Premiere: Jacob Diamond eyes his overdue return with his new video, Bay of Fleas

Header image by Nick Mckk.

To many people in West Australia, Jacob Diamond is someone no longer needing an introduction. The Fremantle-raised musician is someone synonymous with the state's indie and pop worlds, whether it's as a solo musician - his 2018 record Goodbye Gondwana being one of the best homegrown releases of that year, let alone the singles and other releases that litter his discography before the arrival of his debut album - or as a touring member of some of Perth's most brilliant acts, including Stella Donnelly and Methyl Ethel.

Nowadays, Jacob Diamond lives over in Melbourne, moving there after a little going-away shin-dig in Perth a while back. Since making the move, he's played alongside acts including Courtney Barnett and Julia Jacklin, but even more excitingly, he's also been finishing off some new solo material, which marks the first taste of Diamond's work - on his own, at least - since the release of Goodbye Gondwana three years back.

Bay of Fleas is the first taste of that, arriving yesterday alongside an official video being premiered today. Bay of Fleas sees Jacob Diamond return as his re-invigorated self, capturing the heights of his storytelling and musicianship as he eyes a return through a brooding, dimly-lit song that's rich with potent emotions and rich intimacy - something that comes from the single's context and lyricism, and is brought to life through the songwriting that Jacob Diamond is so well-recognised and well-appreciated for.

As he explains, the single came to life after a trip to Lyttelton in New Zealand. "Lyttelton reminded me of Fremantle, where I’m from: An insular, gentrified, coastal arts community with a commercial port and a thousand ways to get fucked up every day if you want to," he says. "I was foggy and agitated and mad at myself for being a wasteful dickhead. At the airport heading home, the words ‘I fucking hate myself’ flashed through my head. I said that sentence to myself properly for the first time." It's something that Diamond dissects and processes through the release of Bay of Fleas, which takes an inwards look at the musician as he reflects on his journey, and explores the depths of his brain through stark, honest songwriting. 

The single also comes alongside an official video clip, which premieres on Pilerats with its release today. Directed by Maggie Gamble and Nick McKinlay, the video to Bay of Fleas is a kind-of abstract take on the single's journey and themes, showing a further side of the single's multi-facetedness while also further emphasising the arrival of Jacob Diamond once again, after a rather long time of quietness.

There's a lot to talk about here, but we'd rather let you settle in and watch the video for yourself, as it premieres on Pilerats below:

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