Australian siblings Sheppard have left their pop bops in the Californian desert and returned home with something very, very different with the release of their new track “Catalina”.
First conceptualised in LA during a month-long writing session, before being finished in their hometown of Brisbane Australia, “Catalina” has been three years in the making – and fans should brace for something completely unexpected.
“We were so inspired by California when we were there, that a song about California basically wrote itself,” said Amy Sheppard, whose vocals lead the new single.
“It depicts a racy story of two lovers, sunglasses on and roof down, driving through the Californian desert with the sun in their faces and their real lives in the rearview mirror,” she explained.
“This track isn’t your typical Sheppard sound, but I can’t remember the last time we had this much fun recording a single”.
Fans who have come to know and love Sheppard for their conic hits like “Coming Home”,”Kiss My Fat Ass”, “Symphony” and of course “Geronimo” may be taken aback by the band’s new direction; with their trademark pop-synths and piano ballads being replaced by a collection of Californian-inspired-inspired guitar hooks and heavy beats, and arena-sized euphoria has been switched out for stadium-sized rock.
“Catalina” also marks the first Sheppard track of 2020 to feature lead vocals from Amy Sheppard, who was last seen at the helm during her globally recognised movement for “Kiss my Fat Ass”.
The new track comes amid Sheppard being officially eight months into their “one release per month” project, with the group taking fans on a rollercoaster journey through issues of the heart, with one track each month showcasing a different side of love.
“Don’t Believe In Love”, the bands anti-Valentines day song shined a light on common problems in relationships and dropped in February, which was followed by March’s “Somebody Like You,” which examined the issue with dating the same person over and over again.
April had Sheppard trying to get back home to their loved ones on “Come Back” and In May they said “Thank You” to their mum Linda with a touching Mothers Day single. As 2020 hit the halfway point in June, Sheppard showed what falling in love looks like, with “Symphony” injecting a much-needed dose of hope into a world in chaos.
