Mal de Mer release pensive new single DREAMING
Boorloo/ Perth collective Mal de Mer continue to yield satisfying sonic textures and thoughtful lyricism into lush, impactful releases, with their latest upbeat synth anthem Dreaming.
Fresh from supporting Sly Withers and packing out their own single launch for You Said, Mal de Mer sport a left-of-centre funk and jazz dowsed sound that, when coupled with their sincere and intuitive songwriting, have placed them a cut above the rest when it comes to original Australian bands.
Releasing their sophomore EP Sanguine in the last half of 2022, and spending the past six months alone supporting the likes of Alex The Astronaut, The Beths, The Grogans, Telenova, and Jaguar Jones, they’re a group who have refined what they do - and do it well, grabbing your hand and inviting you to dance along in their latest infectious single Dreaming.
Prompted by running into an old flame after a long time, Dreaming ponders the past and the present, oftentimes muddling them together. Guided by Saskia’s intimate and reflective vocals, textural layers of lush instrumentation dynamically evolves throughout the track.
“I’d had this song rattling around in my head for months before I got up the nerve to show Ash. I honestly almost scrapped it because I’d been in a real low spot, but when Ash really liked it it kinda made me realise I’d actually written something pretty good, haha! I made James listen to Nobody by Mitski for drum inspiration, and I’m pretty sure I told him to get as close to it as possible without copying it exactly- gonna go ahead and say he bloody nailed it!”
– Saskia Fleming (vocals/synth)
“Dreaming was such a fun tune to write, straight from the beginning when Sas brought the vocal idea and chords to me to demo, the feeling this song was going to embody and the anthemic potential it had was really clear. Seeing it grow into that with the full band and developing all the nuances was really exciting.”
- Ashton Weaver (guitar)
Praise for Mal de Mer:
does mal de mer suit every mood? i'm struggling to think of a time they wouldn't work on the stereo.
- 4 stars, Declan Byrne (Triple J)
There'll always be a soft spot in my heart for Mal de Mer. The jangly piano! The smart songwriting! The fun of it all! Yet another colourful, classy slice from this loveable bunch.
- 4 ½ stars, Abby Butler (Triple J Unearthed)
With both the single and the video [Do You See Me?] serving as endearing representations of the powerhouse of talent that is Mal de Mer, it leaves fans wondering just what’s next.
- Rolling Stone
They're a supergroup of sorts that showcase the community-built aspect of Perth's live music ecosystem… they're able to showcase the peaks of all of the sounds they take from, bringing the best bits together and creating weapons that make Mal de Mer's music stand out from the crowd, something they've been able to show time and time again.
- Pilerats