The Breakdown
Fronted by Mary Shannon of Meres, Launceston band Dvrkworld deliver an icy, glacial form of shoegaze that seems intrinsically linked to the wild terrain and the weather in the southern isle at the very edge of the world.
Formed in early 2023 by Mary Shannon and Drew Farrant-Jayet and later joined by Shawn Arnold and Ryan Unger, the band blends an eclectic mix of garage-rock, dream-pop, psychedelic-rock, shoegaze, and grunge. In such a short time they are proving to be one of the most exciting indie bands emerging across Australia, delivering exciting live performances and just as mesmerising recordings.
Dvrkworld are proving to be something quite special wielding their surgeon-precise scalpel to cut out momentous riffs and mountainous sounds filled with a satisfying darkness wrapped in scaling pop melodies and yearning velvet vocals. There are no doubt genetic traces of giants like My Bloody Valentine, Lush and Slowdive in the entrails, but the reconstructed body and soul is purely of their own making.
Their debut self-titled EP, out today, delivers on all the promises of their earlier singles by creating a collection of dark-edged fuzz-laden pop that shines through the miasma of today’s existence with an incandescent light.
Opening track ‘Apraxia’ snuggles up to you like a Tasmanian tuxedo with its warm layers of slightly warped guitars, enveloping and immersive. It’s like a sonic version of the Danish concept of hygge but transported by the distant glacial vocals to another dimension. Indeed the vocals are hypnotic – coasting every so slightly under the mix, an epic melody that creates an endless horizon above the shimmering guitars and driving insistent beats.
And the lyrics add a poetic and ethereal grace. Apraxia is a neurological disorder that can manifest itself in an inability to speak – a fitting palimpsest for internal struggle:
Apraxia
Moving too far from how it’s meant to be
If I could have my own words
A mouth that’s wholly moulded by belief
Would you follow me?
The band says of the track:
The song ‘Apraxia’ delves into the complexities of self-expression and the emotional aftermath of trauma. Through evocative lyrics, it explores the struggle to communicate authentically in the face of inner turmoil and neurological barriers. Themes of acute resentment and the haunting effects of past experiences are highlighted, depicting a journey of detachment and longing for inner peace. Ultimately, ‘Apraxia’ is a narrative of resilience and the quest for healing, inviting listeners to embrace their vulnerabilities and find solace in stillness and self-acceptance.
The end result is quite magnificent and enigmatic – lyrics, vocals and instrumentation combining powerfully to create something statuesque and powerful.
The track comes with a psych-infused video, filmed and edited by Jeremy Urbaniak, following a mysterious hood character through urban landscapes, expansive star-studded skies and wild greenery:
Crisp crumbling, tremorous guitar riffs arch throughout ‘Lotus’ as Shannon’s vocals deliver a melodious anthemic chorus that extends through to ‘Morality Complex’ with its warbled instrumentation and cinematic, wall-of-noise sweep. Both songs are augmented by the delicate harmonies and an aching melancholy.
According to the band, ‘Lotus’
…was actually an older song written by guitarist Drew back in Covid lockdowns after experiencing a profound personal loss. Musically the song is quite up-beat, perhaps as an attempt to create some contrast and balance from the lyrical content. The song is about the involuntary transformative journeys (for better or for worse) that we as humans go through in grief. The idea was for the lotus to symbolise what could have been – growth, renewal – something divine? Yet in grief that transformation can feel just out of reach…
‘Agony’ dials back the layers as Shannon’s velvet vocals stand to the fore with a passion delivery redolent of P.J Harvey or Sharon Van Etten.
(the song was)…originally written as a solo Mary Shannon song about feeling disconnected and lost in the relentless movement of life. The song was also originally recorded as a solo piece (just guitar and vocals) with our friend and mixing engineer Spiro Noutsatos. Spiro was given free reign to produce the song and ended up recording the rest of the instruments. We ended up loving it so much that we couldn’t not include it on the EP (Thanks Spiro!).
‘Bonnie’ also has within its genetic code traces of MBV, Curve, Lush, Ride and bands of that ilk, and yet the end result is its own unique product: scything, jangling guitars and distant, observant vocals that cut through the wall of sound. Shannon’s vocals are frosty and rent with a velvet gossamer softness cloaking a steely spine as she delivers powerful indelible melodies. The pounding rhythms and crystalline guitars drive the frenetic pace; a wall of sound as dramatic as the Walls of Jericho in the Tasmanian hinterlands.
Shannon says of the track:
Named after the band’s drummer’s beloved canine companion, ‘Bonnie’ explores the tension between the desire to stay true to oneself and the pressure to conform. Much like a dog’s inherent loyalty and unconditional love, ‘Bonnie’ serves as a metaphor for the yearning to be fully accepted and not alone.
There is an enigmatic poetry in the lyrics that encapsulates a sense of dark mystery and mysticism:
And as the image starts
To break apart
You’re left chasing
The remains of everything I’m not
The accompanying video – filmed and edited by the multi-talented Shannon – is a series of fuzzy blurred purple-bleached visuals that captures the band in performance against a backdrop of dramatic landscapes and the starring pooch. It is a fitting visualisation of the maelstrom of sound:
‘Sinking Ship’ voyages on the cold Antarctic waters, antithetically buoyant and febrile with a fuzzy bass that eviscerates with malevolent intent before pounding drums and jangling guitars enter the fray. Tendrils of misty fog straight off the wild mountain hinterland seem to thread through every note and mix in with the shimmering guitars and the gossamer soft yet disassociated vocals.
Shannon says of the track:
‘Sinking Ship’ was written as an outlet to convey feelings of isolation and resignation. When withdrawing from the world and grappling with the weight of fears and uncertainties, the song’s lyrics are an attempt to connect and resonate with those who have experienced similar feelings of being adrift and disconnected.
The entire track is soaked in a heady atmosphere, a sonic onslaught filled with a theatricality and an eloquent moodiness.
‘Us’ has the signature sound that calls up an Antarctic chill with filtered beams of guitar chiming sunshine and a dark ominous presence, Dvrkworld have summoned up from the depths another glittering prize that creates a shoegaze blast and scaling pop melodies.
Indeed, within the musical threads of ‘Us’ can be detected an engaging mix of Siouxsie Sioux locked in a danse macabre with Lene Lovich, P.J. Harvey and Bjork to a soundtrack created by members of The Cure, Ride and an out of control merry-go round. A carnival of utter delight.
Lyrically born from the seeds of today’s chaotic environment, the band says of the track:
‘Us’ was one of those songs driven more by feeling than concept, though they’re deeply intertwined. Personally, I’ve been grappling with the seemingly endless barrage of global atrocities and the constant sense of guilt—whether it’s within my own life, my family, my community, or the broader issues we face as a society. There’s this underlying mantra of “maybe the world would be better off without humans.” So, the song is about exploring that feeling and finding ways to manage it day-to-day. The ‘Think Global, Act Local’ ideology has really helped me navigate this.
If I can’t fix the world, I can at least live in a way that reflects my values within my own circles, using whatever privilege I have to make positive change, support others, and somehow keep the dream of a better world alive. The line ‘I choose us’ is meant to be a sort-of call to action, or a call to ourselves—to show up for each other, be kind, fucking vote, and do everything you can to support those around you in this beautiful, yet entirely cooked world. It’s a reminder that, even when it feels completely dire, there are still ways to help, to contribute, and to stand up for a more inclusive and less violent society.
The fatalistic lyrics filters through the anthemic delivery:
Bliss
Leveraging my mind
Fear and truth always designed
Just how much did you pay for it this time?
Apathy on high
I can’t get a grip on what
Is real or really overstated
The track is accompanied by a video shot and cut by Shannon – shaky, warm and fuzzy captures of the band at play that contrasts with the darker messages – a symbol perhaps of optimism and refuge in the personal when storm clouds gather.
There is a detectable journey from the opening track and it’s themes of alienation through to the apotheosis and call to arms of ‘Us’.
This EP is stirring stuff from Dvrkworld who join a pantheon of incredible bands based in Lutruwita/Tasmania – an island with a miniscule population that punches way above its weight in terms of dynamic innovative music (A.Swayze and the Ghosts, TEENS, Luca Brasi, Christopher Coleman, Bully Hay, follow, Rowan Smith, Verticoli, EWAH and the Vision of Paradise to name but a few).
‘Dvrkworld’ is out now through Psych Salad Records in Australia/New Zealand and Europe with local shipping options available via The Weird Beard in the UK and Echodelick Records in the USA. You can download and stream through the link above and here.
The band will be launching the EP at the Altar Bar in Hobart on 4 April 2025 and the Royal Oak in Launceston on 11 April 2025 – tickets here.
No Comment