Mary Webb
Captivating and unique, Mary Webb has today announced her new single Gecko Fingers, a stirring ode to the relationship shared between sisters, out now, accompanied by an eerie video, directed by Aaron Schuppan (West Thebarton, Nakatomi). Gecko Fingers is the first taste of Mary’s new album Love Like Planets, a spectacular body of work that explores the complexities of modern relationships and personal rediscovery, set for release on February 16. Mary will be taking the new album on the road from mid-January through to March, kicking off at the Exeter Hotel in Adelaide, then continuing through SA to Sydney, Melbourne and finishing up in Newcastle on May 4.
Gecko Fingers unfolds delicately, inching closer to the listener as each second passes. The subtle guitar, languid percussion and Mary’s sweet, assured vocal evoke influences such as Nick Cave and Julien Baker, yet the idyllic atmos is without comparison. Gecko Fingers speaks of sisters, and the tenacious bond they share. Reflecting on the theme of the song, Mary says, “Growing up with 7 years between my sister and I in age, we had a lot of love for each other but there was also a lot of anger and conflict. As adults we are very close, and have come to a calm understanding of each other. I have reflected a lot on how we managed to transform our relationship. It is a fun song to play and sing, and it’s also really satisfying because so many people relate to it. It’s also a positive reminder to me of the bond we have.”
The clip is unsettling yet tranquil, as figures cloaked in fabric from head to toe stand and writhe in shopfronts and at the sea. There’s something nostalgic about it, but also somehow alien – it feels like a cut from Twin Peaks, as colours begin to saturate and distort yet the soundtrack remains constant and serene. Speaking about the film clip, Mary enthuses, “We talked from the beginning about creating something that wasn't a traditional music video. The discussion was to make something that could play silently on a wall and still be captivating. Like a moving painting. The idea of two figures covered in opposing colours reflected the song's themes. They begin in contrasting environments - with one figure very still and calm and the other frenetic constantly moving - and they finally meet together and become a pair.”
Recorded in the US, Mary’s new album Love Like Planets is nothing short of a triumph. Her quiet intensity is bound to entrance and inspire – and this is a record that is to be heard and understood from start to finish, as a body of work, in order to be properly absorbed. After years of hard work writing and recording demos, Mary and her producer Mike Kirkham travelled to Montana, USA to record Love Like Planets, and the result is mesmerizing. Mary reveals a little more about the process, “One night Mike called me really excited and said, “We’re going to Montana!” From there everything just fell into place. Mike and his hifi company Halcro invested in the project and I ran a crowdfunding campaign to raise extra funds... The album is made to be listened to as a whole piece of work, rather than a collection of singles on shuffle. In this respect I was especially influenced by Radiohead’s Kid A and Camille’s Le Fil as well as some older records from the 60s and 70s. Most of the songs on Love Like Planets I wrote during a personally turbulent time in my late 20s. I had ended a long-term relationship and was going through a painful process of trying to rediscover who I was and what I wanted.”
MARY WEBB ‘LOVE LIKE PLANETS’ LAUNCH SHOWS
SUN 25 FEB | SANCTUARY FESTIVAL 11AM | NATIONAL WINE CENTRE
FRI 2 MAR | GASOLINE PONY, MARRICKVILLE NSW
SAT 17 MAR | ALBUM LAUNCH | WESLEY ANNE HOTEL, THORNBURY
FRI 6 APR | WILLIE’S APPLE SHED
SUN 22 APR | MILK FACTORY, BRISBANE
SAT 28 APR | SMITHS ALTERNATIVE BOOKSHOP, CANBERRA
FRI 4 MAY | THE EDWARDS, NEWCASTLE NSW
SUN 27 MAY | CHEESE FACTORY STUDIO GALLERY, MEADOWS SA
