Consistently using their exuberant alt-pop to deliver a message of pure positivity, Flawes are a liberating experience at a time when it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the world around us. Factor in consistently inventive visuals for their recent singles ‘Holding Out For The Win’ and ‘What’s a Boy To Do’, and it’s easy to see why they’re emerging as a hot tip among numerous new music champions.
The trio now set the foundations for bigger things in 2021 by sharing the new single ‘Higher Than Before’. It features vocals from Mali-Koa and features on their new EP ‘Reverie’ which will be released on February 26th.
‘Higher Than Before’ finds Flawes in a far more reflective mood, but it’s clear that their passion is amplified. Frontman JC Carruthers’ soaring falsetto delivers a celebration of transcendent love, singing, “I feel that this could be the brightest that we’ve ever felt before.” The strength of his feeling is hammered home with surely the biggest beats that drummer Josh ‘Huss’ Hussey has ever delivered. Meanwhile, Freddie Edwards’ radiant guitar work is as just as sun-kissed as ever and Mali-Koaelevates it further leading the closing verse.
“Higher Than Before is all about giving a relationship a chance and looking at things in a more positive light. The chorus hook “You’re taking me Higher Than Before” centres around the realisation that being with them has vastly improved my life; life is a lot better when they are in it. It features the amazing Mali-Koa who we are huge fans of, so it was a dream to finally work together”, explains JC.
Mali-Koa adds, “I think the boys are brilliant, so it was a no brainer for me! ‘Higher Than Before’ felt like a natural fit, the chorus is so anthemic and uplifting, writing with JC was a day spent laughing and creating. I think that’s what it is about Flawes. It isn’t all serious band business, they like to have a fun time and make songs along the way.”
The song’s stratospheric lyrics have inspired the track’s video, which features Flawes and Mali-Koa performing on top of a cloud. Yet in typical Flawes fashion, there’s a playful twist. The fantastical concept is given a light-hearted dose of realism. The video closing shots show that the band’s skybound jumps have all been performed on a small trampoline in a studio.
The London-based Australia singer-songwriter Mali-Koa released her debut album ‘Hunger’ late last year.
After a steady rise in which they earned a Record of the Week at Radio 1 and worked with leading producers such as Finneas (Billie Eilish) and Lostboy (Dua Lipa), last year Flawes took the opportunity to record some new songs, with the remote assistance of producers such as Toby Scott (The Gossip, Pet Shop Boys). The new material was bursting with personality, the energy of their live shows and an escapist spirit that is proving to be empowering for the band and their fans. It means that the ‘Reverie’ EP positions them to achieve the things they were denied in 2020 just a little behind schedule.
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