SOMBER HILLS SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘SAY TO ME’
Today, Sydney-based, NZ-born artist Somber Hills returns with his potent new single 'Say To Me'. Dialling the energy up from last month's breakthrough single 'Don't Need', 'Say To Me' hits hard from the outset, showcasing the artist’s melodic rap style while producer Sadie (Lil Skies) steers the urgent, rock-leaning trap production. Taking aim at people’s vagueness and ambiguities, Somber’s flow is pointed and dynamic, channeling his frustration and delivering each hook with masterful ease. 'Say To Me' arrives alongside an official lyric video, shot with friend and videographer Colin Babbot.
On the track, Somber Hills shares; ‘‘Say To Me’ is about knowing there's a point that needs to be made behind a wall of one hundred other things being said. It's so uncomfortable being stuck in limbo or sitting on the fence with your decisions. Get to the point, express how you feel, It's better for everyone. This isn't about any one interaction in particular, it just felt right to me the way I told the story as the song progressed.’
Somber Hills is an artist who loves the hustle. One of the country’s hardest working creatives, he combines trap & rock influences with dream-like production, citing influences from producers Noah '40' Shebib (Drake) and Metro Boomin (The Weeknd, Future) to bands including Green Day and Radiohead. Somber Hills — real name Lukas Martin — grounds his verses in a deep appreciation for all genres, allowing him to draw from a wide palette of sonic influences in his production. Lyrically, he’s as experimental as they come, preferring to freestyle his bars rather than write them down. ‘My mind is super ADD, I was diagnosed with it when I was 13. I just overthink what I’m writing. When I freestyle, I just let my emotions do their thing’.
Martin came to music at a young age, when he was given a guitar as a birthday present. He remembers being so besotted with the instrument that he literally slept in bed next to it, so he could play music as soon as he woke up each morning. As the years passed, the young Martin took to producing, working with his mates in the New Zealand skating scene. In terms of highlights, he points to opening for A$AP Ferg, playing NZ festival Rhythm & Vines, and meeting with Post Malone’s manager, Dre London, as evidence that he is heading in the right direction. With avenues opening up across the ditch in Australia, all thanks to the artist’s love for his craft and his hard-working attitude, he knew he’d need to fly the coop and spread his wings internationally.
Now that he’s in Australia again full-time, Somber Hills has finally found a place he feels at home, a place that has welcomed his music, and has just one goal thus far; he wants to make a living off his music. Beyond that, he hopes to continue collaborating, already linking up with the likes of Lucianblomkamp, Jeida Woods, Boy Soda, Joe Mason, UP LATE and more. 'I just like being in the studio with people, bouncing off each other,' he says. 'I see myself as a vessel for creativity, rather than a creative person.' This passion and determination has led to an already huge start to 2020, with the single 'Don't Need' already amassing over 190k Spotify streams and seeing huge support from the platform. The arrival of new single 'Say To Me' only affirms his rapid rise, and as one of the scene's hardest working artists, expect to hear a lot more from Somber Hills in 2021.
Praise for Somber Hills
'Rap is the new rock'n'roll, and New Zealand-born, Sydney-based rapper/producer Somber Hills is one of the best examples of that'
- Cool Accidents
'Great start for Somber Hills... As it fades out of view you'll wish it stayed longer.'
- Dave Ruby Howe, triple j Unearthed
'An emotive emo-rap offering'
- Sniffers