Jessica O’Donoghue’s new single, Good Grief – an elegant record of emotive and mysterious art-pop compositions.
Combining industrial electronics, rich vocal harmonies, warm synths and operatic influences, Rise Up is without a doubt O’Donoghue’s most ambitious release to date. With production from Alyx Dennison (of Kyü) and engineer David Trumpanis (Sarah Blasko, Seeker Lover Keeper, The Voice), O’Donoghue continues to haunt audiences and critics alike – putting her as a pioneer of her own brand of post-baroque dramatic pop.
“This album is really about a woman’s journey,” begins O’Donoghue. “It goes from hopes, dreams and promises to dark times, challenges, sacrifices and doubting/questioning to acceptance, nurturing and healing, to celebrating and honouring the feminine story and experience. It is a journey of drawing from darkness to drawing from light, a letting go and a rising up that brings with it immense depth and knowledge from past experiences. It is about honouring and celebrating all that the woman is and represents; softness, beauty, fierce power and the ability to hold and nurture the world and everyone in it. It is deep and mysterious, yet illuminous and uplifting.”
With droning notes and stripped back percussion, Good Grief allows O’Donoghue’s vocals to take charge over a minimalist composition. As the first vocal piece of the album, layered electronica and tactful use of loops puts O’Donoghue’s best foot forward in unveiling a record as intelligently composed as it is produced.
“This song is about going through the process of losing a loved one (in this case my Dad),” says O’Donoghue. “Although grieving can be painful, actually the sentiment is a welcoming of the grieving process as a way to remember the lost one, a way to celebrate and appreciate what you had rather than to purely mourn what is lost, and to honour and acknowledge your feelings, holding a space for yourself while still moving forwards. It’s a letting go of fear and an expression of relief to finally stare grief in the face, to succumb to the vulnerability, which ultimately brings inner peace. It also represents a grieving of past selves as one evolves on a personal journey.”
As a recipient of the Top Performance Award at 2021’s APRA/AMCOS AMC Art Music Awards and an Australian Institute of Music Fellowship, O’Donoghue’s undeniable talent is only reinforced by her prestige, all of which culminates in the rich musicianship on display in Rise Up. Here marks the next big step in O’Donoghue’s unstoppable career – a truly outstanding piece of Australian music.
Jessica O’Donoghue’s new single, Good Grief, is available now on all platforms.
