Feature: Anna Smyrk – The Hour Between Us
World travelling Australian artist Anna Smyrk reveals her anticipated third EP, The Hour Between Us. An invigorating and timely release which Anna describes as “a record about all the things that keep us apart and all the things that bring us together,”
The Hour Between Us is a decidedly heavier release than its folk-fuelled 2019 predecessor Swim. The EP marks a shift in artistic direction from humble indie-folk ballads to orchestral stadium rock belters, whilst staying true to Smyrk’s gloriously emotive storytelling.
Anna Smyrk has lived a life between places, spending time in Cambodia, the Solomon Islands, Belgium, Australia and the Philippines, and most recently working as a consultant for the World Health Organization, assisting with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Papua New Guinea.
Written across three continents in Melbourne (Australia), Manila (Philippines) and Louvain la Neuve (Belgium) over the past few years, The Hour Between Us is a sprawling collection of indie-pop songs about far-flung places, long-distance love and trying to figure out what it means to be a human.
Long-distance love is a recurring theme on the EP with ‘Daylight Saving’, ‘You Break It You Bought It’ and ‘Song from the 36th Floor’ all dealing with separation and connection across time and space. First lifted single and explosive EP opener, ‘Human Condition’ is a frustrated commentary on a disjointed society, while follow up single, ‘The Excavator’ explores the distance caused by grief. EP closer ‘Wallace Street’ rounds out the offering with a heart-warming story about finding love within the crumbling walls of a Melbourne sharehouse. The sprawling collection is a marvellous take on the times we find ourselves in, and the perfect soundtrack for your next vicarious vacay. Settle in and lift off.