Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Gena Rose Bruce has released her latest single Foolishly In Love, co-written with iconic songwriter Bill Callahan. The whirling single is accompanied by a hazy film clip which sees Bruce reflect while standing on stunning, vast seaside cliffs. The track was premiered on Australian radio Double J’s Mornings and is out now via Dot Dash / Remote Control Records.
Gena Rose Bruce - lead press photo - credit Maximum Person
During Melbourne’s extended lockdown, which was one of the longest in the world, the Australian Music Prize-nominated rising star began turning inwards and shutting down around friends and family. Her close relationships felt laboured and her responses in social interactions insincere. She even began questioning her commitment to her partner. These anxieties bubbled over into fantasies about the thrill of new romance with unflinching honesty on the dance-floor ready track. “I was asking myself: ‘am I meant for one sort of relationship?’,” says Bruce. “I think it’s an important question to ask, to really just have a frank conversation about those feelings.” Gena’s aching vocals on the subject are front and centre, backed by her own brand of smoky indie rock.
Check out the Alex Badham & Ryan Downey-directed video for Foolishly In Love below:
Throughout the same shutdown, Bruce corresponded with the iconic American songwriter Bill Callahan. “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.”
Bruce released her debut album, Can’t Make You Love Me, in 2019 to praise from the likes of NPR – All Songs Considered, triple j, KEXP, KCRW, Sydney Morning Herald and Double J and featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds UK, Broad Chords, Indie Arrivals and Apple Music’s Best of the Week, A-List Alternative, Mellow Days, Indie Chill and Sad Times. In the live realm she’s supported Orville Peck and Kevin Morby, and was invited to showcase at SXSW 2020.
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