I know, I know… Valentine’s Day is not really an Aussie holiday. And pink and red are not my favourite colours, either.
But our world needs love more than anything these days. So – exceptionally – I’m going to give in to this commercial celebration this year by sharing a newly released song by an emerging Melbourne act, Lake Hotel.
Because – at the end of the day – as the artist claims, “everyone needs ‘Someone’ to love.”
PART 175 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Lake Hotel first appeared on my radar nearly a year ago with the song “One Day”, filmed in St Kilda. It brought back SO MANY good memories from hanging out in that seaside suburb – one of my favourite places in Melbourne.
I couldn’t feature it on my channels back then. So, I invited the artist to hit me up with his future releases. This is how “Someone” landed in my inbox. And this time, I’m more than happy to share the song with you.
Brendan James Mackrell steers the ship in the Lake Hotel project. It was born out of a moment of clarity during the Melbourne lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. The muso finally wanted the world to hear the music always playing in his head, and “live a life of creativity, not the negativity that we see in our world today.”
His need for connection in lockdown became the driving force behind his musical outlet. And boy, am I glad he took that leap!
The muso grew up listening to classic blues and rock. The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and – more recently – Red Hot Chilli Peppers are some of his musical heroes. On the other hand, he was greatly influenced by the late 80s pop synth and classic early 90s grunge eras.
Hence, Lake Hotel bridges the gap between those two (mutually exclusive, you might think) musical directions. As a result, you get an original sound full of vast “symphonics”, beautiful, heart-warming melodies and lyrics carrying universal truths.
His music has you smile all over, without a doubt. It’s optimistic and life-affirming. No wonder he’s been compared to Dope Lemon (the solo project of Angus Stone).
The new single, “Someone”, also leans into that good energy.
As cliché as it might seem, it’s a beautiful reflection on the emotion that drives and connects us all. But it’s a guaranteed summer banger at the same time. With a melodic acoustic opening building up to a driving pop/synch/classic rock chorus, the song will be in your head from the first listen. So you have been officially warned!
My favourite part – surprise, surprise! – is the catchy chorus. Especially that bit where the singer expresses a very human feeling – the desire to find a soulmate:
I just want to fall in love with someone
Someone to fall for me
Someone like you
Someone that’s true
It looks like “Someone” is the first in a series of Lake Hotel’s releases in the coming months. The artist is apparently in the studio, finishing a new four-track mixtape. Then, he plans to hit the road for a run of live shows around Melbourne and the East Coast of Australia.
Now, I haven’t had a chance to verify that yet. But the muso is rumoured to deliver highly energetic gigs and easily win audiences over. So, next time I’m in Melbourne, I’m going to make it my mission to see the artist live.
For now, however, I’m going to give “Someone” another listen. You should, too.
Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers!
Love is all around… Aussie artist. And the proof is here:
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Silly McWiggles. A blog about Aussie music. 