Sydney's pop-punk quintet Bellwether unveil debut single, 'Shortsighted'

Sydney-based pop-punk quintet Bellwether have revealed their pensive debut single ‘Shortsighted’ – produced by Stevie Knight (Stand Atlantic, Yours Truly, The Dead Love) and mixed by James Paul Wisner (Hands Like Houses, Underoath).

‘Shortsighted’ begins with an equable guitar riff whilst the earnest vocals from frontman James Graham provide the track’s memorable melody. The verse then crescendos into a multicoloured hook, erupting with packed layers of compelled instrumentation and domineering drums. Taking cues from influences such as Kisschasy and Weezer, the song delivers a nostalgic revival of pop-punk elements, rinsed with angst and purity, while concurrently offering a refreshing new taste of modern song writing.

"‘Shortsighted’ is, in essence, a song about self-acceptance. It’s about confronting and admitting your own flaws, while at the same time accepting yourself for who you are and abandoning the expectations imposed onto you by others,” explains guitarist and songwriter Heath Joukhadar. “That all being said, the song doesn’t take itself seriously, which is not only reflected by the message of the lyrics but also the numerous pop culture and meme references included throughout the track.

“We took a lot of inspiration from BoJack Horseman when we were writing 'Shortsighted', as he was a character we could all empathise with,” continues Heath. “BoJack personifies the feeling of never being good enough and we tried channelling that energy into the song. Sometimes you feel like a piece of shit and that's alright."

Bellwether consists of former members of antecedent bands Oaks and Flicker, whose previous releases received widespread support from triple j, triple j Unearthed, JOY FM, Tone Deaf and Wall of Sound. The group’s combined music experience is all-embracing, capturing the true essence of their lyrical subjects through their unique and eclectic sound.