Tomorrow’s Forecast On Inclusivity, Toxic Relationships, And Their New Single, ‘Ribbons’

Brisbane/Meanjin indie-rock outfit Tomorrow’s Forecast is back, this time with Ribbons, a guitar-filled heartsweller, diving head first into the turmoil of lost love. 

The track dropped yesterday, and, to celebrate, the band is chatting to The Music about all things Ribbons, inclusivity, and much more.

What is 'Ribbons' about?

 I [Bonnie Kruger] wrote Ribbons after a break-up when I was spiraling and still super in my head about it all. I really resented my ex for everything he put me through, but I still had that tiny part of me longing for him to just reach out and take it all back. The metaphor of tying ribbons around hands symbolises commitment, and how even though a broken relationship may seem like it has the potential to be mended, the ‘ribbons’ holding it together will eventually untie. To put it simply, this song is kind of just about trying to navigate your thoughts and feelings after the end of a toxic relationship.

How would you describe the track sonically?

I think as a collective, we really wanted to lean into a bit more of a moody sound for Ribbons. For this track, we had a bit of fun messing around with a bit more distortion and grungier tones than we have in the past. Since making the move to Brisbane and spending more time gigging alongside other creatives in the Meanjin music scene, our songwriting has naturally shifted into a bit more of an alt-rock sound.

Any interesting stories from creating the track?

Ooh, I don’t know if we’ve got any stand-out interesting stories as such, but I guess the evolution of the song itself is pretty interesting because it really did grow with us as we evolved as a band. We had been playing this song live for a few months before Isaac Whittle and Rohan Frawley joined the band, but I think adding their musical input really brought it to life. It’s funny because I find listening back to the original voice memos a little jarring simply because it sounds so unfamiliar in comparison to what it has turned into. There is a lot of chemistry between the four of us and it’s pretty cool to be able to release something that showcases that.

Is this a taste of your upcoming EP? What can we expect from that?

It’s for sure a little insight into the general direction we are heading into. We have never really boxed ourselves into a specific genre, and I think that is what makes this next release all the more exciting because we have a lot of freedom to create whatever music we want. It’s still pretty early days, of course, so there isn’t a lot to say, but we are really looking forward to releasing some new stuff this year.

You've got some massive single launch shows coming up - what are you most excited for with those?

I think we are all just mainly excited to get back up on stage and play some new songs. We haven’t played a live show as Tomorrow’s Forecast since January because we’ve been busy working on new music. It’ll be nice to be reminded of the genuine human connection that live music can spark, because I think that’s what we do it for really.

What should prospective listeners know about you?

I think that as a female-fronted band, it’s important for us to make it known how dedicated we are to working towards a more inclusive space for all underrepresented artists in the scene. We’ve spent this past year working with so many AFAB creatives and it just feels really refreshing to work with people who are on the same page as you. There is seriously a fire burning in these communities that cannot be put out and it feels necessary for us to highlight that in not only our music, but also our ethos.

Tomorrow’s Forecast’s new single, ‘Ribbons’, is out on all streaming platforms now.