Damien Binder – Bright Side: New Song Of The Day

Damien Binder, Perth-based New Zealand singer-songwriter, Bright Side, the title-track from his forthcoming new album, due out April 21st.

Here’s the blurb with more:

Since Damien’s self-titled debut in the early 2000’s, the APRA Silver Scroll nominated artist has released four acclaimed solo albums and performed internationally supporting some of the world’s leading acts including David Gray, Marianne Faithfull and Ani Di Franco.

Prior to pursuing his solo career, Damien fronted New Zealand rock band Second Child who shot to fame with their 90s albums Magnet and Slinky and appeared on NZ TV shows Max TV and Juice TV. Second Child took the stage at the Auckland stop of the Big Day Out (1996) and played supports with the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Hunters & Collectors, Nirvana, Fugazi and The Rollins Band.

‘Bright Side‘ is the fifth single released from Damien’s forthcoming fifth solo album. The rhythmically rich song, with effervescent, chiming and jangly guitars follows ‘Here It is‘, ‘Everything But‘, ‘Don’t Know What‘ and ‘Back To Me‘; songs that introduced and showcased his new collaborative relationship with producer Matt Gio (Katy Steele, Birds of Tokyo, Abbe May, Rudimental). “We’ve struck up a strong creative bond,” reflects Binder. “I’ve definitely learned to be less precious.”

‘Bright Side’ is the title track off the forthcoming album and kicks off with a wide open road feel – big driving bass & drums with some bell-like guitars,” says Damien.

“Thematically it runs through rage, resentment and imagines someone trying to maintain tranquility, who’s putting on a brave face while privately just barely holding it together – You know, living in the modern world and all that!”

“It’s kind of a different approach from me in some ways in that I’m inhabiting a couple of different characters’ viewpoints in the song and I love a good minor to major shift too!” Damien says, referring to the contrast of verse’s dark inner monologue to the stoic resignation of the chorus.

The video clip, which premiered on the AU review, was directed by New Zealand/Aotearoa film maker Jonathan King (Black Sheep, Under The Mountain) shines a spotlight on Damien’s lyrics for the song, as the viewer experiences a nocturnal drive that takes on grand proportions.
‘Bright Side’ is out now via Bandcamp, streaming services and AMRAP for our community radio friends across Australia

BRIGHT SIDE

1. Bright Side
2. Here It Is [VIDEO]
3. Connected
4. Don’t Know What [VIDEO]
5. Everything But [VIDEO]
6. Start This Heart
7. Back To Me [VIDEO]
8. There For The Taking
9. Touchdown
10. One More Time

RELEASE DATE: April 21st, 2023

The pristine guitar-pop peaks and clean sonic lines of Bright Side
Damien’s latest album continues his open-minded and heartfelt exploration of new sounds and styles within his songwriting. Two decades into his solo career he’s taken his proven credentials as a consummate songwriter and married them with Matt Gio’s acclaimed production nous. The melodies sound even sweeter, the songs more poetic and the overall sound is one that defies categorisation by way of its universality.

Damien’s heart and soul permeates his refined and elegantly economical songwriting across the ten tracks that comprise Bright Side. It’s an album that addresses themes of self-discovery, re-discovery resolve and self-determination, often in the face of external opposition. There’s a real sense of honesty and humanity in the things Damien sings about yet he’s not preaching from the pulpit, it’s more gentle advice from a life of experience and reflection.
“In the past few years, like a lot of people I’ve been trying to make sense of things we’ve had no control over. A common thread in my work seems to be an overriding optimism. I still have faith in people and the power of human connection to overcome obstacles.  So personally looking on the bright side or looking for what is good tends to be something I try and do.”

The blend of traditional pop-rock instrumentation and electronic textures creates a throughly contemporary sound that draws a line back through emotive rock, acoustic singer-songwriter and indie guitar sounds of both the commercial and independent kinds. Gio’s production, drums, bass and keyboards adding an exciting palette of stylistic moods, rhythms and atmospheres to Damien’s songs.

The five singles from the album are a great snapshot of the range and depth of the songs on Bright Side. Dig deeper and the listener will also encounter the widescreen heartland rock meets atmospheric synth approach of bands such as The War on Drugs running through the title track and the single ‘Everything But‘, while ‘Connected‘ has a New Order meets Underground Lovers sound and ‘There For The Taking‘ takes a darker, more angular twist akin to the recent work by Radiohead alumni in The Smile.

“We managed to get a few different feels going rhythmically and it’s made for a record where each song is quite unique from the next but it all hangs together seamlessly,” explains Damien. “Matt is a drummer among other things and came up with some offbeat approaches to what might have been more traditional straight ahead guitar songs. He also created some really interesting harmonic ideas for keys & strings too. I played more electric guitar on this album and did all the harmonies rather than leave it to others.”

Damien’s collaborative instincts shine through on Bright Side, whether it’s working with Matt Gio, bouncing video ideas off director Jonathan King or drawing on the songwriting and guitar playing of Bob Shepheard. At the heart of the album though are Damien’s world class songs of melodic and optimistic modern rock.
“Over the years I’ve developed a sense of melody and harmony, and an approach to lyrics that are quite distinct and recognisable as me.”
PRESS
“‘Here It Is’ is a shining beacon of soul-stirring, anthemic indie pop.”
Arun Kendall Backseat Mafia

“The earlier part of the song also gives me the feels of ‘Streets of Philadelphia’, which also isn’t a bad thing. This is a track that captivates on first listen. Binder is an artist who is meticulous in his artistry. It has a warm embrace of melancholia. The accompanying video fits like a glove, with its futuristic feel and deft contrast of light and shade and constant movement.”
 the AU review on ‘Everything But’

“This is a collection of little gems.” 
★★★½ – Sydney Morning Herald on A New World

“Damien Binder is one of those smart songwriters because he walks a pleasing line between the singer-songwriter genre and a smattering of power pop. He writes songs which in a better world would find themselves all over radio.”
Graham Reid Elsewhere

“On A New World Binder looks to ’80s English jangle-pop and Aussie indie for his template.  Parallels with Commotions, The Go-Betweens, The Church and The Triffids are obvious…”
The 13th Floor

“Reigniting the candle of ’80s jangle-pop is New Zealand-born songwriter Damien Binder. Binder’s A New World takes classic indie-acoustic styles of old and blends them with a hefty dose of Britpop flair. The album parallels such bands as The Go-Betweens and The Church, but also branches out with stylistic nods to the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Ron Sexsmith.” 
★★★½ – The Music