Since we last spoke to Kill The Darling, it’s very clear they’ve been working towards a very distinct end game. New single ‘You Were Just A Building’ has Kill The Darling continuing to smother their crafty folk songwriting in dark, fuzzed-out grunge sounds and exhibiting Tasha Lloyd’s hypnotically diverse vocal style, as they continue to balance poignant with visceral seamlessly. Opening with just an unassuming acoustic guitar and vocals, the track is quick to reveal the darkness beneath the surface, and soon enough the folk guitars are just as much a part of the wall of sound as the pounding drums and burning guitar leads are. Complete with a chorus that marries Tasha’s melodic sensibility with sprawling noise and a frenzied guitar solo that knows no limits, ‘You Were Just A Building’ comfortably asserts Kill The Darling as an act to keep an eye on, and does nothing but suggest exciting things to come from the forthcoming release.

With the new EP in the bank and ready for release, we got in touch with Kill The Darling to check in on that finding yourself journey and what to expect from the new release before they launch it at the Labour In Vain on the last day of winter.

TJ: Sounds like you’ve been busy since we last spoke. How’d this new single all come about?

KTD: We have! This song and in fact, all the songs on the upcoming EP were written in the space of about 6 months and chronicle the dissolution of a long distance relationship. Real Taylor Swift kind of stuff - although we prefer the Paul Kelly Spring and Fall reference. Tasha brought this song to rehearsals and it’s one of those songs that just seemed to work from the get-go. It just has a real bluesy, cool groove!

'You Were Just A Building’ continues to build on the grungier sound we heard on your last single. Has that been a conscious decision?

It has been. This tune has that dynamic balance that we feel is really important and something we’ve based ourselves largely on in a musical sense - you don’t have any light without darkness. So we’ve maintained our folky roots with that singer/songwriter intimacy, but blown it out with more layered ornamentation - heavier guitars and a rhythm section that we think carries a lot of weight.

'You Were Just A Building' is the first taster of the EP you’re about to release. What can we expect from this one?

Yeah our forthcoming EP was written as a song cycle, which explores the process of reconstruction that follows a decision to leave both a city and a lover. Each song is a complete and compelling chapter in the narrative, but the story is undoubtedly strongest when heard from start to finish. The first track, ‘You Are the City I Love’ is a meditation on doubt - the uncertainty of departure, and the impossibility of separating person from place. This single closes the EP on a defiant, surprisingly joyful note: "You had me doubting it, now I own it, man - I’m a fucking legend."

You’re launching the EP on the 31st of August. How’s the night shaping up?

It’s shaping up nicely and we’re all super keen for it! We’ve got Ruby Jones (formerly one of Clairy Browne’s Bangin’ Rackettes) for support who is absolutely amazing and one of our favourite local songwriters. It’s all going down at The Labour In Vain on the 31st August, which we haven’t played before but we’re certainly no strangers to.

You’re finishing your winter on a huge high. Got much planned for spring and summer?

Yeah, we’ve already got another EP finished and lurking in the dark behind us, so we’ll be releasing that into the wilds of the internet towards the end of the year. We’re also looking at playing a few gigs interstate for the first time which is really exciting. After that, it’s back into the studio to record a batch of new tunes we’ve written lately! Throw enough shit at the wall and eventually something will stick, ey?