We've been obsessed with Gamilaraay indie pop star Thelma Plum forever, solidified by her killer pop turns Clumsy Love and Not Angry Anymore in recent months, and now we're so thrilled to hear news that we have a debut album to look forward to.
Titled Better In Blak (with a single of the same name whose music video dropped today too), the album will follow two EPs Rosie and Monsters, and if the three singles we've heard thus far are to go by, the record will be honest, biting and full of trademark Thelma wit.
As The Fader writes, the album remarkably also features Sir Paul McCartney who reportedly "wrote guitar parts for album closer Made For You while visiting the studio Plum was recording at in New York". Alongside the famous Beatle, Gang Of Youths' Dave Le'Aupepe and Aussie legend Paul Kelly will also make appearances on the record.
"This album reflects some pretty dark times in my life but these songs kind of helped pull me out of it, it’s cathartic in a weird way," Thelma says of the upcoming album. "I’m excited for people to hear these songs but some of them come from grim places, so it’s a bit daunting having them see the light of day. There’s some funny stuff on there, too, it’s not all doom and gloom!”
As for the album's title track Better In Blak, director Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore has worked with Thelma once again to create hauntingly simple visuals, full of steady, loaded gazes and a room full of Indigenous women - including Thelma's two sisters, who haven't ever been in the same room together. It's powerful to say the least and we even love the reference to the hand-clapping in Clumsy Love.
Thelma says, "This is the third video I’ve made with Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore and I love working with her. She makes the space feel safe so it’s a very comfortable process to make art with her. It’s been great building that relationship with her over all of the videos for this album but what’s most important to me is the fact I got to work with Indigenous women that I have looked up to for a long time and that this video reunited me with my sisters."
And to top it all off, Thelma's hitting the road for a national tour following a national run on Groovin The Moo last month. Kicking off on August 9th, she'll make the rounds over 10 dates.
FRI 09 AUG | MIAMI MARKETTA, MIAMI QLD (18+)
SAT 10 AUG | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD (18+)
THU 15 AUG | | UNI BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW (18+)
FRI 16 AUG | CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW (18+)
SAT 17 AUG | THE FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW (18+)
THU 22 AUG | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC (18+)
FRI 23 AUG | THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE VIC (18+)
SAT 24 AUG | CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND VIC (18+)
FRI 30 AUG | LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDE SA (18+)
SAT 31 AUG | FREO.SOCIAL, FREMANTLE WA (18+)
