Helen Shanahan has today announced her her single and video Camouflaged (out April 28), the perfect follow up to previous single I Only Hide, expressing curiousity as to who she would be without the burden of anxiety. Camouflaged is another taste of Helen’s new album Every Little Sting – a versatile, considered and skillful collection of folk-country tunes from the outstanding songwriter, set for release on May 5. To celebrate the release, Helen will be hitting the road throughout May, kicking off on May 5 at Fly By Night Musician’s Club in Fremantle, then moving through Margaret River, Yallingup, Melbourne and wrapping up on June 1 at Petersham Bowling Club in New South Wales.
Moody, yet buoyed by casually-cool percussive rhythms, Camouflaged is like frustration encapsulated in a piece of music. What would it be like if I wasn’t always hiding away, when everybody shows their face, asks an exasperated Helen in her heartstopping falsetto, accompanied by the pulsing band that perfectly represents the ever-present nature of anxiety. Working with filmmaker Brendan Joel (Jacob Diamond, Sam Perry), who she also worked with on her 2015 release Across The Sea, Helen has released a stunning, one-take video to accompany Camouflaged. Reflecting on the song and the idea behind the impactful clip, Helen says, “Camouflaged is about realising you have to back yourself, and believe in yourself in order to be heard. I so often find I prefer to stay in the background, but when it comes to my music, I realised I needed to do the best I could to put myself out there instead of being ‘camouflaged’… This clip mirrors my previous single I Only Hide with themes of wanting to break free from anxiety and to be comfortable in my own skin. Themes of ‘breaking out’ of my anxious self to experience the joy of being ‘wild’ and ‘free’ come through in the chorus scenes when I am playing with my band in a vibrant setting.”
