7 Oct 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Becca Caffyn - EP Review: Hallways

10 Apr 2024 // A review by Daniel Jones

Two years on from her debut releases Stair Kids and Replacement Blonde, Becca Caffyn is back with a new mini EP Hallways. Written at Depot Sound, during a series of sessions facilitated through NZ On Air’s New Music Development initiative, Hallways was produced by Becca Caffyn and Noah Page. 

This collection of songs was written after Caffyn had moved out of home after the 2021 lockdown and into a house shared with ‘people she met on the internet’. The indie-country-folk singer songwriter captures the struggles of life, missing family and feelings of loss and regret. The soft subtleties of Caffyn's harmonious vocal, drift through a gentle innocuous cloud of acoustic guitar, delivering us New Zealand's very own Phoebe Bridgers, maybe?

The title track Hallways is a gentle acoustic ballad, which Caffyn states, “it depicts the bittersweet nature of growing up, living the life you always hoped you would create for yourself, but missing parts of the life you grew up with, like living down the hall from your family.” This track slowly builds inside you, drawing comparisons to Landslide (Fleetwood Mac) or Motion Sickness (Pheobe Bridgers), there's a shy earnestness in the writing that is both naive and endearing. This is true also of Becca's live performance (Hallways live), the shy earnest quality that she presents through each line is both intriguing and honest, every word is felt. 

Whilst writing the EP, Caffyn took an introspective look at herself and her surroundings. She writes with clarity; crafting honest lyrics and gentle melodies that speak to her own experiences. "I think it really deals with ends and beginnings and being excited and scared and wanting to chase new things but also being afraid to let go. It was more a season than a moment, but the feelings I wrote about in these tracks still resurface in my life now. Gas Money in particular is about leaving behind the summers of your youth, and the people and places that go along with that. 

In a vast sphere of indie introverted singer songwriters it can be difficult to stand out and resonate, however, with tracks Gas Money and Burning Time, there is a sense of individuality as well as an ode to artists such as Lizzy McAlpine, Julia Jacklin and Maggie Rogers, "My friend Benjamin Mack is definitely someone who inspires me to write, I think he is so great at what he does. I also really love Goodwill, Bexy, and There's A Tuesday".

Amongst the soft subtle undertones of Hallways narrative, this seems like the start of something bigger to come for Becca Caffyn, a clearly talented artist on a factory line of indie-folk. Becca is working on new material, which will hopefully be available to us this year; "I have another single that I am working on that I hope to release later on this year. It's one that I've played live and lots of my friends have claimed it as their favourite, so I'd love to get it out."

 

About Becca Caffyn

Originally hailing from Hamilton, Becca Caffyn has always had a deep intrigue for the world around her. Raised in a yellow house in the suburbs, she grew up having visions of one day living in large cities, travelling the world, and performing to crowds of her own.

Caffyn spent her early teen years competing around New Zealand’s country music circuit, taking inspiration from Red-era Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves; before being introduced to the music of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell at the age of 15. Something clicked, and she felt the pull to start developing her sound; leaning on the storytelling and instrumentation of folk music from the 60's and 70's. Caffyn started writing her own songs, keenly chasing down whatever musical avenues she could find.

After leaving high school, Caffyn was handpicked to join an Artist Development programme at Parachute Music. She packed her bags for Auckland and spent a year in the studio honing her songwriting, working towards her debut collection of recordings. Caffyn enlisted the help of producer Will McGillivray (There’s A Tuesday, BEXY), and got to work recording the The Replacement Blonde EP.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Becca Caffyn

Releases

Hallways
Year: 2024
Type: EP
The Replacement Blonde
Year: 2022
Type: EP

Other Reviews By Daniel Jones

The Wax Birds - Album Review: A Steady Hope
08 Aug 2024 // by Daniel Jones
The Wax Birds are an acoustic, country-folk duo based on the West Coast of Canterbury. Originally from Yorkshire (UK), the duo took advantage of the down time, during the chaos of 2020, to create their own unique sound and brand of country folk ballads as well as reinventing some of their favourite and most inspired cover songs.
Read More...
Psycho Gab - EP Review: Crazy Talk
11 Jul 2024 // by Daniel Jones
Psycho Gab, formed in early 2023, this five-piece, neo-soul band based in Tamaki Makaurau, the group claim to have cultivated a unique sound formed at the crossroads between soul, RnB, jazz and pop, leaving endless possibilities of smooth grooves up for exploration. Ridiculously accomplished musicians, who would not be out of place in a Washington DC late night jazz scene.
Read More...
Ekko Park - EP Review: Let's Talk About Last Night... The End of the World
16 May 2024 // by Daniel Jones
Ekko Park's new EP Let's Talk About Last Night... The End of the World - released on May 10th, 2024 is the first release since their UnMute EP in 2022.
Read More...
The Advocators - Album Review: Songs From An Endless Night
14 May 2024 // by Daniel Jones
The self-proclaimed hillbillies and misanthropes of Northland, NZ, release their debut album Songs From An Endless Night. On first listen, you could be forgiven into thinking that The Advocators hail from the deep southern US terrains of the Mississippi or grew up playing on the Tennessee bar scene.
Read More...
Alexander Guy - Album Review: Last Call At The South Sea Hotel
24 Apr 2024 // by Daniel Jones
Wellingtonian singer-songwriter Alexander Guy releases his new album Last Call At The South Sea Hotel on April 18th. The first official studio album from Alexander Guy, who has previously released a live album Vogelmorn Bowling Club in 2023.
Read More...
View All Articles By Daniel Jones

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TIMELESS
    The Weeknd And Playboi Carti
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TOO SWEET
    Hozier
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem