SARAH WOLFE
Sydney alt/pop songwriter Sarah Wolfe has released 'Spiders', accompanied by an anxiety-fuelled DIY video. Her second single released via Cooking Vinyl Australia, the track is a personal anthem for self-acceptance in reaction to Sarah's growing understanding of her mental health.
Opening with the sound of a distorted guitar, 'Spiders' once again sees Sarah Wolfe meld punk sensibilities with bubble-gum pop; this time channelling the era of late '00s emo as validated with the line "All panic and no disco makes a lonely girl depressed." The staccato lyrics delivered with frenetic energy across each verse creates an anxious anticipation that mirrors Sarah's lived experience, before dialling up the heavy in the chorus and launching into a stadium-worthy anthem.
While on the surface, the song may sound angry, Sarah shares "it's all about finding comfort in your safe space. We shouldn't have to pretend to be ok to make other people feel better. It's ok to say no to things that make you uncomfortable and it's ok to leave a party early if you’re feeling overwhelmed... You’re stuck with yourself so you may as well do all that you can to take care of your brain!"
Produced by her partner and long-time collaborator Xavier Dunn (Jack River, CXLOE), and co-written with up-and-comers Kirsten Salty, Cam Nacson and Adrien Nookadu; Sarah revealed that "Having ADHD and anxiety has provided its fair share of challenges in my life, but I’ve realised I wouldn’t change those things about myself even if I could because they have made me into the person I am now. I wanted this song to remind me that I don’t have to minimise and mask myself just to make others feel more comfortable, and that there should be absolutely no shame attached to how my brain works.”
WATCH: Sarah Wolfe - 'Spiders'
The video picks up where the song leaves off, and sees anxiety spiral into full-blown paranoia with the night-time surveillance footage aesthetic and spiderwebs leaving Sarah trapped. It was self-shot at home, and incorporated a huge hobby of hers - knitting - to create the intricate webs, a task she undertook with her mum. "I think I’m just constantly learning how to create art that is true to me, and not just something that I think will make others happy."
As an integral member and collaborator within Australia's community of next-gen artists, the past two years have seen Sarah Wolfe share the stage with beloved indie-rockers Lime Cordiale, rising pop-rockers Teenage Dads and pop darling merci, mercy. She closed out 2021 with the fizzy single 'Killing Time which drew praise from local media including NME Australia and Rolling Stone Australia, plus garnered 'One to Watch' status. It followed the release of ‘I’ll Never Be Happy Again’ and ‘100 Times ft. 90Ivy’ which had receiving airplay on triple j, 2SER, 4ZZZ and Radio Adelaide to name a few.