In late May, Mallrat, aka Grace Shaw, dropped her second EP, âIn The Skyâ, on us humans and we havenât been the same ever since. Upon learning Iâd be writing about another well-known Aussie singer, I couldnât help but wonder how this country is constantly putting out some top artists; I was eager to see what all the hype was about. So, I kicked back on a Saturday afternoon, turned my speaker up and welcomed the dreamy trip I was about to embark on.
In 2016, at the age of 17, Mallrat released her debut EP, âUninvited,â that included energetic pop songs âFor Realâ and debut titled song âUninvited.â Soon after the release, Shaw started gaining the attention and support of huge names in the industry like BBC & Beats 1 radio, Rolling Stone, Vice, and celebs Perez Hilton, Lorde, and Chloe Grace Moretz â just to name a few.
Fast forward to two years later, and here we are with Mallratâs latest songs pouring through our headphones. Mallrat took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the new EP. âLearnt so much about music and people and the universe in the process of making this EP, canât wait for you to blast it in your car on the way to work or through your headphones on the train. Sending all my love through ur speakers.â Upon releasing her new EP, she completely sold out all of her June âIn the Skyâ national tour dates â which is enough to say, that the listeners on the other end of those headphones must love what theyâve been hearing.
This latest five-song EP opens up with âGroceriesâ a song that continues her upbeat vibe, similar to her previous EP, as she sings to her fans about âhaving a crush but not wanting to have a crush on someone.â Shaw reminds us of her youth and innocence as we move through the songs and land on the stand out track âBetterâ; which will have you feel like you are dancing through a hazy dream whilst running through a field of flowers with horses by your side, just as Rory Pippan captured in the equally dreamy aesthetic of the singers music video.
âBetterâ is followed by another hit song off the EP, âUFOâ in which Mallrat is joined by Aussie rapper, Allday; who is said to have inspired her career as an artist. Mallrat recalls seeing her musical influence perform years prior, âIt all changed at an Allday concert. He was someone I felt like I could relate to.âDid she ever think she would one day be opening for her favorite artist? Well, she did back in 2016 on Alldayâs âUniversity Boyâ tour.
This young singer seems to have no limit on what she can accomplish. From opening for Allday, to having him collab on her latest track âUFO,â âI feel like weâre two peas in a pod, so itâs pretty amazing that we can work together. I donât know if there are a lot of other vocalists that I would feel comfortable asking to be on my songs,â she says â but because heâs such a close friend and we always get where each other are coming from, it felt perfect for the song,â.
In the newly premiered video, the second to come from âIn the Sky,â Shaw is seen wandering around a deserted school where she sings, âUFOâs can take me home, Iâm missing my old roomâ before being accompanied by Allday, who acts as friendly companion leading her to what is probably an extraterrestrial light beam coming from the sky.
âIn the Skyâ ends with Mallratâs favorite song off the EP, âMake Timeâ produced by BJ Burton, who also produces for a certain band you may know: Bon Iver. Mallrat rounds out her EP with this slow and moody song as she sings to whatever being she believes is living in the sky âIt feels very calming to listen to. It helps me get to sleep sometimes. Iâm really proud of it because I think it sounds like nothing else.â Mallratâs journey through this latest EP has been a trip; she got us high, we saw angels and UFOs, but most importantly, we witnessed her growth as an artist.
The young singer has already performed at basically every festival that Australia has to offer and has no problem selling out her own headlining shows. Since putting out her new material, Mallrat will be returning to North America opening for Maggie Rogers starting in October.
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