Percentile
Album • 2020
with Virginia Kilbertus
TRACK 1: Younger Years Younger years is an appreciation for the things that shaped and made us. Sometimes I have nights with friends that are family, where for a moment I feel that childhood bliss yet again. My past experiences have shaped who I am today and younger years captures just that. My twin sister has been in every chapter of my life - that is why she was the perfect fit for this visual. My parents wedding flower was a daisy, their love was the seed for me and my sisters, so the visual for this piece is a daisy growing up by Jade Buckley.
TRACK 2: Suburb Showers Suburb Showers is about a perspective that is gained upon removing yourself from a construct, whether that be a physical or mental space. Its about realizing the faults in a system, which you once held to be true. It’s about those whose self-worth is founded upon imaginary hierarchies, statuses with enough fictitious power to lift or crush. Suburb showers is about fleeing from stagnant routine. It takes bravery to overcome social pressure and build a new perspective; time brings clarity. Recognizing wrongs and washing them away can be as cleansing as a shower.
TRACK 3: The Goods This song touches on the ‘capitalist clock’ and those that follow its time. The pressure that many young people feel to become part of the machine and align their endeavours with the corporate world. The idea that having a rich life depends upon earning money. I worked in the city this past summer and at the beginning of the day I could barely find a seat on the 7:15 am train. Moving in and out of the busy crowds I would pass by many people who seemed to have had lost the bounce in their step; they no longer had an excitement for where they were heading. “The Goods” is ultimately about following your dreams. Perhaps that involves wearing a suit in an office, or maybe it’s something else. Regardless of what your dreams may entail, they’re important to chase, even if it calls for breaking from the masses and going upstream.
TRACK 4: Bused Every stranger can have a connection to someone else that you love - their eyes may remind you of your father, their smile may remind you of your mother. Whether on a train, bus, or plane, each passenger has a life as complex as our own. Even when surrounded by perfect strangers, very few people take advantage of all the interactions possible on transit. The journey comes to an end, and so does the opportunity to learn about the stories around us. We are sometimes so focused on our final destinations that we forget to fully enjoy and experience those around us.
TRACK 5: Far Friends After moving for university I began to realize just how grateful I was for my family and friends back home - I guess it's that classic idea that you “never really know how good you have it till it’s gone.” Far Friends is about that realization. In each stage of life, there are different ‘far friends’ - right now my ‘far friends’ are my university friends. With growth comes distance, so it seems there is always going to be someone you wish was near that isn’t. All in all, when adventures come to an end we know that our friends will be there when we return.
TRACK 6: Blind, meet Day “Blind, Meet Day” was both the last song I wrote for Percentile and the first visual that I received. I wrote this song with subjectivity in mind. As each person has a unique consciousness and mode of being, we are all theoretically “blind” to one another’s experiences. However, as a social species, we are always looking for ways to connect and communicate. Art, in its countless forms, is an incredible way for individuals to express their essences and inner thoughts. Through song, musicians may shape the way others perceive sound, sharing what they hear. I use “Blind, Meet Day” as an attempt to colour my perception for the outside world. Sometimes we are all blinded by our own gaze. That’s what this EP was really all about – sharing my thoughts and voice.