The solo project of Twin Haus member Nick McMillan, Black Lining has taken a running start, releasing his debut EP Creed Dealer Sessions in December and following it up with a bittersweet single named Kyneton as the year turned.
While the song may have a sombre meaning, the accompanying video catalogues time well spent with fellow musicians in the country. Victorian bushland is easily recognisable, and carries the melancholia of Black Lining’s hopeful lyrics beautifully.
We caught up with McMillan ahead of the video’s release to chat about the foundation of Black Lining’s sound, time spent away and the meaning of Kyneton itself.
Layered with echo-drenched guitars and simplistic percussion, Kyneton easily embodies the relaxing, atmospheric mission statement of Black Lining.
The clip was filmed by McMillan’s friend Dylan Manning, who previously collaborated on Creed Dealer Sessions. It documents a short-lived musical escapade, the kind of lazy Aussie trip steeped in forgetfulness that we’ve all experienced at some point:
“It was shot in Daylesford, Victoria, where Brisbane band Twin Haus and Melbourne group Romeo Moon were creating and recording some demos in a caravan. The video is basically a documentation of a few days that none of us will forget.”
When asked to compare Kyneton to Creed Dealer Sessions, McMillan knew he had stuck to his guns for the follow-up release:
“The band’s sound has developed over the two official releases but the main focuses of the sound can still be heard; textural guitar collages, juxtaposed by simple synth drum sequences, and a vast array of auxiliary percussion and field recordings.”
The result of McMillan’s varied attitude towards instrumentation places Black Lining at odds with any specific genre, plodding gently on a feathered pillow somewhere between folk, shoegaze and easygoing psychedelia.
As for the meaning of the song, McMillan referenced a very specific event.
“It’s about spending a whole day preparing a big spread of food for some house guests, only to find out that they aren’t coming, eating alone, drinking a gin and tonic, and going to bed.”
Whether or not Kyneton is a regretful lament of the time or a glass half-full take on a bad situation – that’s up to you.
While Black Lining doesn’t have any gigs on the horizon, make sure you head over to his Facebook and Bandcamp to show some support for this shining new act.
