13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Marlin’s Dreaming – Lumia

Marlin’s Dreaming bring us a new song. Its called Lumia and its rather lovely.

This one’s all about Marlin’s Dreaming’s front man Semisi Ma’ia’i. Is it a demo, a solo track or more Marlin’s Dreaming? Read the blurb and decide:

Marlin’s Dreaming’s Semisi Ma’ia’i is sick of hiding.

The frontman may have been the singer and songwriter for all of the band’s music to date but with Lumia, the single just released, it’s the first time Semisi has walked out alone on a track — wearing nothing but his voice and a guitar.

“I wrote and recorded Lumia over lockdown last year as a quick demo and planned on building it out with the band once we got out. But after listening back through it I thought it captured that feeling of the time, and we’ve stuck with the demo as it is,” said Semisi.

The bedroom pop anthem uses winding melodies as it explores the experience of watching a close friend losing grip on reality. It’s the first single ahead of full-length album, Hasten, set to be released in October.

“It’s a bit intimidating, to be honest. I usually like the security of a full band to build a song around, so it’s a vulnerable feeling releasing something so stripped back.”

The accompanying music video, filmed by bass player Oscar Johns and acted, directed & edited by Semisi, builds on this feeling of vulnerability. In close up we follow the lonely character navigate a solo traverse through drizzly Otago country hills after a car breakdown, an intense process of introspection with no end in sight.

“The song to me was intimate, and I wanted that to come across in the video too. It’s essentially about the process of getting lost, needing help, but not knowing whether it’s coming or not.”

Marlin’s Dreaming ‘Hasten Release Tour’ Dates below:

01 Oct Auckland           Powerstation

02 Oct Wellington         Lacuna

08 Oct Dunedin            Dive

09 Oct Christchurch     Isaac Theatre Royal

About Marlin’s Dreaming

Marlin’s Dreaming is an Ōtepoti four piece band formed by close friends, Semisi Maiai (vocals, guitar), Hamish Morgan (drums), De Stevens (guitar) and Oscar Johns (bass guitar). Their debut album, Lizard Tears, arrived in 2017 propelling a series of projects.

One year later, in 2018, they released ‘Talk On/Commic’, before touring sold out shows across New Zealand and Australia. After successful local and international shows, the band returned home to Ōtepoti with a restless motivation to evolve and continue their craft.

In early 2020, their second album, ‘Quotidian’, yielded critical acclaim appearing on popular Spotify playlists and supporting icons, such as Kirin J Callinan and The Chills.

The band is set to release their third full length album, ‘Hasten’, this year recorded at Chicks Hotel in Koputai (Port Chalmers), Ōtepoti.

Marlin’s Dreaming is well woven into the indie rock realm, but has stitched its own sound, providing a fresh thread in a familiar tapestry. Their willful abandonment of themselves, as they mutate from album to album, has enabled a constantly changing and evolving sound. Though their friendship serves as commonality, their influences are vast, spanning Pavement, Chastity Belt and Alex G.

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