Harrison Storm’s sublime second album, Empty Garden, casts a spell from the moment it opens, starting with sonic shifts from hypnotic pop and ghostly folk, which then swerves into rock boasting bold arrangements, layered backing vocals and lush instrumentation.

The plan was a step up in production from last year’s debut album, Wonder, Won’t You?, which followed the Melbourne musician’s five EPs of assured alt-folk. To date, his songs have racked up 550 million global streams and aired on Triple J and Radio 2. His hit Sense of Home was certified Gold in Canada.

Lyrically, Empty Garden deals with a break-up, digging into emotions and detecting patterns to prevent them being repeated. Never has Harrison bared so much. Nor has he ever been as open to advice.

Some of Empty Garden was written with musicians on road trips and at writing camps, such as Winona Oak on “Someone Else.” Harrison’s main collaborator, however, was producer Freddy Alexander, whom he met in Stockholm last spring. Over numerous visits to the city and months on WhatsApp, the pair recorded ten tracks, a handful of which they co-wrote.

The relationship at the heart of Empty Garden came to an end in late 2023, shortly before Wonder, Won’t You? was released. Harrison spent much of 2024 touring around the world, and on adventures in between, songs simply flowed.

“With distance, you can appreciate the good times and be grateful for the joy that they brought you,” he says. “Without endings, there can’t be beginnings.”

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