Melbourne-Based Indie Artist Underlay Unveils New EP “Sick Like A Kid”; Releases Video For ‘Through Your Teeth’
February 2, 2024 BY Emma Orland
Today, Melbourne-based indie-rock artist underlay (the musical brainchild of Melbourne via Newcastle via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia multi-instrumentalist Cody Broughman), unveils his new EP, Sick Like A Kid. His first release with Nettwerk, the record arrives alongside a music video for single ‘Through Your Teeth’. You can listen to the EP here.
Underlay’s new EP Sick Like AKid was written across the three different houses Cody lived in from 2020 to 2022, with a song on the EP bookmarking each location. The record soundtracks a pivotal time in Cody’s life, following the chaos of 2020 where he lost everything in a house fire in the first week of lockdown.
“That was the start of it all. I’d been doing underlay as a side project while on tour with another band, and the house fire was just a wake-upcall for me. I just thought, ‘I should be taking this more seriously,’” Cody says.
WATCH/SHARE “THROUGH YOUR TEETH” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/yko-u3VBz8I?si=Tntacd7Z8QqMWedB
Produced with long-time collaborator, Vacations’ frontman Campbell Burns, Sick Like A Kid feels like a modern blend of the best of 2010’s indie. The EP is decidedly bombastic, confident in itself and in the intricate, buzzing layers that wrap around Cody’s coy but poignant lyrics. It feels comfortable in a few worlds, like The Wombats’ eccentric sibling, or Bleachers with a darker edge.
Through Cody’s powerful, driving songwriting, he shares memories of breakups, new relationships and the breakdown of old ones, and struggling through illness while trying to find balance in the world again – each chapter layered with his own raw vulnerability while leaving space for listeners to bring their own experiences, as if in deep conversation with a close friend.
Of the EP, Cody says, “ This EP is more of a diary entry than anything for me. When I look back over my life during the period that I wrote the record, every significant event has a song in there and I can pinpoint exactly how I was feeling by listening back. I’ve always thought of writing music as an exercise of screaming into the void, the idea of throwing some of the most personal and intimate moments of my life out into the public sphere is so cathartic and something very special to share. It can also be a bizarre dichotomy of laying yourself bare, but also really hiding in plain sight. There are so many lines in there that only myself or the people around will really understand, but the idea that someone could project their own experiences onto them is what makes music so special.
“These songs have sat with me for quite a number of years now, whether hidden in the live show or sitting on a hard drive, and it feels like such a breath of fresh air to finally have them out to the public. I’ve always written music purely for myself, and I’ve learnt over time that sharing songs isn’t an intrusion, it’s an invitation. I’ve lived this, now we can all share the same experiences and emotions together.”
SICK LIKE A KID EP TRACKLISTING
Through Your Teeth
Family Lines
Haircut
Ought
Father’s Name
ABOUT UNDERLAY:
underlay combines jangly guitars, analogue synths, and introspective yet brazenly honest lyrics to create his self-described brand of “nervous pop.” After working behind the scenes in the studio or appearing on stage for acts such as Fritz, OILBARON, Chakra Efendi, and fellow Nettwerk artist Vacations, Cody released his self-titled solo EP in 2021. underlay touches on sounds reminiscent of bands like Smith Westerns, Beach Fossils, The Strokes, and Girls. His live shows bring a DIY energy and sound underpinned with dry humor. He has toured alongside acts including Slowly Slowly, Stand Atlantic, and Stumps.
