Sloan Peterson has returned with her first new single in over a year, linking up with Perth singer-songwriter Pearl for the driving and danceable ‘Wear My Heart Out’.
Following her recent dive into synth-driven pop songs, the new release sees Peterson veer back into the pop-rock style she cut her teeth on. It’s described as “a product of her most authentic self”, with its sonic direction inspired by a move she made from Sydney to Byron Bay.
‘Wear My Heart Out’ arrives alongside a music video, directed by Adam Theobald, which Peterson noted in a press release was inspired by the opening scene to Guardians Of The Galaxy (in which Chris Pratt’s Starlord dances to ‘Come And Get Your Love’ by Redbone).
Have a look at the clip below:
On her decision to bring Pearl into the fray on ‘Wear My Heart Out’, Peterson said: “I tend to be a lone wolf, spending a lot of time struggling to socialise or even attend events. Music was one of the only communities I had been a part of or known, and so it was a no brainer – I wanted my next single to have my best friend featuring on it, bringing some girl power and community back into my life!”
Peterson and Pearl wrote the song together “over a cuppa in Rose Bay”, with their process steered by an open discussion about how the pandemic affected them. It saw them “dissecting our most recent experiences in life, and relating them to other stories we had heard from people in lockdown”.
The song was minted with producer Budo Miller, a longtime collaborator and bandmate of Peterson’s, working in his home studio in Watsons Bay. Part of their in-studio banter – which Peterson dubs the “authentic essence” of the session – was recorded and incorporated into the song itself.
On the experience, she said: “My face hurts thinking about how much we laughed that day, making sure BUDO had recorded the sounds of our banter and laughter. It came together so quickly and naturally – I’d love to say it took longer than a day to complete but we were on a roll.”
As for the accompanying music video, Peterson noted: “We only had a small team of four, including Pearl and myself, so we had freedom to run around the city with no restrictions. This was one of the most enjoyable, easygoing video clips I’ve been a part of and watched, as it captures the raw, uninhibited dynamic [and] relationship Pearl and I share together.
“She’s one of my closest friends so it’s been the best to share this journey with her.”
‘Wear My Heart Out’ follows on from the release of ‘Parasite’ last May. That was Peterson’s third single on Warner, riding hot on the heels of ‘Moon & Back’ and ‘Nightmare’, but wasn’t necessarily intended to mark the end of the era she was in at the time. As she explained: “I was going through a breakup at that point and had a little bit of a snap. I didn’t know what I was doing [and] I was really suffering from impostor syndrome.”
In her subsequent reflection came a desire to reconnect with her roots, and in particular the DIY approach she took to her early singles. “Everyone is throwing the word ‘authentic’ around,” she said, “but what’s authentic about other people making decisions for you?”
Fans will be able to hear Peterson play ‘Wear My Heart Out’ live next month, with the artist set to support Dope Lemon on the four Australian dates of his ‘Rose Pink Cadillac’ tour. They’ll take to stages together in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane – see all the details here.