London-based, Melbourne-raised post punk/coldwave/new wave duo HighSchool have unveiled their new single “August 19“, and its accompanying video.
Made up of Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott, HighSchool create intoxicating music, whose debut 2021 EP Forever At Last, is a lo-fi gem of the genre, having already accrued cult-classic status.
“August 19” explores themes of nostalgia, adolescence and young love. Written with the acuity of hindsight, they reflect on how schoolyard romances mean everything at the time, all-encompassing but all too often fleeting. And more so than any previous track, “August 19” leans in on the bedroom pop side of their sound, with Sunken’s Poppy Billingham’s backing vocals a perfect counterpoise to Rory while Luke’s low-slung bass and an infectious driving snare sound keep it only HighSchool.
Speaking about it, lead singer Rory Trobbiani says:
“August 19 was the last track we wrote for the EP and will be the first to be released. It came together so quickly and naturally, we felt it was best not to mess with it and over work it. The title was the date we wrote it. It was saved as a voice memo on my phone and the title never changed.”
Directed by Trobbiani, edited and produced together by Trobbiani and Scott, with cinematography courtesy of Gabriel Monteregge, the enigmatic “August 19” music video is a perfect introduction to the evocative and moody palette of HighSchool’s world.
The band share that “in a general sense, the clip explores overarching themes of warped perceptions of self and the disparity between expectations and reality, a concept that runs throughout the entire EP. It follows our misfit protagonist (Peter Mervai) as he gets ready to go out before taking to the bustling neon-lit streets looking for some nighttime adventure”.
The track is out now through [PIAS], get it here and watch/listen below.
Photo credit: Hannah McKimmie