We recently discovered Melbourne singer-songwriter Ali Barter when she supported Waxahatchee at Sydney’s Newton Social Club. It was just her and a guitar flying solo on the stage, and despite having issues with a dick of a faulty pedal, the crowd were transfixed and hanging off her every word, shouting words of encouragement when the pedal fucked up. Again.
Barter’s ‘thing’ is catchy folky melodies and dark, honest, relatable lyrics, which stick in your brain like glue. Every single one of my friends left that gig with a favourite line, which is rare for an act you’ve never previously heard of.
Her most recent release is ‘Hypercolour’ (which she couldn’t play that evening thanks to aforementioned pedal issues) but the song that resonated the most was 2014’s ‘Community’. Ali has previously described it as: “a surrender to everything that we use and abuse to feel a part of the world” and it perfectly sums up those nights where you carried on the party 24 hours longer than you should have done because it was easier to stay with the gang than leave and face the cold light of reality alone. (Shout out to that sudden, crushing Sunday night fear, you sly dog, you.) The lyric that hooked us was: “But I’ll drink myself to death on a Saturday night” because, well, we’ve all been there. AMIRIGHT GUYS? Thank the sweet baby Jesus for coconut water, eh?
Drunken tendencies or not, Barter nails the basic human need to belong in this track, ‘cos at the end of the day, as much as we might not want to admit it, all any of us wants is to feel like we’re a part of something. It’s an anthem for all those who need a little dutch courage to feel at ease at a party, who have felt lonely in a room full of people and for anyone who swears that you haven’t bonded fully with someone until you’ve gone on a session with them.
We really recommend checking out the rest of Barter’s stuff. Maybe grab a whisky and settle down for a self-indulgent pity party. It’ll be worth it. We promise.
The post Introducing // Ali Barter appeared first on When The Gramophone Rings.