Naarm / Melbourne’s Georgia Maq and Alice Ivy today share their collaborative single, ‘Someone Stranger‘, a natural coming together for two of Australia’s most prominent and tireless advocates for non-male representation in the conventionally male dominated spaces of punk and electronic music, respectively. Premiered via triple j‘s Drive program, LISTEN HERE.

Since debuting with 2019’s Pleaser LP, Georgia Maq has chased a more genuine form of pop music in her solo career, a vision in the vein of that pioneered by the likes of Robyn, Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen and others, that retains all of the glamour and universality but feels unburdened from capitalist underpinnings. Full of DIY electro-pop that mined evergreen themes of romantic, sexual and self-love, Maq’s solo debut was not so much a transformation as it was a revelation, opening up on her vulnerabilities and heartbreaks, finding strength in this self-exposure and revealing the multitudes to herself beyond the Camp Cope project.

If Pleaser was a left-of-field toe dip, ‘Someone Stranger‘ is a full, unencumbered immersion: the chrysalis. Linking with Alice Ivy, ‘Someone Stranger‘ continues the revelation of Georgia Maq, musing on loneliness, desire, the need for connection and the therapeutic potential of dancefloors, whilst proving once again her penchant for a surprise that rewards. Of the single, Maq shares: “Annika and I knew we wanted to make a song together so we made the time and in about three hours we had pretty much finished ‘Someone Stranger’. I write lyrics really quickly when I feel I have to and Annika creates amazing melodies so it just worked really well together. The song is very much open to interpretation, but personally it’s about purging romance through movement.”

For producer and songwriter Alice Ivy, ‘Someone Stranger‘ builds on the refined curatorial efforts of her recently released second LP, the Australian Music Prize-shortlisted Don’t Sleep, while tapping into the emotionally-charged elation of singles such as ‘Don’t Sleep (feat. imbi & BOI)‘ and ‘In My Mind (feat. Ecca Vandal)‘. Boasting collaborations with Odette, Montaigne, Ngaiire, Thelma Plum, Bertie Blackman and more, Don’t Sleep demonstrated Ivy’s adroit ability as a producer, collaborator and tastemaker in not only platforming new voices and artists but also uncovering new dimensions to artists thought to be well established entities, working to diversify the sound and look of the traditionally male-dominated studio space in the process. Ivy’s modus operandi of collaborating with a deliberating broad range of artists now leads her to working with Georgia Maq on ‘Someone Stranger‘, another thread in an abundant tapestry of underrepresented voices and stories that runs across her entire discography.

Alice Ivy says of the single: “I feel like Georgia and I have always been destined to write together, so I was super excited when we finally got the chance last year. I played her a little demo I had kicking around and she immediately started writing lyrics for it. I loved how fast-paced the whole experience was! I think we were both thinking, “Let’s make this a song we’d wanna hear in a club!”. Georgia’s voice is so incredible, it was cool just being able to just write a massive pop banga with her. Very excited to have this one out in the world!”

Ivy‘s production lends a big-room sheen and sense of scale to Maq‘s songwriting, with resounding four on the floor drums, sweeping chords, strummed acoustic guitar in the background and immense synth lines that rise from the bottom of the mix, reaching ever and ever higher towards a ceiling that, seemingly, doesn’t exist. “Touch my body, I feel something,” Maq soars as the chorus, barely able to contain itself for much longer, bursts forth from the restrained verses, her vocals sounding smoother, sleeker and more sure of themselves than ever, pushing further into rapturous euphoria. Later this year, Georgia Maq will be performing live at the Sydney Opera House as part of the city’s annual VIVID LIVE festival – stay tuned for the announcement of new show dates coming soon.

‘Someone Stranger‘ is out now, buy/stream it here.

ACCLAIM FOR GEORGIA MAQ

“Hooks that’ll rattle around in your head for days”
triple j

“Where McDonald loosens her reservations and surrenders to the full impact of her voice,
the spark she’s always nurtured shines through”
Pitchfork

“On Pleaser she gets to use that voice against an entirely different backdrop
than the incisive emo-rock of her main band”
Stereogum

“Maq sounds as powerful as she’s ever been on Pleaser”
The FADER

Stay connected with
Georgia Maq: Instagram | Soundcloud | Bandcamp
Alice Ivy: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube