ALLY PALMER RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM NEED YOU AROUND
Byron based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, surfer and environmentalist Ally Palmer has just released her latest single “Need You Around” alongside her debut album. Channeling an iconic 60’s surf-pop vibe, Ally is consistent in creating beautiful, heartfelt songs that reveal her enticing blend of vulnerability and strength.
Need You Around is the last single Ally will release from her debut album. The track is an ode to the music Ally listens to and loves most. The track's upbeat, funky, folk/soul vibe reveals Ally’s musical background playing keyboard. "Need You Around" delves into loneliness and love, something we can all relate to. The instrumentation is like something straight out of the 60’s and will get you up and grooving every time you hear it. This was the first track Ally wrote for her debut album, engineered and mixed by Paul Pilsneniks.
“The song “Need You Around” happened unexpectedly. I love playing more groove-based songs on the piano and I just started playing the main groove to Need You Around one day, not expecting it to turn into anything. After a few months, I noticed I couldn’t sit down at the piano without playing this groove. I loved the piano part I’d come up with so much, I realized I had to take it somewhere and turn it into a complete song.”
Need You Around is heavily influenced by Ally’s love of old soul music, mixed with her roots in folk. She is an old soul with a love for keyboard based singer/songwriters like Donny Hathaway and Ray Charles, which you can definitely hear in Need You Around. Other iconic tracks have also inspired parts of Ally’s own single “Need You Around'' including "Love and Hate" from Michael Kiwanuk and "I Got The…" by Labi Siffre.
“I love everything Michael Kiwanuka does. His music is a huge inspiration for my own songwriting. I love the development of this song, the instrumentation is stunning and it just hits all the feels!”
Going on to speak about Labi Siffre, “This song is so groovy, I love it! The string sections and the lines they play are stunning. This song was a huge inspiration for Need You Around, you can definitely hear it in the keyboard part!”
The nine-track album covers topics of love, loneliness, and finding the beauty in between. The first single released in 2021, “Running,” acts as a necessary reminder to slow down in this crazy world, followed by the second single “Lay Your Love On Me” emphasizing the importance of supporting those when needed most.
Ally’s first 2022 single “Sunshiney Day” is a feel-good song about the appreciation for those who pick you up in your down days. “Leave You Behind” highlights the importance of letting go of toxic people and relationships, contrasting to that of “Keep The Light On,” which prompts the audience to keep chasing their dreams and passions.
“Can I Be Yours Tonight,” co-written by okmattcollins, is a testament of love to a desired interest. Following on, “Ocean Swells” encapsulates the beauty of the sea and how it grounded Ally. Finally, “Walk Alone” features an upbeat funk/soul resonance.
On the shores of the Byron Bay coastline, Ally Palmer can be found strumming and singing her sensitive and soulful indie folk. When she’s not cruising in her aqua-blue Kombi van, she is creating beautiful songs that tug on your heartstrings with her smooth harmonies and laid back style that provides feel good vibes for those hot summer days spent by the ocean.
Ally’s sound is reflective of the music that she loves and has listened to throughout her musical life. Growing up listening to Bruce Springsteen, Paul Kelly, Neil Young and Van Morrison on crackling vinyl records and having family sing-a-longs by the campfire sparked her early love for classic music. Palmer is inspired by some of the biggest household names of the 1970’s including Labi Siffre and Donny Hathaway.
After touring Australia as a keyboardist for a range of bands and artists, in 2016 Ally decided to take the plunge and pursue her original music. She has since released two EPs, both receiving Australia wide radio airplay and gaining herself a spot at 2017’s Byron Bay Bluesfest. The film clip for her most recent release, ‘Takin’ It Easy’ received viral attention, gaining over 100K views on Facebook.
Originally a solo artist, in 2020 Ally started collaborating with additional musicians, to breathe depth and expansion into her songs and produce a groove based sound ideally suited to a live setting. This new direction has injected more soul into the sound. Combining old school soul with smooth and uplifting lyrics, Ally’s music will have you adopting the Byron Bay ethos ‘Cheers Up, Slow Down, Chill Out’ in no time.
