Ahead of the release of his debut offering, ‘Classical and Cool Jazz’, landing on Wednesday 21 July, Melbourne indie-songsmith Cahill Kelly has revealed the album’s striking second single, ‘Beyond the Weathered Pale’, featuring haunting co-vocals of esteemed singer-songwriter Harmony Byrne.

Initially inspired by a confronting dream that drove Kelly into an unhealthy spiral of ‘what-ifs?’, ‘Beyond the Weathered Pale’ is a moody piano arrangement that encapsulates the overpowering feeling of unease before reaching clarity.

The song’s unusual composition is heightened by an ostensible anti-chorus, which contrasts against the rhythm and dynamic of each verse, while the unplanned inclusion of Byrne’s esoteric vocals elevates the song into a transcendent new dimension.

“When we originally demoed this track my friend Harmony Byrne happened to stop by to visit the house, and our engineer spontaneously asked her to jump in on the session,” Kelly recalls.

“Having her sing in unison with me really amped up the melody, as it was an unusual register for me to sing in.”

Originally from far North Queensland, a young Kelly grew up on a diet of Crowded House and Tom Petty. Later, he channelled his heroes in his first musical projects, The Broken Needles and Willow Darling. With the latter seeing him assume the role of a natural frontman, Kelly developed a knack for writing songs about everyday life with sparkling detail and depth, delivered with casual grace.

‘Classical and Cool Jazz’ is available for pre-order on translucent, tinted aqua vinyl, black vinyl and digitally via our website and Bandcamp page.

Written by Cahill Kelly

Cahill Kelly – vocals, keys
Harmony Byrne – vocals
Lain Pocock – bass
Andrew Braidner: drums

Recorded and mixed by Stive Collins at Home, 2020/2021. Mastered by Shane Jarvie-Kohn. Artwork by Gil Gilmour.