Singer/songwriters are dime a dozen, but ones as good as Dominic Breen are rare as hen’s teeth. Breen’s music has a timelessness to it, but it also paints a very vivid picture of what it’s like to be in your 20s and living in Sydney’s inner west in 2021.
With his distinctive yearning voice, gift for observation and lyrical honesty, his gorgeous singles have continued to turn heads this year. ‘James St Tonight’ picked up 4.5 stars from triple j’s Richard Kingsmill and Declan Byrne, as well as Double J rotation, while ‘Under Your Sorrow’ was added straight to several tastemaker Spotify playlists, 2SER and FBi.
Today he unveils his latest indie gem ‘Hey Only If You Want To’.
Though the new single is one of Breen’s poppier numbers musically, it was written from a dark place.
“I hadn’t eaten or slept properly for months. I had so much energy then. I’d go for a walk at night and just keep going. Didn’t really know where. When it’s all whirring and electric and urgent like that you just wanna be settled, like you’re a spooked horse. There’s no sense to it. It can’t be explained. You just want to be held, to be taken in by anybody, but you don’t wanna put anybody out. I had my own place to go to, but it was more of a hostel than a home at that time. So I wrote a lot of songs down in my phone notes, and this was one of those songs.”
Breen has spent the past couple of years building up to his first full collection of music – the remarkable debut album Blue Volume. Across 10 tracks, the album showcases the full range of his songwriting talent. Heartfelt, textured, diverse and full of rich depth, today Breen has announced it will finally arrive October 1.
For Blue Volume, Breen worked together with Tim Fitz (Middle Kids) on production and mixing, and Matthew Neighbour (Matt Corby, The Avalanches) on mastering.
Every instrument was performed by Breen or Fitz. On his unique relationship with Fitz, which begun on his acclaimed 2nd EP ‘Rattlin’’, Breen says “Tim has a real knack for getting sounds, he’s very discerning. He’s really good with liposuction – cutting the fat out of things that might not need to be there. He’s also a lovely guy – really wise – and it’s nice to just listen to him talk sometimes.”
Breen’s label Double Drummer can’t wait for the record to land.
“Dom is special – truly special,” says Double Drummer’s Edward Prescott. “In terms of evoking a sense of time and place, he’s one of the most gifted singer/songwriters I’ve ever met. This album is one of my favourite things the label has released. It’s amazing, really amazing.”