Julia Johnson first came to national attention when she won a Triple J Unearthed Songwriting competition in Australia. The elevated style is apparent here, with a drone-fueled heavy-root tonality that reminisces of vast fields of clover. It is a druid's call, written by a bagpipe, with the central theme a sort of Adam's-rib metaphor as a symbol of unity rather than codependence:
“My home is a collarbone
And a neck to bury in to
The rise and fall of another’s chest
Is where I rest my head and release my breath”— Julia Johnson
This is a wonderfully-written song and a surprisingly dynamic arrangement. Starting out with the high and lonesome, as she does here, does not prepare you for the majesty and dark energy of the way this song finishes.
Julia Johnson is a singer-songwriter based in Sydney, Australia. This song is featured on our CHILL NEW Songwriters playlist.