Australian songwriter Julia Jacklin has unveiled a pair of new songs: “to Perth, before the border closes” and “CRY”. Both cuts are available as a 7-inch as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club, Vol. 5.
As you probably guessed from the titles, these tracks were written in quarantine. This past March, Jacklin was nearly finished with a year-long world tour in support of her excellent sophomore album Crushing, when the Australian government issued a series of lockdown orders. After half-a-decade of nearly nonstop touring, Jacklin was forced to pick a spot and stay there. She chose Perth, and “to Perth, before the border closes” was written in that moment of turmoil. She sings, “I loved it there/ That city held me/ Don’t you know that everything changes?”
In a statement, Jacklin explained what “everything changes” means to her, as well as how music makes “the change easier.” She said,
“I’ve moved around a lot the last 5 years; chasing things, love, work, something new, whatever and there’s always this fear that I’m leaving good things behind just to go somewhere else and be lonely. Whispering “everything changes” to myself helps get me to sleep at night. I started writing this song in Melbourne and finished it in Perth. It was like a little song bridge between the two cities to make the change easier.”
That single comes with a new B-side, “CRY”, which is built over a dreamy, doo-wop inspired backing track. “Hiding my depression from my housemates,” Jacklin croons, “I don’t know them well enough yet to cry in the kitchen.” Both songs were recorded with Ryan Brennan, who was the first-ever producer to work with Jacklin way back in 2011. The musical reunion allowed Jacklin to “really see how we’ve both changed and grown over that period of time. It was really special.”
Stream both songs, including a music video for “to Perth” directed by Jacklin herself, below.
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Both tracks are available digitally or as a 7-inch that can be purchased through Sub Pop’s Mega Mart. And while tours this year are looking less and less likely, Jacklin already has plans to play live music at Outside Lands 2021.
