PREMIERE: Turn South – Fern Town

Packed full of hooks, soaring choruses and a penchant energy, Turn South’s Fern Town, is a seven track romp that will have you fiending to hit play again and again. Premiering today, exclusively on Laundry Echo, plug your headphones in and get comfortable with one of my favourite releases of 2018 to date.

It’s been over 4 years since Melbourne 3-piece Turn South have released an EP. Over those four years the band have progressed to a point that listening to early singles in comparison to current work, leaves you wondering whether or not you’re listening to the same band. Current day Turn South are a remarkably tight, defined group producing melody driven emo that finds a way to stay in your head for months on end. For me, Turn South are one of the most exciting bands in Melbourne. This artist progression has been carved out from hard work, constant gigging and an obvious friendship between band members that bleeds its love into each song released. Turn South are far from an overnight success, which makes latest EP Fern Town, feel all in all incredibly triumphant.

This feels like the audible equivalent of ‘Seizing the Sword’ in Joseph Campbell's Monomyth of the Hero’s Journey. It’s Luke Skywalker joining the Rebel Forces, Simba talking to Ghost Mufasa and Neo learning to code; but only rather than being a blockbuster movie, it’s a band from Melbourne that has produced their finest work to date and are ready to win the hearts of leagues of new fans.

Recently (read accidentally uploaded early) released title track Fern Town opens the EP with a grower that ends on a punch. Lead singles Belgrave Line and Maybe sound as fresh as ever amongst the new collection of songs, a testament to their strength to have not lost their lustre. That driving energy is broken up and given dynamics in Sullen and Drown Each Other Out with the latter being the release highlight for me. Stacked with emotionally aware lyricism from start to finish and a deft musical delivery that flips from rattling to raw on a beat, Fern Town, is an incredibly impressive release.

Fern Town is officially out on all good digital distributors tomorrow.

Be sure to follow along with all things Turn South right here.