Louisa Nicklin, “Sleep it off”

Let yourself be overwhelmed – in a wonderful way – by the intimacy of Louisa Nicklin’s new single.

The Auckland-based singer-songwriter today released “Sleep It Off,” the latest taster from her upcoming second album. The big pout.

Nicklin’s latest effort evokes the essence of a live recording, creating an inviting, immersive experience for us listeners, aided by some outstanding supporting players including Mason Fairey (drums), Eamon Edmundson-Wells (bass), Durham Fenwick (synth) and Shayne P. Carter (guitar), who also produced Nicklin’s album. (The recording was a collaborative effort and recorded live to preserve the spontaneity of Nicklin’s assembled backing musicians.)

“Sleep It Off” is a fascinating mood piece, the rawness of Nicklin’s words made all the more powerful by the intensity of the recording. “I was a moody child / Agitated and anxious”, she remembers in a timid voice as eerie noises swirl around her.

“I’m going to sleep my high off / Disappointed with myself / I’m going to sleep my high off / I hurt you”, She sings tiredly and her words are filled with regret.

“Sleep It Off” follows “Thick,” which was included in our roundup of the best New Zealand music of the week following its release. “The track exudes a haunting intensity, driven by Nicklin’s captivating vocals and Shayne P. Carter’s unmistakable guitar flair,” we wrote of “Thick.”

Both will be shown on The big poutwill be released in August. It is the highly anticipated follow-up to their debut album of the same name, which was released in 2021.

According to a press release, Nicklin wrote and recorded her new album with “more patience and consideration” than her previous works. The big pout is intended to explore Nicklin’s “relationships with people, stories of those around her and self-reflection”.

Aotearoa has been spoilt for choice when it comes to singer-songwriter albums over the past year – Vera Ellen’s Taite Music Prize-winning record is a prominent example – and if the rest of The big pout Containing the same enveloping textures and brave lyrical honesty as the first two singles, Nicklin could have a Taite-worthy album on his hands.

To celebrate her new album, Nicklin and her full band will be embarking on an album tour of New Zealand, visiting Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington before finishing with a show in her hometown, Auckland’s new venue Double Whammy (see full details below).

Sleep It Off by Louisa Nicklin is out now. The Big Sulk is out Friday 23 August (pre-order here).

Louisa Nicklin – New Zealand album tour

Tickets available via undertheradar.co.nz

September 6th
Boathouse, Nelson

7th of September
Space Academy, Christchurch

8 September
Your Dunedin

13.september
Moon, Wellington

September 20th
Double blow, Auckland