We already had high hopes for Tired Lion‘s upcoming debut album, but with the news that Violent Soho frontman Luke Boerdam was stepping into the studio to make his production debut, expectations shot through the roof.

Now, the Perth rockers have revealed a fresh cut from that record, ‘Cinderella Dracula’, and if it’s an indication of what the rest of the album will sound like, we’re in for a very good time indeed.

The track details chaos, confusion, and personal pain, as detailed by frontwoman Sophie Hopes:

“This was written at a time when I felt quite lost,” she explains. “I guess you could call it young naivety. I was young and single, ready to experience the world with a kind of “youthful embrace”.  I had a one-night stand and what was meant to make me feel content just left me angry and frustrated at myself… Well that was my experience anyway.”

“I wrote the lyrics down whilst waiting for this guy to leave. It was awful timing but I guess it was my way of saying ‘F*ck you, can you get out of my house’. I felt like I’d garnered this split personality one side being desperate for affection and vulnerable (Cinderella), the other being dark and well… kinda mean (Dracula).

“The song plays with that contradiction, it starts soft and fragile but then explodes into the heavy stuff – the idea was to hear that struggle the whole way through.”

YouTube VideoPlay

You can definitely feel the frustration boil up and break through with a ridiculous intensity around the 40 second mark, and we’re sure that the band – with a little help from Boerdam and engineer Dave Parkin – will be able to capture more of that energy on the rest of the record.

According to Hopes, adding Boerdam to the team has given them the kick up the arse they needed to get the album together, and it seems as if he’ll have a future in production as Violent Soho take a bit of time off.

“I’d definitely say working with Luke has influenced our songwriting for the better. I really can’t imagine recording this album without him now. We all seem to be on the same page and our visions 100% align, which is super important.

“He also has this way of pushing us to our limits without stepping on our toes and I guess you could say he just gets it. We’re calling him ‘Psychologist Luke’ because he’s listening to all my bullsh*t through the songs. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with one of the biggest rock legends in Australia.”

Until the record finally drops, you’ll be able to catch Tired Lion playing a run of shows in support of ‘Cinderella Dracula’, dates below, and you can buy or stream ‘Cinderella Dracula’ here.

Tired Lion ‘Cinderella Dracula’ tour

May 5 – Badlands, Perth

May 11 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

May 12 – Brightside, Brisbane

May 13 – Hudson Ballroom, Sydney

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine