.

.

.

.

Support for ‘FORTRESS’

“KEZRA skilfully captures the emotions of our journey through our twenties with laser-sharp songwriting and a guitar-driven sonic palette that matches beautifully.” The AU Review (AUS)

“KEZRA is taking charge in the indie pop rock race! This is a strong, driven and confident track – can’t wait to see what you do with 2023!” –  ★★★★½ Ash McGregor – triple j (AUS)

“A sombre, fervent upheaval that washes over the ears, drenching listeners in the artist’s gut-wrenching heartbreak. She rises and falls with gentle grace, her voice a hypnotic, effected texture in and of itself.” Atwood Magazine (USA)

“Absolute FEELS.” – ★★★★ Zan Rowe – Double J (AUS)

‘Back Home’ First Play on triple j Unearthed’s TOPS Program

.

.

Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter KEZRA has just revealed her endearing debut EP ‘Fortress’ – produced by Mark Zito (Fractures) and mixed by Matt Neighbour (Matt Corby, The Avalanches, Middle Kids).

‘Fortress’ is an engrossing, heartfelt listen that centres around KEZRA’s candid songwriting and delicate vocals. Across five tracks, KEZRA shows her dynamic range through fluttering folk ballads to upbeat indie-pop paragons, all expertly touched by Mark Zito’s sentimental production. Taking cues from luminaires Phoebe Bridgers, Maggie Rogers and Holly Humberstone, KEZRA draws on her innermost feelings to create deeply intimate and pensive explorations.

KEZRA talks about the inspiration behind ‘Fortress’: “The EP is all about navigating through my crazy twenties, in failures, loss, heartache, hope, new love and finding my strength between all of that. Working with my producer, Mark, helped all the songs tie together with this theme of nostalgia in reflection of my early 20s, with the old tape-recording sounds and distorted electric guitars. I feel this EP represents myself as the artist I am today, just a girl who loves to write poppy chorus hooks and heart-breaking melodies with a guitar in hand.”

The opener and title track ‘Fortress’ showcases deft, layered compositions built on padding percussion and reverb-laced guitars. KEZRA adds, “This is the only song from the EP I wrote on the keys; I originally pictured this as a massive rock ballad type, but once we got into production, it was clear it needed to be understated. It’s about coming out of a long-term relationship and feeling like the other person took away all the good parts of me along with the relationship.”

The minimalist instrumentation of track two, ‘Back Home’, enhances the yearning and anguish through cascading waves of distorted guitars and climatic backing vocals. The tempo is then raised into the next song, ‘Insane’, a dream pop-infused cut led by expansive drums and grand, hook-laden choruses.

Fourth track, ‘Morning’, is a slow burn, acoustic-led track that has nods to country music through its reflective array and hauntingly ethereal soundscapes. This leads into closer ‘With You’, where swirling arpeggios slowly crescendo into a multi-layered smorgasbord, aptly finishing the EP, both sonically and lyrically.

KEZRA will perform a one-off launch show at Gods Bandroom in Boonwurrung/Mornington to celebrate the release of ‘Fortress’. This continues from selling out her first headliner last year and performances at large-scale sporting events such as the Australian Open and the F1 Melbourne Grand Prix. She’s also graced the stage of Let Go Fest with the likes of G Flip, Mallrat and Slum Sociable.

Previous singles off the EP have been widely embraced by triple j, triple j Unearthed and Australian community radio. In the blogosphere, her tracks have been supported by the likes of Atwood Magazine (USA), Backseat Mafia (UK/AUS), Pilerats, Music Feeds, The Music, The AU Review, Forte Mag, Eat This Music and AAA Backstage. Her music videos have also seen support from MTV Upload.

‘Fortress’ is available worldwide now

.

.

KEZRA
‘FORTRESS’
Launch Show
Sat 19 Aug
Gods Bandroom,
Boonwurrung/Mornington Vic

Listen HERE

‘Fortress’
Track Listing:

1. ‘Fortress’
2. ‘Back Home’
3. ‘Insane’
4. ‘Morning’
5. ‘With You’

.

FOLLOW KEZRA
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM – TWITTER – TIKTOK – TRIPLE J UNEARTHED
SPOTIFY – APPLE MUSIC – AMAZON MUSIC – BANDCAMP
SOUNDCLOUD – YOUTUBE – WEBSITE

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB