Today, Ōtautahi/Christchurch-based artist Mousey shares the video for her chilling new single ‘My Hands Are Made of Glass.’ The release follows the recent announcement of her sophomore album My Friends out March 11. See pre-order details below.
Directed by Martin Sagadin (Aldous Harding, Marlon Williams, Tiny Ruins, French For Rabbits), the 'My Hands Are Made of Glass' video is an intimate portrayal of the song's heart-wrenching message about wanting to hide away from the world. It features the local screen talents of Poppy Washington, and Sienna Braid.
Martin Sagadin elaborates: "The video aimed to combine a very naturalistic and real feeling of a sheltering child with a kind of theatrical delivery. Everything depended on Poppy’s performance and we were blown away as soon as she started singing along to the song. There is a sadness and an implied intensity that speaks true to Sarena’s experience. I think a lot of people growing up in rough circumstances are seeking refuge on the cold tiles of their home bathrooms."
Released last Friday, ‘My Hands Are Made of Glass,' follows lead single 'The Bench,’ which spent multiple weeks at the top of NZ’s Alternative Airplay Chart. Both singles are taken from Mousey's forthcoming album My Friends, her first offering of new music since 2019's Silver Scroll nominated debut album Lemon Law. Produced by Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room (Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin, Nadia Reid), My Friends was written by Mousey in lockdown and holds a strong focus on her friends and her relationships with them. “While my last album was about ‘being let down and being a let-down’, this album is about ‘being let down but being loved,“ says Mousey. “I initially hoped the new record was going to be really light, cute and wholesome. But even though there are many ‘sweet’ songs, my year was really hard and some of my long-time friends left me with some nasty scars - so obviously the record reflects that too."
Pre-orders for My Friends are now available on Bandcamp and include CDs, tapes, and limited edition translucent green vinyl.
Pre-order the album here: https://mouseynz.bandcamp.com/album/my-friends
Pre-save the album here: https://bfan.link/my-friends
Mousey is the project of Christchurch songwriter, Sarena Close. With a strong sense of melody and emotionally raw sincerity, Mousey cherishes the art of communicating the human experience above all else. She is inspired by local artists Aldous Harding, Tiny Ruins, and Anthonie Tonnon, as well as Big Thief, Lomelda, and Eels. And yet her sound defies the restrictions of genre and her music provides a unique and powerful insight into this wonderful and confusing world.
Her 2019 debut album Lemon Law marked a significant milestone for Mousey, and earned her a nomination at the 2019 APRA Silver Scrolls for breakout track, ‘Extreme Highs’. 2020 would also see her as a finalist for the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut prize at the Taite Music Prize Awards and performing at the Silver Scroll awards with a captivating live performance of L.A.B’s 'In the Air'.
As a live act, Mousey has played headline tours in New Zealand and Australia and opened for acclaimed artists such as The Beths, Reb Fountain, The Chills, and more. Her performances are characterised by her faultless vocals, her multi instrumental musicianship and raw emotional energy.
Mousey is celebrating her recent signing to Native Tongue Music Publishing.