Photo by: Marcus Coblyn
Romanie’s power lies in her storytelling – her ability to see the world beyond the noise and channel her introspections into piercingly relatable yet beautiful songs. Her latest single ‘Are We There Yet?’ taps into the nuanced feeling of being never enough, of always striving for the next thing. With this she primes the landscape for her debut album ‘Are We There Yet?’ – a body of work exploring the intricacies and intensity of time itself.
“The idea for the song came from a prominent feeling in my life where I always feel like I’m looking towards the next goal, dreaming about the next thing. Always running out of time and feeling like seconds are slipping through my fingers. Especially throughout lockdown, I felt like I was aging but nothing else was happening and I got so frustrated by what felt like missed opportunities.” Romanie
Collaborating once again with acclaimed producer Alex O’Gorman (Angie McMahon, BATTS), Romanie has also taken on a co-production role for the single. Mastering was skillfully handled by Isaac Barter (Alex The Astronaut, Didirri).
The single ‘Are We There Yet?’ serves as the centerpiece of Romanie’s forthcoming debut album. Inspired by a sense of perennial restlessness and the constant pursuit of personal goals, it captures the inner struggle of being perpetually fixated on the future. Feeling the weight of stagnation and a deep frustration with missed opportunities during the lockdown period, she imbues a genuine and palpable urgency within the song.
Initially uncertain about the song’s completion, Romanie revisited her creative process a year later when she stumbled upon an old voice memo that bore the question, “Are We There Yet?” – with a new found mindset of brutal honesty she was able to re-craft the single with piercing authenticity.
“For ‘Are We There Yet?’ this approach definitely was a great vibe – I wanted it to feel like the song was rushed, as if you’re always on edge. I still wanted it to be a playful song, imagining my 10 year old self sitting in my mom’s car and asking 50 million times ‘are we there yet? when will we arrive?’ – as if that would get me my answer when I’d have made it in the music industry or life in general,” Romanie
The forthcoming album, “Are We There Yet?,” is a heartfelt tribute to Romanie’s fixation on time and marks a significant turning point as a song-writer. Throughout the creative process, Romanie found inspiration and guidance through School of Song workshops and her friend Kate Davis, whose mentorship allowed her to tap into the raw essence of her writing. It was during this time that Romanie shared some DIY voice memos with Alex O’Gorman, prompting an immediate decision to embark on the album-making journey together.
“The whole album is basically an ode to my obsession with time, timing and movement in space and time. Being uncomfortable and real, it’s the first time I’ve been completely honest with myself throughout writing songs and saying things as they are without trying to be poetic or trying to impress someone.” Romanie
PRAISE FOR ROMANIE
“Ethereal and melodic with the sort of songwriting prowess that makes you feel privileged to even be listening to such a composition.”
Rolling Stone Australia
“Romanie’s vocals are pure and direct. The lyrics are poignant, the melody gorgeous and the song has an appealing honesty to it.”
AU Review
“The track navigates feelings of loneliness and isolation, feeling separate from the world and those around you”
MILKY
“Graceful amongst the rumble and moving in emotion. Gorgeous Romanie!”
Claire Mooney, triple j
“Warm, soulful and intrinsically beautiful Romanie’s music is guaranteed to bring you calm and joy.”
Women In Pop
ARE WE THERE YET? (single) is out July 12
ARE WE THERE YET? (album) is out October 26
Romanie: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | Triple j Unearthed I Merch
