The last two years have been a busier stint for Salarymen than most. While many other acts decided to put things on ice as the pandemic took hold, partners Renee de la Motte and Thom Eagleton were just kicking their new project into gear. Fortunately, the duo couldn’t be stopped, and throughout 2020 they began releasing a string of singles which culminated in their gorgeous debut EP Scene Change this past June. Now, not a band that likes to rest, they’ve got the wheels spinning all over again with a brand new single ‘All In Vain’, a track that broadens the summery indie-rock of their debut release with its gleaming production and expansive psychedelic tinge.

Powered by a buoyant rhythm section, the track arrives bursting with colour - first with glowing synths and chugging guitars, and moments later with Renee’s evocative vocals. While 'All In Vain' could’ve been bogged down as it tackles the pressures that come from social media, instead it’s instantly joyous, twisting the lyrical themes to make for a completely uplifting listen. However, although there is a turbulent undercurrent bubbling beneath the soaring melodies and twinkling instrumentation - which momentarily reveals itself as the layers strip back at the bridge - the track never feels weighed down; if anything, it grows more and more spirited as it unwinds before exploding to its close with a searing guitar break.

To celebrate the new single, we caught up with the duo to chat all things Salarymen.

TJ: Hey Renee and Thom, how’s it going? For the unacquainted, what’s the story behind Salarymen?

Thom: We were dating for quite a while before Salarymen came about. Music was always something we wanted to do together, and after multiple bands I was in fizzled out due to broken down relationships, it felt like the right time to embark on a new project together, one which we both had more control over the outcome.

You’ve just released your brand new single ‘All In Vain’. Tell us a bit about how the track came to life.

Renee: ‘All In Vain’ is a true lockdown baby! It came about a few months ago, during the peak when I was working from home. I found myself glued to social media (as most people did) and I just couldn’t pull away. It made me think how much energy and time is used up on these platforms, and how they have increased our narcissistic tendencies on the whole. I showed Thom and he liked the track, so we put the finishing touches on it together. Thom recorded and produced it entirely at home, which is pretty sick.

It’s also matched with a joyous clip crafted by Todd Stephen Logan - how was the experience of creating the video?

Thom: We had to think creatively, as we were limited to the confines of the Inner West Council! But we found some awesome spots we’ve never been to on the way. Todd is a genius and can make anything look great! Unfortunately, we chose the most gloriously-sunny long weekend to do this on, when all our friends were in the park drinking beers!!

This track feels like a clear expansion on the sounds heard on your debut EP Scene Change - how do you see ‘All In Vain’ making sense with your previous music? How do you feel your music developing?

Thom: ‘All In Vain’ is a definite transition from our more lo-fi tracks on Scene Change. We’re still retaining our classic influences, but the writing style is a bit more refined and the production is more contemporary as well.

Renee: We have definitely deepened our musical inspiration over the last year, and you’ll hear a lot of new influences in next year’s releases!

Despite being in and out of lockdown for almost all of the band’s existence, you’ve somehow managed to not stop working on and releasing music. What have your experiences been as a band working during a pandemic? How have you kept motivated?

Renee: It’s been really hard, but also a learning curve. We’ve played way more seated shows than standing (which is crazy!!), but this has taught us to be comfortable performing in all situations. There’s been very little support for the arts industry on a Federal and State government level and with the whole music industry practically forced to shut down, at times we felt very alone and wondered if it was better to just wait until it blew over. But I’m so glad we didn’t.

Now with Australia beginning to open up once again, what are you excited about? Anything we should be looking forward to?

Thom: King Street Carnival if you’re in Sydney! We’re also super excited to catch some international acts like The Strokes, and Gorillaz and finally use our Tame Impala tickets that we’ve been holding on to for two years.