Denim Gorgeous – “Songs from the Shelf”
Denim Gorgeous is an emerging Indie Folk/Indie Rock artist. Originally from Australia, Denim Gorgeous now calls the “ever-expansive road” his home. He already has an EP under his belt, and recently released a new one: “Songs from the Shelf”. This EP is filled with folksy guitar chords and light drumming that will have you tapping your foot along the entire time! With the release of his new EP, Denim Gorgeous is on the road to greatness, both literally and figuratively!
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to speak to Denim Gorgeous about the making of this EP. He was extremely forthcoming, sharing a ton of personal information giving you insight into exactly where he is coming from when creating music. “Songs from the Shelf is a really person and paramount record to me. It came out of the dust that I’d let settle on my youth as I willingly turned away. I’d been traveling in Central America and something pretty tragic happened to me that saw me stranded in a rural Mexico hospital with no belongings, cash or contact. In short, I had to be evacuated home to Australia to my family, a place I hadn’t been in many years, and to a place I had in many ways abandoned. There, beat down and broke, I was forced to unpack the boxes carried between new homes in the years I’d been away, the only things in my possession being a guitar I’d left at home and a bed in my dad’s house. Among the boxes, I unpacked notebooks upon notebooks of lyrics scribbles, chord progressions and songs I’d jotted in the years of my youth. All but forgotten for the sake of being written at a time when I didn’t know my abilities. Within these pages was the youth I so desperately tried to evade, filled with angst, itch and confusion of self-identity. It was those same emotions that sent me away for years. I resisted those songs, now older with a refined style and voice, like therapy in a time of emotional bruising and felt it poignant to bring them to life. From those many songs, 5 emerged and created “Songs from the Shelf”. All I can say is wow! Typically I don’t include full quotes like this, but the sincerity in Denim Gorgeous’s words and the personal information he was willing to share deserves to be heard by his fans!
“Songs from the Shelf” is a fantastic five song EP. Each song was written and recorded with such strong emotions that it can be felt while listening to it. Denim Gorgeous kicks off the album with a minute and twenty seconds instrumental introduction on the song This Goes Nowhere. I love this intro to the album! It gives off a huge Mumford & Sons vibe and is infectious. The second the music started, my foot was tapping along to the beat. In my opinion, the first song can tell you so much about what to expect of the remainder of that album. This Goes Nowhere perfectly hooks the listener!
Denim Gorgeous continues “Songs from the Shelf” with Feed on the Lonely, my favorite song from the EP. The song incorporates a quick guitar riff, similar to that of one you would hear on a John Butler song. The song is filled with fast paced, indie guitar chords that will put a smile on your face no matter what mood you’re in. Despite the positive, upbeat instrumentals of the song, the emotional youth that Denim Gorgeous spoke to me about can be heard on the lyrics. “Modern days are zooming past, overwhelmed and overcast, and I’m just getting blazed, losing track. I know my fears will eventually find me, catch me off guard cuz they feed on the lonely”.
“Songs from the Shelf” isn’t just an Indie-Folk album. Denim Gorgeous went a little out of the comfort zone of the album when recording For Pascal, the fourth song on the EP. Unlike the folksy instrumentals that can be heard on the rest of the EP, this song incorporates more of a hip hop element, similar to Citizen Cope. It’s awesome to see an artist take on a style that is a little different from what they are used to and absolutely kill it! Denim Gorgeous does a great job incorporating this hip hop element while sticking to his Indie-Folk/Rock roots. Denim Gorgeous ended the EP with Damn Shame. This is a song that is going to be a fan favorite. It is exactly the type of song you would expect on an Indie Folk/Indie Rock album. The guitar chords that are played are very similar to Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers. Just like those bands, Denim Gorgeous does a stellar job of creating music that people will love to sing along to.
Prior to a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Denim Gorgeous. After listening to his music these past few weeks, I only see positive things for his future. This is a guy that should be playing festivals and selling out shows! Make sure you support his music! Check out music from “Songs from the Shelf” on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!