Naarm/ Melbourne-based queer pop artist POLLY has bared her soul on her new EP, Daddy Issues, which has been released today.
It’s a tight collection of four tracks, bound together by luscious big nostalgia-drenched synths, rich vocals and heart-felt lyrics. The renowned producers Ben Oldland and Liam Quinn (Ruel, Peach PRC), added their magic to the mix.
The tracks are a mix of the cathartic, the danceable, the introspective and self-love. POLLY knows how to lay her feelings out there, pulling the listener into her journey. You can feel that her adolescent and young-adult life has been laid bare on this tender and proud collection of songs. This is very classy pop.
Have a listen, you’ll be adding them to your playlists. POLLY has written for the AU a track-by-track breakdown of the EP, so do press <Play> and read on.
POLLY – Daddy Issues – Track by Track
Overall
It’s such a magical feeling to finally have this body of work out in the world. As my debut EP I feel a sense of protection over my little baby but also feel so relieved and excited for it to be shared with everyone! The tracks are all so different but there’s also a beautiful link between them that ties it all together. I think pain is processed so differently by humans and you can be working through pain and also still be dancing and having an above average day if you get me? That’s what Daddy Issues is – at its core it’s the uncomfortable and painful experiences of life turned into something to ease the pain.
BETTER
This is my personal fave. Electronic music is having such a moment and that weaved in with the 80’s synths is *chefs kiss*.
I’ve always been a sucker for comparing my life and everything in it to other people. But not in a cute way, in a debilitating way. Whether it was my exes new girlfriend, how I show up as a person or what the other kids at school had for lunch – I always wanted better. I think that’s what this song is for me. Realising not everything needs to always be better and it’s okay to just be.
B.I.T.E. Me
The inspo for this song came from a silly tattoo decision. I looked down one day during a writing session and was like “hmmm this could work actually” andddd here we are!
It’s the ultimate f* you song to soundtrack your late night drive home from your revenge body gym sessions. We all have an ex that broke our hearts that we low key just want to yell at – this song is exactly that. Yell it loud and proud!
Colours
The saddest of them all. ‘Colours’ I wasn’t able to disguise as a pop dance track which I do too often when it comes to baring my emotion and soul lol. It’s raw and crying core. The strings get me every time.
No but seriously it was such a cathartic process to watch Liam take my piano demo and bring this song to life. It healed something in me as cliche as that sounds – and I hope it does the same for someone else out there
Feels Like
This was the first song I wrote on the EP and for a long time it wasn’t going to be on it. It didn’t feel good enough or complete and I sat with it for months and months and asked so many people what their opinion on it was. I then realised the entire song is about me not feeling good enough and always self sabotaging and that I just need to put the damn song on the EP cause it IS good enough (to me anyway) and that’s all that should matter.
Daddy Issues from POLLY is out now – you can stream it HERE
Be sure to keep in touch with POLLY via Instagram, Spotify and Apple Music
Header image supplied by the artist
