Jack River has returned with “Borderline”, her first new single in three years — a shimmering pop track that explores independence, personal change and rediscovering a sense of self.
It is the first Jack River release since 2023 album, Endless Summer.
The release also marks a new chapter for the Australian singer-songwriter, who has signed with record label and distribution company G.Y.R.O. (Get Your Record Out) ahead of her next collection of music.
Based in Forster, NSW, Jack River (aka Holly Rankin) has spent the past decade building a career that extends far beyond music, advocating for artist rights, consent and climate action.
Her latest single arrives following three years of significant change in both her personal and professional life, including becoming a mother to daughter Maggie. Rankin performed more than 20 shows while pregnant during the Endless Summer era, with motherhood subsequently bringing a renewed sense of conviction, discipline and freedom.
Written after one of her first nights alone in three years, “Borderline” explores the feeling of stepping back into the world, reconnecting with independence and imagining a life beyond a relationship. Balancing vulnerability with optimism, the song captures the possibilities that emerge when familiar boundaries begin to shift.
“This is a song about travelling beyond the borderline, back to one’s self, back to freedom,” Rankin explained. “I wrote this song after one of my first nights alone in three years, overwhelmed with the feeling that my sense of self was returning, and the reckoning that comes with that. It’s the beginning of a new era for Jack River — with less rules, less constraints, and more independence.”
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Rankin’s debut album, Sugar Mountain, earned three ARIA Award nominations, including Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Pop Release, alongside AIR and APRA Award nominations. Her second album, Endless Summer, followed in 2023, with its title track featuring a collaboration with Genesis Owusu.
With over 100 million career streams and multiple Platinum and Gold releases, Rankin joins G.Y.R.O. with an established catalogue and a reputation for championing Australian music and creating opportunities for underrepresented voices.
G.Y.R.O. CEO and Co-Founder Andy Irvine said Rankin’s independent approach and commitment to the local music industry make her a natrual fit for the label.
“Holly has a clear vision for her music and an unwavering determination to make the Australian music industry better for artists,” he said. “The team at G.Y.R.O. are excited to harness that independent spirit and bring her new music to audiences here and around the world.”
“Borderline” offers the first glimpse of an incoming collection of songs shaped by three years of personal transformation, with Rankin embracing a new period of creative independence.
Jack River’s “Borderline” is out now.
