MELBOURNE, Australia. May 2022. On March 3rd, 2022, Nighteyes – the alias of multi-instrumentalist Rachel Trainor – released her debut single, Lowlight, LISTEN HERE, the first track from her forthcoming album set for release in late 2022.
Fusing hard rock with dark electro-pop, Lowlight is vivid in narrative and hauntingly moving in delivery. Here, evocative lyricism elicits a visceral experience that prompts listeners to explore the darker realms of their subconscious. In Trainor’s own words:
“I had a vision in my mind when I wrote this song of the particular kind of light the moon emits, how it doesn’t entirely illuminate the dark and makes scary shadows out of things that would be benign during the day. The lyrics in the verses weave fear and paranoia into what would typically be a peaceful moonlit night, exploring the state you can get into when you’re so anxious that even the trees seem menacing.”
Sonically, the spellbinding single features driving distorted guitars, pulsing hypnotic drum loops, and electrifying synths that lay the bed for a melodic and darkly haunting vocal performance, bringing to mind the vocal stylings of Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Lana Del Rey.
Trainor began the recording process for Lowlight while on tour in March 2020, using limited recording equipment — a laptop, a small interface, and an electric guitar — achieving a rough mix before taking the track into her home studio for completion. “It’s been a labour of love, finding time during lockdowns to try different sounds. Throughout the songwriting process, my producer and partner, Drew Handcock (Honeybone, Divine Wave), was instrumental in helping me figure out the sound I was hearing in my head,” she explains.
Lowlight features live in the contemporary circus show, The Defiant, in which Trainor is the sole musician.
ABOUT NIGHTEYES
Nighteyes is the debut solo project of New Zealand born, Melbourne based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Rachel Trainor.
Drawing inspiration from the dark folk vibes of Chelsea Wolfe and Mazzy Star, the electronic sophistication of Monolink, and the heavier post-rock stylings of bands such as Russian Circles, Elder, and Explosions In The Sky, Nighteyes is an intricate melting pot of sounds merging seamlessly to create her distinct and signature flavour.
Having toured extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand, performing with various bands, cabaret, and circus shows (Honeybone, Badgers, The Merindas, Coda Chroma, Rebel, The Defiant), Trainor’s original psych-garage project, Honeybone, has shared the stage with US acts such as Amanda Palmer and Wofat, and NZ legends Dragon and Beastwars.
Rachel is currently touring as the sole musician with The Defiant circus show, with three Nighteyes songs included in the show’s score. Press highlights include appearances on Channel 9’s ‘Sunrise’, features in Beat magazine, Drumscene, and NZ Musician magazine.