Rising Australian Folk-Rock Singer Julia Jacklin Releases Magnetic New Single, “Hay Plain”

Julia Jacklin, the Australian folk-rock singer who’s been shooting to sudden fame this year, released a new song via NPR this week titled “Hay Plain.”

It’s the fourth single from Jacklin’s forthcoming debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win, and perhaps the best yet. The track follows Jacklin as she contemplates her “new man” on a long drive, and it does so with a magnetic expansiveness.

The song opens on dusty guitar strumming reminiscent of rolling wheels. Swirling layers of sound build slowly, evoking the power with which an enormous landscape—in this case a hay plain—overwhelms those who drive through it. Jacklin’s vocals are gentle one moment and forceful the next, with the unexpected shifts adding urgency to her words.

Jacklin is currently on the North American segment of her international tour and preparing to release her album on Oct. 7 via Polyvinyl. She’s been working on these songs for years, but is finally committing to a full-time music career. Jacklin began studying music at age 10, when she decided that her tiny self had thus far been a useless deadweight in the world, unlike the illustrious child star Britney Spears. Spears inspired her to start taking voice lessons.

A decade and a half later, here we are. Jacklin is currently making her way around the world with Marlon Williams and Whitney, and may be coming to a city near you. Check out these remaining tour dates below, watch the video for her second single “Leadlight” here, and be sure to catch Don’t Let The Kids Win when it comes out a week from today. But first, listen to “Hay Plain.”