Melbourne’s indie-folk darling Kook Joey is no stranger to the art of the slow burn. After a stellar year that saw her profile rise on the back of vulnerable, earth-toned storytelling, the Naarm-based songwriter is preparing to close the book on her latest chapter. Her new single, 'Cornerstone', arrives as a poignant final look into her upcoming EP, 'Holiday', which is set to land on 21 January.
While her previous work often leant into a sun-drenched, 60s-inspired aesthetic, 'Cornerstone' finds Kook Joey leaning into a more rustic, country-inflected sound. It is a track defined by its stillness and maturity, trademarking her signature warm vocal layers with a production style that feels both expansive and intimately close.
Thematically, the song serves as a post-mortem for a transient holiday romance—a connection that burns brightly in the vacuum of travel but lacks the scaffolding to survive the return to reality. It explores that specific, heavy-hearted realisation that some people are meant to be memories rather than fixtures.
At the track's emotional zenith, Joey delivers the crushing line, “we neglected the cornerstone.” It is a moment of quiet clarity that serves as the song’s namesake, acknowledging that even the most electric chemistry can falter without a shared foundation.
This single acts as the perfect gateway into the broader world of the 'Holiday' EP. The collection promises to map the emotional arc of a getaway, from the initial rush to the inevitable "comedown" of returning home. Listeners will already be familiar with the lush sounds of 'Flowers', a track that muses on the necessity of the right environment for growth. Elsewhere on the record, the hazy 'Bayamo' and 'Just Another Day' bottle the disorientation of being suspended in time, while the title track, 'Holiday', captures the sinking feeling of reality re-establishing its grip.
For those looking to experience the new material in a live setting, Kook Joey will be celebrating the release with a full band at the Bergy Bandroom in Brunswick on the 5th of February. It promises to be a night of catharsis and celebration for an artist who continues to prove that her storytelling is as sturdy as it is beautiful.
