Like floating through a tidal pool on a pink Starburst, “Oceans” — the new single from Australian pop duo Vallis Alps — sounds like many things: improbable, laid back, and incredibly sweet. At its heart, though, is a lyrical and vocal heaviness that gives balance to its crystal-bright production work. We wrote to the band to ask a little bit about the song, and they were kind enough to chat a bit:
Oceans was born from a conversation we had about Tahirih, a 19th century woman who fought and died for the emancipation of women in Iran. It led to us thinking about the daily sacrifices that women make - as mothers, as protectors, as luminaries - and we wanted to write a song about carrying that weight and thriving in spite of it. As Oceans formed, it became both a celebration and an expression of admiration for those figures in our lives and in history that are examples of this.
The delivery mechanism for the carrying of that weight is light as can be, swept right off the ground in three blissful minutes of superbass & cheerleader fingersnaps. That this track is arriving so late in the season is almost criminal (to think of the emotional rides home from the beach this could have soundtracked), but we sense it may live on long after the leaves have hit the ground.
We’re happy to be premiering “Oceans” for you today. Stream it here, and go see Vallis Alps on tour in the US next month (dates below).
Tour Dates:
09.02.17 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
09.03.17 - Chicago, IL - North Coast Music & Art Festival
09.06.17 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
09.07.17 - San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
09.08.17 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echoplex
09.09.17 - San Diego, CA - Space
More about: Vallis Alps
