Despite being his debut release, Gerard Starling is no stranger to the musical world - growing up, he was drawn to the drums via his family’s Tupperware cupboard, before picking up the guitar at 16 and trying his hand at songwriting. Now with a huge collection of music amongst different projects, it seems fitting that he’s finally stepping out under his own name with ‘7:30’. Brimming with heart and served up with conviction, it’s easy to see Gerard’s time spent honing his craft shining through the track.

Beginning with a gentle acoustic lilt, ‘7:30’ forms around Gerard’s tender vocals, as he weaves a wistful melody through the ebbing chords. The track widens open with some stark percussion and shimmering guitars, and continues to slowly unfold as the layers build upon themselves and amass into an intoxicating soundscape. As the instrumentation blooms, it’s Gerard’s hushed voice that anchors the track, masterfully creating a mood that feels both poignant and unassuming at the same time. Describing the track, Gerard explains "'7:30' is the midst of winter, a broken down rental in Camberwell, heartbreak, a $20 heater from Bunnings that made you worried about falling asleep next to it, in a bedroom filled with all your life’s collection of records and figuring out what’s next in the world and my place in it while living with heartbreak and heartache."

It’s a really impressive introduction into Gerard’s world, and points to exciting things to come from his forthcoming debut album Once I Straggled In, which is set to be released in the next year. In the meantime, you can catch Gerard as he launches the single at Some Velvet Morning on April 30th, joined by a band for the first time.