Songsmith and story seamstress Danika has never been one to shy away from speaking hard truths with her voice and guitar.
Having spent the latter half of 2010’s performing backing vocals for prominent Australian artists 30/70; Sampa The Great and Harmony Byrne, Danika established herself as an absolute force to be reckoned with the release of the experimental folk EP, ‘When Love Comes.’
On her follow-up, the ‘Down Love’ EP, the emerging pop sensation further expands on her infectious alt-folk sound, showcasing her incredible vocal range between a myriad of atmospheric dream-pop pop sensibilities and haunting gothic-western arrangements.
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Opener ‘Coolshit Bullshit’ takes its time, leaning into folk influences by remaining subdued in its approach and allowing for the natural build of vocal harmonizations to act as its driving force.
‘Better Weather’ on the other hand, lends from the 90’s trip-hop sound through jagged rhythms; shuffled snare patterns and a combination of dissonant layers, providing a gradually compounding head-numbing effect akin to Massive Attack’s ‘Angel.’
The stripped-back ‘For My Baby,’ adds a further stylistic changeup by maintaining an ominous; creeping feeling through perfectly paired with the song’s powerful use of vocal effects.
“I felt this selection of songs was an experimental mix of Folk and alternative production techniques. The songs were lovingly crafted in the studio alongside Melbourne Based Producer Nick Hererra using a range of recording techniques to create layers of texture and atmosphere and it was a very interesting, experimental and fun process,” Danika explains.
Written over a three year period between 2016 and 2019, “it was one of the hardest times of my life I’d say. Music provided a place for me to flesh out the anger and frustrations I was feeling, and so these songs are honest journaling of experiences in my life from the moments they were written.”
The most memorable moment of Down Love comes in the form of the closer, ‘Fya’, which sees Danika turn trauma to song, in a triumphant yet heart wrenching display of songsmith candidly unpacking the traumas of her previous abuse. Unafraid to shy away from the truths, ‘Fya’ bears itself as emphatic and profound, cementing Danika as an absolute tour de force as a songwriter.
Before jetting off to Europe for shows, Danika will play a select few shows to celebrate the release of Down Love with appearances at The Warrandyte Festival, and Boogie Festival plus an EP Launch at The Evelyn Hotel on Friday 24 March with support from Hannah Mckittrick and Winten, with tickets on sale now.
Don’t miss Danika’s otherworldly vocals, candid lyrics and hypnotic fingerpicking when Danika and her trio deliver immersive live performances, rich harmonies and grooves this March and April.
Label: Endless Recordings
Release date: 10/03/23
