Morgan Bain Blood

Morgan Bain talks in the measured, precise manner of someone who's having to work hard to tame the myriad of thoughts whizzing around his head. Guided by a condition called synesthesia, a neurological issue whereby Bain 'hears' colour, his search for answers resonates through his latest single "Blood".

The 24-year-old tells that the seeds of his new music were sown during his move from Perth to Melbourne earlier this year, a three-week car trip that changed his perspective on key relationships.. "On that drive I was contemplating a lot of things to do with my childhood, and instead of writing really angry songs, which I've done many times, I'm now taking a slightly philosophical approach," he says.

Premiering via triple j early this week, "Blood" is a slow-burning ballad with atmospheric, icy piano nestling alongside the elegant warmth of strumming acoustic guitars. Its centrepiece, however, is its stirring chorus, with Bain's falsetto elevating it into the stratosphere. This moving amalgam of beats, sampled sounds and Bain's soulful vocals speaks of an artist finding his direction, moving away from the blues and roots of his earliest works to land on a sound that is his and his alone.

'Blood' arrives accompanied by a deeply moving music video directed by Annelise Hickey (Jen Cloher) commenting "We wanted to create something that contrasted against the heavy lyrics, emotive chords and construct the clip to feel a little unconventional and strange. This video is all about Morgan being used as a lifeless prop to create new shapes and forms by the characters around him (almost like artworks). I wanted to use ordinary locations with interesting color palettes & shapes and try to transform the landscapes into something strange (using camera placement / framing and the movements from the characters)."