Special Features On Love, Insecurities, And Their Debut EP, ‘Self Improvement’

Brisbane alt-rock trio, Special Features, dropped their debut EP, Self Improvement, last week (November 8). Self Improvement is a seven track insight into the band’s lives as they move through adolescence into adulthood. Touching on issues of love, self analysis, grief, and acceptance, the EP takes listeners through a journey of vulnerability. 

And, to celebrate its release, the members of Special Features - Zac Carr, Alex Smith, and Jeremy Sankey - are taking The Music through Self Improvement, track by track. 

Alone Again

Zac: Alone Again was the first song we wrote on the EP. We used to call it “The Weird Fishes Song” after taking inspiration from, arguably, one of Radiohead’s best songs. Its psychedelic guitar arpeggios, stripped back timbre, and forward moving drumbeat gave it the name. It’s funny because I originally wanted the song to be shoegazey, have a halftime feel, and sound like Deftones.  

Alone Again is a song I wrote during a transition period between love interests. I was moving on from a relationship that can be described in one of our 2023 singles, Holding On/Up, to a new relationship that I talk all about in Maddy’s Song. Verse 1 speaks of my emotions, finally moving on from someone after so long and trying to leave them in the past. Verse 2 expresses my feelings towards my new relationship. I’m relieved, happy, and free!  

 As a sentimental thank you (and to make the instrumental sections less boring), I incorporated two iPhone voice messages from my parents into the song. The first was a “check in" from Mum at a bar called Joe Taylor in North Melbourne, and the second was a “hello" from Dad in Noosa, Sunshine Coast. I heard Dumb Punts do a similar thing in Chiller and thought it brought real emotion to the song.   

Chest

Jeremy: Chest reflects my struggles with commitment and the emotional walls I built around myself after my breakup. I was intensely put off by commitment and emotional vulnerability, however, I still found myself drawn to someone, even though I knew nothing would come of it. I put her on a pedestal and held onto a bit of hope, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t a realistic connection.  

In the first verse, I wrestle with the uncertainty of whether she saw me the same way. It’s a battle between wanting validation and knowing that letting myself get too attached would only end in disappointment. 

As the song unfolds, the second verse touches on the breakdown of that dynamic. Moments of drunken vulnerability led me to say more than I intended, and the whole relationship fell apart. The chorus becomes a reminder to me: “It’ll never happen again.” I shout it, trying to convince myself to keep my guard up and avoid getting too emotionally involved. It’s a mantra that represents my reluctance to commit, reinforcing my defence mechanisms.  

Run 

Zac: Run was written collaboratively by both Jeremy and I during the week of recording at Swanpond Studios. It’s a self-analysis; the lyrics depict good and bad traits that we’ve noticed about ourselves throughout our past 21 years of living. It’s the most “country” sounding song on the record, due to my heavy rotation of Courtney Barnett and Peter Bibby at the time. These artists also influenced Run’s lyrics to be honest and straight to the point.  

One overcast morning, we strolled down a secluded trail and sat at a rusty old gate on the edge of the farm. Overlooking a surreal view of the farmland surrounding Boonah and the mountains of the Scenic Rim, we sat stressed because we hadn’t finished the song’s lyrics yet. But there’s something incredibly special about Swanpond Studios that literally gives you paranormal songwriting abilities. It’s like the ghost of John Lennon roams its valleys. Here, we both sat smoking cigarettes, and wrote the lyrics for Run on a cheap acoustic guitar. It felt like a cathartic group therapy session. 

Where Are You? 

Alex: We recorded Where Are You? fully live, altogether in one room. It’s a glimpse of probably the rawest, most honest sound of Special Features, turning out to be an impromptu addition to the EP.  

It’s funny, we wrote it on the second day of recording during a late-night jam, and the song somehow became the most technical and eccentric piece of work. It felt like we were on the brink of our musical comfort zone playing it, but we made it work, and it found a place as an instrumental interlude in the EP. When we brought it to the studio the next day, the two-and-a-half-minute song took a whole afternoon to record. It was a painstaking battle between our patience and the intricate time signatures. Eventually, you can hear our victory in the last 10 seconds if you stick around past the end silence.  

We also thought it would be funny to add a little sample over the top of the song; it’s a voicemail of our drunken mate who believed the person on the other end of the phone had picked up, with which you can hear his repeatedly unanswered question, “Where are you?”.

Weak and Thin

Jeremy: Weak and Thin captures my raw emotional journey after a breakup, and deals with themes of coping, regret, and eventual acceptance. In the first verse, I reflect on my reluctance to take care of myself after the initial fallout, starting habits like smoking and drinking to cope. The thought of breaking these habits felt overwhelming, pushing me further away from wanting to improve or move on.  

The second verse shifts focus to the pressure I felt in the relationship, where the internal and external expectations seemed too heavy to meet. When I was initially writing Weak and Thin, I recalled a conversation with my oldest sister, who told me not to bottle up my feelings, which is something I struggled with at the time. That realisation stuck with me as I reflected on how those unspoken emotions played a role in everything falling apart. 

By the third verse, I begin to accept the situation. I acknowledge that heartbreak and growth are universal experiences we all go through. I come to terms with the fact that loneliness and isolation are part of the process, using smoking as a temporary escape from those feelings. The song as a whole is about the inevitability of learning through hardship, and how these lessons will continue to shape me until I’m “Weak and Thin.” 

Cut My Teeth

Zac: Cut My Teeth is short, ferocious, and has an absolutely ravaging slide guitar. The song sounds like it has a bad temper, lending its rawness and hall-like reverb from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Cut My Teeth dives deep into my insecurities and self-pity. My most emotionally draining trait is instinctively comparing myself to others, enforcing the mindset of never living up to people’s expectations. 

To transpose Cut My Teeth’s ferocity into visuals, we worked alongside Meanjin filmmaker/musician Koady to create a full-length music video. We've kept the pace up and made this video feel constantly "in your face". Strobe lights, fast paced cuts, and an aggressive band performance helps depict the song’s high intensity on screen. 

Maddy’s Song

Zac: Maddy's Song is an endearing love letter for my partner. It was written when we first started our relationship, when all those initial emotions pour out. I tried to make the lyrics as honest and blatant as possible; like I was speaking directly to her. I express what I value most about her and our relationship. As a nod to our mutual admiration for the singer Beabadoobee, I’ve referenced a lyric from their song She Plays Bass, which also highlights my partner’s bass playing abilities. 

Collaborating with Koady again, we’ve created a stunning music video for Maddy’s Song that showcases the natural beauty of Swanpond Studios. It’s a compilation of the breathtaking scenery of the land where Self Improvement was created. The film gives people an insight into the exact locations that made this record so special, which hopefully builds a deeper meaning for the audience to understand. 

Special Features’ debut EP, ‘Self Improvement’ is out now on all streaming services. To celebrate, they’re going on tour with The Radium Dolls this month. Find tickets and more information here.