Grace Robinson Drops Debut Single ‘harder than you think’
For fans of Julia Jacklin and Sharon Van Etten.
Image Krystal Torre
A 10-year veteran of the Australian music scene, singer-songwriter Grace Robinson has finally released her debut single, ‘harder than you think’.
The Naarm/Melbourne-based artist has done everything from booking national tours to undergoing five years of jazz voice training at the VCA to co-fronting an electronic pop group.
Adding solo artist to her impressive resume, ‘harder than you think’ was written by Robinson after she went through a hard period in her life. Very much in the confessional vein of Julia Jacklin, the track is a foot-tapping indie rock trap that allows Robinson’s understated voice to take centre stage.
“I wrote this song when I finally started to feel a little better and recover from a pretty epic burnout, but realised I was approaching healing like it was a test I could win,” Robinson says. “I wanted to get an A+ in recovery, which unfortunately completely defeats the purpose of recovering from burnout. The song kind of pokes fun at that mindset. You can’t be ‘the best’ at healing (apparently). It takes time, and it’s never neat or easy.”
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‘harder than you think’ is accompanied by a music video directed by Hugo Kohler. Shot in a single day at Royal Park with a crew of three, the clip features Robinson thrust into a world where life is like playing a game you are trying to win as she performs various tasks unsuccessfully, as a doppelgänger of herself stands by, offering a running commentary of criticism.
Despite being Robinson’s first solo release, the creative has a storied history in the music biz, having co-written on an ARIA-nominated jazz record at 19, performed at Drak Mofo, fronted electro-soul outfit Empress and performed alongside the likes of Middle Kids, Hiatus Kaiyote and Sampa The Great.
Now ready to tell her own story, the future remains bright for this remarkable talent.
‘harder than you think’ by Grace Robinson is out now. Listen here.
