Multi-award-winning Naarm/Melbourne-via-Belgium artist Romanie today announces her new album It’s Not That Funny, set for release on Feb 20 via Community Music. Alongside the announcement comes a declaration of defiance in new single and video ‘I Won’t Yell’, out now. LISTEN HERE + WATCH HERE + PRE-SAVE THE LP HERE.

Originally stemming from a folk song Romanie had written years earlier, ‘I Won’t Yell’ was co-produced with Adam Hyde (Peking Duk, Keli Holiday) and Tom Stell (Golden Features), reworked during a 3 day co-writing session in Sydney. Speaking to the process, Romanie shares, “We turned this small acoustic song upside down into this powerful statement, keeping basically all the lyrics and giving them a new meaning. The song is about not being heard as a woman: oftentimes we get called ‘too much’ or ‘too loud’ with the result of keeping our emotions to ourselves, or not speaking up about the things that we want to. ‘I Won’t Yell’ was a fun song to make: letting go of my constant self judgement with the nudge of Tom and Adam, who let me yell in the vocal booth.”

Returning earlier this year with acclaimed singles ‘Uh Oh’ and ‘When Will We Lose Hope?’, ‘I Won’t Yell’ is the third single lifted from Romanie’s forthcoming album, It’s Not That Funny. A marked progression from her Australian Music Prize-nominated debut album Are We There Yet?, the new record showcases a transformation in Romanie’s worldview and artistry through embracing contradiction: finding light in the moments of darkness, hope in the face of adversity. Her softer, indie rock stylings are now tempered with punches of grit and energy, powerful and cathartic in a way that embodies the lyrical conflict within the album.

The duality of playful charm and hard-hitting vulnerability is immediate from the album’s title alone: “‘It’s Not That Funny’ is a reference to trying to convince your therapist you’re funny and that anything that’s ever happened to you ‘wasn’t all that bad’,” Romanie explains. “I think that growing up in Belgium, we’re always told to keep a brave face and to keep going no matter what – which is great for endurance and resilience; but sometimes as humans, we just want to be soft. As women in society I feel like we always have to strive for perfection; but I think that with this album I wanted to seek out the imperfections; uncover what’s behind the jokes.”

Releasing her debut EP Little Big Steps in 2021, and her debut album Are We There Yet? in 2023, Romanie has garnered widespread critical acclaim from the likes of triple j and Unearthed – winning thetriple j Unearthed x NIDA music video competition in 2023 – rage, The Age, Beat Magazine, Junkee, 3RRR, PBS FM and more, Romanie has won the 2023 Upstart Award, become a semi-finalist in theInternational Songwriting Competition, and a finalist in St Kilda Festival’s New Music Competition.

Moving to Australia from Belgium in 2019, Romanie has gained prominence as a powerhouse live musician nationally and across the globe, both solo as well as with her band: supporting artists including Trixie Whitley, Telenova, Blanco White, 10cc, Yoke Lore, playing alongside Katy J Pearson and opening for Australian favourites such as Keli Holiday, The Moving Stills, Grent Perez, Mia Wray, Gordi and many more. To celebrate the release of ‘I Won’t Yell’, Romanie will be playing headline shows at Naarm / Melbourne’s The Tote (upstairs) on Nov 27, and Eora / Sydney’s Pleasure Club on Dec 12, with Queenscliff Music Festival dates in between.