Following his recent SOLD OUT debut tour of South Africa, Ziggy Alberts releases his sixth studio album ‘DANCING IN THE DARK’ today, November 4th.
Ziggy Alberts, an Australian singer-songwriter and author, has established himself as one of Australia’s leading independent artists. His genuine grassroots story has lifted his artistry into universal acclaim, captivating audiences across the globe – a testament to his song writing ability and powerful live performance.
Since his ‘searching for freedom’ album release, Alberts has spent the better part of the last year and a half working on new music and releases – which now comes full circle with a much anticipated sixth studio album, DANCING IN THE DARK. The latest releases, ‘REWIND’, ‘CAMPFIRE’, ‘I BELIEVE’, ‘TATTOOS’ and ‘THE SUN & THE SEA featuring Donovan Woods’ all find their place on the full-length record that is placed in a genre – self-titled by Ziggy – as ‘Future Folk’.
DANCING IN THE DARK is another chapter of Alberts’ growth as an artist, his music and personal discoveries, both introspectively and in the natural world. The record is honest, genuine, and emotionally vulnerable, yet delivered beautifully with creative melody, humility, and lyrical solace.
As Alberts explains, the 10-track collection of songs acts as a time capsule of our experiences in today’s society, having been written and recorded in real-time over the past year. Alberts shares with this new album he wanted to “embark on an exploration of what I call ‘Future Folk’: time codes, antidotes to dissonance, new soundscapes & topics, tuned backing vocals and synth bass, all intertwined in a folk foundation.”
The opening album track, ‘CAMPFIRE’ oozes classic Ziggy charm through a melodic reminder that you can “light up the campfire” and rise above it all through any time of darkness. It’s one of Ziggy’s favourite moments on the record for its minimalistic production but blends of old and new; claps, a foot to the floor, coastal folk banjo, and Latin-inspired nylon guitar counter melodies. It is in this opening song we see the album have a new creative flair, unique to Alberts’ discography.
‘THE SUN & THE SEA’ is a beautifully harmonious and melodic collaboration between Alberts and Canadian singer-songwriter and feature artist Donovan Woods. The song’s sentiment has honest, open-ended-ness; it echoes how we all are in our own personal life experiences, simply “still figuring it out”. And within the personal introspection that the song takes you to, there is a feeling of togetherness illuminated by Alberts and Woods’s powerfully complimenting duet.
The focus track from the album, ‘I’M SORRY’, is undoubtedly one of the most honest and sincere songs Alberts has ever released, let alone written. In this song, he pours his heart into his story and gives all his strength to sing it. It is personal and heart-wrenching, and despite it being a true insight into his personal experience, it is relatable.
The title track, ‘DANCING IN THE DARK,’ is the crowning achievement of the ‘Future Folk’ concept the album seeks to capture. First inspired to write this track as a timecode, Alberts explains, “This [song] ultimately is a story about dancing in the dark, which sums up the endeavour and spirit of this whole record: singing and digging deep into courage and joy in the face of sadness and chaos”.
Closing out the album, ‘REWIND’ is soaked in frivolous and sensual fun that will be sure to have listeners finding themselves hitting replay. The Latin-infused folk track features a Bossa Nova beat and Alberts’ signature smooth vocals. As Ziggy describes, the song is “a call to be present and to embrace your life experiences like they are your very first and your very last”. REWIND’s sentiment is a fitting call to action for the last song on the 10-track record.
Founder of his independent label, Commonfolk Records, and book publishing house, Commonfolk Publishing, Ziggy Alberts has managed to craft what many musicians and authors dream of – the ability to tell a story on their own terms. In 2022, Ziggy was awarded an APRA for his track ‘letting go’. He has also earned ARIA Platinum certifications for ‘Laps Around The Sun’ (Double Platinum), ‘Gone’, ‘Runaway’, ‘Heaven’, ‘Love Me Now’, ‘Stronger’ and ‘Four Feet in the Forest’ (EP), plus Gold certifications for his ‘Laps Around The Sun’ album and six tracks in his catalogue.
DANCING IN THE DARK is a record in pursuit of overcoming adversity and embodying love and hope in our lives. In Alberts’ words, “I hope these stories lift you up and keep you together even when tides of change encourage us to do the opposite.”
DANCING IN THE DARK is out now.
STREAM/LISTEN TO ‘DANCING IN THE DARK’ ALBUM HERE
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