Cruel World is the debut solo album from Wellington-based songwriter Oscar Doorne. It is being independently released on November 9th.
Oscar Doorne is a relatively new to the Wellington music scene, but has been making himself known during 2014. Growing up in the coastal town of Paekakariki, he was surrounded by music from an early age. He released his first bedroom-recorded EP in August 2012 at the age of 17, while he was living in Japan. Upon returning to New Zealand, he released a string of home made EPs and recordings via his bandcamp and soundcloud pages, all made available for free download. He moved into a flat in Berhampore in November 2013, and began writing and playing whenever and wherever he could around Wellington, in cafes, record stores, parties. This saw the release of his most recent home release EP Songs for the Sick, which was recorded around this time.
Cruel World is something different. After his mother passed away from cancer in March 2014, Oscar channeled this difficult period of his life into the songs that make up this album. Consequently, the album bears an overarching feeling of mourning, found most prominently in the tracks Rainy Monday Morning and Why Won’t You Open Your Eyes' The melancholy sound Doorne has been developing the last years flourishes on the songs here, but the writing is more focused, the message more honest and clear. And elements of pop that have been creeping into his writing of late are also given time to shine, cutting through the album’s gloom on tracks like Loyalty and Pass the Time.
It was recorded over two days in Aro Valley with local musician Jim Carroll, who recorded, mixed and mastered the record. Oscar Doorne and Jim Carroll performed all the music on this record. Doorne’s style is still progressing and evolving, but Cruel World marks the point in Oscar’s life where he is ready to stand up and have his music, and his voice, heard.
Join him to celebrate the release of Cruel World at Moon in Newtown, November 9th, at 7pm x
(R18 but under 18s can attend with a guardian)
