https://www.rrr.org.au/subscriber-giveaways/acopia-blush-responseCloses 21 September 2025, 11 pm
Win a copy of Blush Response AOTW
Blush Response is the third album for Naarm trio Acopia, and their first release through London/NYC label Scenic Route. It was recorded over a year in two local studios, including an abandoned South Yarra office building scheduled for demolition. The impermance of the location "gave the whole process a strange, bittersweet edge,” according to the band. “That feeling of fragility hung in the air and made its way into the record.” Lyrics consider unresolved feelings and the weight of things left unsaid, set against drum machine patterns, guitars and synth layers.
Kate Durman, Lachlan McGeehan, and Morgan Wright have shifted from the sparse electronic approach of earlier records. Guitars now anchor the rhythm section rather than floating as texture. 'Falter' builds around interlocking riffs, while 'Talk About It' opens with layered melodies over clipped beats. The album includes the trio's first duet on 'Let Down' - McGeehan joins Durman on lead vocals over bass guitar and minimal electronic backing.
Since forming in 2018, Acopia have built a strong reputation through studio work and live sets, including shows with Tirzah and Bar Italia, festival appearances at Golden Plains and RISING, and collaborations with UK producer Daniel Avery. This latest LP captures the band expanding their reach whilst retaining the quiet intensity that has become their signature.
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