Dominic Breen releases Lay Low EP

Listen to the Lay Low EP

Dominic Breen’s first EP Lay Low is a striking display of stylistic diversity, inspired lyricism and, most importantly, beautiful songwriting. The young Sydneysider plays every instrument on these five tracks, which evoke everything from indie-folk and shoegaze to 60s Britpop and 80s Australiana.

The melancholic ‘Louisa’ is named for an Airbnb owner that Dominic booked a holiday with before having to cancel when his relationship fell apart. Elsewhere, the title track builds to a thrilling climax, while the self-explanatory EP closer - ‘Sometimes The Wrong People Are At The Top’ – offers delicate fingerpicking and insistent hooks.

The Lay Low EP arrives hot on the heels of Dom’s debut double A-side single ‘Sydney Kids/The Words’. The sunny and wry ‘Sydney Kids’ picked up 4-5 star reviews from 8 different presenters and Superusers on Triple J Unearthed. It was chosen by Ben Folds as one of his favourite Unearthed tracks, added to rotation on several indie stations (including 2SER & Unearthed) and featured on Apple Music playlists, including ‘Best of the Week’. Meanwhile, ‘The Words’ is currently sitting pretty on Apple’s ‘Eclectic Rock’ playlist, holding its own alongside bona fide classics by Lou Reed, Springsteen, Radiohead and more.

Working as a gardener by day, Dom finds that words and melodies will often arrive in his head virtually fully formed, right in the middle of cutting a hedge or mowing a lawn. As a teenager, Dom suffered a number of serious concussions and was ultimately hospitalised. Bizarrely, these injuries unlocked something within him and his writing flourished. Songs and poems began to flow out of Dom at a rapid clip. They haven’t stopped since.

The Lay Low EP is out now internationally through Double Drummer/AWAL.