Enigmatic dreamweaver, LT releases bold, fun new single and music video, 'Rollercoaster'

Photo by Rhea Caldwell

Multi-QMA-winning Cairns singer/songwriter, LT has returned with a brand new single that bursts in joyful and theatrical fashion in ‘Rollercoaster’.

Renowned as one of Queensland’s hardest working independent artists, the enigmatic pop dreamweaver LT has also hit us with an accompanying music video to the new single, that is a shimmering blast of polished dreamy pop with stirring thematics that you’ll fall in love with over and over again.

LT proves to be a musical chameleon with the release of ‘Rollercoaster’. It’s such a glossy, alt-pop bop which harnesses LT’s smokey vocal takes, scooped bass (that gets a tasty fuzz boost), dramatic string swoops and stabs, all over a fun, bouncing beat. ‘Rollercoaster’ shows an artist that is embracing a more slick sound, slowly moving away from the more roots/blues flourishes that LT has used for some time, and we’re all here for it. Plus she manages to make saying ‘fucked up’ still sound sweet.

A fun, deep and explosive outing, Rollercoaster brings together LT with an all-star team, including co-writing and producing courtesy via Joel Quartermain and Edwin White, mixing by Tony Buchen, and mastering by Leon Zervos.

Drawing from a variety of personal influences in the writing process, Rollercoaster may, on its surface, present as a bright and bubbly pop gem, but this utter earworm also comes brandishing significantly personal and hard-hitting thematics, as LT explains, “Rollercoaster is about caring for someone who battles with bipolar disorder. It’s about navigating through sleepless nights and uncontrollable highs, and keeping afloat during days of slumber and sweeping lows. It’s about love, perseverance, and riding that rollercoaster until you next see light.”

The music video for Rollercoaster painstakingly and respectfully reflects the mental health undertones of the accompanying single, with LT working alongside Brendan Shoenmaker, an emerging Brisbane creator, to bring the captivating clip to life. Featuring dancers and actors Katie Woods and Ellie Bankowski front-and-centre in a modern twist on vintage arthouse cinema, and filmed at Smoke Creative in Brisbane, the video for Rollercoaster showcases duality in its many forms, presented in realistic yet optimistic fashion.

Marrying the many modes of mental health, manic depression, love and perseverance with a sharp, circular spotlight alongside the glimmering track itself, the clip elegantly embodies darker thematics while also paying visual homage to a filmmaking great, as LT elaborates, “Due to the sensitive subject matter of Rollercoaster, it was really important we created something beautiful that in no way added to the stigma that people battling mental health issues can experience. Brendan used inspiration from filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's persona, creating a film depicting inner duality. The story demonstrates a study of yin and yang told through the cat and mouse relationship of two dancers, representing not just the duality of bipolar but the togetherness of the relationship as well as a healthy dose of self-love. It explores the relationship of duality from a perspective of absence and presence, with the dance built around two characters slipping in and out of each other's space. It is the tug of war between these moments that we wanted to showcase along with connection, endurance and the will to push on through.”

No stranger to the Aussie musical landscape, LT has continually charmed with her refreshing take on the indie, pop and electronic realms. With her previous single Hold Ya appearing as Song You Need To Know on Rolling Stone Australia in 2021, LT is also a multi-award winning powerhouse, with three Queensland Music Award wins under her belt as well as taking out 2018’s Carol Lloyd Award.

Proudly flying the flag for her hometown in Cairns, LT has also snagged international acclaim, with her track How Would It Feel picked up on BBC Radio in the UK as well as being remixed by London artist JHustl3 earlier this year. And while her releases continue to delight and enamour at every turn, creating new music is LT’s ultimate happy place, with 2022 offering a renewed chance to continue her passion and deliver some new tunes along the way, as LT concludes, ‘My favourite thing to do in the world is to write and record music, so I feel very fortunate that I still have the opportunity to release new work after such a tricky time. Happy days!”.

Check out the video to ‘Rollercoaster’ and stream the new single right now via all digital platforms.

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