Ground Control Touring

Since debuting with 2019’s Pleaser LP, Georgia Maq has chased a more genuine form of pop music in her solo career, a vision in the vein of that pioneered by the likes of Robyn, Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen and others, that retains all of the glamour and universality but feels unburdened from capitalist underpinnings. Full of DIY electro-pop that mined evergreen themes of romantic, sexual and self-love, Maq’s solo debut was not so much a transformation as it was a revelation, opening up on her vulnerabilities and heartbreaks, finding strength in this self-exposure and revealing the multitudes to herself beyond the Camp Cope project.

If Pleaser was a left-of-field toe dip, ‘Someone Stranger’ is a full, unencumbered immersion: the chrysalis. Linking with Alice Ivy, ‘Someone Stranger’ continues the revelation of Georgia Maq, musing on loneliness, desire, the need for connection and the therapeutic potential of dancefloors, whilst proving once again her penchant for a surprise that rewards. Of the single, Maq shares: “Annika and I knew we wanted to make a song together so we made the time and in about three hours we had pretty much finished ‘Someone Stranger’. I write lyrics really quickly when I feel I have to and Annika creates amazing melodies so it just worked really well together. The song is very much open to interpretation, but personally it’s about purging romance through movement.”

Alice Ivy’s modus operandi of collaborating with a deliberating broad range of artists now leads her to working with Georgia Maq on ‘Someone Stranger’, another thread in an abundant tapestry of underrepresented voices and stories that runs across her entire discography.

Premiering on triple j Drive ‘Someone Stranger’ captured the attention of audience and press alike. The Guardian called it one of Australia’s best new tracks for August and it was featured on Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence and Stereogum, as well as becoming the most playlisted new Australian song across streaming services.