upsidedownhead announces lush ep + shares new song ‘say something ft. Clea’ with video

by the partae July 1, 2021

written by the partae July 1, 2021

upsidedownhead announces lush ep + shares new song 'say something ft. Clea' with video

“Lean, crisp, intimate, and stirring, upsidedownhead and Clea’s new collaboration is an exceptional outpouring of raw passion and resistance.” – Atwood Magazine

Today upsidedownhead (aka Ross James) announces lush, his new eight-track EP, due for release on August 27. News of the EP arrives alongside the release of ‘say something ft. Clea’, the latest single and video from the Sydney-based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, featuring Brisbane darling, Clea.

‘say something’ sees Clea’s warm and distinguishable vocals washing over a hypnotic, intoxicating beat. A song about the inevitability of change, and our frequent fight against it, ‘say something’ was premiered on-air via FBi and online via Atwood Magazine and arrives with a striking, world-class video from Sydney based director Jamin.

The track came together effortlessly after Ross showed Clea the initial beat.

“We wrote the crux of the new song over the internet in about two hours. To track Clea’s vocal, I drove two hours north (I was already up in Brisbane for a show) to her and her partner’s farm/ studio. This was our first time meeting face to face and I was welcomed with fresh bowl of pasta and good old fashioned hospitality. As the studio isn’t quite finished, if you listen carefully you can hear the roar of crickets faintly infiltrating her vocal takes. I like it when something unexpected invites itself into your recording to create a moment in time.” – upsidedownhead

“‘say something’ delves into the art of resistance. We as humans tend to wait until all is broken before we initiate change. Change is incredibly hard but entirely necessary and sometimes we will fight to the very end, even when change is inevitable.” – Clea

‘say something ft. Clea’ follows the release of earlier EP tracks ‘higher ft. Ric Rufio’, ‘make it real ft. Fractures’ and ‘twice as tough’ ft Mansionair, which have collectively amassed over 2.5 million streams across DSPs. Together with tracks from Isabella Manfredi and Hein Cooper these songs form the heart of upsidedownhead’s lush EP, which will be released on August 27 via Liberation Records. James’s intention with lush was to create an artistic work he could be proud of, that would still be accessible to fans; perhaps even more so than his debut offering, complex. Indeed the eight tracks that comprise the EP were whittled down from an initial 40 over many moons.

“Sitting at the end of this process I feel comfortable with who I am and where I’m going to go. Working with Jack from Mansionair, Fractures, Izzy Manfredi, Clea, Hein Cooper and Ric Rufio was just a creative inspiration masterclass. These wonderful musicians gave me the extra push I needed to create ‘lush’ and I’m indebted to them for their time and vision on the songs they contributed to. I’m so excited about this EP and what’s to come.”
– upsidedownhead

upsidedownhead’s uniquely captivating soundscapes have caught the attention of BBC Radio 1, triple j, FBi and tastemaker sites such as Complex, The Line Of Best Fit, CLASH, Purple Sneakers and Acid Stag. In addition to his production work, upsidedownhead also has an impressive collection of remixes to his name, including ‘Too Proud’ for BROODS, ‘Plateau’ for Pat Carroll and ‘Remember’ for King Henry.

With his lush EP dropping next month, upsidedownhead plans to return to local stages soon. Stay tuned.

upsidedownhead – ‘say something ft. Clea’
Out now through Liberation Records
Buy/stream here

upsidedownhead – lush ep
Out 27 August 2021 through Liberation Records
Pre-order here

lush tracklisting:
1. hurts so lush ft. Isabella Manfredi
2. twice as tough ft. Mansionair
3. left wanting
4. higher ft. Ric Rufio
5. say something ft. Clea
6. lush
7. you deserve the world ft. Hein Cooper
8. make it real ft. Fractures