Alt-Folk Songwriter Lawson Hull Shares A Melancholic New Song and Video, “Leaving”

Last week, Australian alt-folk songwriter Lawson Hull shared the melancholic anthem “Leaving.” Lawson reflects on a relationship gone wrong with warm acoustics, hazy electric guitar lines, and a driving backbeat that almost feels like a train engine on the run. Listen to “Leaving” on all digital retailers (here).

“Breakups can unfold in the weirdest of ways and you don’t necessarily process the breakdown of the relationship in a linear way,” Lawson says recalling the end of a relationship that inspired the song. “It’s sporadic and a bit of a puzzle that makes sense over time.”

The mesmerizing music video sees two lovers literally intertwined until one decides to cut the ties and be free. Despite leaving, they still feel the pull of their past life and former relationship, working to get back to a place of ease. The representation illustrates how people can impact us and how relationships leave their mark even after we’ve watched someone come and go. 

“Leaving” joins recent release “Wanna Be With You” to appear on Lawson’s upcoming EP Mountain Days, out February 11th via Nettwerk.

WATCH & SHARE “LEAVING” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/raopIcKKZtQ

Describing himself as “an Aussie take on Tom Petty, but half as good”, Lawson Hull’s modesty does little to conceal his immense musical and lyrical talent. Warm, atmospheric, and spacious, Lawson’s music oozes comfort, and places him amongst Australia’s greatest contemporary indie folk voices: think Angus and Julia Stone, Boy and Bear and #1 Dads.

The Newcastle-based artist merges fascinating prose with cinematic production and artful songcraft on his 2021 EP, Hangin’ Out with Cowboys. Personally, he’s “not much for cowboy hats.” However, much like the title suggests, he’s got a few friends who are. This body of work bottles the expanse of the outback’s breathtaking vistas into robust guitars, dreamy beats, and chantable hooks. With a little poetic license and tasteful embellishment, Lawson’s deft and dynamic storytelling brings these tracks to life with all the gusto of a classic flick.

Since the EP, Lawson has gifted us with an acoustic version of the much beloved “Mexico,” produced by Byron Bay’s Garrett Kato. Then, in mid-2022, he teamed up with Hein Cooper on “Maze,” a heady track that ruminates on an exhausting and isolating struggle with anxiety and self-doubt: “I got caught in the maze again”. Before that, we heard “Sweetheart,” a collaboration with Nashville songwriter and producer Old Sea Brigade. The track tells the story of a man reminiscing on the earlier days of a relationship. A connection that was once intimate and warm has now turned distant, with Lawson pleading “sweetheart, you’re slipping through my hands.” With performances alonside Julia Stone, Riley Pearce and Hein Cooper over the past year, Lawson Hull proves himself one to watch.

Now, Lawson returns with his newly announced EP Mountain Days. Mountain Days represents a time and place; memories from living on a little mountain in the Watagan Ranges of New South Wales. “Isolated in nature, the songs of the EP are bound together by all the things that make writing up here feel special,” Lawson reflects. “It’s running up the mountain between bouts of creative block. It’s the getting distracted by squabbling parrots out the window. The hosting of backyard parties with bonfires and loud music, or a quiet cup of tea in the morning with my wife.”