Tim Ayre releases dreamy ‘Modern Life’ EP
The Australian musician takes listeners on an idyllic, indie-pop holiday that’ll have you daydreaming all summer long
Photo: Kitsuné Musique
Known as the other half of Tim & Jean, Tim Ayre continues to embark on his solo career with his new EP Modern Life. The composer, singer and songwriter sound is heavily (and notably) influenced by the likes of The Beatles, Daft Punk, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder and the Flaming Lips. His five-track EP features a quirky blend of indie and alt-pop with elements of nostalgic and modern guitar, drums, bass and synth; with each song seamlessly flowing into the next.
This is Ayre’s second venture in his solo career after releasing his self-titled EP, completely recorded in his Melbourne home studio back in November 2019. The now Sydney based musician continues to grow as an artist with his latest release, he shares: “I’m really proud of this EP, I feel like the intention to write music that reminded me of more positive times and this idea of travelling the world has come through”.
“Despite the fact we’re still in this weird ongoing uncertainty I hope the record can give people a feeling of positivity. I feel like if you sit by the window and play it from start to finish you can almost daydream as if you went on a holiday”, Tim notes — attempting to take us away for a short period of time. The shortest holiday in history.
Ayre opens with Mexican Holiday, starting with an upbeat piano melody as he sings of longing to manifest relaxation. With more of a surf-pop vibe, Ayre references his friend’s 2014 trip to Mexico with lyrics like, “My skin is turning green, am I reptilian? / I think it’s kickin’ in,” which resulted in him taking peyote, deleting his social media and never returning to Australia. The sunny tune was meant to serve as a homage to his plans to reunite with his friend only to be halted by Covid travel restrictions.
From one holiday destination to the next, takes a more lackadaisical turn with Miami Drive. One of the more rustic songs on the EP due to its prominent acoustic guitar and fuzzy-sounding vocals. It’s the perfect song to listen to on a warm summer evening, driving with the windows down, without a care in the world.
So Long is the EP’s midway point, with a sound clearly influenced by the late 60s, early 70s, and artists like Todd Rundgren and The Beach Boys. Despite the relatively cheery disposition of the track, the lyrics juxtapose Ayre bidding adieu to his former self. When talking about his writing process, he shared, “Writing the lyrics came from saying goodbye to my younger self and the things in the past that have no weight in my life anymore. Maybe it’s more about saying ‘So Long little Tim, Hello big little Tim’”.
The EP’s title track Modern Life begins with an 80s-esque synth and piano. Along with the sepia tone visuals from the accompanying music video, the pre-chorus sets the vintage aesthetic. Ayre explained, “It’s a nice way to round out the EP with this song, a bit of a melancholic look at our newfound ‘Modern Lives’. I think the video illustrates the vibe of what I was going for exactly. It really speaks for itself”.
The final song, California Dreamin’ is Ayre’s alt-pop cover of the 1965 tune The Mamas & the Papas made famous. A classic road trip song, laced with summer nostalgia gets a psychedelic remix, filled with catchy guitar riffs.
Modern Life is seventeen and a half minutes of summer bliss. Each song is unique in its own right, taking the listener on a much needed holiday away from the chaos of the last year and a half.
