Feb 10, 2023
By Caleb Campbell
Photography by Cybele Malinowski
Australian singer/songwriter Georgia Mooney first introduced herself as one-quarter of the folk pop outfit All Our Exes Live In Texas, earning buzz and accolades for their 2017 record When We Fall. Today, Mooney is back, re-introducing herself as a solo artist with the glittering art pop of her new single, “War Romance,” premiering with Under the Radar.
“War Romance” is a sweeping pop ballad, the sort that is both steeped in melodrama and aching in its sincerity. Mooney’s airy and ornate vocals take center stage on the track, delicately soaring above twinkling arpeggiated keys, swelling strings, and layers of synths. Initially, the track recalls the baroque pop of artists like Weyes Blood, but with the chorus, it steadily takes on a dreamy cinematic sheen, one more akin to Kate Bush. The track eventually unfurls into its full maximalist heights, delivering a melodramatic guitar solo, which leads effortlessly into a final transcendent climax.
On the single, Mooney shares, “I have always loved wartime films & novels for the way they portray relationships. When life is fragile and we are faced with our mortality on a daily basis, we cling to one another for comfort. Superficial problems fall away and the bonds of love feel extraordinarily strong and vital. It’s a bit melodramatic, but romantic and earnest too. Like standing on a cliff, clutching a letter, staring out to sea.”
For the accompanying video, Mooney paired with comedian Rhys Nicholson, with whom she also co-hosts the Simply Marvelous podcast. Though they have previously been a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, the “War Romance” video sees Nicholson making their drag debut, albeit with a clever twist. Nicholson plays Georgia Mooney, while Mooney herself plays Nicholson, with both of them dancing around a gorgeous old hotel in a dreamy, romantic, and surreal performance.
Georgia Mooney shares on the video, “Rhys is one of my closest friends and a praiseworthy performer of the distinguished lip-sync! By performing as each other, the video has a campness that matches the melodrama of the music. It lightens the heaviness of the lyrical sentiment and places us in a lush and timeless dreamscape that seeks only beauty. It was a truly wonderful day of filming where we both discovered the joy and liberation of drag. There was much giggling. But perhaps unsurprisingly, we quickly discovered that the most difficult scene to do was the one where we were playing ourselves.”
Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now via Nettwerk.