Premiere: Meet Daniel Trakell, who shines with his new single Let Me Be

Header image by Al Parkinson.

If you're yet to be acquainted with Daniel Trakell, let us quickly get you up to speed. Over the last few years, the Melbourne-via-Ballarat musician has emerged as an exciting name in shimmering, subtle indie-folk, capturing the emotive brilliance that can shine through indie music when it's reduced to its most stripped-back with every single he's put out, including the ones gathered on his 2017-released debut EP Paradise. It's comparable to the work of Bon Iver and Big Thief or, back home, acts like Kyle Lionhart and MID CITY - all acts that channel this emotive, lyric-driving sense through many forms of indie-rock.

That aforementioned debut EP Paradise really encapsulated that quality to Daniel Trakell's music and introduced it to the world, and the songs that have come out since - like last year's Wisdom/Boredom - have since built on it; Wisdom/Boredom specifically speaking being the first track from his debut album, which is sure to further showcase this on a larger scale: "It’s the first single from my forthcoming album of the same name, which was recorded at Alex The Great Studio in Nashville, where other Australians like Bob Evans and Missy Higgins have recorded while in the US," he teased with the release of that track. 

Today, we're premiering the album's next taste in Let Me Be - a track that deepens those comparisons to artists like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver (two heavyweights within that indie-rock genre), while continuing to grow Daniel Trakell's sound and track his evolution. It's a charming and wonderful listen that provides some sense of escape amongst everything going on - even if it's just for a quick four minutes - with Trakell's vocal leading the way alongside softly-stitched melodies and a rich percussive element that keeps everything in check.

It's "a song about falling behind, burning out and needing some time out from it all for a little while" he says, and that's something that really hits home at the moment. Amongst everything going on right now, you need to check out every now and again to ensure your mental health remains strong and in-tact, especially as this sense of emotional burn-out sets in. It's obviously not the exact circumstance the song was written about, but that's the beauty of tracks like these, and it's something that keeps us coming back time and time again.

Dive into the track below ahead of its greater release tomorrow, and better introduce yourself to Daniel Trakell while you're at it - there's a lot coming up for the rising Melbourne name in 2020, and now's a better time than ever to jump on board.

Tell us about yourself?

Melbourne based singer-songwriter, originally from Ballarat.

I’ve played in a couple of bands over the years you’ve likely never heard of, when they came to an end I found myself with a bunch of demos and decided to go it alone. I self-released an EP called Paradise a couple of years ago and just signed my first ever record deal with Swedish label Dumont Dumont who will be releasing my debut album later this year.

What’s the vibe music-wise?

It seems to get classified as either indie or indie-folk, but I’m influenced by a lot of different music, some of my favourite artists are John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Elliott Smith, Evan Dando, and more recently Big Thief, Adam Melchor, Whitney and Faye Webster.

What are your production and writing processes like?

I’ll either sit down at the piano or with my guitar and just explore until I hit upon something I like and then keep working at it until I’m happy. Lyrics always come last for me and are the longest part of the process.

I’ll record demos and send to my friend Josh Barber (who has produced all my solo stuff so far) who helps brings the songs to life in the studio.

Can you tell us about your new single, Let Me Be?

Let Me Be is a song about falling behind, burning out and needing some time out from it all for a little while, respectfully asking for some space. It was recorded at Alex The Great studios during my first trip to Nashville, and was a really great time just getting to visit that city and be surrounded by such creative and talented players. The main vocal, acoustic guitars and upright bass were recorded in one take around a single mic then we added the extra layers on top afterwards.

What does 2020 have in store for you?

Releasing a handful of songs followed by the album in October. Using all this lockdown time to write and record for the next album.

Where can we find more of your music?

Spotify, Apple, Bandcamp, Youtube etc

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