NZ's Mousey Unveils New Album + Focus Track ‘E.S.’!

Ōtautahi-based songwriter Mousey, the creative alias of Sarena Close, is excited for the release of her third album, The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers!, this Friday, October 18th, 2024, via Winegum Records / Concord Publishing.

To mark this significant milestone, Mousey will also unveil her hypnotic focus track, ‘E.S.,’ which showcases a new chapter in her musical journey.

The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers! is a heartfelt exploration of personal and familial themes, capturing Mousey’s growth and introspection over the past five years since her debut album, Lemon Law. This eight-track collection delves into family dynamics, identity, and the quest to break generational cycles through evocative melodies and introspective lyrics.

As part of this release, Mousey is thrilled to spotlight the track ‘E.S.,’ which embodies a sense of hopefulness and acceptance. Mousey reflects, “I wrote ‘E.S.’ while in Melbourne, trying to create a song a day. This track feels like my ‘spring song’—it’s about embracing the way things have unfolded in my life, and while it carries some pain, it opens the door to new beginnings.”

Musically, ‘E.S.’ features a blend of meandering acoustic guitars and warm synths, alongside Mousey’s soaring vocals that layer beautifully throughout the song. It serves as a reminder of the beauty found in vulnerability and growth.

Earlier this month Mousey performed as part of the Exploding Rainbow Orchestra Songbook Volume Three. This year’s shows featured fourteen diverse artists, each presenting a brand-new song arranged for the expansive orchestral ensemble. Reflecting on the experience, Mousey shared, “It sounds cheesy but it was just so surreal to be able to sing my own song with an orchestra, and everyone involved really put their heart into it to make it such an incredible event. I feel so lucky to have been invited to perform - I might never be able to sing with an orchestra again, let alone have my own song arranged for one! I’m honestly such a fan that I would consider flying up to Auckland just to watch the show next time it happens”.

To celebrate the album’s release, Mousey is embarking on a nationwide tour this November, bringing her deeply personal and evocative music to audiences across Aotearoa. Fans can look forward to live performances of both new tracks and favourites from her previous records.

Tour Dates:

Christchurch: Darkroom, November 16th

Wellington: Moon, November 22nd

Auckland: Neck of the Woods, November 23rd

Special guest Goodwill will join Mousey on this tour, promising an unforgettable live experience.

Mousey shares, “I’m also changing all the time which keeps me on my toes, trying to express the person I feel I am every 2 years. It’s a privilege that I get to discover and express myself in such a way and also that some people would be interested in watching it all go down.”

With The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers!, Mousey solidifies her position as a compelling force in the New Zealand music landscape, crafting songs that resonate deeply and invite listeners into her intricate world of experience and reflection.

About The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers!:
The Dreams of our Mothers’ Mothers! opens with the slow-building and stirring ‘Die On That Hill’, a cathartic rumination on the struggle and pain of family, before segueing into ‘Home Alone’, an epic and triumphant song that aches for the past while remaining firm-footed in the here and now. There are moments on the record of multi-layered production, such as on the standout track ‘Dog Park’, with the pair pushing themselves to be unafraid of being “cheesy” and embracing joy and bombast.

Elsewhere, such as on the lo-fi closer ‘E.S.’, there are some of the most fragile and vulnerable sounds Mousey has ever delivered. For the shimmering ‘IDWGBTY’, Sarena recorded a hurried voice memo with voice and guitar to note down a sketch for a song, which Will then built around to construct one of the most magical moments on the album.

From the intimacy and pain of Sufjan Stevens’ most emotive moments to the grandeur and beautiful drama of Mitski, the darker moods of Portishead’s starker work to the swagger and passion of Perfume Genius, the influences here are many and varied. But make no mistake, this is all Mousey, purest form Mousey… a fully realised, and really quite remarkable Mousey.

“These albums that I’ve been making have become good vehicles to help me understand myself,” Sarena says. “It’s a privilege that I get to discover and express myself in such a way and also that some people would be interested in watching it all go down.”

Already unafraid of aiming high and making ambitious, complex music, The Dreams of our Mothers’ Mothers! is the sound of an artist at the very top of her game. It is an album made out of necessity, and made as Sarena Close’s truest form of expression. If ever Mousey deserved a moment, this is it.

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