Setting the frequency with a riser and enigmatic guitar as immersive drums and keys envelope us, The Wattles open their latest release, Smoke by painting a conceptual picture with the thought-provoking lyrics, “Do you see the flames? Do you the flames? He doesn’t soak up any blame. Empathy staged, they’re all the same…”

Smoke, is designed by The Wattles, as a commentary on the Australian government’s lack of response to the fires that burned 24 million hectares of Australia in 2019 and 2020. 

The song highlights The Wattles‘ frustration with their government as they perpetuate natural disasters like these by investing in fossil fuels and other harmful environmental practices.

Poetically inclined, with intricate lyricism and a charged and honest commentary, we are moved by The Wattle’s fusion of art and activism to raise awareness on the hypocrisies of the system, and the governing body’s unwillingness to choose love.

The track also points out that there will be no climate justice without First Nations justice, and also comes with a music video that highlights the effects that these disasters have caused, it also fuses a protest into the visual that adds an additional dimension to the song. The Bushfire footage is provided by Greenpeace.

The Wattles recorded this track to tape in their Sydney home in mid-2021. Speaking on the creative process, the rising band says, “Our sound engineer and producer, Lee McDonald has worked closely with [us] to capture the intensity of the track.”

We are hypnotized by the instrumental breakdown segment of the track and dimensional change that amplifies the listening experience by minimizing then soundscape, only to re-captivate us with the outro as The Wattles sing about the government treating their country “like a profit machine”.

The Wattles are a female-led indie band whose themes traverse the light and the dark. The Australian group brings to life themes of love, anxiety, environmental chaos and more, through the medium of cerebral and mood ballads and indie rock.

We have added Smoke to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have been immersing ourselves in The Wattles’ wider discography including Bits & Pieces and The Noise.

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