Local queer legends Alter Boy have been making waves with their singular sound over the last few years.
Now, the ‘pop noir’ band have revealed their debut album I Don’t Live Here Anymore is coming this September.
Their first single Don’t Hurt Me (I Used To Be A Baby) offers fans their first taste of what to expect from the album, loaded with heavy industrial beats led by Molly Priest’s ethereal vocals.
“The song seeks nothing but to sit for a moment in profound despair with the recognition of what it means to be alive in the present era,” Molly says of the single.
“It deals with themes of fear and helplessness, shame and guilt, and I imagine the outro is being played by a string quartet on a sinking ship. The musicians have accepted that the ship will go under, but rather than fuss and fight, they continue to play.”
Looking to the album itself, Molly explains the album is guided by four movements of US psychiatrist Irvin D. Yalom’s existential fears – freedom, death, isolation, meaninglessness.
“Understanding narcissism changes my understanding of life,” Molly continues.
“The process of writing the album helped me to deprogram the parts of myself that had learned to outsource reality and seek out a God-figure to worship.
“I was suddenly living in a completely different world and this led me to a fascination with consciousness. The album is an attempt at purging old stories with this impossible desire to see it all with clean eyes.”
Life Finds A Way has received massive support, recently earning triple j Unearthed’s Track of the Day.
The accompanying Auslan music video showcases the way Alter Boy not only incorporates Auslan into their music, but celebrates Auslan as an integral part of their artistry.
I Don’t Live Here Anymore will be out on Friday, 6 September.
Featured image: Treh Ivory
