The Melbourne-based songwriter, Gena Rose Bruce, today announces the release of her second album, Deep Is The Way, on January 27, 2023 via Dot Dash / Remote Control Records. The follow-up to her 2019 Australian Music Prize-nominated debut, Can’t Make You Love Me, is again produced by Tim Harvey and is a record of dark introspection punctuated by the brightness of self-acceptance, and startling guitar excursions that articulate the present moment’s roiling emotions. It’s a complex album – devastating, jaunty, heavy and besotted.
Today Gena Rose Bruce also shares the album’s beautiful and evocative lead single and title track, co-written by, and featuring, the iconic singer-songwriter, Bill Callahan. This follows the release of the whirling single, another co-write with Callahan, ‘Foolishly In Love’. Gena said “Working with Bill was very poetic and brought a feeling of nostalgia. We have only ever had written correspondence, sending lyrics back and forth to each other, with sometimes weeks in between responses, just analysing lyrics, there was no small talk, just keeping it about what’s important – the music.”
About the single, ‘Deep Is The Way’, Gena said “I think it can sometimes be overwhelming trying to find your place or ‘your thing’ in life. This song really is a dedication for those people who may be slower in finding themselves, who like to dream, think deeply and take their time to make decisions, for them to appreciate and honour their thoughtful process. Not everyone has to keep up with this unachievably fast and competitive world.”
‘Deep Is The Way’ comes accompanied by a video directed by Alex Badham, a student of the legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog. The short film was shot during the pandemic in Europe and Australia and features empty, lonely spaces, but as it progresses, it pans out to wider landscapes offering a feeling of comfort and hope.
The director said: “I totally fell in love with this song, having had some clichéd romantic moments listening to it whilst wandering the rainy streets of Berlin. I wanted to incorporate some of the seedy city vibe in the video. I had lots of travel going on and Gena had the idea of utilising this opportunity to make a slow and dreamy collection of empty spaces.
“I was lucky enough to visit some interesting and varied places over this period, Tenerife particularly has some amazing spots in such a tiny land mass – lush forests, black beaches and volcanic moonscapes.
“I also went into quite a few Berlin bars, asking on the spot if I could get a shot (with my camera) and a shot (of booze) and accidentally got a little shitfaced at times, oops. I’m pleasantly surprised by how emotionally moving it turned out, given how simple it is – a fairly straightforward concept about escaping the city and exploring the world outside.”
Deep Is The Way:
- Future
- Destroy Myself
- Foolishly In Love
- Harsh Light
- Misery And Misfortune
- Deep Is The Way
- Morning Stars
- I’d Rather Be A Dreamer
- Love
- I’m Not Made To Love Only You
- Captive
