Aya Yves teams up with Lucy Sugerman on the stunning single 'Feels Alright'
Two of Australia’s most promising young talents - Aya Yves and Lucy Sugerman - have teamed up on the stunning new single ‘Feels Alright (acoustic)’.
The moving, piano-led acoustic track was created by an almost all female team: co-written by songwriting heavyweights and performers in their own right Bri Clark & Alex Lahey, with the piano performed by Jessica Arlo Irish.
Detailing the confusion that comes with being unable to commit to a relationship - ‘Everything feels alright / Why can’t I stay the night? / Everything feels alright when I’m with you / Why won’t that do?’ - the track and Yves emotive vocals expertly tread the line between heartbreak, turmoil. yearning and heartbreak.
“The story of how ‘Feels Alright’ came into my world is a funny one,” Yves says. “One night I watched a snippet Bri had put up of her singing the track on her stories, it was what has now become my favourite lyric - ‘You only remember your tea when it’s cold, you tell the same jokes but they never get old, the lines on your face when you talk about where this will go’. Immediately I went straight to Google and scoured the internet because I needed to hear this song on repeat. When I couldn’t find it, I realised Bri must have written it. We spoke about it, she sent me the demo and I listened to it constantly for the next 6 months. With her and Alex’s blessing - I (originally) recorded it solo, with a very electronic based production.
Fast forward to a show at the Oxford Art Factory my usual keys player couldn’t make - I asked Lucy to fill in. We ended up coming back on stage for an encore, playing a version very similar to the one you’re hearing now. It was a beautiful way to close the night - and again a moment that had a lasting impression on me. It felt right (excuse the pun) to honour the song’s original acoustic demo, and that night’s performance - so it was a very natural step to ask Lucy to lend me her vocals for a stripped duet.”
Aya Yves has been making waves in the Australian music industry since the launch of her project in 2020 with the single ‘(in)Sanity’. She released her debut EP What We Look Like With The Light On in 2021 and has the ability to authentically inhabit everything from glistening, electro pop to heartbreaking ballads. Performing at high profile showcases for APRA-AMCOS & Mardi Gras are evidence of her rising star and the excellence she has displayed so early in her career suggest she is an artist that is likely to get even better and bigger in the coming years.
Lucy Sugerman is an equally impressive rising star. Still only 20, she released her debut EP hurt that’s man made last November and has been awarded an APRA AMCOS’ Women in Music Mentorships as well as being part of their first ever Song Generations writing camp at ANU School of Music. Creating pop music that is relatable, cheeky and based on her own emotional ups and downs, Sugerman is an artist to keep a close eye on.
‘Feels Alright’ is out now. You can stream and download here.
To keep up with all things Aya Yves you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
To keep up with all things Lucy Sugerman you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
