Premiere: Being. Shares Single 'Count Me In' + Live Video
It's been a breakthrough year for Tāmaki Makaurau's BEING. aka the indie-pop project of songwriter and poet Jasmine Balmer. She followed last year's infectiously catchy debut single 'High In Mind' with a collaborative mixtape alongside guitar-pop rising stars Soaked Oats and Ha The Unclear, toured across Aotearoa with said groups, and even made nationwide news via releasing a record with Whittakers made entirely out of chocolate! Not one to rest on her laurels, BEING. is rounding off 2018 with an emotionally tender new single titled 'Count Me In (I've Been Dragging Life / less)' we're thrilled to premiere here, accompanied by gorgeously shot live footage of Balmer and band playing the tune in a studio above Auckland's K Road, directed by Josh Yong.
'Count Me In' is drawn from BEING.'s debut EP set to drop in early 2019. Balmer is celebrating the song's release with a special free all-ages solo show at Auckland's Flying Out store this coming Saturday 24th November from 4.00pm, her final live solo set for this year. The event will also feature a selection of the artist's merchandise available for lucky punters to snap up in a flash. BEING. generously opened up about the themes explored in her new single...
"‘Count Me In’ is a bit of a meditation song for me – much like the rest of the songs that will be featured on my Debut EP in the new year. For me, this song is a way of processing states of melancholy. Rather than demonising the feeling, deeming it ‘bad’ and shutting off or running away from it, it’s an opportunity for an honest release that brings a sense of acceptance - striking a balance between peace and melancholy.
This song still makes me pretty nervous to perform live because there is nowhere to hide and it can be kind of confronting. It’s a slow build-up to a massive out-pouring that really isn’t very passable unless performed completely authentically – but that kind of vulnerability can be pretty baring and hard to share. It is the song the I identify with most as a writer/artist – sonically, lyrically – this is the kind of music I want to create. So to have had so many people ‘hounding’ me for when I would finally release this song has been SO encouraging. The live video of the band and me performing ‘Count Me In’ was all tracked live by Suren Unka. It is videographer, Josh Yong’s final edition to his ROAM – live music series. I was super lucky to get to work with all of these people, including working with the very talented Murray Fisher again, having him both mix & master the track."
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