Artist: Fortitude Valley
Title: Baby, I’m Afraid
Format: Digital single
Cat#: Fika087SG2
Release date: 9th July 2021
Spotify | Bandcamp
Fortitude Valley channel Weezer’s Blue Album for their latest single Baby, I’m Afraid.
“This is a break up song. It’s two people feeling that the vibe is off, but not communicating.
It’s about feeling insecure, over analysing little things and assuming the worst rather than actually speaking to the other person.”
Fortitude Valley tear through three minutes of scorching rock with crunchy riffs and indelible hooks, harnessing their vibrant slacker-pop to dissect a stalling relationship.
Fortitude Valley is the new outlet for the songwriting talents of Durham based Brisbanite Laura Kovic.
Having spent the majority of her musical career playing keyboards in other people’s bands, bringing their songs to life with a melodic flourish, it was about time for Laura K to find an outlet for her songs: awkward power-pop that’s bound to appeal to fans of The Beths, Pixies or The Weakerthans.
She’s assembled quite the band too: Martha’s Daniel Ellis on lead guitar and Nathan Stephens Griffin on drums, and Night Flowers’ Greg Ullyart on bass.
Fortitude Valley is the heart of Brisbane’s music scene and it's also where Laura first started playing in bands before moving to the UK in 2010. It was a place that objectively felt mythical, a suburb with a special meaning, looking back from the other side of the world and many years later.
Fortitude Valley release their debut full length album at the end of the summer 2021.
“Heartstring tugging lyrics, guitars that send you bouncing round the kitchen, and a supercute video complete with a puppy – seriously, what more do you want?” Loud Women
“the lyrics, about the last days of a relationship, are tinged with sadness, they’re lifted by the spiky guitar riffs and pure punk drums, which collide brilliantly with front-person Laura Kovic’s shoegaze-inspired, bubblegum vocals. The result is truly euphoric.” Get In Her Ears
“letting these grunge-y pop rock riffs rip and swirl all over the place as Kovic bounces her voice in and out of the song’s grooves” Austin Town Hall
“Fortitude Valley offer bubblegum scented power punk in a manner irrefutably slacked and relaxed” Noizze
“a powerful '90s power-pop in which Laura's soft voice and excellent melodies stand out” Indie For Bunnies