VIDEO PREMIERE: Harry Fitzgerald - Talk It Out

Tis the season to be spooked!

Sydney artist Harry Fitzgerald has returned from a four-year hiatus today with the funk-infused indie pop track Talk It Out. The song features driving synths, a thumping bass line and a silky, gliding hook that teases you into a head bop. In between its electro and indie pop sensibilities, Fitzgerald muses over the relatable decision to remain silent rather than communicate in hopes to avoid conflict and cause tension in relationships.

“Talk It Out is a song that really taps into some of my more avoidant tendencies, both in relationships and in dealing with my own emotions,” he said in a press release.

“It’s about how, sometimes, I’d rather just keep quiet and keep the peace instead of risking a confrontation that might stir things up. There’s a kind of fear that comes with the idea of speaking up, especially when it feels like what you say might cause a rift, or when you start believing that the other person’s feelings are more important than your own discomfort,”

“At its core, Talk It Out is a song about fear – fear of upsetting someone, fear of showing weakness, fear of what might happen if I really open up. It’s not a resolution, though; it’s more of an honest snapshot of that struggle. I hope listeners can relate, especially those who’ve had moments where they just couldn’t find the words, even though they needed to say something.”

The Talk It Out music video makes a playful nod to these feelings of avoidance within the setting of a Halloween house party. The party – draped in red, blue and green light –possesses a menacing aura from the get go, before the night evidently spirals into a wild goose chase between Fitzgerald and a seemingly hungry vampire, eager to seek out his prey as the night progresses. Through stomach-churning camera angles and an overarching skittish feeling thats to naturally rise when being chased, the music video sees Fitzgerald literally and metaphorically dodge what awaits him.

"The Talk It Out music video, directed by the brilliant Madi Phoenix, takes a satirical and lighthearted approach to the themes in the song. While the lyrics deal with the fear of confronting issues and avoiding difficult conversations, we wanted to flip that concept on its head for the video by injecting some humour into it. It’s still about avoiding things, but instead of dodging emotional conversations, I’m literally running away from Dracula at a Halloween party,” he said.

“The whole idea of setting it at a Halloween party felt like a perfect fit because Halloween, with all its costumes and characters, can sometimes represent the masks we wear in relationships—hiding what’s really going on underneath. We decided to play with that, making it this over-the-top, Scooby-Doo-style chase where I’m doing everything I can to escape Dracula. But here’s the twist: Dracula isn't just some guy in a costume, he's the real deal, which adds this fun element of absurdity to the whole thing,”

“I’ve always found that humour can be a great way to approach heavier subjects, and this video is definitely a reflection of that. I wanted it to be entertaining while also criticising my own behaviour, making fun of how ridiculous avoidance can be when we take it to extremes. In the end, Talk It Out is about trying to break out of that pattern, and the video just takes that to a comically exaggerated place. I hope people enjoy it as much as we enjoyed filming it!"

In a The Music exclusive, dive into the nail-biting grittiness of Talk It Out with a premiere of the music clip below. Happy Halloween!