On their debut album ‘Now Would Be a Good Time,’ Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio expresses heartbreak, dark humor, and rich harmonies, crafting a vivid and genuine depiction of youth, sincerity, and a touch of madness in the 2020s.
Stream: ‘Now Would Be a Good Time’ – Folk Bitch Trio
Releasing a debut album feels akin to shouting your diary into a canyon – it's both daunting and exhilarating. For Folk Bitch Trio – Gracie Sinclair, Heide Peverelle, and Jeanie Pilkington – sharing Now Would Be a Good Time with the world feels surreal. Just days before its official launch on July 25th, they presented vinyl copies to fans at a live performance. “It felt a bit scary,” Peverelle reflects. “Like, oh my god, we’re really doing this.”
This awe – the experience of finally witnessing something that has been long in development come to fruition – resonates throughout the album. Now Would Be a Good Time offers vivid, emotionally resonant tracks, intertwining gothic ballads, dark humor, and raw honesty regarding heartbreak, desire, and life in one’s twenties. Songs like “Moth Song” flow like a fever dream, while “The Actor” delivers a powerful impact. Each piece encapsulates a moment: intimate dreams shared with a partner (“Hotel TV”), theater performances following a breakup, and intense self-reflection (“Cathode Ray”).
The band recorded to tape with producer Tom Healy in Auckland – after experimenting with digital recording, they realized it wasn’t quite right. The use of tape infused their pared-down harmonies and unconventional arrangements with the warmth and depth they were seeking. At last, they felt like themselves.
The clarity of their identity and sound has been cultivated over several years. Sinclair, Peverelle, and Pilkington first united in high school. Their origin story features a “bad heartbreak song” titled “Edie” and a text from Pilkington proposing the creation of a “folk bitch trio.” Since then, their connection has evolved into something unique: a blend of three distinct voices, viewpoints, and aesthetics merging into a unified whole that is more intriguing and compelling than the individual components. Pilkington brings Americana influences and insights from her musician parents, Peverelle is a visual artist with an inclination for pop, and Sinclair embodies the theatrical goth-jester spirit of the ensemble.
Though their music carries emotional depth, the trio maintains a lighthearted perspective. “Being a musician is strange,” Sinclair observes. “You need to find the humor in it.” This humor, along with their sincere and open-hearted style, is woven into every track of the album, helping them stay grounded even as tour demands increase and their audience expands.
So, what lies ahead? More touring, more songwriting – although they admit that often it occurs in stolen moments between gigs or in hotel rooms while jotting down half-finished thoughts on their phones. For Folk Bitch Trio, the act of songwriting is continuous.
Atwood Magazine engaged in a brief conversation with Peverelle, Pilkington, and Sinclair regarding emotional expression, recording to tape, and the enduring importance of sincerity.
— —
Folk Bitch Trio © Copper Taylor-Bogaars
A CONVERSATION WITH FOLK BITCH TRIO
Atwood Magazine: I recently saw you at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and you were fantastic! I was really hoping to hear “Moth Song,” as I think it would have been stunning in that environment.
Gracie Sinclair: Thank you! I was dealing with a sore voice, so we ended up cutting it from the set that night. But it was a great experience overall.
“Cathode Ray” is another impressive song. There’s a particular line about the scalpel that’s quite striking – where did that originate?
Gracie Sinclair: I appreciate you highlighting that. This morning, I saw Charlotte Ginsberg discussing her love for violence in films due to its catharsis, and I wholeheartedly relate. I have a lot of pent-up anger and frustration, and as a songwriter, I’m very visual. I use words to create imagery, and that line reflects an expression of violence through language.
I say, “We get home, get the scalpel out / and just for fun / you say, show me what it looks like / when you come undone.” It captures that moment with a partner where you’re deep in conversation, poking at each other, but knowing you need to stop – yet you don’t.
Folk Bitch Trio © Copper Taylor-Bogaars
Is that song more cathartic for you, or does it bring up past wounds?
Gracie Sinclair: At the time of writing, it might have felt like adding new wounds, but it’s more of an allusion to experiences.
Many of your songs convey strong emotions. Have you ever found yourself writing something and thought it
HUNNY is set to launch their new album 'SPIRIT!' on September 26th. The band has undergone several transformations and now operates as a solo project.
The star of Stranger Things launched his first solo album, titled ‘Happy Birthday,’ last month.
The event, once more organized by Paul Weller, is scheduled for October and seeks to gather critical funds to support individuals impacted by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Their energetic new single is the band's second track to be released since last year's album 'WOOF.'
Every July, for one weekend, Hill Farm in the charming village of Steventon, Oxfordshire, hosts the renowned Truck Festival. It was established by the Bennett
Her lively, sugary new release comes after last month's launch of 'Polo', which is poised to signify a new chapter for the artist.
On their first album ‘Now Would Be a Good Time,’ Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio encapsulates heartbreak, dark humor, and rich harmonies, creating a vivid and raw depiction of what it means to be young, genuine, and slightly unconventional in the 2020s.