Workhorse - "No Photographs"

Photo by Chelsea Farquhar

Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Workhorse have combined two of our favorite musical elements in such a way that we can't believe it hasn't been done before. When you first hear that "No Photographs" is a blend of the surf rock of Link Wray and the 90's dream pop of bands like Mazzy Star and The Sundays, it might sound like an odd combination. But, once you think about it, that might be an absolute dream of a sound. Workhorse have created this gorgeous, lush, and menacing mixture of sounds for their new song, and for those of us of a certain age this one is thrillingly new and familiar all at once.

Harriet Fraser-Barbour (aka Workhorse) says of her new single:

“I have this huge reliance on photos to provide me with proof of experiences. This is the result of many things, but a bad memory being one of them. I am always afraid that I will forget something significant and I struggle with the thought that a moment can feel hugely profound and then just get lost in my mind or fade away into my memory. That’s the kind of sentimentality that makes me a memory hoarder - constantly collecting or keeping things that serve as reminders of people and times that have felt significant to me. This song is about a holiday which marked a point of change within a relationship that I held very dear. It was a painful time of transition, and where I would normally be desperate to capture memories I instead found myself unable to take photos. Wary of constantly shifting boundaries and perhaps a self protective kind of safeguarding of myself and my memories for the future.”

You can watch the video for "No Photographs" below. No Photographs, the album, is due out August 12 on Dinosaur City Records. It can be pre-ordered here. For more on Workhorse, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram.

Workhorse - "Chain"

Photo by Chelsea Farquhar

Workhorse is the musical project of Adelaide based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Harriet Fraser-Barbour. Her new single, "Chain," is a gorgeous mixture of dream pop and country/folk. The entire song, particularly Fraser-Barbour's vocals, have that dreamy haze of dream pop, but "Chain" has just enough twang in its fuzzed out guitar and violin to give it roots in Americana. As perfect as it is, the styles do clash with each other at times, but all that truly does is give "Chain" even more of its charm and creates a truly compelling song.

Harriet Fraser-Barbour says of the new song:

“‘Chain’ is about mourning the loss of friends within the constant exodus and migration to bigger cities. It’s about craving change, resenting a sense of conservative stagnancy, and seeking an ever illusive sense of belonging and of community.”

You can listen to "Chain" below. No Photographs is due out August 12 on Dinosaur City Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp. For more on Workhorse, check out the artist's Facebook and Instagram.