Adelaide’s Junk Harmony has unveiled one of the dreamiest pieces of music you’ll hear all year, with “34%” serving as the first taste from their forthcoming EP, which arrives late this month.
For those that might think Junk Harmony sounds a little bit familiar, that’s because there is indeed a little bit of the past wrapped up in the beauty of this sensational present. Described as “a collection of those old, but new songs that are just laying around”, Junk Harmony was originally known by the name Tapeworm, and has been active in Adelaide’s music scene since 2016, having played in other acts such as Siamese, Big Town, Pine Point, and Ricky Albeck & The Belair Line Band.
Comprising Tom Matheson on vocals and guitar, and recording Ricky Albeck on drums, guitar, and slide, Junk Harmony recently re-released their debut EP – Always Sometimes – before they once again looked back to the past for their next release.
Set to unveil their self-titled EP on April 30th, Junk Harmony’s newest collection of music digs into the trove of Matheson’s back catalogue, reimagining old tracks, and bringing the previously-unseen beauty to the forefront.
The first taste of this, new single “34%”, is a hazy piece of blissful indie-rock with noted shoegaze influences. As Junk Harmony explain, the track follows a dream they once had where the protagonist kept falling asleep over and over, folding a dream into another dream repeatedly.
The result is a track that not only captures this dreamlike state with immersive exceptionalism, but also proves that there is power in looking to the past and rediscovering what may have once fallen by the wayside.
“A lot of these songs are from my really early years when I was just getting into recording and all that jazz,” Matheson explains. “They stayed demos for a long time but I could never recreate them how I wanted them to sound, so naturally, some demos just became songs!
“I think the homey-ness of the recording gives it a nice feature, makes me nostalgic just thinking of growing up and being so happy to just explore all the silliness in recording programs.”
Though rooted in nostalgia and a sense of amateur musical discovery, Junk Harmony is arguably one of the most majestic and immersive projects you’ll hear any time soon, and with “34%” serving as a powerful taste of what’s to come, their self-titled EP is on track to become a firm favourite for many.
Junk Harmony’s “34%” is out now, with their self-titled EP arriving on April 30th.
