After a year holed up writing her own EP, racking up millions of plays on Spotify and even having her song play on The Vampire Diaries, St. South is hanging up her synths and laptop, focusing on what made us fall in love with her in the first place; that beautiful voice.
Hailing from Fremantle, St. South (AKA Olivia Gavranich) has been making waves around the coastal town since 2012. Her talents were first realised when she won a spot on Bon Iver’s experimental Stem Project album. While it’s clear from her debut EP Nervous Energy that she’s got a knack for it, she’s heading back to her roots with an acoustic setup and emphasis on her soulful voice.
At six minutes long with naught but guitar and vocals, Inure from St. South is a lyrical, emotional and overwhelmingly personal triumph.
The upcoming EP titled Inure is a collection of first-take bedroom recordings that are set to hit you right in the feelings. She says about the record, “If Nervous Energy was the laying down of my love, Inure is the excavation”.
The first single and the title track from the EP is out now to kick off Gavranich’s excavation.
St. South has always had a voice that you could listen to on its own. The new, stripped back direction by the Western Australian sees her emphasise the importance of lyrics in her songs. The melancholic ode sees South addressing a former partner as she reflects on their relationship and becomes inured to life without them.
As she laments and accepts the end of the relationship, she describes mundane, nostalgia-evoking scenes that she asks her lover to cherish as she does. She sings, “Remember/Remember me/When you fall in love again.”
The lone guitar strumming mixed with the honest vocals are reminiscent of Julien Baker or Julia Jacklin and the gentle fragility in her voice has touches of Lisa Mitchell surrounding it.
The rest of the Inure EP is due out in November and is sure to make for a diverse concert experience when she takes it to an audience. While there’s no plan for a tour yet, we can’t wait to see her bringing out the new jams on stage.
St. South has also recently released a remix of her song Why Wait by Veil as part of the Thirty Days of Yes mixtape for marriage equality. Acts like Cub Sport, Marcus Whale and Lucianblomkamp are also appearing on the mixtape.
Inure, the single, is out now.
