Harder Now, this EP’s opening lead single and Tania Doko’s first solo release in 15 years, features softly whispered “yes”s – an encouraging inner-voice struggling to cut through a negative-thought loop, perhaps?
We feel warm in the company of Doko’s vocals, which belong front and centre: “I see you/ I love you/ Harder now…”
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
After stepping away from the spotlight, Doko – one half of Bachelor Girl – wrote hit songs for other artists including The Veronicas, Jessica Mauboy, Taylor Dayne, Sheppard and her buddy Tina Arena. That is until Mattias Lindblom, who produced The Beauty’s In The Broken, reminded Doko that – as an artist in her own right – she needs to release her own records.
Doko called Sweden home for a decade, but relocated back to Australia with her family in 2021. Dry air during a hotel quarantine stint caused Doko’s voice to ‘break’, which required surgery, but – as this EP’s title reflects – she’s learnt how to embrace the ‘brokenness’. Make no mistake, Doko sounds magnificent throughout, delivering vocal performances that are steeped in emotion and gritty where they need to be.
“Can I get a ‘hell yeah’?” – we see Doko’s request during standout track Hardcore, which opens in a flurry of dramatic keys not dissimilar to It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, and raise her a FUCK yeah for reclaiming the solo spotlight. The battle scars collected through life experience add grist to a songwriter’s mill and women of a certain age’s stories deserve to be heard.
Label: Independent
Release Date: 28 Sep
