Highschool
HighSchool, the effusively-hyped Naarm/Melbourne-raised, now-London-based post-punk outfit, todayannounce their forthcoming second studio EP, Accelerator, and unveil their latest single and video'Doesn't Matter', out now via [PIAS] Australia. Out April 19, the release of Accelerator looks set to assertHighSchool's full arrival and propel the duo from one of Australian indie's best-kept secrets tomuch-fawned-over breakout stars.
On the follow-up to their cult-classic 2021 debut EP Forever At Last, the band deliver five tracks ofemotionally charged, elliptical songwriting that conjures the tangible aura of their post-punk forebearsas filtered through a lens of contemporary lo-fi bedroom pop. Having spent the intervening yearspatiently polishing their sound across Melbourne and their adopted home of London, Accelerator posesas a seamless continuation of their debut EP's arc. It finds HighSchool continuing to hone theircombination of low-slung instrumentation and propulsive rhythm sections with hook-replete pop nousand evocative layers of spectral, saturnine atmosphere.
Produced by rising London producer Finn Billingham, mixed by GRAMMY-winning engineer PhilippeWeiss (Earl Sweatshirt, Nas, Drake) and mastered by Blur and Depeche Mode producer Ben Hillier,Accelerator pulls effortlessly from the gamut of indie rock history, from shoegaze and dream-pop to newwave, slowcore, jangle pop, slacker rock, art pop and beyond.
Awash in reverb and spacious production, latest single 'Doesn't Matter' feels like peering into thewindow of heartbreak's bedroom - lovelorn, enigmatic and intensely private, yet indescribably alluringnonetheless. Of the track, the band share that «'Doesn't Matter' is a song about unrequited love. It'sabout your beloved being unaware or uncaring of your affection and deep desire for them. It's aboutlonging and the places your imagination takes you when you yearn for someone».
Unfurling with steady, driving percussion, loping bass and a soaring synth line, 'Doesn't Matter' is carriedby a chiming, morning-crisp guitar riff that lilts with just a hint of melancholy. Contrasting lead singerRory Trobbiani's faraway yet impassioned vocal delivery with a rich vein of melodicism, it proves slyly,almost impossibly infectious beneath shifting layers of fog and shadow.
Directed by Henry Gosper and self-produced by the band, the accompanying 'Doesn't Matter' videoprovides yet another surreal, distorted glimpse into HighSchool's aesthetic universe. They share that«The video was shot over two days at three separate locations in and around the outskirts of Melbourne.We were trying to capture a modern Southern Gothic atmosphere with an Australian flair, takinginspiration from classic Australian Gothic literature and film as well as crime stoppers adverts and the T.V.programs like Highway Patrol».
The announcement of their second EP comes right as the band prepare to kick off their headlineAustralian tour. Presented by Frontier Touring, the run sees HighSchool playing two dates across theback half of this week, including a stop at The Night Cat in their hometown of Melbourne, as well as along-awaited debut headline Sydney show at The Lansdowne. Following that, the duo will then jet off fora headline tour of Japan, followed by their appearance at SXSW Austin 2024 and a further USA toursupporting Provoker.
BERLIN | Maschinenhaus in der Kulturbrauerei