TELENOVA'S NEW EP 'TRANQUILIZE' IS MUSIC FOR THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMSCAPE IN YOUR MIND

Photo: Clint Peloso @clintpeloso

It happened in a dream, a spontaneous identity spawned out of the beautiful mind of Angeline Armstrong, frontwoman of the alluring jewel-toned trio Telenova. With Edward Quinn and Joshua Moriarty at her side, the three Aussies tell a story of love, loss, and adventure in their newest EP Tranquilize. The trio met at a week-long songwriting camp curated by Chris Walla, and their creative process has clicked ever since.

"I feel like a lot of the honestly and vulnerability in my songwriting happens on a subconscious level", begins Armstrong. "I'll be gravitating towards certain lyrics and feelings, will have a few memories or pictures in my head, and that'll form the threads that eventually weave together the whole thing". As far as the origin of their band name goes, that too happened in a dream. "We'd gone through heaps of different ideas," begins Armstrong. "I was scrolling through my phone one lazy Saturday morning looking through the texts-- I fell asleep. Then I had a dream that Josh messaged us 'Telenova?' into the group chat. I woke up and looked back over the messages and realized that it had all been a dream".  Those dreams led to an awakening that created Tenelova’s debut EP Tranquilize. Please welcome your newest obsession.

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Tranquilize

"At the heart of it, this song is about falling in love", says Armstrong. "The way it can feel so outside of your control and can take you by surprise, in the way a Siren song draws you in and leaves you kinda powerless. Like you've been tranquilized". Member Edward Quinn kicked off the session by starting the session off with a beat, Josh Moriarty sat at the Rhodes, and Angeline began constructing a melody. "We were all into that Dangermouse x Karen O 'Lux Prima' record at the time", says Armstrong. "Such a beautiful piece of work. I think that was one of our references for a vibe. From beginning to end, the trio knew right away they had a good thing going. "Honestly, it was pretty smooth sailing from conception to final master", says Armstrong. "That's the best thing about this band-- everything flows pretty naturally". 

"The way it can feel so outside of your control and can take you by surprise, in the way a Siren song draws you in and leaves you kinda powerless. Like you've been tranquilized". - Angeline Armstrong

Photo Clint Peloso @clintpeloso

Lost Highway

"Lost Highway went through several drafts of completely different lyrics, but the thing that had always stuck from the beginning was this hazy Lynchian image of a woman driving down a lost, endless, black highway", says Armstrong. "As soon as we started digging for where this woman had come from, where she was going, what was going through her head...the story started to come together". The singer-songwriter wants to provide a form of escapism, "like you would a film or a novel", says Armstrong. "The ‘when I killed you’ line helped anchor the narrative and it became this ‘confession’ basically. Even in the midst of our more cinematic, narrative-driven songs though, they’re inevitably peppered with little nuggets of very personal truths. Lines like ‘I walk on a tightrope between the girl I am and who I think I should be’ are my own little personal confessions within the song". 

"As soon as we started digging for where this woman had come from, where she was going, what was going through her head...the story started to come together". - Angeline Armstrong

Photo: Clint Peloso @clintpeloso

Blue Valentine

Following the narrative of their single "Bones", "Blue Valentine" paints an "overarching picture of a girl who keeps writing her own melodrama and heartache", says Armstrong. “I’m fascinated by the psychology of the story we tell ourselves about ourselves, and the power that can have. Like, how much of the pain and heartache I’ve felt in my own life was completely circumstantial? And how much have I drummed up for myself because good drama (like in good movies) is perhaps better and easier to cope with and accept, than the mundane day-to-day we can sometimes find ourselves in". 

“Like, how much of the pain and heartache I’ve felt in my own life was completely circumstantial? And how much have I drummed up for myself because good drama (like in good movies) is perhaps better and easier to cope with and accept, than the mundane day-to-day we can sometimes find ourselves in".- Angeline Armstrong

Photo Clint Peloso @clintpeloso

Bones

Telenova’s first released single "Bones" was set out to be a soft release. Since its debut, the trio can really see how it's been received. "Now that it's in out of our hands and into the hands of an audience I can definitely see why it's landing", begins Armstrong. "Beneath the bonny and Clyde Esque narrative, this song for me is one big dramatized metaphor for the disillusionment of idealized young love. The lyrics give it away, 'While you were loading your gun/ forever on the run'; you're enjoying this illusion and the romance of it all, but deep down you can see the warning signs that it's all about to fall apart. 

“Beneath the bonny and Clyde Esque narrative, this song for me is one big dramatized metaphor for the disillusionment of idealized young love.” - Angeline Armstrong

Photo: Clint Peloso @clintpeloso Triple_j @triple_j

Comedian

Telenova’s final track leaves the listener with reassurance from the trio as they express familiarity with being stuck in an emotional rut. "This is a real personal one for me", begins Armstrong. "I had a few people in my life who were feeling really low and out of sorts at the time, and sometimes you just don't know how to help, but you so badly want to see them smile and laugh and feel a little lighter again". 

“Sometimes you just don't know how to help, but you so badly want to see them smile and laugh and feel a little lighter again". - Angeline Armstrong

Close your eyes, relax and let your mind enter into the world of Telenova, stay as long as you like.