Toby Sussex Releases Debut EP ‘Weather Dependent’
Feel Better is the first single released from Toby Sussex’s debut EP Weather Dependent. Blending intimate folk guitar with subtle modern pop production, Feel Better pulls you in with personal vocals, honest lyrics, and a satisfying build. “Feel Better is a song I wrote one night, mostly in one sitting. It all spilled out, the overflow of a lot of built-up emotions. It’s about wanting to really be there for someone close to you, wanting to take on their pain as your own, even when it threatens to take a toll on you. It’s about reassurance, even when you don’t quite have the words to say what you want to. I wanted the song to feel like a warm hug.”
Following on from the soulful sounds of Feel Better, the Te Whanganui-a-Tara based indie-folk artist picks up the pace with Life Slips. Themes of anxiety, procrastination, societal expectation and existentialism bleed through the cracks of Life Slips’ playful and upbeat sound. Using elements of funk, indie-rock and alt-pop, Toby invites listeners to celebrate life in all its fullness and embrace the chaos and worries of this world with a sense of humour and wonder. Watch out, this existentialist banger might just live rent free inside your head.
Also featured on the EP is the sweet sounding and folk-full Bucket of Lemons. Written to honour two of his grandparents, this tune depicts each of their personalities and character through description of their daily routines, finding beauty in the simple things. A fan favourite at gigs, its odd time signatures and colourful chord voicings power the song forward, keeping the spirit optimistic and reflective of the love and adventure found in their relationship.
Rounding off Weather Dependent is It’s a Goodbye, a personal, bittersweet song written about moving on to a new phase in life. Going through major life changes can be exciting, but often emotional and lonely, and this song speaks to that. A real builder, this song starts up close – you’re right there too, in a new room of a new flat – only to continue to swell into something much larger – an outcry and an affirmation of hope to make this place a home.
