Perth band Sly Withers have announced details for their second studio album, ‘Gardens’.
The album follows the release of their self-titled 2016 debut and their 2019 EP ‘Gravis’. The album announcement today (April 7) coincides with the release of a new single, ‘Clarkson’. Its accompanying video was directed by Tim Elphick, who also worked on the video for the band’s previous single ‘Bougainvillea’.
Watch the ‘Clarkson’ video below:
Alongside ‘Clarkson’, ‘Gardens’ will feature two previously-released singles by the band: ‘Cracks’, which charted in the triple j Hottest 200, and the aforementioned ‘Bougainvillea’. The band recorded the album with producer Matt Templeman, who the band praised for pushing them “to the extremes”.
“I think that’s what Temp’s really good at,” said Jono Mata, one of the band’s two vocalists and guitarists.
“He comes from the background of doing the most metal of metal Perth bands, so for him to go into those mid-range, crunchy kind of songs – it’s new for him as well.”
Much like the band’s previous output, ‘Gardens’ will feature a split of songs written and sung by both Mata and fellow vocalist/guitarist Sam Blitvich. The latter describes his bandmate as “his biggest inspiration” when it comes to songwriting.
“[He’s] my biggest drive a lot of the time,” he said. “It’s the kind of competition where… you’re always trying write something as good as what he’s just done.”
The album will be released on June 11, following the band’s upcoming national tour next month. The tour is a rescheduled run of dates in support of the band’s 2020 single ‘Explode Into View’ – which, ironically, is not on the album.
Sly Withers’ ‘Gardens’ track list is:
1. ‘Cracks’
2. ‘Breakfast’
3. ‘My Bullshit’
4. ‘Taking Steps’
5. ‘Bougainvillea’
6. ‘Sleep on the Weekends’
7. ‘Clarkson’
8. ‘Glad’
9. ‘Constant Wreck’
10. ‘Turns Out’
11. ‘Keys’
12. ‘Positives’