Following a stratospheric 12 months, the Sydney-based Kiwi duo Foley have officially kicked off their 2026 chapter with the release of their latest single, ‘Cinematic’. The track serves as the opening act for their upcoming EP, 'Like An Actress', which is set to arrive on 25 February.
The pairing of Ash Wallace and Gabe Everett has become a formidable force in the indie-pop world. After the soaring success of their 2025 sophomore album, 'That’s Life, Baby!;—which cemented their reputation for grittier, groove-heavy pop—and the chart-topping triumph of ‘Honey’, the duo are now leaning into a more organic, textured sound. Produced alongside long-time collaborator Josh Naley (Wells*) in Aotearoa, New Zealand, ‘Cinematic’ is a masterclass in building tension, blending shimmering synths with a matured, anthemic delivery.
The track explores the intoxicating, almost surreal "glow" of a burgeoning relationship. “‘Cinematic’ is about a love so beautiful and promising that you feel like it may not be real - at the start of a relationship the glow around a person can be so overwhelming and you find yourself romanticising everything,” the duo explains.
“Often we can have that self doubt of ‘is this actually real’, but ‘Cinematic’ is about embracing that feeling and leaning even further. Kissing in the streets at night, breaking into a stadium, and going home with butterflies in your stomach. It’s nostalgic even in the moment it happens, and you know that this could be encapsulated in a Hollywood movie because it's so outrageously perfect.”
Musically, the upcoming EP represents a shift toward a more tactile, live-ready energy. By moving away from purely digital production and embracing live drums, piano, and acoustic guitars, Foley have unlocked a new vitality.
“We approached this EP with more organic instruments - so that the studio experience was more physical and band driven," the group shares. "The live show is such a crucial part of the project, so we wanted to write the songs even more locked into the show, with live instruments and feel... It really unlocked a new energy in the studio - and the songs have a joy in them that I think you can really hear.”
With mixing by Pedro Calloni (Chappell Roan) and mastering by Nathan Dantzler (Sabrina Carpenter), the track is sonically flawless. It’s clear that as Foley explore deeper themes of identity and connection, they are doing so with their most cohesive and vibrant sound to date.
