After impressing audiences with a series of heartfelt singles and sharing stages with the likes of The Rions, Beddy Rays, and Pacific Avenue, NSW indie-pop four-piece GRXCE now unleash their highly-anticipated debut EP, ‘Sorry For Being Sad.’ It’s a big moment for the band as they bring fans their signature “sad music you can dance to.”
Produced and mixed by Fletcher Matthews (The Buoys, Dear Seattle), ‘Sorry For Being Sad’ is loaded with GRXCE’s trademark aching honesty in its lyricism and lush, immersive production. The EP details the first half of vocalist Jamila’s early twenties, capturing stories of anxiety, love, friendship, and self-discovery.
Jamila describes the album as “Sorry For Being Sad”: “‘Sorry For Being Sad’ is a conceptual journey following my experience navigating my early twenties. It’s a coming of age story starting from when I moved 7 hrs away from my regional hometown of Corindi Beach to experiencing my first break-up and first mental health diagnosis with anxiety. It centres heavily around how my anxiety diagnosis impacted experiences in love, friendship and growing up. It has been a super reflective process and really feels like a full circle experience.”
“Gravel Rash,” a brutal description of destruction in relationships that sets up the emotional investigation to follow. As the journey continues, GRXCE will drop his smooth dancefloor hit “Costume Party,” surely destined to get the fans moving despite its reflective undertones.
Essential standout track “Butterflies” takes inspiration from Renee Rapp and Sabrina Carpenter to lend this EP a very bubbly, pop-driven feel. Its infectious melody and bouncy rhythm contrast some of the more introspective moments on the EP.
The decision to close on “Someday” is heartbreaking. The track itself, speaking to the acceptance of your flaws and that mental health is an ongoing effort lets us know that ‘Sorry For Being Sad’ is but a chapter in the tale that is GRXCE. It’s just a great reminder that growth is continuous, and this EP only manages to capture a slice.
The origin story of GRXCE is as unique as their sound: a solo project blossoming into a full band through connections made on Facebook and at university. Such fortuitous circumstances culminated in the very essence of rich emotional exploration in indie rock strains, delivered alongside poetically blunt lyrics. GRXCE is one of those bands that is put on for both dancing and crying simultaneously, with a sense of catharsis that is profoundly personal but also universal.
With Sorry For Being Sad, GRXCE has crafted an introspective EP full of equal parts emotion and danceability. Its ability to combine raw emotion with infectious energy in a way that chronicles the ebbs and flows of young adult life. So wear your dancing shoes, grab a tissue, and let GRXCE guide you through their heartfelt journey.
You can listen to ‘Sorry For Being Sad’ below: