Sydney-based duo Beryl will light your heart on fire with the celestial, melancholic sound. After releasing their debut EP Keeping Score, Beryl are proving they’re an act to watch. They’re bound to take up some much deserved room in your playlist. Headlined by vocalist Gabriella Ellicott and instrumentalist Alex Jasprizza, Beryl is a force of nature; they are the next Julia Jacklin and Big Thief, from whom they are draw inspiration:

Gabby: “I love sad music just across the board. I also think it’s pretty reflective of the time we wrote a lot of these songs. I think this EP has been particularly introspective, because it was kind of written over all the lockdowns”

Alex: “We really like personal music…people like Julia [Jacklin], Aldous Harding… Big Thief”

This is the EP to listen to when you need a moment to reflect. Listen at 11:59pm on a Tuesday night in the bed sheets you’ve been meaning to change. Listen on the train on the way home from work. Listen when doing the dishes. Listen when you need a second to figure out your next move.

Each lyric offers a plethora of raw emotion, depicting grief, conflict, and interpersonal struggle. As co-writers of their EP, Gabriella and Alex, both pour themselves into each of their songs, although their processes couldn’t be more different:

Gabby: “For me, it’s always like obviously personal. It comes pretty quickly. I write pretty regularly and quickly…I have to get things done or I have a bit of a moment. Fast for me but kind of opposite for [Alex].

Alex: “Yeah, I take my time with things. Pretty slow mover”

Sonically, they fall into the indie-folk genre with a twist that makes the sound their own: a cultivated blend of brass and acoustics. They have skilfully created this sound which allows for Gabby’s diaphanous voice to be enhanced further by the sombre sounds of the violin and clarinet. The EP’s mood was a function of which was generated by the many setbacks of the pandemic lockdowns of last year.

Alex: “We did three days in the studio with our band, and then an extra day with a string quartet. We did a bunch of days. It was kind of a mix of home studio recording, and in the studio. It was all pretty broken up over lockdown. Originally, we planned to go in the studio, and then everything got pushed back six months, and was pretty full on”

Gabby: “It meant that Alex arranged a string quartet thing…we had a lot of time to dwell on that”

‘Keeping Score’ is a poignant, poetic, passionate EP that is nothing short of magnificent – especially as it’s the band’s first release – and it’s sent Sydney’s music scene into a frenzy. Big things are coming for this Sydney-based duo, and we are excited to watch them show the world their talent. 

Check out their interview with Lill Scott on Up For It! up top to hear more about how these two created their spectacular EP. Listen to ‘Keeping Score’ and find out where you can see them live down below.

WHO: Beryl
WHERE: 107 Projects, Redfern
WHEN: 6PM, Friday December 2
HOW MUCH: $25. More here