Perth band smol fish have just released their new single Like A Lemon, and it’s a charming lo-fi track about how some people just don’t understand the importance of a birthday. There’s something soothing about every element of Like A Lemon, from the fuzzy guitar tone sprinkled across the track to the slow-building drum line. There’s also a healthy dose of call-and-response singing if you need that in a song. The vocals on the track are the audio equivalent of a warm embrace, and mirror that feeling when you see an old friend for the first time in a while.

Smol fish’s music has always been able to convey universal experiences with a new twist on things, rather than treading over familiar ground. The project started as the solo endeavour of singer-songwriter Clancy Davidson, and by adding a band behind her, allowed her to flesh out her ideas musically. Smol fish are making songs that are just as relatable musically as they are lyrically, and songs like Like A Lemon are a reminder that music doesn’t always have to try and solve humanity’s problems. Sometimes you just want people to acknowledge it’s your birthday!

Speaking about the track, Clancy shares, “The song is about the thoughts on loop in the week of my 20th birthday! I’d just gotten home from New York and learned that not everyone is nice but ultimately it’s their issue, not mine (sorry that you’re so damn sour). I also kept saying “it’s my birthday” to my partner and family so they would do nice things and they were like... it’s literally not your birthday. It doesn’t last a whole week, turning 20 is lame.

Having just been to the Brooklyn Museum, I was thinking a lot about the universe and realised how I felt this awe and connection with the stars and the moon. The idea that everything was created by the Big Bang seemed super romantic to me and it felt cute that an exploding star had created me and all my friends and our world.”

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Check out Like A Lemon below. The track will feature on their upcoming debut EP, which is set to be released in August 2021. I really enjoy the worlds that smol fish create in their music, as they always feel relatable. It’s a rare talent to be able to give listeners a first-person view of your life, without them feeling like they’re intruding. Unless you’re a sour person, you’ll enjoy this track.