Naarm/Melbourne trio Acopia return with their much-anticipated third album Blush Response, out now via London/NYC label Scenic Route.
Following acclaimed singles ‘Talk About It’, ‘Falter’, and ‘Real Life’—which drew support from the likes of Resident Advisor, The Face, CLASH, Crack, PAPER, Under The Radar, FADER, The Line of Best Fit, DMY, and Stereogum—the full-length album distills Acopia’s quiet intensity into its clearest form yet. A reflective and emotionally articulate collection, the eight-track record finds the band exploring themes of unresolved emotions, distance in relationships, and the delicate balance between fragility and resilience. To celebrate the release, Acopia are currently on a UK/EU tour this month, following sold-out headline shows in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, and festival appearances at Wide Awake and Les Nuits Botanique.
Acopia – Talk About It
Acopia – Falter
Recorded over the course of a year in two Naarm studios, including an abandoned rooftop office in South Yarra, the album carries with it a sense of impermanence that seeps into the music. “We found out the building was set to be demolished in July, which gave the whole process a strange, bittersweet edge,” the band recalls. “That feeling of fragility hung in the air and made its way into the record.” What emerges is a collection marked by quiet intensity—hushed, intimate, and cuttingly precise. From the heaviness of unspoken words (‘See You In Everyone’) to the guitar-driven insistence of moving forward (‘Falter’), the songs map an arc of longing and self-reflection. The record also highlights an evolution in sound for Acopia, with bassist Lachlan handling vocal duties for the band’s first duet ‘Let Down’, and adding an overall more guitar forward dimension to their trademark stripped down dream pop sound.
Formed in 2018 by Kate Durman, Lachlan McGeehan, and Morgan Wright, Acopia began with a bare-bones ethos: sparse, slow, and restrained. Over time, they’ve evolved into a more instinctive, emotionally open project embracing mood, texture, and vulnerability. Their debut Chances (2022) introduced their quiet power; 2023’s self-titled LP earned widespread acclaim for its subtle emotional weight. Pitchfork praised it as “a nod to 1980s ennui and 2020s anxiety.”
Live, Acopia’s understated but affecting presence has taken them from support slots with Tirzah and Bar Italia to major stages at Golden Plains, Rising, and NTS Naarm, culminating in a sold-out headline at London’s Lexington. They’re currently embarking on a UK/EU tour with sold out dates in Paris, Barcelona, London and Berlin.
With Blush Response, Acopia step into their most assured chapter yet; emotionally clearer, sonically bolder, and more connected than ever.
Praise for Acopia
“Blush Response…has the unmistakable air of a band finally comfortable in their own sound.” – FADER
“Strips its melancholy electronic pop down to a whisper.” – PITCHFORK
“Dreamy, intimate, and beautifully restrained.” – THE GUARDIAN
“One of Naarm’s most quietly captivating acts.” – THE BEAT
“The Melbourne outfit’s new album is steeped in introspection and melancholy.” – RA
“Acopia make electronic pop that feels like a sigh; quiet, hazy and emotionally precise.” – CMU
“Dreamy guitar pop with electronic overtones, their hushed sound is never knowingly overstated.” – CLASH
“Acopia prove that sometimes the softest sounds cut the deepest.” – HARD OF HEARING
Acopia
Blush Response
Tracklist
1- Talk About It
2 – See You In Everyone
3 – Falter
4 – Let Down
5 – Falling
6 – Real Life
7 – Chase Me
8 – Last Word
ABOUT SCENIC ROUTE
Recently named “underground music’s most exciting label” by The Face, Scenic Route is a London/New York-based label championing genre-defying artists across experimental electronics, avant-pop, and the fringes of contemporary music. Founded in 2017 as a club night, it has since evolved into a globally-minded imprint known for spotlighting distinctive voices with bold artistic vision.
Recent releases include Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, the striking debut from Marina Zispin, and Eyes by Vanessa Bedoret, described by Boomkat as “a timeless bouquet of raptures and ballads,” with further praise from Resident Advisor and The Fader. The label’s Road Less Travelled Vol. 2 compilation showcased 20 forward-facing tracks that earned support from BBC 6 Music, Benji B on Radio 1, The Face, and Pitchfork. Scenic Route also released Erotic Probiotic 2 by Nourished By Time—named one of Pitchfork’s Best Albums of 2023 and featured across multiple year-end lists.
Led by Theo Fabunmi-Stone (XL Recordings) and Jon Phonics (Astral Black), Scenic Route remains committed to nurturing artists who push the boundaries of sound—cultivating a global creative community rooted in curiosity, independence, and innovation.
