Lior & Domini is a new collaboration between one of Australia’s most distinguished singer-songwriters Lior and exciting emerging artist Domini Forster. Today they have released Gloria, the first single from their forthcoming EP Animal in Hiding, which will be released October 15.
Recorded at Montsalvat artists’ colony on the outskirts of Melbourne during the winter and spring of 2020, Animal in Hiding is the fruit of a creative partnership developed over six years touring together. Initially with Domini as Lior’s support act, then as a guest vocalist, and now as co-writer and collaborator.
“Singing together, Domini and I can weave in and out of each other’s shadow. We sense one another’s vocal nuances in real time. It is a rare musical synergy, one we felt compelled to capture in a collaborative project’ says Lior.
“We definitely have a real kinship as singers” says Domini. “There’s something special in the blend of our voices that we both immediately recognised. Honestly, I think a big part of why we started this collaboration was just so we could sing together more!”
While Lior and Domini began writing the songs in late 2019, much of the material was developed during Melbourne’s long lockdown, over zoom from their respective homes. The title track, originally written about the isolation of winter, became the prophetic seed of the project.
“Though it wasn’t our original intention, the songs do reflect this recent period of uncertainty and isolation. They explore human connection and disconnection, introspection and mental health, and the fragility of the world we’ve created.”, says Domini Forster.
Animal in Hiding features 6 songs that are rooted in intimate storytelling. Underpinned by intricate guitar, Lior and Domini’s close vocal harmonies are the focal point of the songs, harking back to the iconic folk duos of the 60s.
The single Gloria, speaks of society’s tendency to dismiss the elderly. The song was inspired by a personal experience of an elderly woman asking Lior to walk her home from the park one evening, as she feared doing so alone in the dark. His reflex was to help her from a place of duty and obligation. But as Gloria recounted intricate passages of a colourful life, it was clear that the kind deed was not a chore but an engaging chance encounter. She was the keeper of amazing stories and experiential wisdom. Why is it we so often have an immediate response of dismissal when it comes to the elderly? Could this experience help negate this reflex?
Lior is one of Australia’s most treasured singer songwriters, renowned for his beautiful voice and songs that radiate truth and sincerity. He burst onto the Australian music scene in 2005 with his debut album Autumn Flow which has become one of the most successful independent debut releases in Australian music history. Lior has since released a further six albums and has toured extensively both in Australia and internationally. He is a multi-ARIA award winner as well as an APRA Screen Award winner for his song-writing work for film and television.
A recipient of the Darebin Songwriter’s Award and former Triple J Unearthed High finalist, Domini Forster is one of Melbourne’s brightest emerging songwriters. Her distinctive voice shifts from commanding call to whisper-close falsetto, weaving intimate stories. Domini’s debut album Raven was featured in the RRR Soundscape and the PBS Top 10 and earned a 9/10 from Beat Magazine.
LISTEN TO GLORIA HERE https://bfan.link/gloria
EP ‘ANIMAL IN HIDING’ RELEASED OCTOBER 15TH