Another big release to look forward to is Chloe Alison Escott’s upcoming solo album on Chapter. Escott may be familiar as one half of Tasmanian post-punk duo Native Cats, but this record sees her eschewing that sound in favour of the piano. This lets the songwriting step to the fore, with a level of artistry perhaps comparable to Nick Cave or Robert Forster among Australian artists. Escott mentions wanting the album to sound like John Cale’s piano songs. “I’ve had an eight-album career fronting a band… an imaginary band, let’s say a six-piece with a regular string section, and now I’m revisiting this nonexistent band’s best songs” says Escott. Stars Under Contract is out mid-October.
