Originally from Belgium, Romanie relocated to Melbourne a few years ago and found herself in the midst of the COVID pandemic and a number of lockdowns: events that can create anxiety and uncertainty for locals, feelings that can only be even more exaggerated if you are far from home. This bleeds into Roanie’s new single, the exquisite ‘Stranger in my Skin’: a meeting of folk and dream pop that is infused by melancholia and a sense of vulnerability. The lyrics are bleak and raw:
I don’t want to feel exhausted anymore
I’m a stranger in my skin
Romanie says of the inspirations for the track:
‘Stranger In My Skin’ is a song about feeling lost and alienated from the outside world and yourself. I wrote it during the second lockdown in Melbourne last year – a period in which I felt very alone and very far away from home (literally as well). I had some really bad days where I wouldn’t take good care of my mental health and this song was written the first time after I had picked up my guitar again. I was really angry with myself for feeling that way and let myself slip.
Her voice is velvet soft, delicate and ethereal, and the instrumentation lush and rich:
‘Little Big Steps’ is out on Friday, 13 August 2021 and you can pre-save here or through the link below:
