Beginning with a stripped-back arrangement of guitars and intimate vocals, ‘shadow’ gradually develops into a gloriously grungy slice of 90s alternative rock. Fuzzy, shoegaze-tinged guitars erupt during the choruses, accompanied by explosive drums and crashing cymbals, while shifting rhythms create an unpredictable momentum. Touches of cello add another layer of texture, recalling the raw, emotionally charged sound of Hole and PJ Harvey. brookelen’s effortlessly cool vocals move between fragile restraint and full-throated release.

The accompanying video brings the Icarus imagery to life, depicting brookelen as a fallen angel whose wings end up discarded among rubbish. Dreamy, blurred footage and sun-drenched outdoor scenes alternate with band performances, creating a distinctly 90s aesthetic. Together, the song and visuals explore the painful consequences of flying too close to something that ultimately burns.

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Opening with an attention-grabbing drum pattern, ‘HOLE’ quickly introduces crunchy, distorted guitars and a grungy alternative-rock sound. There’s an interesting mix of indie-rock melody and slightly mathy rhythms, particularly in the bouncy, off-kilter verses. The drums are a standout throughout, shifting between playful, unpredictable patterns and big, punchy rock beats. A guitar solo offers a moment for the bass to emerge more clearly, while an impressive instrumental breakdown towards the end gives the percussion another opportunity to shine.

Coco Scott’s melodic, emotionally vulnerable vocals provide a compelling contrast to the track’s energetic instrumentation. Rather than dwelling entirely in darkness, SPEIRA wrap a difficult subject in something surprisingly uplifting, creating a song that acknowledges hidden struggles while offering a sense of connection and understanding.

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Fuzzy, distorted guitar immediately places the track in 90s alternative-rock territory before the arrangement pulls back for Bunnie’s vocal to take centre stage. Quieter distortion lingers beneath the verses before explosive drums and heavier guitars break through. There are shades of Alanis Morissette in both the sound and Bunnie’s delivery, which grows increasingly defiant and confrontational, with flashes of sarcasm cutting through the hurt.

That bite gives ‘Prodigal Son’ its power. Bunnie wonders whether those who abandoned her still pray for her, before turning the question around and asking whether perhaps they want her forgiveness. In the biblical story, the prodigal son eventually returns to a loving welcome; Bunnie instead questions the love and tolerance preached by a community that shut her out. She’s not asking to be welcomed back — she’s asking who really needs forgiveness.

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While previous releases have leaned into heavier punk territory, ‘fairies’ sinks into a softer 90s alternative-rock sound. Gentler passages sit alongside fuzzy, grunge-soaked choruses, while grooving drums steadily intensify through the bridge before erupting alongside the guitars. A low, dirty distorted bass emerges through the middle eight, adding further weight to an otherwise melancholic, floating backdrop.

That contrast makes BEX’s words particularly affecting. Her delivery can feel detached one moment and raw or defiant the next, allowing the emotion to surface without overwhelming the song. A homemade video intersperses live footage with candid behind-the-scenes moments, adding another layer of intimacy. ‘fairies’ doesn’t attempt to tidy painful experiences into an easy story of triumph; instead, it marks the moment BEX feels ready to tell that story at all.

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A short drum intro gives way to scratchy textures, acoustic guitar and violin before the arrangement fills out. Raw, scrappy and deliberately twitchy, ‘augusta’ carries a restless energy that draws from alt-rock, post-punk and experimental pop without settling comfortably into any one of them. FLOWERS’ slightly detached vocal is warped by distortion, lending her delivery a distinctly menacing edge. After a brief moment of near-silence, the repeated refrain bursts back in, remaining eerily unchanged as it circles obsessively towards the end.

Directed by Kian Gannon, the video pushes that paranoia further. Grainy black-and-white footage of FLOWERS pacing and twirling through imposing grounds cuts against dark colour shots of her running through back streets, while the central question repeatedly flashes across the screen. Feverish, murky and slightly unhinged, it’s a fitting introduction to FLOWERS’ unsettling new world.

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Clean, jangling textures sit alongside flashes of distortion, giving the song a softer 90s alt-rock and grunge feel as it spirals towards a cathartic release. Eventually everything falls away, returning Weinman to where she began: alone with her acoustic guitar. There’s melancholy in that retreat, but an unexpected sense of peace too, before the title arrives as the song’s final lingering question.

The accompanying video makes that emotional dislocation tangible. Weinman wanders a funfair, riding the carousel and Ferris wheel, playing games and watching banger cars, while other scenes find her peering into a doll’s house or playing guitar alone in the darkness. Surrounded by places and objects associated with fun, ‘Do you think you can live without dying every day?’ quietly asks what happens when you can no longer tell whether you’re enjoying any of it.

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A badass, grungy guitar riff immediately pulls ‘Cage’ into ’90s-flavoured alt-rock territory, backed by big live drums and Starr’s melodic but increasingly snarling vocal. There’s bite beneath almost every line, giving the track a sense of urgency without sacrificing its hooks. An instrumental passage designed to evoke a panic attack sees the arrangement grow more frantic and instruments pile on top of one another, adding another burst of tension before the song pushes onwards.

The accompanying video takes that breakout literally — albeit with its tongue firmly in its cheek. After being kidnapped, Starr escapes into the night, skating, cycling and running through the streets as chaotic cuts take us through corridors, exploding pillows and a caged walkway. Eventually she makes it to the gig, delivering a sweaty performance against graffitied walls surrounded by the promised “goth baddies”. Dark, sleazy and knowingly playful, it’s exactly the kind of chaos ‘Cage’ deserves.

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Moving beyond the softer alt-folk of her previous work, ‘Playground’ brings those roots into grittier alt-rock territory. Sparse verses pair Sakara’s voice with dirty, slightly bluesy electric guitar and a simple bass-and-snare beat, leaving plenty of space around her increasingly defiant delivery. The choruses then hit considerably harder, distorted guitars crashing in alongside bigger drums and cymbals. Its plodding pace gives the track additional weight rather than rushing towards resolution.

Sakara sounds tougher and more confrontational here, calling time on the games while keeping just enough of her folky character intact.

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A lovely driving bassline immediately provides the momentum, bringing the clearest hint of the band’s post-punk roots, while the rest sits much closer to melodic 90s alt-rock. There’s a definite touch of The Breeders in the instrumentation, complemented by Cinta Masters’ distinctive vocal and some beautifully layered harmonies. Catchy, uncomplicated and made for singing along, ‘Holiday’ has an easy warmth that makes its desire to escape feel genuinely infectious.

There’s no accompanying visual, but this is one of those songs that hardly needs one. ‘Holiday’ creates its own images of family road trips, passing scenery and heading somewhere warmer with the music turned up. Wholesome, sweet and effortlessly likeable, sometimes a simple tune is all you need.

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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.”

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