Floodlights Unleash New Album ‘Painting of My Time’

Photo by Maclay Heriot
April 29 2023

PRAISE FOR Floodlights

“Melbourne-based indie-rockers... ride circular rhythms and riffs into the twilight, not so much jamming as meditating on a phrase. Floodlights accentuate the painterly aspects of their sound... a slightly cinematic bent to their earthly vistas”

RollingStone

“intense and introspective Australian storytelling”

NME

“the Aussie band who gambled on a self-funded tour, and won big”

The Sydney Morning Herald

1. Moment of Distraction
2. Lessons Learnt
3. Human
4. On the Television
5. Something Blue
6. Painting of My Time
7. Things You Do
8. Colours
9. Ramblings of a Passenger
10. Wide Open Land

Melbourne, Australia-based indie rockers Floodlights today shares their second full-length album, Painting of My Time. The record, mixed by Andrew Savours (Black Country New Road, Arctic Monkeys, My Bloody Valentine), and mastered by Joe Carra (Amyl & The Sniffers, King Gizzard), conjures the the rawness of rock ‘n’ roll through a soundscape of dynamic post-punk and art rock. Recently signing to Virgin Records in the UK, the band today releases Painting of My Time in the US, listen HERE.

Painting of My Time offers the group the space and time to contrast heavy hitting rhythms and chants with intimate, vulnerable moments, especially the deeply meditative lyrics. The layering of trumpet, grand piano, violin, and synth lay foundation for the occasional rip of a harmonica through the seams, with lyricists/vocalists Ashlee Kehoe and Louis Parsons firmly declaring their thesis through occasional harmony and consistent fervor. A choir-like, anthemic sound bolsters it all; a marked progression in musicality resulting in a sound rich in emotion.

Painting of My Time encapsulates the sonic and personal evolution of the group, consistent in its signature evocative, almost meditative lyricism. Painting of My Time is a journey of observations – reshaping views and identity, elaborating on themes of personal turbulence, self exploration, and the Australian landscape as a form of escapism. Today’s focus track, “Wide Open Land,” for example, explores the latter; influenced by 80’s Aussie rock, “Wide Open Land” creates a nostalgic yet visceral desire to return to a familiar place.

Parsons says, “Painting of My Time holds a strong sense of change and is our most expansive work yet. We hope that our music resonates with others and that people’s interpretation of our music differs from one another in such a way that feels right for them. We wanted this album to capture the sonic and personal progression we had made as a group. It was important for us to retain who we were whilst leaning into what we could become – a balancing act. I’m not the best at communicating my feelings at times but writing music, both lyrically and instrumentally, helps me express my self and offers a sense of escape.”

Gaining global attention with 2019’s sold-out EP Backyard and 2020’s critically acclaimed debut album From a View, Floodlights went on to play sold-out shows and festivals across Australia, performing alongside the likes of Amyl and The Sniffers and Arctic Monkeys. 2023 has seen Floodlights support Pavement and Black Midi on their national tours, play the inaugural Tent Pole Festival, and recently caught the eye of RollingStone for their SXSW appearance just last month. They’ve since signed to Virgin Records UK, and have even more exciting announcements in the works.

Painting of My Time marks a natural departure and arrival. An evolution as a group, and as individuals, fueled by life’s singular and shared experience. A response to questions asked over time, written down, and yelled with the conviction of honesty.

Painting of My Time by Floodlights is out now, buy/stream it here

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