This week Naarm/Melbourne artist Kaiyah Mercedes released their first EP, What Comes Next.
Never one to do things conventionally, their debut EP actually comes after two full length albums. Kaiyah began writing the songs for this collection when they were 17.
The EP navigates the painful arc of a relationship breakup. In many ways, it’s an EP about growing up, surviving difficult situations and emerging with hope and resilience. So it feels somewhat fitting that Kaiyah is releasing this the year they enters their 20s and leaves their teenage years behind.
“It’s a project that has lived with me for quite some time.” says Kaiyah, “These songs were written as I learned to live again after dealing with a breakup. They really demonstrate the turning point where heartbreak turns into independence and strength.”
We caught up with Kaiyah a couple of months ago and they shared how they’ve broadening their musical influences this time around, and What Comes Next is definitely a clear reflection of this. You can hear the rock inspiration on recent single 3 Month Blackout. The track tells the story of coming to the end of a whirlwind romance and is driven by a punchy drum beat and distorted guitars. There’s lighthearted pop anthem and EP opening track I’m Gonna Be Famous (How Cute) and gentle love song 555 closes out the record.
New track, Seventeen, released just a day out from the EP sees Kaiyah team up with Emily Moyes for this indie-rock number. Wracked with teenage self-doubt, it’s the track that feels the most raw emotionally, with Emily’s gentle, reverb heavy vocals softening the harsher elements of the song.
While the variety of influences definitely means it’s not the kind of EP you can just sink into, it gives a stunningly accurate portrayal of the emotional journey post breakup. The anger, the grief and low self-esteem, yet also the freedom and the acceptance. It’s a clever little concept project that allows each state of mind to be explored but doesn’t dwell in any one stage of emotion for too long. It’s the kind of project that would have fallen apart as a longer album, as it would have inevitably ended up heading too much in one emotional direction, but as a five track EP it works wonderfully, hitting you with a wave of emotion before moving onto something new.
Listen to What Comes Next here.