we walk the plank with our eyes wide open.

let me in, where all your thoughts have been.

let me occupy your mind, as you do mine. ['heart's a mess']

back at the beginning of october, the incredibly talented gotye [wally de backer] finally popped up from recording a new album stealth mode. [he has still been touring with the basics.] he revealed that his new single 'eyes wide open' would be released in a week's time. i waited patiently, and within moments of it being uploaded, it was on my computer. i have to admit, it did take a couple of listens to ease myself into it. but it has wrapped me in loveliness since. just this morning, he released a mini-documentary which follows the song-writing process for the single. he sent out a little teaser a few days ago. so i had again be been waiting, with dancing fingers. it's pretty awesome. the photography is beautiful, and he raises some potent thoughts. knowing a little of the two year process he went through to independently write, collect + generate sounds, record, produce and release like drawing blood, it was neat to see visuals of how 'eyes wide open' was conceived and evolved. make sure you watch it here. i am a rather big fan of his quirky animated film clips.

Gotye- Eyes Wide Open from Gotye on Vimeo.

let's hark back to 2006. like drawing blood was released in may. i was still working in independent music retail at the time. and let me say this: we almost couldn't keep up with demand. it was by far the biggest selling album for us that year [excluding triple j hottest 100, which out-sells everything each year]. 'heart's a mess' is such an incredible song, with beautiful vocal layering. it's one of those songs that makes you just stop when you hear it. 'thanks for your time' would have to be my favourite live tune of his. actually, you find yourself smiling + dancing + singing the whole way through his gigs.


but what i love most about gotye is not just the music treats he shares with us and like-minded ethical ideologies, but his cheeky involvement in the triple j hottest 100 voting process in 2006. i have no doubt that he would have secured a place based on the potency of 'heart's a mess'. he sent out emails with the following: if he made it into the hottest 100, then he would be rewarded with some money, and could start to think about another album. and if he made it to the hottest 100 album, the royalties would mean he could pretty much fund a third independent album. he came in at 94 with 'learnalilgivinanlovin' and 8 with 'heart's a mess'; the latter, of course, did make it to the album. i always remember that. with a smile.

wally: thank you for doing what you do. that's all.


also, check out the music of wally's partner: the beautiful tash parker. she played at the troubadour in june, with an old friend of mine from tassie, the lovely linc le fevre [now sans dreadlocks].