Elsie Lange - The Normal Discontents of Living (2025)

Elsie Lange has released her first single of 2025, “Heatwave”, and it’s no wonder it’s an introspective song.

After spending a decade entrenched in Melbourne’s independent music community, Lange made the major decision to return to Alice Springs, the city where she grew up.

That’s why the accompanying music video for “Heatwave” is shot back home – on Ilparpa range to be specific, where Lange used to sneak away to after school. The clip, which is directed by Eremaya Albrecht, is a lo-fi ode to landscape, home, and family.

“Thrown together on a particularly hot and sweaty day, the music video is a reflection of Elsie’s lyrics, the heat, nostalgia, and imagery, rendered in a heatwave of home,” Albrecht says.

A songwriter like Lange was never going to give up music when leaving Melbourne, and “Heatwave” will feature on her forthcoming album, The Normal Discontents of Living, set for release in May.

She finalised it in Alice Springs, a casual 2000km from its producer, the always excellent Liam (Snowy) Halliwell, who lives in Melbourne. It’s set to be a short album – stretching for just seven songs – but that’s exactly what Lange wanted.

“This record was recorded over a couple of years… I decided that I wasn’t going to try force the songs to become uniform. I’m not uniform. But I think because of that they highlight the breadth of feeling and inspiration,” she says. “I chose to create a shorter album because I wanted these seven songs to shine. I love all the instrumentation and clarity Snowy brought to these tracks, he helped make calls I wasn’t sure how to. I feel honoured to have him produce the majority of the songs.”

TRACKLIST

1. Elsie Lange - Long Dark Year
2. Elsie Lange - Mend
3. Elsie Lange - Sally
4. Elsie Lange - Lost Ground
5. Elsie Lange - Heatwave
6. Elsie Lange - Constant Hum
7. Elsie Lange - Telephone