Last Friday, April 19, award-winning Australian singer-songwriter and composer Emily Barker shared her contemplative new single: "With Small We Start," an advanced release off of her upcoming album: "Fragile as Humans," out May 3 via Everyone Sang/Kartel Music Group.
The new song serves as the record's opener and sees Barker tackling intimacy and the moving beauty that keeping life small possesses. Ever present in the track is the thoughtful lyricism the songwriter is known for, underscored by the gentle timbre of her soft vocals.
About the New Song Off Barker's Upcoming Album 'Fragile as Humans'
In a statement discussing where she got the inspiration for the song, Barker recalled quaint moments with her dad, specifically, how it's the small things that mattered and continues to matter to her old man.
To contrast the two, the artist's younger self wanted to see the northern lights, her dad was content with just tending to his "bonsai plants" or the "vegetables he's growing," or even just getting "a decent crema" on his morning coffee,
"I realized how much wisdom and beauty there is in that way of life, how contentment is about attitude," she explained. "There's so much power in keeping life small - connection on a local level, keeping plants watered, family and friendships loved."
This incredible depth in storytelling and thematic exploration is also present in the other advanced singles Barker previously released off of her upcoming album, like "The Quiet Ways," which is about the importance of silent moments, and its lead single: "The Feathered Thing."
In the latter track, Barker gradually transforms into an instrumental dervish of vibrant strings and cymbal crashes, with her vocals staying afloat the instrumentation, akin to that of a slipstreaming feather.
"It's basically about grieving an idea or imagined future," she clarified of the song, the central image of which was inspired by Emily Dickinson's poem: "Hope."
As apparent in her latest releases, "Fragile As Humans" tracks serve as an introspective examination of the human condition, running through grief, pain, loneliness, and loss, balanced by a sparkling sense of hope and optimism.
Written and recorded during the latter part of Barker's residency in the UK, just before she came home to Australia, the record is the artist's earnest jab at integrating her contemporary influences in a holistic project that can be both atmospheric at times and intimate at others.
"With Small We Start" is now available for streaming, while "Fragile as Humans" can now be pre-saved and pre-ordered here. Conversely, you can watch the single's official lyric video below.
