Last month we introduced People Mover, the Meanjin/Brisbane indie rock trio featuring Lu Sergiacomi (vocals, guitar), Dan Sergiacomi (drums) and Billy McCulloch (bass), ahead of their new full-length Cane Trash coming soon via Little Lunch Records. The title track gave an indication of what to expect from the outfit. “An inherently nostalgic [song] that draws on memories of the ash which filled the air of hometown Bundaberg during the burn-off of sugarcane before harvest,” as we described. “The bright, upbeat surface belying the melancholic weight at it heart. Which isn’t to say the juxtaposition of joy and sadness is in any way peculiar, for what else is fondness but the persistent presence of those very emotions?”
With the release of the record just over a week away, People Mover have returned with brand new single, ‘James St’. The opening track of the album, the song again occupies the interstitial space between brightness and melancholy, fired by a peppy rhythm but burdened by wistful reflection. Here Sergiacomi and co. recall an old house and all the memories attached, but, for all of the uncertainty and regret within the lyrics (“I don’t know where you are anymore / I could search but what for?” as the chorus asks), the overriding mood is one of acceptance. “Doesn’t matter / we were happy,” the concluding lines realise. “Nothing’s built to last.”
Photo by Keinamon