Georgia van Etten returns with new single 'Deep Black Water'
Geelong born and now London based singer-songwriter Georgia van Etten today releases her new single ‘Deep Black Water’, which is also the title track of her upcoming album.
A gritty, brooding social commentary song which fuses blues, rock and soul, it addresses the inequalities in society, a subject that is close to van Etten’s heart. “‘Deep Black Water’ is a powerful reflection of life as a young person today. Inspired by the stories I have collected from students I have taught in London’s poorest areas and that of my own experiences in a money driven, elitist world," she says. “I wanted to address the unfair reputation bestowed upon my generation and shed light on the reality which sees young people work multiple jobs only to just scrape by, who cannot afford university or are burdened with life-long debt, who face extreme class struggle, racism and live under governments who do not listen.”
van Etten’s rich, expressive vocals imbue the track with gravity and show an impressive versatility after the jazzy, laid back charm of her single from last November ‘I’d Like To Be’. Produced alongside Edwin Ireland, the black water concept came to van Etten after a close encounter with disaster while swimming. “I remember being interested in the concept of black water after a panicked experience with the deep drop off after swimming out too far. I used this as a metaphor for submitting to the cause, being fed up with the system and despite fear - joining the fight for a better future,” she says. “The chant-like chorus came to me first, we used a chain-gang style beat, heavy guitar, eerie synth, dirty organ and chanting backing vocals. The track begins and ends with humming inspired by early blues music from the deep-south and kicks into a bare, march-like call to action that builds into a rocky chorus with a soulful core.”
van Etten moved to the UK from Melbourne six years ago and released her debut EP Live At The Pool Studio in 2017. She has since toured extensively across Europe, the UK and Australia and has also written and recorded with Melbourne based electronic artist Alice Ivy. After a break from releasing music, 2020 saw a succession of new music arrive and 2021 will see van Etten launch her debut album Deep Black Water. Based on its title track, it promises to be as captivating as everything else in this new era of Van Etten’s career.
’Deep Black Water’ is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Spotify or Apple Music.
To keep up with all things Georgia van Etten, you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
