Melbourne / Naarm-based producer, songwriter, and vocalist Sonny Ism today shares ‘Shadows’, the latest installment from his forthcoming record Dad Zone, out December 14 via his own imprint Northern Underground Records. LISTEN HERE.

A soothing indie-pop number, ‘Shadows’ channels Sonny Ism’s unique sound that blends psychedelic melodies with a new-age electronic soundscape that we have come to see from his back catalogue. Joining his recent release ‘Song For Julia’ in his forthcoming album, Dad Zone, Sonny Ism substantiates himself as much a songwriter as a producer, inviting listeners into his own world through careful anecdotes, as highlighted in today’s release.

Of the track’s inspiration, he shares “I wrote ‘Shadows’ for my late daughter Astrid, who my wife and I lost during pregnancy. The song is about trying to go back to a time when I could be with her. Living in those moments, which are still incredibly painful, is all I’ve got left of her. It felt important to write ‘Shadows’ as the first song on the album (I recorded it just shortly after moving home from Sweden), as we were nearing the end of our pregnancy with our son Ingmar, so that I could use the catharsis of songwriting to have something tangible with Astrid before the time was to come to focus on Ingmar. Sonically I still get a kick out of how the warped tape echo stabs in the chorus create catchy but uneasy feeling that I don’t think could have been achieved if I recorded it digitally.”

Sonny Ism, the project of Xavier Bacash, has cut his teeth in the Australian underground for the last decade through a mix of musical worlds and genres. Having relocated from Naarm / Melbourne to Copenhagen, Bacash became immersed in the local Danish music scene and soon, Sonny Ism came to life. The result is an honest sphere of his own that speaks to the soundscapes of both Scandinavia and so-called Australia.

Firmly grounded between the two territories, Sonny Ism cemented himself as the label front at his very own imprint Northern Underground Records, which covers a large sonic ground of Danish stylistic conventions, bouncing between synth-pop and off-kilter house that leaves listeners wanting to unpack more each time. Finding success through previous records Clock Without Hands, Island Impressions, and Union: Integration of the Shadow, Sonny Ism’s position in the DIY pop landscape has cultivated fans across triple j Unearthed, NTS Radio, FBi Radio, 3RRR, BBC Radio 6 and XLR8R amongst others. Unveiling an atmospheric and slightly melancholic universe with easygoing control, Sonny Ism’s musicality rests in his ability to cross-pollinate cutting sentiments with detailed walls of sound.