Retiree are hitting the road & touring around Australia this November & December in support of their debut record, Hose Or Home, released through Rhythm Section International on 21st September 2018.
The musical project of Matt Crowley, Tori Holleman and Marco Vella; Retiree have steadily congealed their broad influences into a unique emulsion of strongly rhythmic and emotional music. From two releases, they’ve been described as “pared back 1980s comfort pop for all occasions” by NOISEY, having “a whole lot of criss-crossing rhythm” by The FADER and containing “swirling synth flourishes, languid wistful vocals and strutting drum machine funk” by The 405.
The album’s songs explore the theme of “house or home” and what that means in present day Australia for different people. They journey from an aboriginal tent embassy on the south coast of New South Wales, a retirement village, a one room flat in Ringwood and a sleepless 17 hour stop over in Malaysia.
First single ‘Pumice Stone’ recounts a day when Tori was walking along the beach and dozens of dead birds had washed up on the sand. “Apparently this was the time when Mutton Birds pass Sydney on their annual 10,000km migration. They’re increasingly dying at sea and washing up on the beach because of overfishing, marine pollution and changing weather conditions. This song is a reflection on how that made me feel, on my lifestyle and human impact on the environment.”
Written after a 17 hour stop over in Malaysia, the stream of consciousness lyrics to ‘Another Day’ describe a roll of the dice for adventure. “We decided to chuck our bags in a locker at the airport, spending the night roaming around the city rather than forking out for a shitty hotel room. I remember lots of walking, heaps of hotted up mopeds, late night foot spas and being booted out of a shopping mall for snoozing on the lobby couches.
‘Magic Eye’ is a love song that bridges the end of a relationship. “We started writing the song before a break up and finished it after it ended. It’s a strange time to write a song. I feel like from the start, the tone of the song was kind of indicative of the situation.”
Retiree have teamed up with director Joey Knox and cinematographer Jesse Gohier-Fleet to create a series of interconnected film clips. Unraveling an intricate web of stories, the visuals pair seamlessly with the songs.
