VIDEO PREMIERE: Jack Colwell - 'Live At Golden Retriever Studios'

TheMusic.com.au is extremely pleased today to premiere not one but three videos from Sydney artist Jack Colwell.

The clips, directed by Ben Lindberg, were filmed at Golden Retriever Studios (GRS) in Marrickville and capture stripped-back live versions of tracks from SWANDREAM, Colwell's debut album.

Deeply personal and incredibly affecting, SWANDREAM is a document of metamorphosis - a queer narrative that travels through Colwell's traumatic childhood towards self-understanding, overcoming identity issues, struggles with mental health and the effects of domestic violence.

The album has been universally praised since its release, showing up on multiple 'best of' lists for the first half of 2020, but unfortunately the spread of coronavirus dashed Colwell's plans to tour and the singer was forced to scrap dates around the country and overseas.

In response, Colwell live-streamed his album launch from GRS. It turns out he also took the opportunity to record a live video EP - a selection of six tracks from SWANDREAM with new, barebones instrumentation and four accompanying clips.

"2020 has obviously been such a crazy year," says Colwell, "and as I have mentioned on my social media it has been really disappointing not to be able to tour. It's true that the arts was the first to stop, and will be the last to resume, if and when that happens.

"I love these live videos, and the accompanying recordings I made at Golden Retriever Studios, and while I am sad not to tour SWANDREAM widely, I feel really proud of this new body of work - which I have created with just as much care and effort as my debut album."

Many have noted the vulnerability of the record, and these versions breach a different layer of closeness to the sometimes confronting focus of Colwell's songs. PTSD especially is the definition of stripped-back, with a bareness that leaves the listener equally exposed. Muted acoustic guitar, Colwell's low growl and a keyboard effect like something slithering in TV static fill the song with lurking menace. When Colwell lets out an animal screech two-thirds through it crawls up your neck like an oncoming panic attack. A Spell on the other hand - played solo on piano - has a warm, Super 8 intimacy that flouts the isolation many are currently experiencing and in which it was filmed. It works exactly as Colwell described when he released it: a 'talisman', something to ward off darkness.

"As a musician who comes from a classical background I've always been really interested in performing my songs in various configurations and arrangements," says Colwell. "Those who have followed my music will have seen me play solo, with a string quartet at The Sydney Opera House, a full rock band at The Enmore and even a woodwind octet. SWANDREAM was written at the piano, and the piano is the instrument I know and love - and so it felt natural to me to arrange these performances for acoustic instruments - including a harpsichord.

"A Spell, PTSD and Home Again are full of such great epic production on the record, but here they're raw and simple in their delivery. I hope they offer an intimate portrait of my performance style, and their stripped-back nature allows the bones of the songs to shine through."

Live At Golden Retriever Studios and the accompanying clips drop tomorrow, give them a look above!