Naarm-via-California Indie-folk Act El Tee Shares First New Music In Four Years With 'Baby'

O6 September, 2024

On ‘Baby’, the follow-up single to 2020’s debut LP Everything Is Fine, Naarm/Melbourne-via-California indie-folk songwriter El Tee smoothly prosecutes a modern dating set piece: self-sabotage as a tactic to avoid vulnerability. Stream ‘Baby’ 

“What does it feel like to fall in love? Know every part of you / What if you go on to fuck this up? Well that’d be nothing new.” For El Tee – the moniker of Lauren Tarver (she/her) – , the desire for a relationship where things finally work out generates a pressure that all but ensures it won’t. And it’s often easier or more predictable to self-destruct than risk hurt at the hand of another. Glinting guitars refract light off El Tee’s rich, Sharon Van Etten-esque vocal, sparring against herself.

Previously, Tarver would take the bones of a new song to her backing band, arrange it at practice and test it live before making it to the studio. For pop-leaning ‘Baby’, she switched into a more intimate collaborative dynamic, shaping the structure and tone of the track from the outset, with long-time friend Andrew Huhtanen McEwan (Gregor, RVG, bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit, Huntly).

El Tee has been building a devoted following amongst the Australian music scene since 2018. Positioning herself as much more than just an honest and vulnerable songwriter, she demands attention, marrying dark-mood lyrics with a blanket of warmth and intimacy. She released her debut album, Everything Is Fine in 2020, receiving critical acclaim, and celebrated with a sold-out album launch. The album topped Australian community radio charts, garnered spins on triple j, and received feature album on several radio and media sources including 2SER and NME. Soon after, El Tee embarked on her first headline tour and was shortlisted for the Music Victoria Award for Best Rock Act 2021.

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