INTRODUCING: Kučka

I wouldn’t be surprised if Kučka‘s (aka Laura Jane Lowther) voice actually spun fairy floss. The latest single from the Perth native, ‘Unconditional’, is a decidedly smoother pop song than those on her debut EP, where her experimental tendencies (see ‘Polly’) saw her layer those sickly sweet vocals over glitch samples and sparse, syncopated drum machine beats.

‘Unconditional’ refines her penchant for the pop hooks and harmonies that were generously sprinkled over her debut, opting for a more structured approach to production that sees her embrace a (slightly) more traditional pop song structure. The slow-jam synth beats in the verses dissipate into a breakdown featuring a lone vocal melody before building back up into an R&B style call-and-response chorus line. It’s still avant-pop, but with a straighter synth pop vibe in place of the experimentalism of her debut.

Somewhat presciently, US rapper A$AP Rocky sampled Kučka on his 2012 single ‘Long Live A$AP’ – then asked her to contribute backing vocals to ‘Fashion Killa’. The brush with pop royalty perhaps reflects the future arc of Kučka career – or, at the least, it’s been a catalyst for her new off-kilter pop sound.

On top of that (and aside from the obvious Grimes comparison), the polyphonic textures and bright production on ‘Unconditional’ show more of an optimistic side to Kučka’s music. Must be all that Perth sun.

‘Unconditional’ is the lead single from a new EP, due out later this year. Kučka is launching the single at the Bird in Perth this Saturday, 7 July with support from ¹fm¹, Mudlark and DJs Rex Monsoon and Salut Barbut (The Monarchy). RSVP on Facebook.

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