Stepbrother

Marking their first release since 2020, Stepbrother have returned with their latest offer – ‘Hillstart’

As the product of a three-year writing process, ‘Hillstart’ is the amalgamation of varying mindsets and circumstances that document Stepbrother’s progression from previous releases to their approaching destination. Aptly named, ‘Hillstart’s premise follows the rollbacks and stalls of a relationship on the ropes, a conflict that’s mirrored in the track’s own passage to resolution.

Following the instruction of vocalist Nina Madley—“Don’t be too hasty”—‘Hillstart’ relishes in its gradual expansion. Produced and engineered by Joe Futak, ‘Hillstart’ flowers from various directions and boasts new additions, for example, the introduction of strings played by Haydn Wynn and Claudia Tarrant-Matthews. Structurally, ‘Hillstart’ is a microcosm of addressing conflict, with its last two minutes perfectly capturing the elation of reconciliation. Spanning just under six-minutes, ‘Hillstart’ blooms into an optimistic equanimity that brings with it the impression of comfort.