MAPLE GLIDER RELEASES NEW SINGLE 'BABY TIGER' + DEBUT ALBUM 'TO ENJOY IS THE ONLY THING' OUT JUNE 25 VIA PIEATER / PARTISAN RECORDS
Photo by Bridgette Winten
PRAISE FOR MAPLE GLIDER
"Hell of a song and hell of a tone"
Tommy Faith, triple j Unearthed
"Glider’s airy vocals float beautifully throughout the song,
with Iansek’s signature slow-burning and evocative production making for a stunning listen"
NME
"A piece that tries to unravel the intricacies of a religious upbringing and a relationship,
both of which kept her from being her true self"
Bob Boilen (NPR)
"As Tradition quivers with its intimacy,
drawing from the same deeply personal chord of Julia Jacklin and Angie McMahon,
albeit with nuances and touches that make it distinct to herself"
Pilerats
Having announced her debut LP To Enjoy is the Only Thing, today Maple Glider shares the fourth cut from the album, the delicate 'Baby Tiger', premiered by Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1 overnight. Listen + watch HERE.
Over unison, raindrop-weighted nylon string guitar and piano (reminiscent of Erik Satie’s 'Trois Gymnopédies'), Maple Glider dwells in a mist of apathy, taking a faceless lover. Protectively watching over her in her listless state is Coriander the sharehouse cat, featured proudly in the music video below.
"Baby Tiger was written soon after I’d returned home from Brighton," Tori shares. "I was really struggling with my mental health, but I was going out and kind of using dating as a distraction from dealing with it. It never really worked. I'd just end up feeling worse when I was alone. Coriander hates closed doors. She'll always want to know what you're doing on the other side. It kind of became comforting to hear her scratch at my door. It was something that felt constant and unwavering and regular at a time when I was a bit vacant. Her energy made me feel lighter."
She continues, "I'm very detached from the 'man' I address in the song, but I beg for him to comfort me. Though I am feeling unwell, I am pretty certain that it is temporary. I know that "I'll come back to me soon". My housemate says she sees this as a kind of happy song because it features Coriander, and I really love that perspective, because even though I was in a bad place when I wrote it, there is an element of hopefulness."
Maple Glider (aka Tori Zietsch) has connected easily and immediately with a world-wide fanbase. 'As Tradition', 'Good Thing' and 'Swimming' have garnered international acclaim from Bob Boilen's All Songs Considered on NPR, Stereogum, Paste, PAPER Magazine, NME, Uproxx, American Songwriter, Dork, Consequence of Sound, Brooklyn Vegan, KUTX, Pilerats and many more. Locally, Maple Glider has been supported by playlist additions across Double J and triple j Unearthed, alongside community radio stations FBi Radio, Triple R, RTR FM, 2SER and Edge Radio.
Working with Pieater at home in Australia and Partisan Records for a world-wide release, including a first pressing of pearly green vinyl, the Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter can already boast over 2.5 million streams across her first three singles, and has sold out her debut headline show within a week. Fans will receive a zine with all vinyl pre-orders, and can pick up a tie-dye tee with the LP logo up-titled to To “Fang It” is the Only Thing... a personal saying of Tori’s, inspiring one of her tattoos (see below). Stay tuned as Maple Glider readies to take flight with her debut album, To Enjoy is the Only Thingout June 25.
'Baby Tiger' is out now, buy/stream it here.
ABOUT MAPLE GLIDER
In the singer-songwriter tradition, the solo project of Tori Zietsch (‘peach’ with a z) is centered around the lyrics, exploring deeply personal themes and often serving as a self-catharsis. Over plucked acoustic guitar or deftly weighted piano chords, Maple Glider shares vignettes of her life; growing up in a restrictive religious household, falling in and out of love, interstate, and international relocations, the new perspectives travel can bring along with the alienation of being away from the familiar. Based in Brighton abroad in the UK was where Zietsch experienced heavy loneliness. But it was during this time that she entered a pool of self-reflection. She returned to Melbourne late 2019 with a SoundCloud literally full of demos. She enlisted Tom Iansek (Big Scary / #1 Dads / The Paper Kites / Hockey Dad) to record, mix and produce the first batch of songs she was ready to get down. During the shared time spent at Pieater's studio BellBird with Iansek, the wider team got to fully appreciate the wonderful artistry and beauty of Maple Glider and welcomed her to the family. Later, they joined forces with beloved indie imprint Partisan Records to release her music with the rest of the world. To Enjoy is the Only Thing her forthcoming debut album, is full of her stories, complete with brittle intimacies and effortlessly balanced instrumentation (not a note wasted).
LYRICS
Comfort me
I promise when it's hard
I'll be lovely
I don't need to know your mother's name, but she would probably disagree
I don't need
Anything except to know that I can text
3pm on Thursday afternoon, and you'll, reply and come to me soon
Comfort me
Baby Tiger's scratching at the door
She's seen
Someone she hasn't seen before
I'm okay Baby Tiger
Don't prescribe me medication
I think that my mind is fine
I'm fully aware it's just the time
Baby Tiger's scratching at the door
Baby Tiger's scratching at the door
Waiting for this man to finish up
I'm okay Baby Tiger
I'll come back to me soon
I'll come back to me soon
Baby Tiger's scratching at the door