EP PREMIERE: The Lovely Days - Arms Wide Open

Melbourne-via-Mullumbimby rockers The Lovely Days release their new EP, Arms Wide Open, tomorrow, but The Music is stoked to be premiering the new work in full ahead of its arrival.

The band’s refined retro influences are obvious from the opening strains of sunny opener Mornington, overflowing with psychedelic pop-rock vibes that would be effortlessly at home on any ‘60s or ‘70s best-of compilation.

The five-track collection is described by vocalist/keyboardist Tennyson Nobel as being “about welcoming the power of possibility into your life”.

“It explores hopefulness, vulnerability, openness and retreat, but learning how to deal with life’s uncertainty — and that it doesn’t always go the way we plan,” he said in a statement.

The EP was self-recorded over 10 days in Melbourne, with Mornington receiving special love from mix-master Eric Dubowsky (Flume/Nick Murphy).

Arns Wide Open follows last year’s debut self-titled EP and stands as a polished, deeply welcoming and imaginative sonic adventure, jam-packed with old-school jangle-rock harmonic purity, all pulled together with an inescapably modern sensibility.

It’s hugely enjoyable stuff and, if you’re into it, you can catch the band slinging it in action over four launch shows next month, kicking off at Fitzroy’s Bar Open on 14 June, with additional outings lined up in Adelaide and Sydney (twice).

Check out a track-by-track rundown from Nobel below, and check theGuide for more information about The Lovely Days’ upcoming shows.

The Lovely Days — Arms Wide Open EP Track by Track

Mornington

I wrote this after meeting a girl who just got back from a yoga/spa retreat down on the Mornington Peninsula and that started the song. Then it just became this nostalgic trip about growing up near beautiful places like Newrybar and the Byron Hills, and being caught up in a teenage romance.

Pretty Good

This is like an ode to optimism with a underlying sense of pessimism. It’s all about that balance. I spend a lot of time worrying about small things when really the big picture is we’re alive and that’s pretty amazing.

Turn Around

Turn Around is an older song that came together very quickly. All the music and words were written in about thirty minutes in Holden’s bedroom, and then two years later it finally made it on a record. I really love that there’s three-part harmony almost all the way through and, of course, who doesn’t love some arpeggiator synths?

One Day In Heaven

This song used to be called For Georgia and was written after a close friend passed away. It was the first time I’d felt loss like that, and it was a big experience. It’s really for anyone who’s lost someone and needs to revisit them. So Heaven symbolises the memory of them; an internal meeting place you can always retreat to.

The Weight

We’ve played this track so many different ways over the years I can’t even remember how it started. It’s always been a fun song to play live and I think we really just wanted to keep finding new ways to approach it. It’s become this real explosive, crunchy Krautrock anthem of a song with an uplifting vibe and message.