Hatchie, the project of Australian singer-songwriter Harriette Pilbeam, has shared another gorgeous new single ‘Only One Laughing,’ from her forthcoming record Liquorice, out 7th November on Secretly Canadian.
It’s a carousel of shimmering guitars, clip clopping drums decorated in Hatchie’s delectable melodies, they weave a spell and catch you in them. Her heart-tugging and hiccuping tone is utterly transfixing and recalls The Sundays, yet houses her search for meaning in a world that feels like it’s spinning out of control. The music video, shot in Melbourne’s iconic Luna Park, brings the track to life.
Hatchie says: “I wrote ‘Only One Laughing’ to air my frustrations with the state of the world and the position I found myself in at the time (early 2023). I wanted a rollicking song that felt like you were struggling to keep up with me basically ranting about the lack of control I felt over my life.”
“Only One Laughing” follows the “dreamy, wistful” (Brooklyn Vegan) lead single “Lose It Again”.
With collaboration from producer Melina Duterte (aka Jay Som), Liquorice taps something more honest, unrestrained and wholly herself. Like the rich flavors of the twisty, titular candy—sweet, salty, and bitter all in one bite—Liquorice validates how longing and obsession are intertwined in the self-discovery of young womanhood.
After spending significant time in Los Angeles, Pilbeam and her bandmate-slash-longtime partner Joe Agius decided to step away from touring and return to Australia. There Pilbeam reassessed her priorities and focused on her relationships with friends and family. Liquorice reflects a woman increasingly comfortable in her own skin, no longer feeling the pressure to fit into a box or prove herself, whatever that even means.
After being recorded at Duterte’s home studio alongside Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint, Courtney Barnett) on drums, Liquorice was mixed by Alex Farrar (Wednesday, MJ Lenderman) and mastered by Greg Obis (Dutch Interior, Slow Pulp, Wishy).
Liquorice Artwork
Album tracklist:
1. Anemoia
3. Liquorice
4. Carousel
5. Sage
6. Someone Else’s News
7. Wonder
9. Anchor
10. Part That Bleeds
11. Stuck
Liquorice is available for pre-order digitally and physically here: https://hatchie.lnk.to/liquorice
Photo Credit: Joy Warmann
