Georgia Mooney (one quarter of ARIA Award-winning folk band All Our Exes Live In Texas) is here with her brilliant new single ‘Break It Off’. In addition she shares news of her eagerly anticipated debut album Full of Moon, due for release August 25 via Nettwerk.
Break It Off comes as a stunning taster ahead of her debut record and the accompanying video is bursting with playful energy.
Pulling inspiration from the theatrical sounds of ABBA and Rufus Wainwright, ‘Break It Off’ is pure high drama, a melodramatic and shamelessly camp take on infatuation ending in pain, fuelled by desperate yearning and stubborn sentimentality.
Georgia Mooney shares “it is about being powerless to somebody’s charms. When a relationship is terribly bad for you, but the infatuation is overwhelming. When you’re not receiving enough in return, there is a desperation that the person will have a miraculous epiphany and realise they’re actually madly in love. There is an inability to let go of that hope, to the extent where the only option is to be dumped ruthlessly!” Mooney’s celestial vocals dance above luscious layers of instrumentation: gentle piano, a 70s-esque synth, and shimmering strings, all buoyed by bass and shuffling drums reminiscent of classic 60s pop.
The ‘Break It Off’ video sees a dazzling 80s-worthy collaboration with Eora-founded aerobics queens Retrosweat. Devised as “if Pat Benatar made an instructional workout video”, Georgia Mooney sings as a portrait on the wall of a beautiful, surreal set that the trio of dancers perform in. As well as being wonderfully theatrical, it’s also the avenue through which Mooney presents an ode to one of her greatest loves – Benedict Cumberbach. She shares, “It is no secret that I have something of a celebrity crush on Benedict Cumberbatch. I do not suffer from celebrity worship syndrome in general, nor do I ever get star struck, I cannot explain the spell that was cast on me when first I clapped eyes and ears on Cumberbatch. Surely something to do with the rather lovely, clever-sounding accent and the period costume attire…When I wrote the lyric “you’re not a patch on Benedict Cumberbatch”, I gave myself the rest of the day off.”
Georgia Mooney’s upcoming debut album ‘Full Of Moon’ features previously released singles ‘War Romance’ and ‘I Am Not In A Hurry’. The record is a meticulously crafted sonic universe that tells stories of the beauty and potency of vulnerability, and the complexities of connection and perception, carried by Mooney’s soaring ethereal voice over lush, cinematic soundscapes.
Co-produced with Grammy Award-winning heavyweight Noah Georgeson (Cate Le Bon, Devendra Banhart, Marlon Williams, Joanna Newsom), Full of Moon is a glorious and imaginative sonic fresco, rich in texture and colour, and as wide in scope as the seductive intimacy of Mooney’s stunning vocals and confronting and deftly observed lyrics. The diversity of her songwriting is on full display: from Kate Bush-esque artful pop on ‘War Romance’, to 80s-inspired eccentricity on ‘Some Of Us’, to folk songs like ‘What An Inconvenience’ and ‘What’ll I Do’ which feel instantly timeless, as Mooney combines a breadth of influences to create a world and sound uniquely her own.
With the original plan to record Full of Moon in LA during 2020 out the window, Mooney and Georgeson used the situation to their advantage and recruited some of their all-time favourite musicians from three continents to contribute to the making of the album remotely. Rob Moose (Phoebe Bridgers, boygenius, Bon Iver) contributed magnificent string parts to six songs from his studios in NYC, Sam Dixon (Adele) anchors, twists and transports songs with his creative basslines sent from London, Marcus Hamblett (Laura Marling, Villagers) crafted worlds within worlds with layers of synths, guitars and horns from Brighton, with Ben Edgar (Angus & Julia Stone), who brings unique texture with his eclectic guitar parts from Germany, and renowned jazz drummer Evan Mannell’s impeccable and inventive rhythms, collaborating from Mooney’s home of Eora/Sydney. She shares, “there was something magical about doing it remotely, it felt like Christmas morning each time I woke to an email with a new part. I think the space allowed us to be more creative. We were sending each other little musical postcards from around the world and it was profoundly meaningful to connect through music during that time. Most of the musicians who played on the record, including Noah, I have never met, yet we share a special bond now.”
First finding fame as one quarter of acclaimed folk band All Our Exes Live in Texas, Georgia Mooney (she/her) is an ARIA-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Alongside her impressive career in music, Mooney co-hosts the Simply Marvellous podcast with Rhys Nicholson and Kyran Wheatley and is also the creator of SUPERGROUP, a wonderfully entertaining musical variety show that brings together an eclectic mix of musicians to perform each other’s songs and tell weird and wonderful stories from the road.
The critically acclaimed show toured in 2022 after several years in residency in Eora/Sydney and has featured 42 special guests including Tim Minchin, Hannah Joy (Middle Kids), Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music), Clare Bowditch and more. Together with All Our Exes Live In Texas, she has toured the world several times over, including as special guests of the iconic Midnight Oil, Backstreet Boys, Nathaniel Ratelif and a host of others.
Mooney’s debut single ‘War Romance’ and gorgeous follow up single ‘I Am Not In A Hurry’ attracted support from Under The Radar, Wonderland, The Daily Telegraph, ABC Radio National Breakfast and more. In addition it was added to rotation on Double J, PBSFM, and Edge Radio with airplay from 2SER, FBi Radio, Triple R and more.
