The project of Naarm/ Melbourne-based creative Darcy Hemingway, mumdeathcake operates in the space where fuzzy indie rock meets dreamy bedroom-produced soundscapes.
His latest release is the single ‘Billy No Mates’, a slacker-slowcore burner that worms its way inside your own thoughts, Darcy’s self-reflective songwriting providing commentary for those who need “to hear those words”.
Languid, hazy drums are joined by a spacious, unpolished, yet chugging and persistent guitar, the washed-out, lo-fi psych, murky soundscape equal parts industrial ambient, distorted shoegaze and grungy, bruised alt pop.
The meandering guitar lines maintain a steady if somewhat disjointed flow, Darcy’s far-away vocals permeating the rawness, creating a heaviness to the lyrics that’s both hypnotic and vulnerable: ‘full strength coke / another hole in your throat / but it’s not working’; ‘we all get sick / and we all bounce back / until you don’t’; ‘you’re crying at the self-checkout / buddy what’s that all about’.
“‘Billy No Mates’ is probably the heaviest song to come out of this project to date, both sonically and in subject matter,” admits Darcy.
“It’s a bit of a character study, looking back at myself when I first moved out of home, the instability that came with that and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that came about as a result.”
Released last week, today scenestr is stoked to premiere the music video for ‘Billy No Mates’. Enjoy.
“It’s sort of a conversation with my younger self, really what I wish someone could have told me back then when I was deep in it y’know,” adds Darcy.
“It’s probably the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written and releasing it scares the ever-loving sh.t out of me. That being said, it feels important to release in case someone’s in the same position I was back then and needs to hear those words.”
‘Billy No Mates’ and its b-side companion song ‘Dossier’ (“the first song I started writing for this phase of mumdeathcake”) will feature on mumdeathcake’s forthcoming EP ‘It’s Not A Race’, which Darcy declares is ‘a brutally honest collection of self-produced tracks’.
“[‘Dossier’] set the vibe for the entire EP,” he says. “I was experimenting with different song structures, textures and vocal styles to try and create something fresh but still in line with the sound I’d established over the past two EPs. At the time I was listening to a lot of slowcore and indie folk, and I think that really came through in this one.
“This one’s about giving yourself up completely to someone and learning to be comfortable with sharing every part of yourself with them. It’s a super-vulnerable position to be in, but under the right circumstances and with the right person, it can be the most freeing thing in the world.”
Darcy is currently rehearsing with a live band composed of some of his closest friends to bring mumdeathcake to stages across Melbourne in 2026.
“I really want this project to feel like it felt in I first started playing music with my mates in a rundown shed in rural Victoria, and I’m willing to take the time to get that right and create something truly special for the stage.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source scenestr.com.au ’
