It’s a golden day in Sydney’s inner-west.
The tail-end of spring brings a light breeze as summer draws near, and the pedestrians on the street wear sunglasses and t-shirts, looking content, as the claws of this year’s La Nina fail to clutch the weather for two days in a row.
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There’s a feeling that moments like this bring: a general hopefulness and swelling-in-the-stomach excitement for Sydney’s famed beach-weather. It is also the feeling Sydney-based producer Scruffs’ debut EP, We Outside Now, induces.
Released last week, the project is an ode to the emotional rollercoaster of life inside lockdown, recorded through the ups-and-downs of the pandemic. Veering far from the darkness associated with that period of time, the EP’s 8-song tracklist gives listeners a light at the end of the tunnel. Its soundscapes are light, buoyant and – for lack of a better word – summer-y.
“These are a bunch of songs made in the times of lock out laws and lockdowns. Shit’s been pretty tough the last few years,” Scruff writes on his bandcamp account.
“Being a musician living in Sydney, well anywhere, actually, things are slowly getting better. But these are some songs I’d imagine people listening to in their headphones, out and about. Getting on with life; driving, walking, working, that kind of thing. Like a little movie soundtrack for your life.”
Though the production is laid back and deceivingly simple-sounding, Scruffs has captured complex themes of identity and self-assuredness in a thoughtful and alluring way.
“Wonderful Day”, alongside Melbourne vocalist Savage The Girl, notions a life that doesn’t always go as planned. Savage’s almost pleading delivery points to a song of affirmation: It can be a wonderful day if you make it.
“It can be so easy to look into the sky and not see the sun,” she sings-speaks “Cause you can’t help but think it was night time not too long ago.”
It’s a feeling that, over the pandemic, is more than relatable.
One of the best things about the project, however, is its intimacy and personalization. The track “Party At Justin Street or Deepa’s” is no doubt an ode to DJ and FBi host Deepa – a noteworthy talent on the Sydney-scene.
Other collaborations on the project involve artists like Josef, Mammoth., and the die youngs.
As the days heat up and the winter gloom exits, this is a project set to soundtrack those days in summer when the outdoors becomes a playground for drinking, parties, and beaches. The good stuff.
You can stream Scruffs We Outside Now on various platforms here.
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