Art As Catharsis is proud to release Jessica O’Donoghue’s new record, Rise Up – an elegant record of emotive and mysterious art-pop compositions.
Combining industrial electronics, rich vocal harmonies, warm synths and operatic influences, Rise Up is without a doubt O’Donoghue’s most ambitious release to date. With production from Alyx Dennison (of Kyü) and engineer David Trumpanis (Sarah Blasko, Seeker Lover Keeper, The Voice), O’Donoghue continues to haunt audiences and critics alike – putting her as a pioneer of her own brand of post-baroque dramatic pop.
“This album is really about a woman’s journey,” begins O’Donoghue. “It goes from hopes, dreams and promises to dark times, challenges, sacrifices and doubting/questioning to acceptance, nurturing and healing, to celebrating and honouring the feminine story and experience. It is a journey of drawing from darkness to drawing from light, a letting go and a rising up that brings with it immense depth and knowledge from past experiences. It is about honouring and celebrating all that the woman is and represents; softness, beauty, fierce power and the ability to hold and nurture the world and everyone in it. It is deep and mysterious, yet illuminous and uplifting.”
Simmering, Slow and eerie, La Rosa taps into something deep, slumbering and archaic. O’Donoghue powers over simmering background synths, weaving a sense of mystery over the track. Each verse unravels slightly, adding more layers as each one progresses before eventually reaching a crescendo of powerful vocalisations and swaying stringwork.
As a recipient of the Top Performance Award at 2021’s APRA/AMCOS AMC Art Music Awards and an Australian Institute of Music Fellowship, O’Donoghue’s undeniable talent is only reinforced by her prestige, all of which culminates in the rich musicianship on display in Rise Up. Here marks the next big step in O’Donoghue’s unstoppable career – a truly outstanding piece of Australian music.
Jessica O’Donoghue’s new single, La Rosa, is available now on all platforms.
