Mallrat Confronts Nostalgia, Grief On ‘Horses’

Australian singer/songwriter Grace Shaw’s Mallrat project confronts nostalgia and grief on “Horses,” the latest single from her upcoming album, Light hit my face like a straight right. The 12-track project will be released Feb. 14 via Nettwerk.

“A lot of the lyrics on this song are about going home and how alone that makes me feel,” says Shaw of the Alice Ivy co-write. “The first verse is describing catching the train home from school with my little sister Olivia. She has passed away since I wrote this song and so it really makes me miss her.”

The accompanying “Horses” video, directed by Tim Carroll aims to “capture a glimpse of the hidden magic within rural Australia, the beauty of the simple and unassuming,” he tells SPIN. “By chance, I discovered this during a solo scouting trip to the small town of Rosewood, the last stop on the Ipswich train line. With my camera in hand, I knew straight away that this was the perfect place to bring ‘Horses ‘to life. Its quaint, weathered homes and quiet streets provided the ideal backdrop to explore themes of isolation, nostalgia, and the invisible connections between imagination and reality.”

“I wanted to incorporate our beloved VFX animals into the story as a recurring motif, and it felt perfect to showcase them as Grace’s imaginary friends, her subconscious reflections,” he continued. “These whimsical creatures grow alongside her, symbolising how our imaginary companions evolve with us as we get older. One special moment, where a pony toy is shown alongside a running horse, nods to Grace’s younger self imagining horses running beside the car on road trips with her family.”

“A moment of chaos arrived on the hot, humid afternoon of our shoot when a heavy thunderstorm rolled in, leaving us stranded in our cars before we eventually sought refuge at the local pub,” Carroll says. “An unfortunate hiccup in the plans, but it led to a lovely moment of connection with the crew amid the loss of our precious sunset light. Luckily, the power came back on.”

Here is the track list for Light hit my face like a straight right :

My Darling, My Angel

Pavement

Something for Somebody

Virtue

Defibrillator

The Light Streams in and Hits My Face

Hocus Pocus

Hideaway

Love Songs-Heart Strings

Ray of Light

The Worst Thing I Would Ever Do

Horses

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