Ōtautahi-based songwriter Mousey, the creative alias of Sarena Close, announces her third album, The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers!, set for release on October 18th, 2024 via Winegum Records / Concord Publishing. This album delves deeply into personal and familial themes, reflecting Mousey’s growth and exploration of self.
Five years since her debut album Lemon Law, Mousey presents an 8-track collection that delves into family dynamics, identity, and breaking generational cycles. This album combines evocative melodies with introspective lyrics to reflect the evolving tension between past and present.
Reflecting on the album’s creation, Mousey shares, “As a songwriter, I write about my own experiences, especially the painful ones. This album is no exception. The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers! The title of the album is my own spin on an excerpt from German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger who has written and worked a lot with family systems and has theories on how our breaking of destructive/abusive generational patterns relieves the spirits of our ancestors.”
Pre-Save the Album HERE
To herald this new chapter, Mousey releases the wistful single ‘Home Alone’ accompanied by a music video, directed by Robyn Jordaan. Filmed on a frosty winter’s night in Christchurch, the video depicts Mousey as an ethereal presence, a spectral echo of her former self wandering through a home steeped in memories both tender and haunting. The visuals, captured and edited by Caleb MacDonald, reflect the song’s exploration of past and present.
’Home Alone’ offers a glimpse into the raw honesty of The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers!. Mousey explains, “I wrote this song a few years ago during a period of intense turmoil, including a PTSD diagnosis and a miscarriage. It’s about missing my old life but not wanting to return to it, capturing a moment of being stuck and finding a way forward.”
In support of the album release, Mousey will embark on a nationwide tour, bringing her deeply personal and evocative music to audiences across Aotearoa. Playing shows in Christchurch, Wellington & Auckland, Mousey will be bringing her full band, playing songs from the new album, plus favourites from her past records too.
- Auckland: Neck of the Woods, November 23rd
- Wellington: Moon, November 22nd
- Christchurch: Darkroom, November 16th
Ōtautahi songwriter/producer Goodwill appearing as special guest for all shows.
Mousey – Home Alone (Official Music Video)
Download: https://s.disco.ac/
Mousey – The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers!
Tracklist:
Die on that Hill
Home Alone
Dog Park
Island of Hope (Pt. 1)
Island of Hope (Pt. 2)
Opener
IDWGBTY
E. S.
About The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers!:
The Dreams of our Mothers’ Mothers! opens with the slow-building and stirring ‘Die On That Hill’, a cathartic rumination on the struggle and pain of family, before segueing into ‘Home Alone’, a epic and triumphant song that aches for the past while remaining firm-footed in the here and now. There are moments on the record of multi-layered production, such as on standout track ‘Dog Park’, with the pair pushing themselves to be unafraid of being “cheesy” and embracing joy and bombast.
Praise for Mousey’s ‘Dog Park’:
“With the strange, moody and percussive Dog Park she shows no sign of pulling back with a song which scratches its way into the subconscious. Mousey looks to be setting up a fascinating album where pop meets art in a discomforting, dark room” – The Listener
“Dog Park” features dark, brooding instrumentation, Close’s transfixing vocals, and stream-of-consciousness lyrics.” – Rolling Stone Australia
“Mousey aka Sarena Close today shares double-single ‘Dog Park / Opener’ via Winegum Records — embracing trip-hop sonics with her first official release since 2021’s highly acclaimed My Friends.” – Under The Radar
Elsewhere, such as on the lo-fi closer ‘E.S.’, there are some of the most fragile and vulnerable sounds Mousey has ever delivered. For the shimmering ‘IDWGBTY’, Sarena recorded a hurried voice memo with voice and guitar to note down a sketch for a song, which Will then built around to construct one of the most magical moments on the album.
From the intimacy and pain of Sufjan Stevens’ most emotive moments to the grandeur and beautiful drama of Mitski, the darker moods of Portishead’s starker work to to the swagger and passion of Perfume Genius, the influences here are many and varied. But make no mistake, this is all Mousey, purest form Mousey… a fully realised, and really quite remarkable Mousey.
“These albums that I’ve been making have become good vehicles to help me understand myself,” Sarena says. “It’s a privilege that I get to discover and express myself in such a way and also that some people would be interested in watching it all go down.”
Already unafraid of aiming high and making ambitious, complex music, The Dreams of our Mothers’ Mothers! is the sound of an artist at the very top of her game. It is an album made out of necessity, and made as Sarena Close’s truest form of expression. If ever Mousey deserved a moment, this is it.
Mousey – The Dreams of Our Mothers’ Mothers! will be available on October 18th.
via Winegum Records / Concord Publishing
Made possible with the support of NZ On Air
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