GOLDHEIST is the moniker for regional NSW singer/songwriter Hester Fraser. We are thrilled today to be premiering Eyes of Love, the third album from this outstanding artist. Releasing an album through these times is no easy feat, and for GOLDHEIST adapting to the circumstances has proved to be the order of the day.
The album was to be launched with a live show, but that has been scuppered with the current situation. As well as the online premiere of Eyes of Love, we have a brand spanking new video for the track “Love Letter to a Year Most Bizarre” which was a grand finalist in the Listen Up Music’s – The Songwriting Prize 2021.
Her previous album, Realm (2017), had an electro-pop feel to it, and for Eyes of Love, GOLDHEIST has embraced a more earthly acoustic approach. It gives the songs a beautiful directness and amplifies the emotions. There is a delicacy to the production, where the raw stripped back nature of it allows the intimacy of Hester’s songs to shine through. They are touching, they are tender and utterly heartfelt.
Hester told the AU what the album means to her:
In early 2020, I recorded the first track for an album – a completely different album. As the events of the global pandemic unfolded and our lives were rapidly deconstructed, I found myself turning away from the studio, despite all the time at home, unable to retain a hold on songs that no longer seemed to fit into this brave new world. For a while, I couldn’t make music at all. It was my sister who made me realise that it is now, more than ever, that people need beautiful ways to connect with one another.
EYES OF LOVE explores themes of love and loss, friendship, sisterhood, joy, beauty and grief. I sing about my grandmother and my sister, my homeless friend in Hyde Park and his Akubra hat, trips to Bunnings to keep me sane through lockdown, and the magic of new love. I want these songs to bring peace, hope and companionship to my listeners, as we all endeavour to look upon this beautiful, savage, messy world through eyes of love.
“Love Letter to a Year Most Bizarre” vividly paints a picture of what we have endured during this time of social distancing. An astute reference to Bunnings and rosellas gives it a local Australian anchor point, yet the feeling of isolation and the angst of physical distancing is universal. The video was co-produced by Hester and Anthony Walmsley.
Eyes of Love from GOLDHEIST will be released worldwide on Saturday, 22nd January 2022. In the meantime, enjoy our exclusive premiere of the album.
You can keep up to date with GOLDHEIST on her website, Instagram and Facebook,
