The Melbourne singer-songwriter has today delivered a heart-wrenching tune all about the bittersweet acceptance of letting go.
It’s been about almost a decade now since Darcy Fox came into our world with her debut single ‘I’m Here’, album ‘Unprotected Grounds’ and first two EPs ‘My Own Happy Ending’, ‘Chapter One’.
Hailing from Gippsland and now residing in Melbourne’s inner north, Fox has been carving out a reputation as a songwriter and evocative storyteller in recent years, pouring her heart out over ear-worm melodies ready to soundtrack our days and night. It’s heartfelt, irresistible and unassailably visceral music that connects on a deeper level.
Following the release of her charming original, queer Christmas song, ‘She Loves Christmas Time’ back in November, Fox returns with her new single ‘Your Best’, a four-minute outpouring of the bittersweet acceptance of letting go.
The best bits
- Melbourne singer-songwriter Darcy Fox masters melancholy on new single ‘Your Best’
- ‘Your Best’ is the third single from Fox’s highly anticipated sophomore album, set to be released this year.
- It’s out across all streaming platforms from today, check it out by heading here
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Two cups of warm folk, one cup of dazzling pop, and a dash of heart-wrenching poetry, the queer singer-songwriter oscillate between sorrow and spite throughout the track, much like authentic heartbreak. Here Fox mourns what once was while feeling cheated for not getting to meet the better version of the one who wronged her.
“I wrote this song during my time working at a summer camp in California. I was running a music program but occasionally supervised other activities – during one of those times, the hook popped into my head and I wrote a good chunk of the song on the spot. That night I made a voice memo so I wouldn’t forget it, and once I was back in Melbourne I finished the rest of the song,” Fox explains.
“I went back and forth about whether I’d release this one, it’s so personal and vulnerable to open the door on a private moment of grief. But when I play the song at my shows, people always call it their favourite – so I knew I had to.
“I feel like I write a lot of very sad songs, but I’m not trying to bring the vibe down! I just hope people who have experienced the same things I have feel seen and heard.”
Equal parts Gretta Ray, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, Fox flexes her ability to make you tap your feet while she rips your heart out. Through stunningly sweet vocals and melancholic electric guitars pouring into a buildup, the chorus eventually bursts into a heartrending folk-pop explosion, like a thundering heartbeat behind a vulnerable confession.
She sings, “If you’re in love again / I hope you’re giving them / Everything I know that you can be / Because I know you didn’t give your best to me.
“And if I met you now / maybe we could have worked out”.
Beautiful in its display of pure, unadulterated emotion, ‘Your Best’ finds Fox unapologetically pouring herself out in song. Fox’s grounded lyrics are rooted in lived experience and flooded with searing honesty and imagery: A dramatic, sweeping effort that takes the ears and mind by storm as she captures that agonizing feeling of seeing your ex thriving without you, even if you wish them well.
She sings, “I’m glad to hear that you got sober / But now I’ve never drank so much.”
“I’m just glad I’m not so bitter anymore / But it seems these days I just miss the friend I had before.”
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With an aptness for story-telling and delivering a sweet sonic immersion of sentimental folk-pop, Fox stuck with her ‘dream team’ for this track with Curtis Hatton of Studio Truth leading Mixing and Production, Cory Jach on guitar duties, and Mastering by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone (Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves).
Working with her team to ensure the clean, clever production doesn’t drown out her story, Fox hooks you from the first guitar lick.
Mastering melancholy in a way few can, Fox continues to achieves well-earned respect and praise – both within the music industry and households across the state – as she explores the facets of living and loving as a queer person with a stream of moving tracks that glisten with warmth and heartfelt intimacy. While her music is intended for everyone, Fox says her songs are love letters to the queer community she’s so proud to be a part of. And it shows – her latest releases has LGBTQIA+ fans turning up in droves.
“I feel so privileged to know that other queer people are finding comfort in my music. I’m so aware that I speak for only a small portion of our vibrant community, but it’s an honour to have a seat at the table.”
A rare talent that is fearless and unapologetically herself, Fox has once again left a lasting impression in our ears and hearts.
‘Your Best’ is the third burst of musical light from Fox’s highly anticipated sophomore album, set to be released this year. Stream it on Spotify or Apple Music.
