SOMBER HILLS SHARES NEW SINGLE 'DON'T NEED'
Today, Sydney-based, New Zealand-born artist Somber Hills shares his dynamic new single 'Don't Need'. With influences spanning across rock, hip-hop and trap, ‘Don’t Need’ bridges the sonic gaps between genres, with its lyrical angst and raw vocal delivery at the forefront. Exploring the artist's conflicted feelings of guilt in pursuing music as a career, the track's darker tones are evident in it's melancholic production style. Enlisting producer Sadie (Lil Skies) and mixing from Simon Lam (Kllo), the track is moody yet finessed, arriving alongside a lyric visualiser which perfectly captures its tone.
On the production of the single, Somber Hills details; 'Don’t Need’ came about after a couple days in the studio I'd booked in NZ. I usually produce from my room and record there too. It was just after lockdown and I thought a change of scenery would give me some inspiration. For two days I made trash music and deleted everything. At the last minute before leaving I decided to revisit a beat I’d made with Sadie who co-produced this whole EP so far and boom - 5 minutes later - the song was all there start to finish.'
Discussing the track's meaning, he continues; 'I freestyled each section of the song and I think it was something I needed to get out subconsciously. I know being an artist is a selfish role and when I left for Australia I couldn’t be there for the people who needed me. I want to be, but I have to focus on this stuff first so I can be there for these people as the best version of myself. Especially my partner. This song stems from guilt. I know pursuing my dreams hurts people and I feel like you can hear the pent-up emotion in the delivery of the track.’
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. 'There’s something about it, I feel like I learn a lot and it helps me create more. You get to see someone’s project evolve and it’s just fun. I see myself as a vessel for creativity, rather than a creative person.' He is an artist who thrives on being busy, and with two albums worth of music already written and ready to drop, expect to hear a lot more from Somber Hills.