in an air of heartbreaking beauty. Sant says:
This song roots from a hatred and distrust for men that developed from such a young age.
Hence the title – a distorted form of the word misandry, hatred for men. However the lyrics suggest this is manifested more bleakly in a form of self-hatred. Powerful and confronting, yet with some optimism:
I will always feel this inadequacy with any cisgender man … but when I made this song, I needed to regroup and basically take responsibility. I’d say, you know, ‘It isn’t healthy to be thinking these things. I feel this way because of the events that happened in my life and childhood trauma I’ve experienced. But it’s not an excuse to hate all men’.
Deep within, therefore, is a flickering beacon of hope and survival, if not empowerment.
The accompanying video, directed by Madeleine Purdy, reflects a searing struggle – partially set in a shadowy boxing ring where there is not other protagonist and partially following Sant being ominously shadowed in dark alleys – it is a brutally honest portrayal of internal suffering and pain.
There is a brutal veracity and honesty in flowerkid’s music and a dichotomy between the harsh realities of childhood pain expressed in such an achingly beautiful way. And ultimately a signalling of optimism.
You can download/stream the single here.
flowerkid is an artist with big things ahead: signing with Wonderlick Management roster for the world and partnering with highly-respected manager Danny Rukasin of Best Friends Music (Billie Eilish, FINNEAS) for North America.
On the recording side, flowerkid has inked deals with Warner Music Australia (ANZ), Atlantic (USA) and Parlophone (UK). flowerkid will be A&R’d by Marcus Thaine, Thaine’s first signing on joining WMA last year.
