Australian newcomers Sesame Girl are finding their own space somewhere between dreamy alt-rock, shoegaze, grunge, pop and alt-country. Pairing intimate, emotionally candid songwriting with fuzzy guitars, soft-focus melodies and an unmistakable warmth, the band have created a sound that feels both nostalgic and distinctly their own.
Their new EP, Butterfly Wing in a Silver Locket, sees Sesame Girl leaning further into vulnerability than ever before. Inspired by the sentimentality of lockets, butterflies and the memories we hold onto, the record explores love, friendship, self-worth and the complicated emotions that come with wanting to feel seen and valued. Working with producer Simon Lam, the band gave themselves permission to embrace the sadness in their songs completely, allowing the instrumentation to carry just as much emotional weight as Heather Duncan’s deeply personal lyrics.
More than anything, though, Butterfly Wing in a Silver Locket is about connection. Whether celebrating the friends who show up when they’re needed most or finding comfort in discovering that someone else understands how you feel, the EP captures Sesame Girl at their most open and authentic. I caught up with Heather to chat about vulnerability, friendship, finding the band’s sound, creating space for emotion and what she hopes listeners will carry with them from this new chapter.
For anyone discovering Sesame Girl for the first time through this interview, how would you describe the band and what you’re all about?
“Well hi we’re Sesame Girl! I’d describe the band as quite soft with some more heavy and gazey elements, combined with some country instruments and pop inspired songwriting. It’s really such a melting pot of stuff, but I think that’s definitely a part of our uniqueness.”
Butterfly Wing in a Silver Locket feels incredibly personal, almost like opening a time capsule of memories and emotions. Was there ever a point where sharing that much of yourself felt daunting, or did it feel more freeing than anything else?
“It’s always pretty daunting to bear any part of yourself to strangers. I think the way that I find inspiration is mostly through my own sadness and shame, so if I’m inspired by something I wouldn’t necessarily share in my everyday life and that turns into a really good idea I know I have to run with it even if I’m scared. It’s not necessarily freeing, I’d like it to be, but it’s comforting getting to talk to people at shows who feel the same and knowing neither one of us is alone in that.”
Throughout the EP, there’s a real contrast between fragility and strength. Was that balance something you consciously set out to capture, or did it emerge naturally as the songs came together?
“I think the contrast of soft and heavy has always been something we’ve had to work with. We love heavy music and I have a very soft voice unfortunately. So I think we’ve almost just embodied that in our writing without too much thought. But I do think it’s kind of a blessing in some ways to have an inbuilt challenge that forces you to adapt creatively, it definitely makes our music more unique I reckon.”
Friendship plays such an important role on the record, particularly on ‘Superstar’. In a world where so many songs focus on romantic relationships, what made you want to celebrate platonic love in such an open and heartfelt way?
“Even just reading this question lowkey makes me a bit teary because we were going through such a tough time personally when we were writing the ep and we were staying with friends away from home in order to work with our producer Simon Lam in Melbourne, and the way they looked after us and cared for us just meant so much. So when we were in the studio I wanted to capture that feeling.”
You mention that this EP finally feels like the record you’ve been trying to make all along. What do you think clicked creatively this time that allowed Sesame Girl to find that sound?
“I think going through that really tough time while we were writing the ep really put a lot of stuff in perspective. We knew we couldn’t just keep making pop music to fit into people’s expectations of who we were as a band when it didn’t feel like what we wanted to do anymore. I think working with our producer Simon really helped us to create really genuine music and he was able to help us combine all our very sporadic influences into something really unique that represented how we’d changed as people and as artists. But we’ll always love pop music and it will always influence how we write for sure. I don’t think our new music will alienate anyone really, it’s very smooth listening.”
Your music blends dreamy textures with fuzzy guitars and moments of real emotional weight. How important is it for the instrumentation to tell the story alongside the lyrics?
“We’ve always written sad songs, but I think on this record the instrumentation is sad too. We really gave ourselves permission to be emo and our producer Simon is so good at not overdoing things and letting the emotions come to the front and centre, as opposed to one million guitar parts taking that space as we’ve done in the past. And I think having contrasting happy instrumentation and sad lyrics as we’ve done in the past is still really cool, but I think we wanted to see what it would be like to lean all the way into the emotion of the song with everything we could and I think it’s really powerful to do that.”
You’ve been building a reputation through your live shows and touring alongside bands like the Belair Lip Bombs. What do you hope people take away from seeing Sesame Girl perform live?
“I think as a live band we’re more interested in people having a good time than being super serious and showing off our chops. So we really hope people take away a really fun night where they enjoyed themselves.”
Finally, what do you hope listeners carry with them after spending time with Butterfly Wing in a Silver Locket?
“Of course we hope you love the record as much as we do! And you take that with you, but whatever stays with you and resonates is just as meaningful. The main take away I’d want anyone to have is that they’re not alone in those feelings, and to get a sense of belonging from that.”
