HARPER BLOOM - Now Hear This
Written by: Tom Wilson @thetomwilsonexperiment - Sense Music Media | Wednesday 13 April 2022
Late last month, singer-songwriter Harper Bloom unveiled Red Rocket, a charming little slice of indie folk sunshine that would’ve sat nicely on the soundtrack to Juno, and we humbly believe has the power to make even the grumpiest listeners start skipping down the footpath. Harper spoke to SENSE to cast a spotlight on five bits of art you should check out.
Big Fish
“Big Fish is probably my favourite movie of all time and I always go back and watch this movie whenever I’m feeling confused about life. This movie has a lot of important messages and anecdotes about life, but for me the most important thing I take away from this movie is having the courage to live outside of your comfort zone. I think so many people are so happy to stay comfortable. Change is scary but this movie emphasises how important it is to keep pushing yourself and challenging yourself. When you're old on your rocking chair you can sit back and feel satisfied with the risks you’ve taken.”
Courtney Barnett - Rae Street
“I have been loving this tune from Courtney Barnett on her new album Things Take Time, Take Time. It perfectly captures and narrates the motions of an ordinary day in lockdown and the small moments that we take for granted in our everyday existence. To me the lyrics are a work of art, my favourite lyric is “the sun will rise today and tomorrow, we’ve got a long, long way to go.” No matter what happens, you’ve just got to keep on keeping on!”
Nick Ward - Alien
”I feel like this new tune from Nick Ward is a must listen. I think as humans, we want to categorize people, we want to immediately box them so we can make sense of them. Nick Ward explores the grey area of identity on this new track and I’m so glad that he does. I went to an all-girls school (Nick went to an all-boys school) and he discusses how he felt like he didn’t fit in with gender expectations and sexuality, but then he also didn’t fit in at queer-spaces. I’ve also felt like this. It’s funny as someone that dates a girl, a lot of the time, the first thing that people do is categorise you as a lesbian, ask if you play AFL W and what queer nightclubs you go to. I don’t identify as lesbian and I don’t watch AFL or go to nightclubs at all. People are people, we are complex and un-boxable, and I love how Nick embraces ambiguity on this track.”
Jack Kerouac - The Subterraneans
“This book is an incredible piece of prose, written non-stop in three days (I think). This book captures the unfiltered and unedited mind of Jack coming of age. I adore this book because it’s not over-analysed, it's just written as it is seen. I think this is when we can capture a person's heaviest emotions. Something that is innately real. It’s what I am trying to do more and more in music. I feel like, the harder you try, the more you force something, the less it's going to connect. I’m trying to write effortlessly. That is what Jack has done here incredibly well and it’s becoming increasingly rare!”
Harper Bloom – Love Slow
I would love for people to check out this song! It means so much to me and it was never put out as a single, so I feel like it hasn't had a huge chance to be heard. I always play it at my live shows and it seems to really connect with people. It’s a song that came very naturally and it's about wishing that someone struggling with depression could see themselves through your eyes. It's pretty deep, but I think you will enjoy it :)
Red Rocket is available now.
Pictured: Harper Bloom